Les Claypool in Hallucino-Genetics

[Aussiephoenix]

So I finally bought this DVD the other day, and sat in front of the tv watching it with the bass plugged in, and playing along (BADLY) to like... maybe 35% of it... the rest of the time, I was too busy staring blankly at the TV while trying to pickup this guy's chops...

Damn weird techniques he uses... like I'd be listening to his riff and forming an idea in my head of how to execute it, and then what he's actually doing has nothing to do with it...

Like in American Life Im listening to a riff that sounds like Slap but he's sweeping his picking hand way slower than I was imagining...

Bloody hell, he's just an awesome bassplayer... I wish I could nail down half of the techniques that he so effortlessly mingles in his playing.

Oh and what was that Stick that he was playing right at the end of Tim's drum solo?

[Don W]

I just bought this dvd a couple weeks ago and I really like it. I was most impressed with American Life as well because I had never seen them play that live before.

Originally Posted by Aussiephoenix

Oh and what was that Stick that he was playing right at the end of Tim's drum solo?

That would be the Whamola.



He plays it on one song on Frog Brigade's Purple Onion album

[Matt Till]

American life is as simple as claypool makes it seem. With bass playing and slap especially you need to watch the left hand. His right hand is doing a simple slap/flamenco pattern, but his left hand is throwing some speedy hammer ons.

[Aussiephoenix]

Originally Posted by Matt Till

American life is as simple as claypool makes it seem. With bass playing and slap especially you need to watch the left hand. His right hand is doing a simple slap/flamenco pattern, but his left hand is throwing some speedy hammer ons.

Yeah, Matt I figured about the left hand, its the right that was really confusing me... so, instead of slap-pop, hes doing slap-strum?

[Matt Till]

Yep, Claypool uses strumming a lot. And I mean A LOT. When I got decent at strumming, a lot of Claypool's songs became a lot easier. It's like strumming a guitar without a pick.

[Sandman1278]

The most mind numbing thing i find about les's technique is his ability to SING while playing and not just sing simple things, sing at a differnt beat then the bass line, and with weird ass lyrics, the best evidence of this is tommy the cat, you need to have that riff down in your head so tight that you can do it without thinking before you can sing and play it, then u need to memorize those lyrics, wow

also Claypool slap/strums in other songs like bob, eleven, groundhog's day, kalamazo, and pleny more.

[Petary791]

Yeah Les Clayppol is definitely one of my heroes. I THINK I can almost play American Life decently close to being right, but I need some sort of something to freakin record!

I've learned a lot of things from DVDs, I was doing them wrong until I watched him.

[Matt Till]

About Claypool's singing and playing, it's very strange, the only songs I can play and sing are Primus songs. I have trouble with something like Monster Magnet, but I can play/sing American Life, Tommy the Cat, To Defy the Laws of Tradition, etc... but not something riff rocky. I think it's because slap is so rhythmic... I dunno.

[ApeIsHigh81]

Originally Posted by Sandman1278

The most mind numbing thing i find about les's technique is his ability to SING while playing

That's why they call him "the man with two brains".

[Sandman1278]

Originally Posted by ApeIsHigh81

That's why they call him "the man with two brains".

and rightfully so!

[eric atkinson]

You guys like the original drummer or this one better? I havent decided yet.

[Sandman1278]

Originally Posted by eric atkinson

You guys like the original drummer or this one better? I havent decided yet.

this one is the origonal drummer, he left the band after tales from the punchbowl, brain was the drummer from then on till now when herbie is back, i like herb better, but they are both fantastic

[eric atkinson]

I did not know that! Very cool fact. Man they have been around for ever! I remember when i watched them at the woodstock show and brian was playing with them then! I guess i just thought he was always the drummer. Cool thanks!~

[Sandman1278]

Originally Posted by eric atkinson

I did not know that! Very cool fact. Man they have been around for ever! I remember when i watched them at the woodstock show and brian was playing with them then! I guess i just thought he was always the drummer. Cool thanks!~

herb played at woodstock94 i dont recall hearing of them playing woodstock99 if they did play it brian was def there drummer, primus has been aroudn since the late 80s

[john turner]

Originally Posted by Aussiephoenix

Yeah, Matt I figured about the left hand, its the right that was really confusing me... so, instead of slap-pop, hes doing slap-strum?

up and down strumming. he picked that style up from stanley clarke. bunch your struming fingers up almost in a fist and then -pow- just strum out your fingers.

[Matt Till]

Technically, Tim Alexander isn't the original drummer /nerd

[Sandman1278]

Originally Posted by Matt Till

Technically, Tim Alexander isn't the original drummer /nerd

well the orignal drummer when primus got 'made it', i know Les Claypool is Primus's only 'real' origonal member, but tim and ler are the origonal band mates in my mind, those other guys are just footnotes imo

[Matt Till]

Sausage was cool...

[golden_boy]

Claypool = a dude

I can play most of the simple primus stuff, and getting a lot of the harder songs down now. It gets a lot easier once you get the strumming down. I could never do the singing and playing together tho

[funktastic]

sausage was amazing IMO