Bass Playing Styles
So someone has told you not to worry about slap-bass, tapping, or even using your fingers to play, in order to join their band. They said that they don’t really get into that kind of music so you’ll never have to worry about learning it. They want you to just give them the basic behind-the-scenes, deep rhythm and be happy doing it. Don’t try to strain yourself worrying about playing funk, jazz, R&B, or anything that requires more than eighth and sixteenth note low-E chords followed by the occasional A-string hiccup. You think to yourself, Cool! I can already do that. I’m a bassist in a band now. I’ve made it and I don’t even have to learn anything!
WRONG!
If you truly want to be a bassist then you need to learn everything. You need to read music and know your scales; you need to play slap, tap, and funk; you need to learn to play with your fingers and with a plectrum; you need to learn finger speed on both sides of the board; you need to master at least one song from each genre of music; and, you need to have the temerity to want to be the best bassist in the world. Playing the bass is an art form, a craft, a hobby, a skill, a profession, and a form of entertainment all rolled into one. And the styles of playing this unique instrument are as varied as its many players. Here they are:
Fingerstyle
Perhaps the most popular style of playing, fingerstyle is the method which takes you on the path to several other bass techniques. Most players start off by placing the thumb on the thumb rest or the pickups and use the first two to three digits of that hand to pluck the strings. This can provide a more fluid movement over the strings and allows a more subdued sound than the use of a pick. This style also leads to such techniques as fingernail strumming, dual plucking, and walking bass.
Fingernail strumming is fairly self-explanatory. The fingernail of any pluck finger is used to strum downward on the strings. Dual plucking is a popular method of getting that overlaying sound that is commonly heard in jazz, R&B, indie, and even some newer alternative. It forces the player to concentrate on two notes at the same time with the fret hand while simultaneously plucking two strings with the strum hand.
Walking bass is a very common style in jazz and R&B. It consists mostly of quarter notes played up and down the tonal scale over several bars. It’s an undulating rhythm with arpeggios and is not resigned to simple chord progressions. Some bassists may become bored with playing walking bass and try to gussy it up a bit. Walking bass, however, is like the game of baseball. It’s a game of patience and anticipation. It’s not about flash and fast. It’s about flow. It’s about providing that smooth rhythm which allows the rest of the band members to provide the sparkle.
Plectrum
Or as it’s more commonly known, a pick. This is a popular style for rock, punk, metal, and alternative. Instead of the use of the fingers to strum the strings, a pick is used, just like a standard guitarist. This style is typically not popular with purist bassists but is employed by several due to its use of staccato and speed. It’s also an easier transition for guitarists who are switching over to the bass and haven’t had much practice with finger strumming. It does, however, somewhat hinder the player’s ability to use methods such as finger tapping and dual plucking.
Slap Bass
Arguably the most popular playing style out there, and certainly one of the most fun to play, slap bass is the act of using the thumb of the strum hand to slap the strings producing a muted popping sound while using the fingers of the same hand to strum the strings at the same time. The fret hand is then used for notes, hammer-ons, and muted slaps.
Many attribute the invention of slap bass to Larry Graham (Sly & The Family Stone, Graham Central Station). However, slapping can also be traced back to players such as Pops Foster, Chester Zardis, and Bill Johnson. It is an advanced form of pizzicato, which was a muted form of plucking on the old double bass. Slap bass is extremely popular in funk, jazz, and some alternative and is an essential style to learn for all bass guitarists.
Tapping
Tapping is one of the hardest styles to learn and even harder to master. It basically consists of hammering on and pulling off with both hands on the fret board. The notes are not strummed or plucked in the conventional sense. Tapping can be used with chords, scales, and arpeggios. String dampening is a common practice with tapping but not always used. One of the best tappers in the world of bass guitars today is Victor Wooten. If you’re just starting to learn tapping, watch a Vic Wooten video and see exactly how far this difficult style can go.
