August 29th, 2009
Slap-style bass

Slap-style bass is sometimes used in bluegrass bass playing. When bluegrass bass players slap the string by pulling it until it hits the fingerboard or hit the strings against the fingerboard, it adds the high-pitched percussive “clack” or “slap” sound to the low-pitched bass notes, sounding much like the clacks of a tap dancer. Slapping is a subject of minor controversy in the bluegrass scene. Even slapping experts such as Mike Bub say, “…don’t slap on every gig” or in songs where it is “not appropriate.” As well, bluegrass bassists who play slap-style on live shows often slap less on records. Bub and his mentor Jerry McCoury rarely do slap bass on recordings. While bassists such as Jack Cook slap bass “…on the occasional faster Clinch Mountain boys song”, bassists such as “…Gene Libbea, Missy Raines, Jenny Keel, or Barry Bales [rarely] slap bass.”

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Filed under: Arts @ 4:57 pm