What bassist(living or dead) influences you most?

Bessie · #1 09-30-2002, 10:23 PM

I'm just so damned curious as to who influences your own style of playing your bass? I apologize if this question is already on here. I didn't look that far ahead cause there is so many posts on here. But anyways, I am so curious.

To start it off, I say Flea and Leo?(You know the guy from that band that doesn't exist anymore, Primus) I don't really know his name but I loved his playing.

Dave Castelo · #2 09-30-2002, 10:29 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Bessie
I say Flea and Leo?

Leo Claypool?

Bessie · #3 09-30-2002, 10:32 PM

I don't know his name. I was just guessing.

DigMe · #4 09-30-2002, 11:40 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Dave Castelo

Leo Claypool?

Hehe... I think you're joking Dave...but for Bessie's sake I'll go ahead and say it's Les Claypool.

Quote:

Originally posted by Bessie
I don't know his name. I was just guessing.

So is "Leo" your standard guess for anyone whose name you don't know?

just kidding

brad cook

DigMe · #5 09-30-2002, 11:48 PM

Ok now I'll get to the actual question!

That's a tough one though. I'd have to say Tony Levin, Victor Wooten, Marcus Miller and (this one is more in a rhythmic way than anything else) Les Claypool.

One thing I find myself doing as a result of listening to Claypool for a long time are quick little fingerstyle triplets like he always does. I never consciously started doing that because he does it...just kinda worked it's way into my playing. He's also the first one that inspired me to start tapping, this was taken to another level by Wooten and Stu Hamm though. Tony inspires me to play beautiful, grooving melodic stuff and Marcus just flat out inspires me. Then of course I got the double thumb thing and playing fast pentuplets from Wooten.

brad cook

ps - of course Jaco and Jamerson influence all of us even if you don't really listen to them a lot because most likely they influenced someone that influenced you. Same with Larry Graham if you play slap style at all.

zoran · #6 10-01-2002, 12:24 AM

steve harris, long long time ago. Now : Flea

incognito89x · #7 10-01-2002, 12:34 AM

I'd say the bassist with the most inluence is Ryknow (Ryan) from Mudvayne. Being younger than a lot of people here (19) I haven't heard much of the older stuff, and only have played for 5 years or so. But Ryknow's bassline are so creative, and proves that Metal/Nu-Metal/Whatever you want to call it doesn't have to be dropped Gb tunings and screaming, that it CAN actually be deep and well thought out.

Not only was I really impressed with his Speed and ability to create basslines other than following the guitar lead, but the fact that he plays well chords and octaves and such that give so much extra definition to the music.

The song that actually made me decided I wanted to play bass was Megadeth's Mastermind. It's not a complicated bassline, but it was impressive to me in the 9th grade

He was pretty much my first inspiration.

eric atkinson · #8 10-01-2002, 04:39 AM

Wow when i think of this question i think more of players that got me started! Umm Lee Sklar of James Taylor, Jack Bruce of cream, John Paul Jones of Zepplin, now its a bunch of jazz guys! But for rock id say stefan from dave mathews band. Victor, Mike gorden of phish!

P.S i will stick up for her! I think she ment Leo from STP!

Amoilbasso · #9 10-01-2002, 05:52 AM

I could say many.........but the One is MARCUS!

Funkster · #10 10-01-2002, 07:40 AM

John Paul Jones!!!

DigMe · #11 10-01-2002, 11:05 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by eric atkinson

P.S i will stick up for her! I think she ment Leo from STP!

If she meant Leo from STP then she probably wouldn't have said "You know the guy from...Primus"

brad cook

ldiezman · #12 10-02-2002, 07:41 AM

I hate to hear Les Claypool open his mouth, his singing voice is so annoying. but he is a good bass player.

I would honestly have to say Victor Wooten is my no. 1 influence.. I know many people say that.. but I started to listen to him first.. and thus his playing has had the biggest impact on me thus far.

Also, Marcus Miller is up there on my list of influences... sorry.. that was 2

KB · #13 10-02-2002, 10:59 AM

I guess my responses are fairly generic:

Victor Wooten
Les Claypool
Flea

I like bass more "up front" in songs.

LiquidMidnight · #14 10-02-2002, 02:55 PM

Well, definatley my father. Even though our playing styles are different, you can hear his style anchored in my style. Also, a lot of local players have influenced my playing immensely. I don't know, I guess I learn more from "watching" bass players, than from "Listening" to them. Or maybe I'm just too lazy to transcribe songs that my band isn't covering.

As far as well known bassist that have influenced me: Donald Duck Dunn, John Paul Jones, Jaco, Jack Bruce, Noel Redding, Mark White, Geddy Lee, Tommy Shannon, Flea.

I don't know, I know I'm going against the grain here, but I've felt for a very long time that Les Claypool (along with Steve Harris) is one of the most overrated bassist ever. Still, I have to give credit to him though, he has influenced me somewhat. He taught me it's alright to get "wierd" with my playing.

Dave Siff · #15 10-02-2002, 04:14 PM

Geddy Lee, Mike Watt, Mike Dirnt, Karl Alvarez.

dls59 · #16 10-02-2002, 04:18 PM

McCartney
Abraham Laboriel
Duck Dunn (especially with Booker T. & the MG's)
George Porter, Jr. (The Meters)
Jon Camp (Renaissance, in the '70's)
Dave Hope (Kansas)

Bessie · #17 10-02-2002, 04:49 PM

Quote:

P.S i will stick up for her! I think she ment Leo from STP!

I did say Primus.

And I don't really like the bassist from stp.

Stachio · #18 10-02-2002, 05:27 PM

Tom Jenkinson, Trevor Dunn, Jaco, Mingus

leanne · #19 10-02-2002, 05:53 PM

Mike Watt!

more influence on my inspiration than on my style, but only because i suck.

Leanne

DigMe · #20 10-02-2002, 06:08 PM

I left out one influence - MY BASS!! A great bass can sometimes be greater inspiration than other artists!

brad cook