FOLLOW US ON:
0 Cart £0.00

Slap Bass Study #1

< BACK Subscribe Now Subscriber Login

This slap study is written in 12/8 time and is therefore played with a shuffle feel. Playing slapped lines against this feel is far less common than playing over straight sixteenth note-based grooves and as a result, is something that many bass players struggle with. In addition, this piece also features tenths, popped double stops, and some tricky unison parts.

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 45 MINUTES long and contains the following videos, each of which can be selected from the video player above:

1. Intermediate Level - Slap Bass Study #1

This video is a demonstration of the piece, performed on a 1966 Fender Jazz bass strung with Rotosound stainless steel strings.

2. Course Overview

In this video gives an overview of the shuffle feel and the difficulties it presents for slap grooves. It also recommends some famous pieces that make use of the feel.

3. A Section

This video covers the A section, which features a melodic line built from the blues scale. This line can be tricky to play due to the shuffle feel. This lesson covers bars 1-8.

4. B Section

This video covers the B section, which is the main slap groove. This line features double popped chordal figures and tenths. This lesson covers bars 9-12.

5. C Section

This video covers the C section, which is almost identical to the B section, but with one minor modification. This lesson covers bars 13-16 in the transcription.

6. D Section

This video covers the D section, which features a new groove which builds on some of the ideas found in the earlier parts. This lesson covers bars 17-24.

7. F Section

This video covers the final bars of the F section, which provide a transition into the guitar solo. This lesson covers bars 29-36 in the transcription.

8. G Section

This video covers the slap groove played under the guitar solo section at letter G. This lesson covers bars 37-46 in the accompanying transcription.

9. I Section

This final video covers the I section. This slap groove is based on the B section, but with a syncopated fill added in the second bar. This lesson covers bars 55-56.