| Over the past few years quite a few guitar | | | | can slap the strings at the same time as you |
| players have learnt the "slap technique". When you | | | | strum the chords. |
| are playing the acoustic guitar the question | | | | Let's take the first way first, doing the slapping |
| sometimes cones up of what to do to make | | | | and the picking separately. This is the easier of |
| your guitar playing a little more interesting. This is | | | | the two methods. So you are playing notes on |
| where stuff like string muting, striking the body of | | | | the beat and your slap is heard off the beat. |
| the guitar with the right hand and other exotic | | | | Once you have this technique down you can add |
| techniques come to the rescue. | | | | notes and slaps wherever you want but let's |
| Now you can add the slap technique to you | | | | keep it simple for the sake of the explanation. So |
| arsenal of guitar skills. The slap technique kind of | | | | you play a chord by plucking and you slap the |
| creates the illusion that you have percussion | | | | sixth string with your thumb. |
| player in your pocket. It brings a little drama to | | | | The second method of using the slap technique is |
| your guitar playing and helps to add some | | | | to strum the strings with your first finger while at |
| emphasis to the rhythm. Basically this is achieved | | | | the same time slapping the sixth string with your |
| by slapping the guitar strings withe the thumb of | | | | thumb. This is a new kind of movement that you |
| your right hand. | | | | will not have found in guitar playing before so it's |
| Here's a word of caution: you can't use the slap | | | | going to take some slow and tedious practice. |
| technique if you have a pick in your hand. It won't | | | | You can also pluck the strings with your thumb |
| work. You need your hand empty to execute the | | | | and fingers and hit the strings with your fingers as |
| slap. If you use a pick you are left with good old | | | | well as your thumb which gives another type of |
| string muting to produce a similar effect. | | | | sound. If you find some videos of guitar players |
| There are two ways you can make the slap | | | | using the slap technique with the acoustic guitar |
| technique work for you. You can separate your | | | | you will quickly see why dedicating some time to |
| slaps from your picking and chord playing. Or you | | | | this style of playing will pay off. |