Can’t Stop (Red Hot Chili Peppers) – Slap Bass Riff – M… — Transcript

[Music] Hi again, Mark here from talkingbass.net. Today, I'll be quickly running through the main slap bass line from the Red Hot Chili Peppers song "Can't Stop." It's been requested a few times on the channel and in the live streams. So, here it is. So, the riff's in E minor, and it works through the chord progression E minor, D major, B minor, and then C major. Okay. So, first of all, just get used to that root movement. So, we're going to be looking at the notes E, seventh fret of the A string, D, fifth fret of the A string, then B, seventh fret of the E string, and then C, eighth fret of the E string.

And just work through those to begin with just to get used to where those root notes are, just to get your hand in the right position. So you could just work through with the comp [Music] pattern. Okay, just work through just with that basic pattern just to get used to knowing where those first notes are.

Now let's have a look at the slap pop pattern in there. First of all, I'm just going to go through the notes in there. I'm not going to put those ghost notes in there. We're just going to look at the full fretted notes because then we can work on putting those ghost notes in afterwards. So, we're going to be in this E octave pattern to begin with.

Seventh fret E string and then ninth fret G string. So, just in that position there. And we have E seventh fret of the A string and then D E seventh fret ninth fret G string. Okay, that's your first three notes. Then we're back down to the E twice on the seventh fret of the A [Music] string. Then we're back up to the G string again. D and E again. Seventh fret ninth [Music] fret. Okay, so that's the [Music] pattern. Then we're back down to the E seventh fret of the A string. So it's all just there on the root, the flat 7, and the octave.

[Music] So then we move down to the D. So we're on the fifth fret of the A string. And then we use the D and the E again.

Seventh fret and ninth fret of the G string for the pops. So then we have. So exactly the same [Music] pattern, but we're using that D down there instead of the E. Okay. So in terms of the fingering there, I'm using the first finger for the um for the D on the A string. And then I'm using that fourth finger there, the pink for the D and the E there. Just moving between them, seventh fret and ninth fret. Okay.

So that's the first two, that's the first two bars. Then we drop down to the A fifth fret of the E string instead of the D.

[Music] So then we're up to the B. Okay. And now it's going to be all on the octave. So root and octave.

So and then up to the C. Okay. So that's, that's what you need to get first of all before we put the ghost notes in. Because even if you were to play that, it's, you know, that's pretty much the feel of the tune. You could play that over the actual song and it would kind of work because that's the notes. All that we need to put in after that are the ghost notes. So [Music] slowly. Then I'm going to use that D to come up there fifth fret up to the seventh fret. And that's it. We're, we're, we're back to the beginning again. So, one thing to remember is that on the original of this, Flea really plays around with this riff. It's not the same all the way through. He puts little fills in and things like that. What we're looking at here is pretty much a kind of skeleton version of it. Once you've got this under your fingers, you can start putting in little things here and there, you know, working around on it, little variations, learn what he plays on there. But to begin with, this is roughly the part that you hear on the breakdown when it goes into a solo.

So, you know, it's about 3/4 of the way through. You hear it drop down into the slap bass part and he puts a little fill in there. So, you know, as long as you can get this down, you'll be able to play over it. Now, let's have a look at those ghost notes. So, first of all, I'm just going to show you where those ghost notes are in the riff, and then afterwards, I'll give you some tips on how to incorporate them into your playing and, you know, make things a little bit easier. So first of all, we're just going to go round and round those first couple of bars. So we're just going to play on that E section.

[Music] So okay, so it's just that bit and we're going to run around that. So because once you've nailed that, it's exactly the same for all the other chords.

[Music] So, okay. So, we have just as normal, but then we have the D seventh fret of the G string and then the ghost note. Okay. So, we're playing 16th notes with the ghost note.

So, then we've got the E se, uh, sorry, ninth fret of the G string and again a ghost note. And then we come back for a pop on a ghost note. So, we've got a slap pop action there with the ghost note. So, with the ghost notes, of course, we're just holding the hand down across the strings there to get those dead notes. Okay? So, you just lay the fingers across like that. Okay?

[Music] So okay. Pop, ghost note, pop, ghost note, ghost note, pop. Okay, [Music] so then we're back to the E. So, we're just going to go round and round on that.

[Music] Whoops. Okay. So, just try working speed up just on that bit and then we can start adding it to the other chords. So, now all we've got to do is play that exact same slap pop ghost note pattern on each of the other chords. So, we can move down to the D. Okay. And then we drop down to that A there obviously. But that's exactly the same pattern. Then up to the B. Move up to the C there. But we'll be moving up to the D. So, okay. And that's it. Okay. So, round the whole thing very slowly.

[Music] Okay, so that's the whole of the riff very slowly. Get it off just with the fretted notes first, then add those ghost notes in there, and then just build up speed. So now we'll just give you a few extra tips on getting those pesky ghost notes under your fingers. Now, first I think it's worth mentioning a hand position that you might have seen me talk about on some of the other YouTube lessons and in some of the courses. It's something I call home position, and it really helps with ghost notes. It's also worth mentioning that I cover all of these techniques in real depth in the Simple Steps to Slap Bass course over at talkingbass.net. So, if you're interested in learning how to slap, I'd definitely go and check that out and I've got a link to that in the info below. So, first of all, let's have a look at this home position. So we'll do this around that seventh fret area because that's where we've been playing. So all I want you to do is take the first finger there and just lie it gently over that seventh fret. Okay? So just there. And you'll probably get some harmonics when you slap there. Then take the second, third, and fourth finger and then just bring those down as well. Okay. So we've got the first finger takes the A, D, and G string. The second finger is taking the E string pretty much as is the third finger. The fourth finger is probably in between the E and the A string. You might need to pivot the hand round a little bit to make this work. Um, so that the fingers are more parallel with the frets. Some people play like this with this. We've got the thumb in the back of the neck and we've got the fingers pretty much parallel, even maybe pointing a little bit more towards the ceiling. Okay, so that's the home position. Now, the good thing about the home position is that it's a very safe position. You can bang the bass all you want. You're not going to get any noise. And that's great when you're playing live on stage and you're really, really loud because you ain't going to get any noise. So you're not going to get any clunks and clanks. Okay. So that's a good position to start with. But the other great thing for when you're playing slapping is that we get ghost notes. So if we work from this position of silence to begin with, it means that when we play a note, we just apply press.

could play that over the actual song and it would kind of work because that's the notes. All that we need to put in after that are the ghost notes. So [Music] slowly. Then I'm going to use that D to

come up there fifth fret up to the seventh fret. And that's it. We're we're we're back to the beginning again. So, one thing to remember is that on the original of this, Flea really plays around with this riff. It's not the same

all the way through. He puts little fills in and things like that. What we're looking at here is pretty much a kind of uh skeleton version of it. Once you've got this under your fingers, you can start putting in little things here

and there, you know, working around on it, little variations, learn what he plays on there. But to begin with, this is roughly um the part that you hear on the breakdown when it goes into a solo.

So, um you know, it's about 3/4 of the way through. You hear it drop down into the slap bass part and he puts a little fill in there. So, you know, as long as you can get this down, you'll be able to

play over it. Now, let's have a look at those ghost notes. So, first of all, I'm just going to show you where those ghost notes are in the riff, and then afterwards, I'll give you some tips on how to incorporate them into your

playing and, you know, make things a little bit easier. So first of all, we're just going to go round and round those first couple of bars. So we're just going to play on that E section.

[Music] So okay, so it's just that bit and we're going to run around that. So because once you've nailed that, it's exactly the same for all the other chords.

[Music] So, okay. So, we have just as normal, but then we have the D seventh fret of the G string and then the ghost note. Okay. So, we're playing 16th notes with the ghost note.

So, then we've got the E se uh sorry, ninth fret of the G string and again a ghost note. And then we come back for a pop on a ghost note. So, we've got a slap pop action there with the ghost

note. So, with the ghost notes, of course, we're just holding the hand down across the strings there to get those dead notes. Okay? So, you just lay the fingers across like that. Okay?

[Music] So okay. Pop, ghost note, pop, ghost note, ghost note, pop. Okay, [Music] so then we're back to the E. So, we're just going to go round and round on that.

[Music] Whoops. Okay. So, just try working speed up just on that bit and then we can start adding it to the other chords. So, now all we've got to do is play that exact same slap pop ghost note pattern

on each of the other chords. So, we can move down to the D. Okay. And then we drop down to that A there obviously. But that's exactly the same pattern. Then up to the B. Move up to the C

there. But we'll be moving up to the D. So, okay. And that's it. Okay. So, round the whole thing very slowly.

[Music] Okay, so that's the whole of the riff very slowly. Get it off just with the um freted notes first, then add those ghost notes in there, and then just build up speed. So now we'll just give you a few

extra tips on getting those pesky ghost notes under your fingers. Now, first I think it's worth mentioning a hand position that you might have seen me talk about on some of the other YouTube lessons and in some of the courses. It's

something I call home position, and it really helps with ghost notes. It's also worth mentioning that I cover all of these techniques in real depth in the simple steps to slap bass course over at talkingbass.net. So, if you're

interested in learning how to slap, I'd definitely go and check that out and I've got a link to that in the info below. So, first of all, let's have a look at this home position. So we'll we'll do this around that seventh fret

area because that's where we've been playing. So all I want you to do is take the first finger there and just lie it gently over that seventh fret. Okay? So just there. And you'll probably get some harmonics when you uh slap there. Then

take the second, third, and fourth finger and then just bring those down as well. Okay. So we've got the first finger takes the A, D, and G string. The second finger is taking the E string pretty much as is the third finger. The

fourth finger is probably in between the E and the A string. You might need to pivot the hand round a little bit to make this work. Um, so that the fingers are more parallel with the frets. Some people play like this with this. We've

got the thumb in the back of the neck and we've got the fingers pretty much parallel, even maybe pointing a little bit more towards the ceiling. Okay, so that's the home position. Now, the good thing about the home position is that

it's a very safe position. You can bang the bass all you want. You're not going to get any noise. And that's great when you're playing live on stage and you're really really loud because you ain't going to get any noise. So you're not

going to get any clunks and clanks. Okay. So that's a good position to start with. But the other great thing for when you're playing slapping is that we get ghost notes. So if we work from this position of silence to begin

with, it means that when we play a note, we just apply pressure with that first finger, lift up the second and third and fourth fingers, and then come back when we want to cut off the note. So we're

coming from a from a position of silence to begin with, which is good. Um, nice clean sound, and then we just allow the note to come through just by lifting up those fingers. Okay? So don't press down with that first finger when you're in

home position. They're all sort of dead weight on the strings. Only apply pressure with that first finger when you need the note. And then as soon as you need to take that note off, you just go back to home

position. Okay? So all of the fingers go dead weight again so that you, you know, take the pressure off that first finger and they all come back. Okay? Just think of that home position as your go-to position. Okay? So Okay. So that's the

start. Get that home position off first of all. So now we're in that position.

We can start practicing these ghost notes. So get into the home position again and just angle the hand around a little bit so that fourth finger comes more over the G string. So we're kind of in an octave pattern. Okay. So I know I

said, you know, bring it round for the main home position, but you know, it all changes depending on context. So just bring those fingers back around so that we're actually in an octave position there. And then I just want you to play

slap on the A string and then pop on the G string. And because we're in that position, you'll get ghost notes.

Okay? You can do the same thing with the E and D string. Just get used to that. Okay. So that's your ghost notes.

Okay. So next, let's try adding some freted notes in there. So this time what we're going to do is we're going to go slap and then we're going to pop the uh E at the ninth fret of the G string. So

we're in that position already. You want that fourth finger of the pinky right over that ninth fret. Ready to to play it. And we're just going to play a very very short staccato note. Okay. So So you just apply a little bit of pressure

almost like you're stabbing at it with that fourth finger. So, as soon as you've popped it, you know, release pressure and you'll get that nice little snap there. Just get used to playing that. So, that's how to get used to that

ghost note pop action. Okay? So, then you can go back to the ghost notes for both of them then and and just get used to doing that. So you've kind of got that muscle memory [Music] working. Then you could try going

between a couple of notes. So you could maybe try. So there I'm playing I'm catching that D there, the seventh fret of the G string pretty much with that part of the finger just under the knuckle there. So

I'm kind of barring across. I'm not holding down all the strings. I'm just applying pressure with kind of that part of the finger.

So okay. So, but I'm always in this home position. You can see the hands there.

Very, very little movement there. It's a very clean technique. Okay. So, think about it.

We've got ghost notes in there now. And we're not even thinking about it. We're not thinking play a ghost note. Play a ghost note because we're already in position to do it. Okay.

[Music] Okay, you can just go between them. Okay, and there's lots and lots of different variations. So, you could try just playing, you know, just between two freted notes, short notes, then all the same action with this [Music]

hand. Okay. or you know try freted note on the A string and then pop on the ghost note.

So you know there's a few variations on this. You just want to get used to doing that and that should help a lot with uh trying the riff. So now we've looked at that home position. Let's try applying

it to the uh to the riff and seeing how it works in that context. So again I'm in home position there exactly the same as we've just been playing. And now watch uh now watch me play the riff and

you'll be able to see it in action. Okay. So, we've got, see, I'm in the home position. I let that first E come through. Again, I'm playing with that part of the finger for the D. Just stabbing at it. And then I'm just

stabbing with that [Music] pinky. Okay. Again, we've just been practicing that move. That's right there.

[Music] And then for the final part, we've got slap and pop ghost notes, which is just home position. So, as long as you keep the hand in that position for that home for the home [Music] position, it should

[Music] work. Okay. Okay. Hey, I hope that helped a little in learning that riff and also shed some light on playing ghost note patterns. As I mentioned earlier, I've got a huge course called simple steps to slap bass over at the

talking bass website and that works through all aspects of the technique from the absolute basics of the slap through to advanced double thumbming and all that other cool stuff. So, go check that out. Also, check out my Patreon

page if you want to support this YouTube channel. There uh there's rewards for pledging your support and I've also got various goals on there that we can hopefully reach at some point. So, uh, I'll see you later.