Slap handles the low strings (E, A). Pop handles the high strings (D, G). Together they create the call-and-response that is funk bass.
The pop motion
Use your index or middle finger. Hook it under the string (between the string and the fretboard) and pull the string upward away from the body of the bass. Release. The string snaps back against the fretboard, producing a sharp, bright "click."
The pop is louder and more aggressive than fingerstyle plucking. It's meant to cut through a mix.
Drill the pop
Hook your index finger under the open G string. Pull up about 1 cm. Release. The string snaps. You should hear a clear note plus a percussive snap.
70 BPM. Pop the open G string on each beat. Loop for two minutes. Listen for consistency.
The classic slap-pop rhythm
Combine: slap on beat 1, pop on beat 2-and:
beat: 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
play: T . P . T . P .
T = thumb slap (low string), P = pop (high string), . = rest.
This is the rhythm of Higher Ground (Stevie Wonder), Aeroplane (Red Hot Chili Peppers), I Want You Back (Jackson 5, bass by James Jamerson though he played fingerstyle), and a thousand other funk tracks.
Slap E + pop D (one octave up)
The classic slap pair: E string slap (a low note) + D string pop (the same note one octave up). For E:
- Slap the open E string
- Pop the D string at fret 2 (E one octave up)
These two notes are the same pitch class (E) but one octave apart, creating that signature funk "low-high" call.
80 BPM. Slap E, pop high E, slap, pop. Loop. Pretty soon you sound like a funk player.
Next: ghost notes. The percussive non-pitched note that makes slap groove.