This slap bass study features a relatively sparse bass part. The line was inspired by ‘Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)’, a classic song by Sly & The Family Stone. This song holds an important position in the history of the slap technique as it is considered to be one of the first recorded […]

This study piece will help you to incorporate several phrasing techniques into your slap bass playing. These include hammer-ons and pull-offs, trills, vibrato and slides, all of which will really help bring your lines to life. You’ll also learn how to control note length when using the slap technique. Don’t forget to hit the Download […]

This study piece has a relatively slow tempo. In addition to playing conventional supportive grooves, the bass is also the featured instrument here, taking on many of the main melodic lines. Using the instrument in this way recalls the work of Marcus Miller, whose influence can be clearly heard throughout the composition. Although there are […]

This study piece has a disco feel and as a result, the bass part is heavily based around root-octave figures. Early albums by Jamiroquai were a significant influence in the composition of the piece, and so there are many ideas here that are often found in Stuart Zender’s playing. These include sliding octave figures, and […]

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, […]

This is another study piece that has been written as a resource for working on playing slap grooves over the shuffle feel. This is something that bass players typically find quite challenging, but once you have the feel down, they are fantastic to play. This piece also makes use of tenth intervals, strummed chords, popped […]

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 […]

This piece has a heavier feel to it and was written as a resource for practising sixteenth note-based slap grooves at slow tempos. When playing slapped parts at higher tempos, the fretting hand tends to share the burden, but when playing slower, it’s more common for the thumb to handle the bulk of the work. […]

This piece was originally written to represent Larry Graham’s pioneering bass techniques and reflects the work that he recorded with his own group, Graham Central Station. As a result, it features a powerful slap groove, and many of Larry’s preferred phrasing techniques, such as vibrato, trills, and shakes. His use of effects pedals is also […]

This piece was originally written to reflect the contributions that Stanley Clarke has made to the development of the bass guitar as a solo instrument. As a result, it features strummed power chords, slap and pop grooves, chordal fingerstyle passages, manipulated harmonics, and an aggressively played bass solo. Don’t forget to hit the Download Resources […]