What's the trick to slap bass?

There's no trick or shortcut to slap bass. What looks like a trick is really three things: a clear idea of the sound you want, built by listening obsessively to players you love; a strong rhythmic connection where you think like a drummer; and enough shed time to build the muscles and muscle memory. That's the real meat of it.

Is there actually a secret trick behind slap bass?

In short, there are no tricks, as in shortcuts, when it comes to proficiency with anything. There are levels of understanding, best practices, and perspectives you gain that can seem like the trick to getting what you want. But most of those things you have to discover and overcome organically in order to really internalize them. That's the real meat of it.

To slap well, and this really applies to any style, you need three things. First, an idea of what you want to sound like. Second, a strong rhythmic connection to music. Third, enough shed time in the bank to develop the muscles, tendons, and muscle memory to execute what you hear. There's no way around building technique and a feel for the style.

How do I know what I want my slap playing to sound like?

This is where listening is crucial. If you fall in love with a certain player or style, you begin to form a clear idea of what it is you're trying to do when you work on a technique like slapping. Then you've got great study material, straight from your preferred source.

From there, all that's left is to transcribe, deconstruct, obsess, practice, repeat, listen, and put in some sweat equity toward that sound. Learn a dozen slap lines by Louis Johnson, Marcus, Victor, Mark King, Flea, whoever appeals to you. That's how you build the vocabulary of good bass lines.

How do I get a good slap rhythm going?

You have to have an internal drummer, and that drummer needs a deep pocket. Essentially, slapping is combining the act of playing bass lines with drumming on the instrument. Time and time-feel is everything when it comes to slap.

Think of your thumb as the kick drum and your plucking finger as the snare, then learn different drum grooves to work on your technique and vocabulary. Learning drum grooves and transferring them to a slap bass line, even just playing an octave over and over while you match the rhythm, is a great way in. Learn to play drums on your bass, essentially, while also practicing how to get a good sound with your thumb and plucking fingers.

What 16th-note pattern should I practice for slap bass?

You're on the right train of thought with the 16th notes. There's no single magic pattern that all the greats build on, but 16ths are a great place to start (you'll probably wind up spending time with triplets as well once you really get going).

You want to internalize those 16th notes so you can feel them strongly on the inside, the way you feel the big downbeats. Practicing thumbing and popping every possible 16th-note pattern you can think of is a great way to build that internal clock and come up with interesting phrases. It's helpful to practice this stuff with a metronome. You can also pick up rhythmic exercise books and read through the exercises, slapping octave lines through the rhythmic etudes. I always recommend Louis Bellson's Modern Reading Text in 4/4 For All Instruments. It's a huge pay-off for what is actually a fun way to practice.

Step by step

1. Fall in love with a sound. Listen obsessively to a player or style you love so you form a clear idea of what you're actually trying to do. That gives you great study material straight from your preferred source.
2. Think like a drummer. Treat your thumb as the kick drum and your plucking finger as the snare. Slapping is really combining bass lines with drumming on the instrument, so build a deep pocket first.
3. Internalize the 16th notes with a metronome. Practice thumbing and popping every possible 16th-note pattern you can think of until you feel them on the inside like you feel the downbeats. Use a metronome to build that internal clock.
4. Read rhythmic etudes slapping octaves. Pick up a rhythmic exercise book and slap octave lines through the etudes. I always recommend Louis Bellson's Modern Reading Text in 4/4 For All Instruments.
5. Transfer drum grooves to the bass. Learn drum grooves and move them to a slap bass line, even just playing one octave over and over while you match the rhythm. Learn to play drums on your bass.
6. Transcribe your favorite players to death. Learn a dozen slap lines from players who appeal to you, like Louis Johnson, Marcus, Victor, Mark King, or Flea. That's how you build the vocabulary of good bass lines.
7. Put in the shed time. Bank enough practice hours to develop the muscles, tendons, and muscle memory to execute what you hear. Start at the beginning, overlook nothing, and don't avoid things just because they're hard.

Common questions

Is there a shortcut to learning slap bass fast?

No. There are no tricks or shortcuts to proficiency with anything, slap bass included. There are levels of understanding and best practices that can feel like a trick, but you have to discover and overcome them organically to really internalize them. The real work is thinking rhythmically like a drummer and building vocabulary by transcribing your favorite players. You don't have any choice but to build technique and feel for the style.

Why should I think like a drummer to play slap bass?

Because slapping is essentially combining the act of playing bass lines with drumming on the instrument, and time and time-feel is everything. You need an internal drummer with a deep pocket. Think of your thumb as the kick drum and your plucking finger as the snare, then learn drum grooves and transfer them to your bass so you're playing drums and bass lines at the same time.

Are 16th notes the foundation of all slap bass?

16th notes are a great place to start, but there's no single magic pattern that every great player secretly builds on. Work on internalizing 16ths so you feel them as strongly as the big downbeats, practicing every thumbing and popping pattern you can invent with a metronome. Once you really get going you'll spend time with triplets too, but 16ths build your internal clock and rhythmic vocabulary first.

What book should I use to practice slap bass rhythms?

I always recommend Louis Bellson's Modern Reading Text in 4/4 For All Instruments. Read through the exercises while slapping octave lines through the rhythmic etudes. It's a huge pay-off and an actually fun way to practice, and reading through etudes helps you build real rhythmic vocabulary while you work on your thumb and popping technique.

Should I follow every slap bass tutorial I find on YouTube?

Try everything you come across, but take what you like and ditch what doesn't resonate with you. Just don't disregard things simply because they're hard. Not every approach is for everybody, but you still have to put in the work to build a strong foundation and can't skip the meat of anything. Start at the beginning, build from there, and overlook nothing in your explorations.

There's no trick to slapping beyond learning to think and play rhythmically like a drummer, and learning the vocabulary of good bass lines by transcribing your favorite players to death.