Percussive Slap

What is Percussive Slap?

Percussive slap is an advanced fingerstyle technique where the guitarist uses the palm, fingers, and thumb to strike the strings and body of the guitar, creating drum-like rhythmic sounds while maintaining melody.

Types of Percussive Sounds

1. Body Slaps

Hit the guitar body with your palm or fingers to create bass drum sounds.

2. String Slaps

Slap the strings with your fingers or palm to create snare-like sounds.

3. Thumb Slaps

Use your thumb to hit the lower strings for a muted bass thump.

4. Tapping

Tap on the fretboard or body for additional percussion.

Technique Breakdown

Hand Position

• Keep your wrist relaxed
• Fingers should be slightly curved
• Palm should be able to reach the lower bout

Timing

• Percussive elements should enhance, not interrupt, the melody
• Practice rhythm patterns separately first
• Integrate gradually into songs

Integration with Melody

The challenge is maintaining melodic flow while adding percussion:

1. Melody First: Learn the melody thoroughly
2. Add Bass: Incorporate simple percussion on bass notes
3. Build Complexity: Gradually add more percussive elements
4. Natural Flow: Let percussion enhance natural accents

Practice Exercises

Exercise 1: Basic Body Slap

• Play a simple chord progression
• Add body slap on beats 2 and 4
• Maintain consistent volume

Exercise 2: String Muting

• Play a melody line
• Mute strings with palm between notes
• Create rhythmic pattern

Famous Examples

• Tommy Emmanuel's Classical Gas
• Kotaro Oshio's Fight!!
• Andy McKee's Drifting

Safety Note

Be gentle with your guitar! Start with light touches and build up gradually. The percussion should enhance the music, not damage your instrument.