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The Slap Bass Program DVD reviews. Slap bass, slap and pop technique. Reviews: The Slap Bass Program with Alexis Sklarevski |
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Player Magazine, 101 Amazing Bargains December, 1995 For years, we've been saying this is the best instructional video around. Why? The material is well organized, the presentation is unhurried, and the production values are absolutely first rate. Even if you like slapping less than Anthony Jackson does, we think you'll find something of value here. |
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Player Magazine, 25 Amazing Bargains August, 1993 This might be the best instructional video we've ever seen. Studio player/BIT instructor Alexis Sklarevski guides you through every facet of slap-and-pop technique, from beginner's first steps to advanced triple-picking and flamenco strumming. The production values on the 83-minute video are first-rate, with plenty of over-the-shoulder shots and inset views. As we say in our Spring '90 review: "No video is as effective as a live teacher, but this one comes awfully close." |
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Bass Player Magazine, August, 1993 |
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Player Magazine Spring, 1990 Alexis Sklarevski, a freelance studio bassist, Guitar Player columnist, and instructor at the Bass Institute of Technology, guides the viewer from basic to very advanced techniques in thumbstyle bass. He begins with a careful demonstration of slap-and-pop technique and ends 83 minutes later with triple plucking (popping with three right-hand fingers) and flamenco-style strumming. In between, he lays out the blues scale and shows how it is applied to funk, demonstrates several percussive techniques (including his "machine-gun triplet"), and emphasizes the importance of keeping the bass line flowing. He also improvises on common funk progressions and gives run-downs of damping techniques, double stops, and the use of open strings. The lessons are thoughtfully designed. Sklarevski begins by playing an exercise at normal tempo and then slows it down. A handy inset box on the screen makes it easy to see both his hands; there's also an occasional look over his shoulder, so we can see his hands the same way we normally view our own - a nice touch. Then the video cuts to a studio, where Sklarevski plays the example with drums and guitar. With the academic session and the jam session juxtaposed, it's easy to understand how to apply the techniques. No video is as effective as a teacher, but this one comes awfully close. |
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Frontiers Magazine 1996 (Volume 3 Number 2) Alexis Sklarevski is the author of one of the most popular educational videos ever made. The Slap Bass Program has been universally accepted by players and critics alike as the definitive educational bass video for learning slap technique. |
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Bass Frontiers (D. Titus) (1996, Vol 3 No 2)
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Player Magazine You don't just watch this 83-minute video - you work and learn. BIT instructor Sklarevski guides the novice from the basics of slapping and popping to such advanced techniques as two-handed fretting, complex muting, sliding, triplet approaches, and more. He's incredibly thorough and especially careful to introduce the technical building blocks in a useful, integrated fashion. A 14 page booklet accompanies the $49.95 videotape, and each written example is referenced on the screen. In many instances, a split-screen format showing both hands in action is used. Sklarevski clearly elaborates on the intricacies of each technique, plus he demonstrates their practical applications in several performances with a guitarist and drummer. This is one of the best bass instruction tapes to come along, and it's so full of great information that it should keep even seasoned bassists busy for months perfecting both right-and left-hand technique. Bravo! |
| - Guitar Player Magazine |
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World Magazine While there are other videos that have covered slap-style bass playing, most of them use a "slick licks and tricks" approach. The Slap Bass Program is distinctive in that the techniques are systematically described, demonstrated and then displayed in a band context. Alexis Sklarevski (staff instructor at the Bass Institute of Technology) takes a structured approach based on teaching experience. The course divides slap technique into left-and right-hand components. The tape starts with a thorough explanation of the right-hand approach to slapping, including several exercises designed to build up the thumb/first finger combination by playing rhythmic patterns on damped strings. Some of the advanced techniques explained are double and triple plucks, "machine gun" triplets, right-hand rhythmic tapping and a quasi-flamenco style strumming (whew!). The right hand is covered very closely, because there lies the foundation for slapping. Subsequently, the focus shifts to the left hand and the technique of controlled damping is explained as the means to alter note duration and rhythmic emphasis in conjunction with the right hand. Left-hand percussive tricks, scales, double stops and common vamp licks are covered. Scales are related to the common funk licks and their phrasing to facilitate hammered-on licks is explained in depth. The two hands are then logically brought together. Alexis' experience as an instructor becomes apparent throughout the tape; everything falls into place rather well, unlike scatter-shot licks approaches to teaching slap. One of the nice touches on this tape is that the techniques are ultimately displayed in a group context, so that they can be heard in a real life setting played by real people. While slap bass is usually associated with funk/r&b, Alexis shows how to use slapping idiomatically within rock formats as well. With the live trio examples, the practical applications of slapping are clear, regardless of musical style. As a matter of fact, this tape does a lot more for validating the approach than those thunder-thumbs videos do. The Slap Bass Program is exemplary in its production techniques: useful dual-camera split-screen work, overhead shots and a clear audio track. This video happens to be the most complete treatment of slapping on tape at this time and is recommended over any less comprehensive course even by a "name" player. No kidding... |
| - Guitar World Magazine |
| Guitarist
Magazine (British
Publication) If you can watch a tuition video straight through then there's not enough information in it. The best kind have you scrabbling for the remote every thirty seconds shouting "Whoa!" The Slap Bass Program is like that. It starts with the fundamentals of slapping - time feel, right hand exercises (get that wrist snapping), a comprehensive survey of plucking techniques and ways of working off octave patterns. Simple on the face of it, but accuracy and practice is the only way to get it right. So you're a hot slap player already? C'mon, deep down you know you skipped some of the basics and going back over them in such an organised manner can't do any harm. The examples build up in a logical but definitely non-timewasting manner. Once things get rolling, our Alexis just charges through example after example, building up combinations until you really are playing like the demo at the start. The information gets flung at you in condensed form, wasting little tape and leaving you to do the work. Included are left hand damping and choking, double stopping, machine-gun triplets, scales and patterns and more right hand combinations than you could shake a stick at. I feel the band that play the demonstration pieces with Alexis could have used an ace rhythm guitarist instead of a space cadet, however flash he may be, but it's a minor criticism. Eighty-three minutes long, and well produced with good screen-splitting, this is one of the most concentrated, best-prepared tuition videos I've seen. No bull. |
| - Guitarist Magazine |
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Magazine This video remains one of the most comprehensive tutorials on the slap style. With years of instructional experience at the Musicians Institute in California (and a native Canadian from Ottawa), Alexis has developed an affable, easy-going teaching style that makes learning from him a pleasure. He demonstrates a number of fundamental techniques, then turns them into some fairly complex bass parts. Even if you've been employing slap parts in your playing for a while, you'll probably still learn some new things from this tape. Some of my favorites include "machine-gun" triplets, and double and triple plucks. The integration of left and right hand techniques is especially useful to bassists new to the style. An enclosed booklet guides you through the techniques step-by-step, and includes notation of the examples. A split-screen assists with visually understanding the patterns, and live ensemble playing helps in applying the examples. Applicable to all levels of players. |
| - Bassics Magazine |
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Frontiers Magazine If there is one instructional video on the market today that has helped bass players with their slapping technique, it would have to be The Slap Bass Program by Alexis Sklarevski. This video has been out for quite a few years now, but it is still one of the most comprehensive lessons for anyone who wants to learn slap technique and how to apply it. I recommend it to players at any level (even guitarists can learn some new techniques.) The first half of the video covers basic fundamentals and exercises which should be practiced slowly to begin with. Everything that is played is transcribed in a booklet which is included with the video. It's recommended that you watch the video in sections so you can learn the material thoroughly. (Believe me, there is a lot of material in this video.) Once the basics are covered, Alexis demonstrates a number of different funk grooves incorporating examples from the beginning of the video. The cool part about this is while he's demonstrating these ideas in the control room, the camera cross-dissolves to him in the studio playing with a drummer and guitarist without missing a beat! The last part of the tape demonstrates more advanced slapping techniques such as "machine-gun triplets" and a "flamenco" style of slapping which has to be seen to be believed. The production quality of this video is first class and the use of production techniques such as "split-screen" close-ups and "over the shoulder" angle shots are very helpful. While watching this video, you'll notice the bass never moves! It's almost like it's locked into a vise while being played. This is also very helpful when trying to follow along. If you have never seen this video, I recommend you check it out. If you have seen it, you never know what you might learn the second, third and fourth times through. |
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Bass Frontiers Magazine (D. Monoxelos) (1995, Vol 2 No 3)
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