Mastering The Thumb Slap/Thumb Pop – Part I with Jaime Vazquez

Hello Bass Players! Here we are celebrating the anniversary of BMM. It’s a great honor for me to be a part of the Family!

For this special issue, I have some basic and easy to understand exercises for developing an accurate performance for thumb slapping and thumb popping. Both techniques are very popular for bass players like Victor Wooten, Marcus Miller, etc.

Thumb Slap (S)
Slap the string with the side of the thumb.

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

Feel free to create your own exercises, by adding other techniques like slides, string skipping, left-hand muting or by adding more notes. Also, try the thumb techniques with all the scales and modes. Remember, start slowly and then increase the speed. Look for a clear and accurate sound. Become a Master of the Thumb Techniques! Part II coming soon…