Slap And Pop Exercises Bass Tabs - Bass Lessons @ BigBassTabs.com


Slap and Pop Exercises (sorry if i spelt anything wrong in this tab)

tabbed by Andrew Beale 8/15/06


This is how i learned and practiced slapping and poping

Start slow with just a slap or just a pop:

   s  s  s  s  s  s   s  s   s  s  s  s  s  s  s  s   or you could pop those
G|——————————————————————————————————————————————————
D|————————————————————4——5———5——4———————————————————
A|——————————3——5——7————————————————7——5——3——————————  
E|—3——5——7——————————————————————————————————7——5——3—

Now lets start both slaping and poping in one riff:

   s p  s p  s p  s p  s p  s p  s p  s p  s  p  s  p  s   p
G|————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
D|———3————4————5————6————7————8————9————10————11————12—————13—
A|————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
E|—1————2————3————4————5————6————7————8————9————10—————11—————


Now lets speed that up a bit by adding one slap:

   ss p  ss p  ss p  ss p  ss p  ss p  ss p  ss p  ss  p  s s  p   s s p
G|——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
D|————3—————4—————5—————6—————7—————8—————9—————10—————11——————12——————13———
A|——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
E|—11————22————33————44————55————66————77————88————99—————1010—————1111—————

One thing i found difficult while learning was slapping strings 
under the E string without hitting any other string:
so lets move the exercise up a string

   ss p  ss p  ss p  ss p  ss p  ss p  ss p  ss p  ss  p  s s  p   s s p
G|————3—————4—————5—————6—————7—————8—————9—————10—————11——————12——————13———
D|——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
A|—11————22————33————44————55————66————77————88————99—————1010—————1111—————
E|——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————


some good songs to practice using slap and pop are Higher Ground 
and Suck My Kiss by the Red Hot Chili Peppers

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 — Slap And Pop Exercises bass tabs