Bass Guitar -> Slap Bass?

[prestoneric]

I've watched as many videos as I could find for this game and I'm still surprised that there is no slap-bass feature. I have 2 friends that both play bass guitar and they said they won't touch the game unless they can play slap-bass style. I'm still not sure that the 2nd guitar is a bass guitar or just a backup because I've read different articles that say different things.

Also, the online portion will be pretty neat, I just hope that there is some kind of ranking-system and it will let you know how good you are compared to all of the other people that play, not just top 10 or top 100. There are going to be WAY too many people that play this game to only have a short list of top players.

I think this game is going to be a HUGE hit and it's going to be incredibly hard to get when it first hits the shelves, so pre-order now!:D

[HPLabonte]

meh, tell em to grow some balls and play with a pick, simonon style.

[tf5_bassist]

I've watched as many videos as I could find for this game and I'm still surprised that there is no slap-bass feature. I have 2 friends that both play bass guitar and they said they won't touch the game unless they can play slap-bass style. I'm still not sure that the 2nd guitar is a bass guitar or just a backup because I've read different articles that say different things.

As a bassist with a fondness for slap/pop playing, it's nearly-impossible for a game controller, or almost any other electronic guitar controller known to man to recognize, or even work well with slap/pop. The guitar controllers aren't made with an "inward/outward" motion, as it's designed to go up and down. One of the main reasons I started playing GH2 with a pick was because my hand always wanted to slap the strum bar inwards, as if playing a real bass slap-style. Which, for the record, does not work. of course.

Not to mention the entire lack of something to grab onto to pop the "string".

That being said, tell your friends to go play "John The Fisherman"'s bass part on GH2. It's part slap, but, well, it's not. My brain has a hard time telling my hands to play the note chart in the game as opposed to the actual part sometimes lol.


meh, tell em to grow some balls and play with a pick, simonon style.

Why not just tell Simonon to grow some balls and play WITHOUT a pick!

OOooooh blasphemy!!

Just kidding, I like him.

[dlisapussy]

It wouldn't really make sense to slap the controller. It may knock something loose after a while. When I play bass for GHII I don't 'use a pick' or hold the strum bar like I'm holding a pick. I just use my two fingers to hit the strum bar upwards, so its kinda like I'm playing bass.

Although slapping the controller is sort of a bad idea, I was thinking that the switch on the guitar could have different effects for the bass, one being slap bass. The only problem is I can't think of any other effects that the bass uses.

[Bakkster]

Although slapping the controller is sort of a bad idea, I was thinking that the switch on the guitar could have different effects for the bass, one being slap bass. The only problem is I can't think of any other effects that the bass uses.

Slap is not an effect, though. It's a whole different way of playing. It really couldn't be on the effect switch.

And here's some other effects bassists use commonly(ish):
flange
phaser
chorus
envelope filter
overdrive/fuzz

And maybe your friends are also disappointed they can't play pinched harmonics in GH as well? Tell them it's a controller with 5 buttons and a switch: take it or leave it.

[DShizzle1029]

It would have been cool to have a button on the side of the strum bar that you slap instead of using the strum bar.

[Bakkster]

It would have been cool to have a button on the side of the strum bar that you slap instead of using the strum bar.

Why? So you could use it on two songs? Only Epic and Dani California have any slap bass in them. Not really worth it.

[DShizzle1029]

Why? So you could use it on two songs? Only Epic and Dani California have any slap bass in them. Not really worth it.

Dont forget DLC.

[prestoneric]

I really don't understand half of the comments that people wrote about this idea...think about it...

People are going to be BANGING on the drums...you know there are going to be people that just wail on them...and the game creators know that too. They even talked about that in one of their interviews; how they had to design the drums for people who like to hit hard and people who hit them too soft.

Also, somebody said that there are only 2 or 3 songs that you would be able to play with the slap bass style...Didn't anybody hear that there are going to be new songs to download EVERY week? I'm sure there are a lot more songs out there that use this style of bass. (Korn for instance...Fieldy is a pimp)

I just think that you would need a button or two just above or below the strum bar (maybe above and below) that you could just use for tapping. I hope people don't think that "slap bass" means that you'll be hitting the guitar with near full force, because that would just be ridiculous. If people honestly think that they couldn't make a slap bass guitar and have it be durable enough to withstand game play, I don't know what else to say...

[metalhead]

THrow in a little Les Claypool [Primus] into the game would be cool. But yeah the control could not handle it I do not think. Cool idea though.

[Bakkster]

Also, somebody said that there are only 2 or 3 songs that you would be able to play with the slap bass style...Didn't anybody hear that there are going to be new songs to download EVERY week? I'm sure there are a lot more songs out there that use this style of bass. (Korn for instance...Fieldy is a pimp)

True, but it's still a pretty small subset of bass players who play slap. It's not that small, but slap bass in rock is still far outnumbered by finger and pick players. I just don't see the reason for the controller (which seems adequate already) to have additional stuff just for a few songs.


I just think that you would need a button or two just above or below the strum bar (maybe above and below) that you could just use for tapping. I hope people don't think that "slap bass" means that you'll be hitting the guitar with near full force, because that would just be ridiculous. If people honestly think that they couldn't make a slap bass guitar and have it be durable enough to withstand game play, I don't know what else to say...

You would need a separate slap and pop switch. The pop switch would need to be pulled up, and the slap switch would need to be hit down. Then all three switches would need to be organized so that you can play either style without the other switch getting in the way.

And why stop there? I want them to accurately simulate finger picking! They should split the strum bar into 4 parts, because strumming with each finger sounds different. And they need a pinched harmonics button on the neck, and a tuning knob button so you can detune during the song, and the ability to play above the nut to start harmonics!

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: RB is not a simulation, it's a game. Adding "realism" just increases the complexity and doesn't make it more fun. If you really want to play something more complex than RB, go get a real guitar. Just please take RB with a grain of salt and remember that we're playing a game.

[tf5_bassist]

I'm all for pinched harmonics! Then I could play the two pinched notes in Stu Hamm's medley!

Or fretted harmonics, so I could play Jaco's "Portrait of Tracy".

:D

seriously though, most slap players don't even slap the strings that hard, it doesn't take much force to get a slap tone out of a bass. It's just the fact that it's completely unnecessary.

Although it would be fun to see an in-depth bass game with a controller that allowed for all three play styles. It'd be expensive as hell, comparatively, but it'd be fun (and hard!) :D