The Bass thread (funk, Paul McCartney)

thebassistX · 02-22-2008, 09:15 AM

VICTOR WOOTEN ftw

yea bass and guitar= different aspects
of music that need to be mastered

it also depends on how u play ur bass ex. as a soloist u need to be PRO
but as just a member of a punk band u dont need much technique

EVAD · 04-05-2008, 10:33 AM

I think I need to break into a couple of different categories.

1. My Favorite-Geezer Butler
2. Best Jazz/Funk/Fusion-Jaco
3. Best Rock/Pop-Paul McCartney

A few others that I think revolutionized the instrument:
Bill Black
Larry Graham
Geddy Lee
Billy Sheehan
Derek Smalls-Listen to "Big Bottom" by Spinal Tap" Ha Ha

mr dave · 04-05-2008, 11:09 AM

just going to make a few points based on some of the stuff i've seen in this thread, not going to quote everyone.

the idea that bassists are failed guitarists only applies to the connect the dot style of rock where the bass player only hits the root of whatever chord the guitar player is playing at the same time as the bass drum hit.

a good bass player that understands the role of establishing and maintaining a groove within the context of the band is rare and requires a whole other set of skills than those you normally develop on a guitar. it seems a lot of time bands end up with someone who should really be playing guitar. i'm not saying there isn't room for bass leads outside of jazz, but trying to solo on a bass the same way you do on a guitar sounds cheesy. conversely a bass player should be allowed to do more than pedal point the root of the riff.

as for my own low end dealings. i've got 2 basses. one is a 4 string aria pro II - cat series. weighs a ton, sounds great. the other is a 5 string fretless by samick. weighs little, neckdives like there's no tomorrow, but gets surprisingly deep low end.

flea became a monstrous influence on me as a teen. not just in terms of playing bass but also the way he dealt with music. he might not be on the same level as wooten and pastorius but in terms of what's available to mainstream music listeners he's definitely a great starting point to learn about more than what you hear on tv and radio.

i also really dig all the old sabbath riffs, geezer butler is definitely worthy of praise. his technique of not loosing the groove when playing lead fills is freaking ace.

scott reeder from kyuss also deserves a mention in the sludgy groove based hard rock vein that butler started.

i also seem to remember all three guys in spinal tap playing basses for 'big bottom' haha. although if memory serves me correctly smalls had an 8 sting. soundgarden does a pretty good cover of that track too hehehe.

paxdomini · 04-05-2008, 12:12 PM

Wow, has no one yet mentioned Mike Gordon? He gets my vote for best bassist of all time.

That said, I'm siding with Hiu on the Flea issue. Flea's a fantastic performer, and a talented artist, but he's not NEARLY as versatile as Mike Gordon, or even Charles Mingus, if you ask me. Then again, when talking about Mingus, we're discussing a whole different instrument.

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02-22-2008, 09:15 AM
thebassistX Music Addict Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Toronto Posts: 96	VICTOR WOOTEN ftw yea bass and guitar= different aspects of music that need to be mastered it also depends on how u play ur bass ex. as a soloist u need to be PRO but as just a member of a punk band u dont need much technique

04-05-2008, 10:33 AM
EVAD Groupie Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 16	I think I need to break into a couple of different categories. 1. My Favorite-Geezer Butler 2. Best Jazz/Funk/Fusion-Jaco 3. Best Rock/Pop-Paul McCartney A few others that I think revolutionized the instrument: Bill Black Larry Graham Geddy Lee Billy Sheehan Derek Smalls-Listen to "Big Bottom" by Spinal Tap" Ha Ha

04-05-2008, 11:09 AM
mr dave Music Addict Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: everywhere Posts: 292	just going to make a few points based on some of the stuff i've seen in this thread, not going to quote everyone. the idea that bassists are failed guitarists only applies to the connect the dot style of rock where the bass player only hits the root of whatever chord the guitar player is playing at the same time as the bass drum hit. a good bass player that understands the role of establishing and maintaining a groove within the context of the band is rare and requires a whole other set of skills than those you normally develop on a guitar. it seems a lot of time bands end up with someone who should really be playing guitar. i'm not saying there isn't room for bass leads outside of jazz, but trying to solo on a bass the same way you do on a guitar sounds cheesy. conversely a bass player should be allowed to do more than pedal point the root of the riff. as for my own low end dealings. i've got 2 basses. one is a 4 string aria pro II - cat series. weighs a ton, sounds great. the other is a 5 string fretless by samick. weighs little, neckdives like there's no tomorrow, but gets surprisingly deep low end. flea became a monstrous influence on me as a teen. not just in terms of playing bass but also the way he dealt with music. he might not be on the same level as wooten and pastorius but in terms of what's available to mainstream music listeners he's definitely a great starting point to learn about more than what you hear on tv and radio. i also really dig all the old sabbath riffs, geezer butler is definitely worthy of praise. his technique of not loosing the groove when playing lead fills is freaking ace. scott reeder from kyuss also deserves a mention in the sludgy groove based hard rock vein that butler started. i also seem to remember all three guys in spinal tap playing basses for 'big bottom' haha. although if memory serves me correctly smalls had an 8 sting. soundgarden does a pretty good cover of that track too hehehe. __________________ i am the universe

04-05-2008, 12:12 PM
paxdomini Groupie Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 6	Wow, has no one yet mentioned Mike Gordon? He gets my vote for best bassist of all time. That said, I'm siding with Hiu on the Flea issue. Flea's a fantastic performer, and a talented artist, but he's not NEARLY as versatile as Mike Gordon, or even Charles Mingus, if you ask me. Then again, when talking about Mingus, we're discussing a whole different instrument.