Left Hand Slap Bass Tabs - Bass Lessons @ BigBassTabs.com


Performing a left hand slap

To do a left hand slap, you let your fingering hand snap down on 
the finger board to produce a sound simular to (but a bit quieter 
than) the sound of a muted slap. It should no rebound off the string 
as your thumb would rebound but should NOT snap down hard enough 
to sound any notes. Keep your fingers reletively loose, but 
not flappy. Also note that the sound produced will be louder 
when the string hit is vibrating.

The left hand slap is shown with the mute (X) mark and the the leters 
LS beneath

—————————
—————————
—————————
—X——X——X—
LS LS LS

The left hand slap is usually (but not always) played after an 
open note.

—————————
—————————
—————————
—00—X————
 TT LS

The left hand slap is very useful if you need to produse a muted 
slap sound immediately after another note and not tire out your 
thumb. The left hand slap usually does the job much faster than 
your thumb, especially if you need to do something else with 
your thumb :)   

          Patterns for practicing left hand slap

—————————————————
—————————————————
—————————————————
—0—X—0—X—0—X—0—X—
 T LST LST LST LS

————————————————————————
————————————————————————
————————————————————————
—0—X—0—0—X—0—0—X—0—0—X—0
 T LST T LST T LST T LST
————————————————————————————————
————————————————————————————————
————————————————————————————————
—0—X—0—0—X—0—X—0—X—0—X—0—0—X—0—X
 T LST T LST LST LST LST T LST LS
————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————5H7—
————————————————————————————5H7—————————————————————————————————
—0—X—0—0—X—0—X—0—X—0—X—0—0———————0—X—0—0—X—0—X—0—X—0—X—0—0——————
 T LST T LST LST LST LST LS T    T LST T LST LST LST LST T  T
You can also combine left hand slaps with muted thumb slaps to 
get to tone into your music.

————————————————————————————————
————————————————————————————————
————————————————————————————————
—0—X—X—0—X—X—0—X—X—0—X—X————————
 T LST T LST T LST T LST 
————————————————————————————————
————————————————————————————————
—————————————5/7————————————————
—0—X—X—0—X—X—————0—X—X—0—X—X—5\3
 T LS TT LS TT   T LST TLS T T

How to Read Bass Tabs

Bass tablature (tabs) is an easy way to learn songs without needing to read traditional sheet music. Here’s a quick guide to understanding the symbols and techniques commonly found in tabs:

1. The Basics

Strings and Frets:
Each line in a tab represents a string on your bass:
- The top line is the highest-pitched string (G on a 4-string bass).
- The bottom line is the lowest-pitched string (E on a 4-string bass).
Numbers on the lines indicate which fret to press. For example:
```
G|-------------------|

D|-------------------|

A|---3---------------|

E|-------------------|

            
```
This means you play the 3rd fret on the A string.

2. Common Techniques

Hammer-On (h):
Play the first note by picking it, then press down on a higher fret with another finger without picking again.
```
G|-------------------|

D|-------5h7---------|

            
```
Pull-Off (p):
Pluck a note and then "pull off" your finger to let a lower fret ring.
```
G|-------------------|

D|-------7p5---------|

            
```
Slide (/ or \):
Move your finger up (/) or down (\) the fretboard while maintaining pressure.
```
G|-------------------|

D|-------5/7---------|

            
```

3. Advanced Techniques

Bend (b): Push the string up or down to raise the pitch. Example: G|-------7b9---------|
Vibrato (~): Shake the string slightly after playing a note to create a vibrating sound. Example: G|-------7~----------|
Muted Notes (x): Rest your finger lightly on the string without pressing a fret and pluck for a percussive "click" sound.

4. Rhythm and Timing

Tabs don’t always indicate timing, so listen to the song while reading the tab. Wider spaces between numbers mean longer pauses, while closer numbers indicate quicker notes.

5. Slap and Pop

Slap (s): Strike the string with the side of your thumb for a percussive sound.
Pop (p): Pull the string away from the fretboard and let it snap back.

Practice Makes Perfect

Tabs are a great tool to learn songs, but mastering the techniques takes practice. Listen carefully to the original track and play along to lock in the rhythm. Don’t rush — smooth, accurate playing is more important than speed. Happy jamming! 🎸

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Bass Lessons — Left Hand Slap bass tabs