How to Slap Mute a Bass Guitar

Learning to play the bass guitar can be a very rewarding experience. Unlike other musical instruments, the bass guitar offers a deep, sultry sound that is popular in Latin and other music, like funk and disco. The slap mute is a common technique for mimicking drum sounds on the bass guitar. Here's how to do it.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Learn the basic chords and notes of the bass guitar before attempting new techniques. Make sure you have your finger in the middle of the fret when playing. This will make sure you are getting the best sound from the note and not a buzzing. Practice using open strings and chords, though this technique is not used much by bass players, it is important to know.

2. Understand the sound and technique of the slap mute. The sound is often down in regard to the drummer. The kick drum and snare are mimicked by using the slap muting technique. This slapping technique is used in many funk and disco songs. Mimicking the bass drum can help everyone get more in the groove of the song and bring a more rounded sound to the beat.

3. Use your thumb to slap, while using your index finger to pluck and slap the string in a different location on the string. You want to slap and pluck the string, then mute it so it does not make a sound. Instead, it will make a percussive sound. It adds a lot of dimension to your playing and can take you to different places in your bass guitar playing career.

4. Practice this technique separately before adding it into a song or alongside the drummer. You want to have the technique down with your fingers and know the sound, so you can correct any errors you make.