Simple Steps To Slap Bass

Course Breakdown

Module 1
Lesson #1: Course Introduction
A brief introduction to the Slap Technique

Lesson #2: Thumb Basics

Learn the basics of the thumb slap

Lesson #3: Choking

Use both hands to develop better note control

Lesson #4: Short Notes

Staccato notes are the key to getting that slap tone

Lesson #5: Fretted Notes

Master the left hand fretting action from home position

Lesson #6: Short Fretted Notes

Various note durations applied to our fretted notes

Lesson #7: Duration Exercises

Mixing up note durations to create a variety of feels

Lesson #8: 8th Note Rhythms

Counting and playing a variety of beat divisions

Lesson #9: Shifting Positions

Practice shifting around the bass with a single finger

Lesson #10: Bass Drum Rhythms

Locking in with the bass drum

Lesson #11: Chord Progressions

Playing a slap groove through a chord sequence

Lesson #12: Using Multiple Fingers

Cleaning left hand technique on every finger

Lesson #13: String Crossing

Keeping a clean slap technique across every string

Lesson #14: Five Slap Riffs

Combine all of your skills in playing five funky slap riffs
Module 2
Lesson #1: Popping
The pop is essential in creating funky slap grooves. In this lesson we look at the basics of the tech-
nique

Lesson #2: Octaves #1

Octaves intervals are very common in slapping. In this course we start with those built with a root
note on the A string

Lesson #3: Octaves #2

More octaves built from a root note on the E strings
Lesson #4: Octaves Combined
Mixing the octave patterns across strings

Lesson #5: Open String Octaves

Octave patterns get a little tougher when open strings are involved. In this lesson we focus on good
choking and note duration

Lesson #6: Slapping Drum Patterns

How to apply bass drum/snare patterns to our slap/pop octaves

Lesson #7: Five Slap-Pop Riffs

Five slap riffs combining the slap and pop techniques

Lesson #8: 16th Note Rhythms #1

Counting and playing a variety of 16th note rhythmic figures

Lesson #9: 16th Note Rhythms #2

More essential 16th note rhythms, this time including the dotted 8th note.

Lesson #10: 16th Note Rhythms #3

Let’s get syncopated with some 16th note rest rhythms

Lesson #11: Applying 16th Note Rhythms

Combining all the 16th note rhythms and applying them to develop our vocabulary

Lesson #12: Five 16th Note Slap Riffs

Five funky slap riffs utilising all of our 16th note rhythmic figures
Module 3
Lesson #1: The Slap Bass Tone
A deep dive into the essential aspects of slap bass tone

Lesson #2: Hammer Ons

Hammer Ons are a key part of developing more fluid funky slap riffs. Here we cover the basics of
the technique

Lesson #3: Ghost Notes

Ghost notes are the most important aspect of slap technique when it comes to getting that stereo-
typical funk sound. Ghost notes can be tricky to play at first but the home position will make things
much easier.

Lesson #4: Ghost Note Pops and Hand Position

In this lesson we learn to play ghost notes in two essential hand positions

Lesson #5: Ghost Note Hammer Ons

Combining Hammer Ons with Ghost Notes for fast funky effects

Lesson #6: Slides

Add a slinky feel to your slapping with slides

Lesson #7: Five More Slap Riffs

Five cool slap riffs combining ghost notes, hammer ons and slides

Lesson #8: Rest Stoke Slap

Setting the stage for more sophisticated slapping with the ‘rest stroke’

Lesson #9: Common Scales

A journey through the most common scales used in slap bass. The Minor Pentatonic, Dorian and Mix-
olydian scales are all covered in application

Lesson #10: Tenths

Tenth Intervals are a great way of incoporating chords into your slap playing

Lesson #11: Muted Palm Slap

The muted palm slap is an essential aspect of percussive slap lines a la Mark King. In this lesson we
look at the basics of the technique

Lesson #12: Muted Palm Slap Fills & Licks

Let’s get into some fast and furious slap licks using the palm slap

Lesson #13: Five Muted Palm Slap Riffs

Five funky slap riffs incoporating the palm slap
Module 4
Lesson #1: Repeated Notes
Repeated Notes can seem quite alien to the slap technique at first but can be very effective when
phrased correctly

Lesson #2: Cross Hammer

The Cross Hammer is a useful technique allowing us to fludily cross strings at high speed

Lesson #3: Chord Strums

Strumming chords can work very effectively in a slap bass context

Lesson #4: Chord Pops

As well as strumming chords, we can also pop chords for more attack

Lesson #5: Thumb Pops

We’ve slapped with the thumb and popped with the fingers. Now let’s mix it up and try popping
with the thumb for a little variety

Lesson #6: Flamenco Rolls

This method of rolling the hand into a rapid multi finger popping action can be used for some fan-
tastic effects a la Stu Hamm

Lesson #7: Five Advanced Slap Riffs

Five funky riffs mixing up all our advanced techniques from cross hammers to rolls

Lesson #8: Slap Fills

We can incoporate every aspect of slap technique in developing awesome fills and applying them
within our slap grooves

Lesson #9: Open String Hammer On Licks

Hammer Ons from an open string can be used to develop incredibly fast slap licks. Just take it slow!

Lesson #10: Machine Gun Triplets

Everyone loves to learn rapid fire triplet slap licks. Let’s go for it!

Lesson #11: Double Thumb Technique

The mysterious double thumb technique! It’s easy when you know how!

Lesson #12: Double Thumb Licks

Let’s try applying the double thumb technique to some great funky solo licks

Lesson #13: Five Double Thumb Riffs

Five slap riffs incoporating everything you’ve learned so far. The culmination of your slap studies

Lesson #14: Conclusion

Finishing up with a look at the next step in your journey
 Simple Steps To Slap Bass
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Simple Steps To Slap Bass Course?
The Simple Steps To Slap Bass Course is a complete, step-by-step method for mastering the slap
bass style from the absolute basics of the ‘thumb slap’ all the way through to advanced techniques
such as machine gun triplets, double thumbing and flamenco rolls.

What level of player is the course aimed at?

The course is aimed at any player looking to develop the slap technique from the basics through to
an advanced level. With this in mind, the course is perfectly suited to players with no previous slap
experience. However, intermediate to advanced slap players will also benefit greatly from the later
lessons.

What Will I Learn?

After finishing the course you will have acquired the following skills and knowledge:

• A solid foundation in all areas of Slap Bass technique

• A cleanup of your overall playing utilizing the Home Position principles
• Knowledge of common scales and note choices used in developing a Slap Bass groove
• A solid grounding in funk 16th note rhythms
• Many original slap riffs written specifically for this course
• The ability to use ghost notes effectively within a groove
• Advanced techniques such as Double Thumbing, Hammer Ons, Chords, Machine Gun Triplets
and many more

How Long Are The Lessons?

The lesson length’s vary but the complete course is over 12 hours in length.

How is the course presented? Do I Download Anything?

The course is hosted on the Talkingbass website so there are no video files to download.
There is a Dropbox folder for each module containing a Course Workbook and any relevant practice
tracks.