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Insight Horizon Media

Can you slap on a jazz bass?

Author

Robert Miller

Published Mar 18, 2026

Can you slap on a jazz bass?

People tend to prefer jazz basses for slap, myself included, as the brighter tone suits it more in our opinion. Others prefer precisions for a chunkier and more percussive tone. Both are good for slap, its your choice. Remember that jazzes has thinner necks too.

How do you make a bass slap?

“Low Action” is generally defined as 3/32″ on the bass strings and 1/16″ on the treble strings (measured between string and 12th fret while instrument is in playing position). The author prefers even lower action, slightly less than 1/16″ on both bass and treble sides, for his optimum slap tone.

Who started slapping bass?

Larry Graham
Larry Graham is generally credited as inventing slap bass guitar. Graham has said that he was simply trying to create a drum-like sound to flesh out the rhythm in the then drummerless Family Stone.

Is Larry Graham Drake’s uncle?

Graham is the father of singer-songwriter and producer Darric Graham. He is also the uncle of Canadian rapper and actor Aubrey Drake Graham, better known as Drake.

What is the history of the slap bass?

His use of the technique in a variety of genres, carrying out past the 70s through the 90s, helped bring slap bass from jazz and funk to the wider-reaching scene of pop, soul, and R&B. With the rise of pop music in the 1980s came the advent of amazing slap bass virtuosos like Mark King, Marcus Miller]

Who are some famous slap bass players?

Louis Johnson was another prominent bassist of this era, recording with superstars such as Aretha Franklin, Herb Alpert, Billy Preston, and Michael Jackson. His use of the technique in a variety of genres, carrying out past the 70s through the 90s, helped bring slap bass from jazz and funk to the wider-reaching scene of pop, soul, and R&B.

Who put the slap in pop music?

The guy who put the slap in pop during the 80s, Mark King did it all while fronting Level 42. Check out Lessons In Love for a classic example of King’s slap technique – the constant bah bah bah rhythm demonstrating his ability to take a more mechanical, sequencer style approach.

What’s the best way to learn slap bass?

If you’re thinking of learning slap, Flea’s style is a great place to start: from the opening thumps on RHCP’ cover of Stevie Wonder’s Higher Ground, through to the slower rock groove of Suck My Kiss, and on to more complex parts like those found on Aeroplane and Get On Top.