FOLLOW US ON:
0 Cart £0.00

Intermediate Level – Slap Bass Study #3

< BACK Subscribe Now Subscriber Login

This study piece has a rock/funk feel that is similar in style to Flea’s work with the Red Hot Chili Peppers. It was written with a number of intermediate level techniques in mind, specifically the use of tenths and fretting hand slaps. This piece also includes a challenging bass solo. Learning this piece will certainly sharpen up your slap bass skills and hopefully provide inspiration for slapped grooves of your own.

For bassists who wish to learn the piece but require additional assistance with some of the techniques required, the following courses (all included in the monthly subscription cost) should prove useful:

Don’t forget to hit the Download Resources button above to get the PDF transcription and audio files for this piece (available to subscribers only). The transcription is available with TAB and without, for those who wish to give their reading skills a workout.

This course is 55 MINUTES long and contains the following videos, each of which can be selected from the video player above:

1. Intermediate Level Slap Bass Study #3

This video is a demonstration of the piece, performed on a 1966 Fender Jazz bass.

2. Course Overview

In this video I’ll be talking about the main challenges in this piece, which are the use of tenth intervals, and the use of fretting hand slaps. I’ll also be demonstrating the tone I used in the recording and offering some advice on finding the right sound for pieces like this.

3. A Section

In this video we’ll be working through the A section, which contains the main theme of the piece. This part is built around a slap and pop groove that utilises tenths in both open string and fretted positions. This lesson covers bars 1-8 in the accompanying transcription.

4. B Section

This lesson covers the B section of the piece, which could be considered the ‘verse’. This section features another slapped groove, again one that puts tenths to good use. This lesson covers bars 9-16 in the transcription.

5. D Section

In this video I’ll be demonstrating the bassline that is played during the D section, which acts as a middle 8. The bass part is significantly simpler here, consisting only of a very simple slap and pop line. This lesson covers bars 25-36 in the accompanying transcription.

6. E Section (Bass Solo Pt.1)

In this video I’ll be demonstrating the first four bars of the 8-bar bass solo. This section is the more complex of the two halves, and utilises a variety of intermediate level slap techniques. It’s tough, but great fun to play once you have it down! This lesson covers bars 37-40 in the transcription.

7. E Section (Bass Solo Pt.2)

This video covers the second half of the bass solo. This lesson covers bars 41-44 in the transcription.

8. F & G Sections

In this final lesson I’ll be demonstrating the final two sections of the piece, both of which are heavily based on the line from the A section. At letter G the part is embellished to include some upper register licks which are doubled by the guitar – these help to give a sense of the piece coming to a close.