Prefa(Ec>

In this book we have tried to cover thoroughly every aspect of the slap bass style.

Each section examines in depth a specific technique, combining it with the

The exercises are fairly basic and easy to understand, therefore only the patterns are
recorded in the audio part of this package. Use them as a springboard to create your own
ideas. The "audio track number" indicates the location on the recording of a particular
pattern.

To develop a good sense of time, always use a metronome or a drum machine. Start
slowly (60 to 80 beats per minute) then gradually speed up. You may also use some of the
drum beats we have included at the end of the recording.

We would like to thank all the people who contributed to the recording of the audio:
Karl Moet for the Tascam DA 88, Mark Kiesel and Dave Flores for the Carvin "Bunny
Brunel" Basses, Richard Cocco for the Labella Strings, Richard Godinez for the ART
"Nightbassr" Michael Shortino from Quik Lok Systems, Tlev Wilkinson from Wilkinson
USA, Dave Timmons of Gibson USA, David Williams and Patrice Vigier of Vigier
Guitars, T[istan des Pres of Sega Interactive, Peter Mavropoulos, Dave Stark, Lee
Bales and everyone we may have forgotten. All cover and inside photography by Pete
Demos at Carvin.

Dedicated to Chloe Nicole Threnne des Pres

Josquin des Pres and Bunny Brunel

Slap the string with the side of the thumb.

Part I Exercises to deyelop the thumb slap technique

Part2 Patterns using the thumb slap technique

Pattern2O Drumbeatl@
E

Pattern3 O Drumbeat 2@
G
TAAA/iAA ¡ a AAA AA,!

.AA,IAAAA¡ .AAAAA 'T{I

Pattern4 O Drumbeatl@
C
Pattern? O Drumbeatl@

PatternS @ Drumbeatl@

Patterng O Drumbeat4
Swingieet (J.! =l:i
Dm

Pattern l0 O Drumtreat 4 §,

Pattern ll O Drumbeat I@

Pattern L 2o Drumbeat 1 @
E

l0
 Seetion B
lnclex Fin§Jer Pop (P)

finger by pulling it up then releasing it so that it rebounds

Part 1 Exercises to develop the indexfinger pop technique

Part 2 Patterns using the indexfinger pop technique

11
Exercise 1

Exercise 2

Exercise 3

3 3
PSPSPSPSPSP SPSPSPSPSPSP

Exercise 4

Exercise 5

Exercise 6

tl
Exercise 7

3 3
SP SP

Exercise 8

Exercise 9

13
 Patterns combining the index finger pop and the thumb slap techniques
Pattern L t"O Drumbeat 1@

Pattern rá
O Drúmbeat l@

Pattern 16 O Drumbeat 1 @
G

Patternfi @^ Drumbeatl@
AV

Pattern r§p Drumbeat I @

14
 Drumbeat, @,

SPS

Pattern 20 @ Drumbeat L @

Pattern 21 @ Drumbeat 1 @

Pattern 22 O Drumbeat I@

S PSP S P
na§

Pattern 24 @ Drumbeat 1@

r5
 Secti(on G
lUlr¡tecf Sla¡e (It lS) ancl
n fr¡tecl Pop (IUf P)

Lay the left hand across the strings without depressing them to the fretboard while
slapping or popping.

Part I Exercises to develop the muted slap and muted pop techniques

Part 2 Patterns using the muted slap and muted pop techniques

l6
 Exercises combining the muted slap and muted pop, with
rriIiIÍIfiI the index finger pop and the thumb slnp techniques
Exercise 1

Exercise 2

Exercise 3

3
3 3
MS MP MS MP MS MP MS MP MS MP MS MP MS MP MS MP MS MP MS MP MS MP MS MP

t7
Exercise 7

Exercise 8

Exercise 9

1E
 Patterns combining the muted slap and muted pop, with
the index finger pop and the thumb slap techniques
Pattern ,j O Drumbeat 2 (O
F
TAAAA^AA/IT

Pattern 26 O Drumbeat I@

Pattern 27 @ Drumbeat 1@

Pattern29 Drumtreat 4
Swing r""r tIl =J')l

t9
Pattern r"r_@ Drumbeat 2 @

Pattern Drumbeat, @ .r_

Pattern 33 @ Drumbeat 1 @

P MS S P JtfS}fP S P MS S PMSSPMSMPSPMSS

Pattern 3J O Drumbeat 1 @

P MS S P MSMP S P\fS P P MS S P MSMP S P MS S P

Pattern 35 @ Drumbeat 1 @

P MSP P MSP P MSP P MSMP S P MSMP

Pattern rf O Drumbeat 2 <O

S PMSPMSPMSMPS MPS MPS S PMSPMSPMSMPS MP S MPS

20
 Secüion D
Left llancl Sla¡o (I-S)

Slap the string with the left hand.

Part 1 Exercises to develop the lefi hand slap technique

Part 2 Patterns using the left hand slap technique

Part 3 Exercises to develop the left hand slap technique

Part 4 Patterns using the left hand slap technique

2t
Eilli'ÍI\lTf Exercises combining the teft hand slap and the thumb stap techniques

Exercise 1

Exercise 2

Exercise 3

Exercise 4

Exercise 5

Exercise 6

))
 fil ilfn :fi'ff ,íl#;W tk!;#l:!' stap, the inde x nng er p op

Pattern 37 @ Drumbeat I@

Pattern 33 @ Drumbeat I@

Pattern 39 @ Drumbeat 1@

Pattern 40@ Drumbeat L @

SLSS LSSLSS SLSS LSSLSS

Pattern 4 1@ Drumbeat 1@
Em DEm
TAA AA/t

SLSS LSSLSS SLSS LSSLSS

23
Pattern6@ Drumbeatl@

LSSLSSLSS SLSSLSSLSS

Pattern 44 @ Drumbeat 3 @
Em
-3-

LSSLSS LSSLSS LSSLSS

Pattern 45 @ Drumbeat 3
Em
3----r r 3 - - 3 ---r
-3--- r-3---¡r3-t
-3'--

46o Drumbeat 3 @
Em
rG 3 ----r

SLSS SLSSLSS

SLSSLSSLSS SLSSLSSLSP

Pattern 48 O Drumbeat 1@

u
 Exercises combining,the left hand slap, muted slap and muted pop,
index finger pop and the thumb slap techniques
Exercise I

Exercise 2

Exercise 3

Exercise 4

PSLSS MPSLSS MPSLSS

Exercise 5

SLS LSS PSLSSP LSS S LS SMP

Exercise 6

SLS SLSSPSLSSP S LS S LS S LS SMP S LS SMP

25
 Patterns combining the left hand slap, muted slap and muted pop,
index finger pop and the thumb slap techniques
partern.Bp Drumbeat Z @ §IAAAAAA.
*,+ -x- '-

S LSMS P MP S t¡¡l¡¡¡¡¡ S LSMS P s r.MP s r.MP

Pattern tsp Drumbeat 2 @

Pattern 5l @ Drumbeat 1 @

Pattern 52 @ Drumbeat I@

LSSLSS S PMSSPMSMPS PMSSP

Pattern;r_q »rumbeat 1 @

PMSMPS PMSP S P MS S P MSMP S LSSLSS

Pattern 54 @ Drumbeat 1@
Em

26
Pattern 55 @ Drumbeat 2 @

Pattern tÍOP Drumbeat 1 @

P MS S P MSMPS LSSLSS

Pattern 57 @ Drumbeat, @o*

\PS\P LSSLSS LSSLSS

Pattern 58
Am
o Drumbeat 3 @

Pattern 59 @ Drumbeat 2 @

S PS LSSLSSLSS MP S PS s Ls s- ,". P S
a§§t^a .AAAA'

Pattern 60 @ Drumbeat 1@

66 66
MPS MPS MPS MPS LS S LS S S MPS MPS MPS MPS P^PS

27
 Siection E
Palrn lUlr¡te (PIt l)

Partially mute the strings with the palm of your right hand.

Part I Exercises to develop the palm mute technique

Part 2 Patterns using the palm mute technique

a
 Efffrfn Exercises combining-tle pglm
1nute, mated slap and muted pop,
index finger pop and the thumb slap techniques
Exercise 1

Exercise 2

S PMMSPM S PMMSPM

Exercise 3

PMSSPMSPM PMSSPMSPM

Exercise 4

S P MSPMSPMS PM S P MSPM S PMS PM

Exercise 5

S P MS S PM MSPM S P MS S PMMSPM

Exercise 6

S P MSPM S MPS S P MSPM S MP S

29
 laltern; combining üg pr!* ryutlt muted slap and muted pop,
indexftnger pop and the thumb slap techniqies
Pattern 61 @ Drumbeat 1 @

S PPM S PPM PS LS S LS S S PPM S PPMP

Pattern 62 @ Drumbeat 1@

S PPM S PPM S PPM S PPM S PPM S PPM

Pattern.S@ Drumbeatl@

PMSS PPV PMSS PMSSPPMMSP MSP

Pattern 64 @ Drumbeat 1@

P MS PMMS P MS PMMS P

Pattern 65 @ Drumbeat 1@

36
s PMMspMMspMMspMMSp s' S PMMSPMMSPMS P S: P S ¡ P S ¡ P

Pattern 66 O Drumbeat 1@
 Section F
Thr¡rrrb Pop (TP)

Pop the string with the thumb by pulling it up then releasing it so that it rebounds
against the fretboard.

Part I Exercises to develop the thumb pop technique

Part 2 Patterns using the thumb pop technique

3l
EimÍTIlTt Exercises combining the thumb pop and the thumb slap techniques
Exercise 1

Exercise 2

3
3- 3
TPSTPSTPSTPSTPSTP TPSTPSTPSTPSTP STP

Exercise 3

Exercise 4

Exercise 5

STPSTP

Exercise 6

32
Exercise 7

TPSTPS TPSTPS

Exercise 8

Exercise 9

TPSTPS TP S TPS

33
 Patterns combing the thumb pop, index finger pop and thumb slap techniques
Pattern Drumbeat 2 lO
i@

Pattern Drumbeat I@
Xt*@

STPSTPSTPSTPSTPSTP

Pattern 70 @ Drumtreat 2
C Am
ttt! ¡¡,¡1,¡¡,¡!

s-\ P s s\ P s TPS
I,tA,§
S PS

Patternl[@ Drumbeatl@

Pattern Drumbeat 1 @
T^O

TPMS S TP MS MPS TPMS S TP S

31
 Seeti(r»n G¡
lnclex (fF) ancl
M¡GIctIe FingJer (ItlIF) SlaP

Slap the string with the index or middle finger.

Part 1 Exercises to develop the index and middle finger slap technique

Part 2 Patterns using the index and middle finger slap technique

35
 Exercises combining the indexfinger slap and middle ftnger slap,
ffimÍIilTt muted slap and muted pop, index pop and thumb slap techniquei
Exercise 1

Exercise 2

Exercise 3

Exercise 4

Exercise 5

Exercise 6

36
 Patterys-combining the index ftnger slap and middle finger slap,
muted slap and muted pop, index pop and thumb slap teóhniqiós
Pattern ,ip Drumbeat 1 @

Pattern ,i@ Drumbeat 1 @

Pattern 76
A

Pattern ,:P Drumbeat I@

Pattern 78 @ Drumbeat 1 @
Am

3E