Bass Lines with Jaime Vazquez: Mastering The Thumb Slap/Thumb Pop – Part II

Hello Everybody! Thanks for all your comments and support! It’s good to know that you are learning! That’s the idea and our goal at BMM! Together we are making history. Last month, we had been studying several exercises for developing the thumb slap and the thumb pop techniques. For this month, we will start to groove! Here I have some bass lines in different styles and approaches to apply these cool techniques. Also, the audio files of every groove are included (slow/original tempos). Don’t be shy and make Wooten and Miller proud of you! So, have fun! Feel free to create your own grooves. Expand your bass fills by adding other techniques like slides, string skipping, left-hand muting or by adding more notes. Remember, start slowly and then increase the speed. Look for a clear and accurate sound. Now you’re becoming a Master of the Thumb Techniques!

Fig.1a Fig.1b

Electric Bass Fig. 1

Legend
L - tied note
x - dead note
h - hammer on/pull off
b - bend
s - slide
~ - vibrato
g - ghost note
> - accentuated note
t - trill
M - palm mute
. - staccato
P - popping (bass)
S - slapping (bass)
TP - thumb pop (bass)
+ - tapping
W - wide vibrato
< - fade in
w - whammy bar
= - tremolo picking
v - brush up
^ - brush down
V - pick stroke up
n - pick stroke down

     S     TP S  TP P  S  TP S  P     S  TP    S
G |----------------------------------------------------|
D |-----------------------------3h-5-------------------|
A |-----------------1-----------------x--3h-5--5s------|
E |--1h-3--3--3--x-----3--3--x-------------------------|
  S     TP S  TP P  S  TP S  P  S  TP S  TP S  TP
-----------------------------3----------------------|
--------------------------------5--3--3--5----------|
-----------------1--------------------------3--5----|
--1h-3--3--3--x-----3--3--x-------------------------|

  S     TP S  TP P  S  TP S  P     S  TP    S  TP
-----------------------------10h12------------------|
--------------------------x--------10-10h12---------|
-----------------1--------------------------8--10---|
--1h-3--3--3--x-----3--3----------------------------|

  S     TP S  TP P  S  TP S  P        S  TP S          S
-----------------------------7h-8h-7----------------|----------------||
--------------------------x-----------8--x--3h-5----|----------------||
-----------------1----------------------------------|----------------||
--1h-3--3--3--x-----3--3----------------------------|--3.------------||

Fig.2a Fig.2b

Electric Bass Fig. 2

Legend
L - tied note
x - dead note
h - hammer on/pull off
b - bend
s - slide
~ - vibrato
g - ghost note
> - accentuated note
t - trill
M - palm mute
. - staccato
P - popping (bass)
S - slapping (bass)
TP - thumb pop (bass)
+ - tapping
W - wide vibrato
< - fade in
w - whammy bar
= - tremolo picking
v - brush up
^ - brush down
V - pick stroke up
n - pick stroke down

     S     TP S  TP    S     TP S  TP
G |----------------------------------------|
D |-----------7--5h-7-----------5--3h-5----|
A |----------------------------------------|
E |--5-----5-----------3-----3-------------|

  S     TP S  TP    S  TP    S  TP
----------------------------------------|
-----------3--1h-3-----------3--1h-3----|
--------------------3--1h-3-------------|
--1-----1-------------------------------|

  S     TP S  TP    S     TP S  TP
----------------------------------------|
-----------7--5h-7-----------5--3h-5----|
----------------------------------------|
--5-----5-----------3-----3-------------|

  S     TP S  TP    S  P  S  TP    S       S
-----------------------2----------------|----------------||
-----------3--1h-3--3-----3--1h-3--3----|----------------||
----------------------------------------|--0.------------||
--1-----1-------------------------------|----------------||

Fig.3a Fig.3b

Electric Bass Fig. 3

Legend
L - tied note
x - dead note
h - hammer on/pull off
b - bend
s - slide
~ - vibrato
g - ghost note
> - accentuated note
t - trill
M - palm mute
. - staccato
P - popping (bass)
S - slapping (bass)
TP - thumb pop (bass)
+ - tapping
W - wide vibrato
< - fade in
w - whammy bar
= - tremolo picking
v - brush up
^ - brush down
V - pick stroke up
n - pick stroke down

     S     P     S  TP       S  P     S  TP    S
G |--------5--------------------5----------------------|
D |--3-----------x--3-----3L-3--------x--3-----4-------|
A |----------------------------------------------------|
E |----------------------------------------------------|

  S     P     S  TP       S  P     S  TP    S
--------7--------------------7----------------------|
--5-----------x--5-----5L-5--------x--5-----4-------|
----------------------------------------------------|
----------------------------------------------------|

  S     P     S  TP       S  P     S  TP    S
--------5--------------------5----------------------|
--3-----------x--3-----3L-3--------x--3-----4-------|
----------------------------------------------------|
----------------------------------------------------|

  S     P     S  TP       S  P     S  TP    S          S
--------7--------------------7----------------------|----------------||
--5-----------x--5-----5L-5--------0--5-----4-------|--3-------------||
----------------------------------------------------|----------------||
----------------------------------------------------|----------------||

Fig.4a Fig.4b

Electric Bass Fig. 4

Legend
L - tied note
x - dead note
h - hammer on/pull off
b - bend
s - slide
~ - vibrato
g - ghost note
> - accentuated note
t - trill
M - palm mute
. - staccato
P - popping (bass)
S - slapping (bass)
TP - thumb pop (bass)
+ - tapping
W - wide vibrato
< - fade in
w - whammy bar
= - tremolo picking
v - brush up
^ - brush down
V - pick stroke up
n - pick stroke down

     S  TP S  TP S  TP S  TP      S TP  S  TP S  TP S  TP
G |----------------------------|----------------------------|
D |----------------------------|--------------3--5----------|
A |--------x--5--5--5----------|--------x--5--------2--3----|
E |--3--3--------------x--3----|--3--3----------------------|
  S  TP S  TP S  TP S  TP      S TP  S TP  S TP  S  TP      S

----------------------------|----------------------------|----------------||
----------------------------|----------------------------|----------------||
--5--5--x--5----------------|--5--5--x--5----------------|----------------||
--------------5--5--x--5----|--------------2--2--5--5----|--3-------------||

Fig.5a Fig.5b

Electric Bass Fig. 5

Legend
L - tied note
x - dead note
h - hammer on/pull off
b - bend
s - slide
~ - vibrato
g - ghost note
> - accentuated note
t - trill
M - palm mute
. - staccato
P - popping (bass)
S - slapping (bass)
TP - thumb pop (bass)
+ - tapping
W - wide vibrato
< - fade in
w - whammy bar
= - tremolo picking
v - brush up
^ - brush down
V - pick stroke up
n - pick stroke down

     S    TP  S        TP    S     TP S        TP
G |----------------------------------------------------|
D |----------------------------------------------------|
A |-----------7L-7-----5-----x-----5-------------------|
E |--5-----x--------------------------3L-3-----3-------|

  s     TP S        TP    S     TP    S  TP S  TP
----------------------------------------------------|
--------------------------x-----5h-7----------------|
-----------7L-7-----5-----------------x--x--5--7----|
--5-----x-------------------------------------------|

  S     TP S        TP    S     TP S        TP
----------------------------------------------------|
----------------------------------------------------|
-----------7L-7-----5-----x-----5-------------------|
--5-----x--------------------------3L-3-----3-------|

  S     TP S        TP    S     TP S  TP    S          S
--------------------------7h-9--x-------------------|----------------||
-----------------------------------x--5h-7----------|----------------||
-----------7L-7-----5-----------------------7-------|----------------||
--5-----x-------------------------------------------|--5-------------||