by Fréd Dornelas

"Hear other instruments". This sentence which is with us is the key for a complete musical development since our study started.

Hearing and learning about other instruments allow us to talk and understand other musicians and it also teaches us pretty valuable lessons. Who has never gotten interested in a drums groove or the melodic sense of a saxophone player? So, on this column I will try to show superficially a peculiar technique from the bass players which has always fascinated me: THE SLAP.

Before we start, make sure that you have your metronome always near you. And that you've done your rhythm lessons.

The slap has two basic techniques:

- The thumb, which is the movement that gets a percussive sound on the string by hitting the string with the thumb finger.

- And the Pop which is the movement where you pull the string with your index finger (at least ,in the beginning) and after that the string hits against the fret and makes a "pop" sound effect.

Both of them should be done with your wrist totally relaxed.

Let´s see some combinations below:

When you notice that you're playing these exercises with fluence, start your "travel" trough the Slap with the next examples:

Try some muted notes

and different movements with the index finger

All together: hammers-on and pulls-off, slides, double-stops

and tapping

The secret of a good slap phrase is in the inclusion of pauses on strategic places. That will brig some enhance and also complement the swing.

Listen and watch some masters of this technique: Louis Johnson, Marcus Miller, Victor Wooten) to assimilate a better idea.

And remember! Your target is not to steal the bassist's space. You're just improving your methods of playing.

Recommended Stuff: SLAP IT (Tony Oppenheim) and SLAP & POP TECHNIQUE FOR GUITAR( Jean Marc Belkadi)

I'd like to thank everybody who helped me with this column and dedicate it in memory of my lovely mom.

Fréd Dornelas has studied guitar at Souza Lima Music School. Contact: kikodornelas@hotmail.com

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