Slap and pop

A percussive playing method in which the thumb strikes a low string and fingers snap a higher string away from the body.

Slap and pop originally comes from bass playing, where the thumb slaps the low strings against the frets for a percussive thump and the index or middle finger hooks a string and pulls it away for a snapped pop. Guitarists borrow the same motion for funk rhythm work, adding wrist movement to snap chords as well as single notes. The sound is percussive and wide-ranging, and the technique needs a low action and fresh strings to speak properly.

Example: A funk groove where the thumb thumps the bass strings on the beat and the fingers pop the top strings off the beat is slap and pop.

Slap and pop

See also