Taking Your SLAP BASS from (Beginner to PRO)

Huge thanks to Hello Fresh for sponsoring todays lesson!

If you're looking to take your slap bass from beginner to pro, then this tutorial is for you! In this video, I'll walk you through the basics of slap bass, from the basics of bass guitar to playing slap bass technique tips.

Whether you're a beginner bass player or a more experienced player, this video is a great way to start understanding slap bass and start playing like a pro!

I know this lesson was a lot of info, but was it helpful to you?

Let me know in the comments!

Bass used in this video

My go to strings for (Gospel, R&B, Funk, and Fusion) "Right now"
DR Fat Beams

Rotosound Swing Bass

Elixir Nickel Wound

Drum machine used in this video

Video Chapters
00:00 | Start of Video
01:15 | TECHNIQUE - SLAP & POP
01:22 | Singles
02:06 | Slap & Pop Muted
02:46 | Slap & Pop Octaves
03:31 | Slap & Pop Octaves on Scales
03:59 | Slap & Pop on 1 String
05:05 | TECHNIQUE - Ghost Notes
06:29 | Add Slap Ghost Notes to Scales
07:21 | Add Pop Ghost Notes to Scales
08:23 | TECHNIQUE - Hammer Ons, Pull Offs, & Slides
09:47 | Scales without Right Hand
10:11 | Slide to Each Note in Scale
10:49 | Hello Fresh
12:11 | TONE - Slap at the Neck
13:57 | TONE - Technique vs. Compressor
16:09 | TONE - Bright & Full Sound
16:48 | Bass Types & Settings
18:15 | Strings
19:50 | APPLICATION - Know the Genres
20:29 | APPLICATION - Slap Creates Energy
21:36 | APPLICATION - Make Simple Drum Groove Sound Better
22:31 | Outro

Thanks for watching!

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Music in this video

The Bellagio by Dresden, The Flamingo | JOXKZZKETYTJQCIC

Baby Knows by Adrian Walther | XZQMZESPUELXANHM

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Travis Dykes
1011 E Old Hickory Blvd
Madison, TN 37115

#TravisDykes

[derekqsanders]

Marcus Miller created some great bass lines on many Luther Vandross classic ballads using thumping (slap) and plucking. It's definitely an artform that takes a very skilled and disciplined musician to properly employ.

[achenarmyst]

Hearing Mark King with Level 42 first time in the early 80s was sort of a revelation for me. 😮
Mark started off as a drummer before picking up the bass, and that‘s what slapping really is: a fusion of bass and percussion. 🎉

[earnstinsanders]

I've been playing for 42 years and have bought a lot of music books and watched a lot of videos and this is by far the best video I've ever seen. Thank you!!! I am now following your channel !!!

[Steve-Jody]

Wow 63 years old. Tried to learn slap but life got in the way early in life and had to put the Bass aside. Sold my old Fender and that was life. Came across your video surfing YouTube and wow again, I wish I had this when I was young. Thanks for sharing your art and passion. Cheers

[DaisyHollowBooks]

This was very helpful. I’m a long time bassist, but I’ve never developed slap technique. I appreciate the guidelines and advice you have here.

[estrellas]

Where have you been all my life?! I've searched bass tutorials for the past year that I've been trying to step up my bass game and only now you've randomly showed up in my feed, and I'm glad it did! I really enjoyed how in your other slap video, you broke down the techniques from super simple, and slowly went up to more complicated ones. Other videos I've watched didn't quite do that. Really enjoying your content so far, and looking forward to more.

[hetschhog]

Thanks for the great video. As a gigging bassist it took me a while tonunderstand that slap bass has its place: 50% at home, 20% at the soundcheck and 2% during the actual performance. 😁

[robertsbakker]

excellent video. play bass for 30 years now but never really slapped while I love the technique. Your video will be my starting point.

[michaelow-yong]

Yo bro, the stuff you're teaching show you're a mature musician and they all make good musical sense. It's seldom that a guru like yourself come by conveniently to demonstrate these content appropriately. Keep it up man. You're doing alright!

[joshuadelaughter]

Great video! One tip for new bassists here. If you're finding that no matter how hard you come down, your hammer-ons aren't producing much, if any, sound, your bass' action (the distance between your strings and fretboard) may be too high. Consider taking it to a professional for an adjustment.

[Mark-dbok]

Great video Travis! I've been slapping since the 90s and I can confirm for new players:
• practicing SLOW is crucial. You'll be surprised how quickly you will get your speed up by starting every new technique slow and clean
• you absolutely will irritate the snot out of everyone within earshot when you practice slapping. That's just how it goes.

[debassgrooverdbg]

WOW
Thanks so much Mr Travis Dykes.
I'm super grateful for this video you have put out.
GOD bless you richly in all you do.

[andrewwray]

I'm a drummer who has just started learning bass in the past few months. Thanks for the great lesson!

[e.nestmann]

Thank you for your great teaching style. Straightforward - & you include so many stylistic hints. I’m new to bass but having a great time. You inspire me to keep at it!

[Philomathether]

Needed this..I've been struggling with this technique and this made me want to get back at it with a new viewpoint. Thanks

[spacedaddy]

I use that slap and pop on the same string technique too, nobody does this, nice. You can eventually use this to replace a double thumb, or play 16th notes when you get coordinated and used to doing this. There's times where this sounds better than double thumb technique, that so many guys use now. Sometimes, I use this technique to play 4-6 driving 16th notes, before the first measure of the next bar, or the 1.This sounds good, for many funky songs. So, you would never need to use a pick for any reason after that. Just hold a string down, pick a fret, practice keeping the rhythm with a up and down see saw motion on the same note, this feels like using a pick, but sounds like slapping. You can practice alternating the rhythm into different percussion patterns. Like the song What is Hip, Rocco Prestia on bass, you could practice on that song it has a straight 16th note rhythm that just keeps going. I think you should try a Warwick, you are like me and have big hands, we play loud dude. Think of how loud Larry's pops were, extremely hard pops cause he had hands the size of baseball gloves, which is going to help anybody play bass.
I used to turn my treble down too much, but the Warwick is a forgiving slapper, or just a good slapper all around. Music Man, those things have a lot of treble and they are loud !.
I always thought Fender just had the best tones for me. Pedulla are my absolute favorite but I only ever played one bass, and I loved it. Thing just sounded good no matter what, easiest playing bass I ever played.

[laviebohemia]

This is my very first video of yours that I watched, and I am so excited to start implementing these techniques into my routine. Thank you so much!

[simpliweb-gaming]

Whoaaa ! So much to learn !!! 😍😍😍😍 Thanks Travis (from 🌍Paris / France )

[ank]

Hey Man i wanna thank you for all the craaazy good content you deliver here free for us!🤯 You are a Killer Bass Player and definetly one of the nicest Bass teachers on YouTube!🔥
I <3 your content, be blessed! 💯

[zahidkameel]

Beautiful method of playing slap so easily . Always keep shining and stay blessed ❤️