Conference napalm::guitar

    Good luck.  I consider myself pretty good at picking out bass lines,
    but I can't hear what he's doing most of the time.  I think he uses a
    lot of compression to smooth everything out and somehow everything gets
    smoothed into oblivion; I've never used a compressor myself but I've
    heard you can lose the bottom end if you compress too much.
    
    In any event, I don't have a clue what he's doing, except of course
    he's slapping a lot, popping some, and (what's that called when they
    just slap all the strings to make a percussive sound without playing a
    note?).  FWIW, I love the overall feel of the Spin Doctors' rhythm 
    section, and I especially think the bass player is terrific.  So you're 
    not alone in this difficulty.  And if anyone else knows the answer, I'm 
    listening, too.
    
    Dave

    
    	Thanks for the reassurance Dave, I though it was just me.

    				Michael

    Curious effect here; people claim to like the Spin Doctors bass player,
    but they can't hear what he's doing :-)  Maybe the answer is, just turn
    your tone control to maximum mud and slap away :-) :-) :-)
    
    But seriously, have you ever checked out "Homebelly Groove", the live
    Spin Doctor's CD?  It doesn't have "Two Princes" on it, but the bass
    is more audible than on the studio stuff and you can get more insight
    into the guy's licks.  Great jammin kinda CD.
    
    /rick
    
    ps I agree btw, SD's rhythm section kicks
    

>    Curious effect here; people claim to like the Spin Doctors bass player,
>    but they can't hear what he's doing :-)
    
    OK, wise guy, so what's he doing, hmmm?
    
    Actually, it's not so unusual.  Most people like *my* playing better
    the less they hear of it.  %^)
    
    Dave (who can't wait 'til BP publishes some tab on this guy)

    I've heard that people prefer my bass playing when they can't hear
    *any* of it!
    
    gh

>    I've heard that people prefer my bass playing when they can't hear
>    *any* of it!
    
That's cuz of where you put the pickups (oh, sorry, that's in the
other conference).

Do what I do on tough bass lines, use a slide  ;^)

I use one all the time %^}

Droid

    Interestingly enough, I noticed this CD in my friend's truck while we
    were having lunch and said something about having not heard it all, so
    he said "take it" and I did.
    
    I think the real problem hearing the bass line is that clanky crinkly
    kick sound is stomping what the bass player's doing, making it hard to
    hear.  You can hear the bass lines better on the other songs.  I notice
    from the back of the CD that a different guy produced/engineered on
    that song (and on "Shinbone Alley/Hard to Exist") and the drum sounds
    are definitely different.
    
    Greg

    re: .7
    
    I knew somehow it must be the drummer's fault.
    
    Dave

    They are truly the root of all evil.

    Evil maybe, but we bassists will handle the roots, thank you.
    
    Dave

    
    I KNOW THE STAGE IS LEVEL WHEN THE DROOL IS COMING OUT OF BOTH SIDES
    OF THE DRUMMERS MOUTH........

    
    
    It is kinda tough to pick out each of the bass notes on this one.
    Basically, he's doing a slap on the root (D, B, A..) on the "1" 
    and cuffed (ie: deaden the notes and hit it as a percussive sound)
    and doing your basic pop on the octave above the root on the upbeat
    of "2", etc....
    
    I use a very general approach to coppin' busy slap and tickle parts...
    
    If you start out with just the basic slap on the root and pop
    on the octave (without the "cuff" notes) you'll get a better
    feel for the overall bass line... then go back and add the percussive
    stuff after....
    
    my 2 cents...
    
    Billy_K
    

    Good info, Billy.  I was listening to "Jimmy Olson's Blues" and "Little
    Miss Can't Be Wrong" last night, still trying to figure out what he's
    doing.  I think one of his basic techniques is to slap the root and 
    quick slide down to the b7 then back to the root, all in one smooth
    1-b7-1 motion on the "1" beat, then pop the octave or tenth.  But he's
    also doing this "cuffing" stuff and plucking as well (unless he can 
    slap that quickly without much percussion).
    
    Whatever, he's very good at it.  I'd like to watch a video of him.
    
    Dave

    95% of slap is based on that root-octave pop-slide to the 7 and back
    type stuff, plus the percussive notes which often are *unpitched*
    (muted) or simple ones to get at (like the 5th).  The right hand is
    *way* more important to the style, because what's really going on is
    approaching the bass as if it was a drum kit.  Of course, the real
    masters (Stanley, Marcus, etc.) also manage to play some serious sh*t
    as far as notes, going far beyond the "box" approach.  
    
    Remember, if it was difficult, there wouldn't be so may Flea wannabes
    in young rock bands everywhere.
    
    								Brian

    RE: Masters of slap
    
    Don't forget Larry Graham, of Sly and The Family
    Stone and Graham Central Station.  I mean was he
    the original slapper or what?  
    
    Dave

>    Remember, if it was difficult, there wouldn't be so may Flea wannabes
>    in young rock bands everywhere.
    
    Oh good, then it'll be easy for me learn once I get a "slappable" bass.
    
    Dave  (former Jim Fielder wannabe)

re: .16

>    Dave  (former Jim Fielder wannabe)

Oohh, showing your age with *that* one! :-)

What's really scary is that I know who Jim Fielder is. 

-Hal

    
    I think a lot of bassists get carried away with the slap&tickle
    stuff. It certainly has it's place, just like the harmonic taps
    and such. However, I've seen a lot of players that try to use this
    technique in every song they play (even saw someone try slappin' to
    "Moondance"... Yuck!!). And, although the slap, tap, pop and tickle
    technique sounds great in a lot of tunes, there's nothing like the 
    good old-fashioned two (and three) fingered pluckin' for expression
    and articulation of a note (I'll refrain from snide comments about
    using a pick...)
    
    /Billy_K
    

    By the way ... what would be a good slapable bass? My T-40 sux for
    purcussive stuff (it CANT be me, of course ;-) ...), and I plan
    to get another bass, or three, this summer.
    
    Theo
    

    Musicman Stingray is renowned for this
    

    Re: .19
    
    Try turning off the neck pickup on the T40 when slapping.  The main
    thing is to have a pretty bright sound.
    
    Like Rick sez, the StingRay and the Fender Jazz are the two most
    popular slappers's axes; notice both have a pickup mounted at the
    bridge.
    
    							Brian

    Is there something special in the setup on a bass that'll be used for a
    lot of slapping?  I've always wondered.
    
    Greg

    >Is there something special in the setup on a bass that'll be used for a
    >lot of slapping? I've always wondered.
    
    New-born baby's-butt paint job %^}
    
    Droid

    Can you get that color in metal flake?

    re: .17
    
>What's really scary is that I know who Jim Fielder is. 
    
    Then you'll be interested to know, Hal, that I was channel surfing a
    few months ago and stumbled across a Paul Anka special on PBS; I just
    caught the end of it, and in the credits they listed one Jim Fielder as
    the bass player for Anka's big (BIG!) band.  Could it be?  Sure, why
    not?
    
    Dave