Missy Raines Bass Lesson: Double Slap

Fans of the double bass love to hear the slap of the strings against the wood. In this sample bass lesson from the School of Bass with Missy Raines, Missy breaks down how to do a double slap.

The double slap is very similar to the single slap, which Missy also teaches in her double bass lessons.

It begins with a pulling of the string. When slapping you want to really get underneath the string and yank it so it smacks down onto the fingerboard. After you let it loose, hit the fingerboard twice to create the double slap.

The secret to making the double slap feel musical is to think of it as a bounce with your hand. In order to for your hand to bounce, you really need to loosen up first. Before you even begin to start playing, you should feel loose. It's natural to tense up a bit when learning new things, so be sure to keep a relaxed mind in your awareness when you're practicing.  Soften your shoulders and allow that relaxedness to transfer down your arms. As Missy says, "keep the energy in your thoughts, but not so much in your arm." The idea is to keep it loose and free so it can hit the fingerboard and bounce off it. 

Experiment with this double bass technique to find the balance between "too loose" and "too static". With enough practice, you'll be double slapping like a pro!

This is just a sample from the actual lesson. Students of Missy's bass school have access to dozens of double bass lessons, plus the ability to get feedback from on their double bass technique when they submit their practice videos. For more info on how it works plus more free bass lessons visit http://missyrainesbass.com