What is Revolutionary Playing?

[Dr. Cheese]

This is inspired by the last Tal thread that went bad, but I honestly don't want to start another Tal discussion. Instead, I want us to consider what is revolutionary playing. To me, revolutionary playing is playing that really is different from what went before. Revolution can be a tone (Squire or Jaco), technique (Graham or Sheehan), a new harmonic approach (Jamerson), a new instrument (Anthony Jackson), unprecedented technical facility (Stanley Clarke.)

What do you guys think?

BTW, I am not implying that only Jaco's tone was revolutionary.

[marcray]

imho, at the time, Mick Karn's approach in Japan was revolutionary... his tone and his lines, hell, his whole approach to the bass within a very stylized group and within a song, were brand new, and still never replicated.

[agreatheight]

I agree with the Doctor; tone, technique, a new harmonic approach, a new instrument, unprecedented technical facility - you bet!

And I'll throw Les Claypool into the mix (tone, technique, and harmonic approach).

[JAUQO III-X]

Jamaaladeen Tacuma.

[kirkm24]

Les Claypool was a revolutionary player for his tapping technique. I don't like him at all but I will give credit where it is due.

[Dr. Cheese]

Originally Posted by JAUQO III-X

Jamaaladeen Tacuma.

I should hve known he would be your choice!

[JAUQO III-X]

Originally Posted by Dr. Cheese

I should hve known he would be your choice!

Well he really was/is and even though he may not have had a large impact on bass players in the states, his harmonic and strong sense of melody and rhythmic intertwining was revolutionary in itself alone.

[flipper_gv]

Jeff schmidt, the guy invents his tunings, plays fretless with piccolo strings and combines complex harmonics patterns with chording and tapping. He is the most revolutionary bassist at the moment IMO.

[AlunJWDavies]

A huge +1 on that! He has(admitted it himself in many interviews)atrocious technique but came up with extremely cool and original basslines. He also admitted that he did hear Percy Jones early on. Mick plays custom Wal basses(that helps!) and has done solo work as well as stuff with JBK(Steve Jansen, Richard Barbieri and Mick Karn-all members of Japan) and some japanese cats(Matsami Tsuchiya).
You folks in the U.S. would not have been exposed to this stuff and is probably hard to find but anyone who plays fretless should try to check it out. The live Japan CD;
Oil On Canvas would be a good start. He also toured in '88 with Mark Isham. That tour inlcuded David Torn on guitar and Terry Bozzio on kit. That should peak the interest of the prog people out there.

[Beast]

I'm going to have to go with Jeff Schmidt as well, fantastic, beautiful (sounding) player.

[JAUQO III-X]

http://www.myspace.com/mickkarn

[Valerus]

Originally Posted by JAUQO III-X

http://www.myspace.com/mickkarn

whoa. that's great stuff

[20db pad]

I'd suggest that revolutionary bass playing causes a change in the status quo of what is normally expected and/or heard from bassists. It could be technique, concept, or gear related. This could include the chromatic, Jazz-influenced lines that Jamerson introduced to pop music, the unique tones and approaches that Jaco and Stanley used to put the instrument at the front of the stage, Larry Graham's thumping, and the use of the low B string on a five or six string bass that we'd generally credit Anthony Jackson for - on the six, of course.

There's more names than that, but they stick out as players that affected a lot of other players in a way so profound as to credit them for starting a "revolution" or at least a "movement".

[ThunderGod]

To me, a revolution--by definition--is a sudden change that takes place in a given situation.

It does not necessarily mean that the change 'takes-it-up-a-notch'. Sometimes, as in the downfall of glam-metal, a simpler, more provincial approach needs to happen in order to bring things back to center.

In my 'Tal' post, I suggested that today's bassists need to get away from the "Whose is Bigger?" and "Who's the fastest?"

Regardless of who the piper is...He or She will lead us to CHANGE (i.e. revolution).

[christle]

I would throw in Entwistle as a revolutionary player. He brought rock bass into the foreground, helped create round wound bass strings in conjunction with Rotosound, and developed that odd three finger technique. His quest for the piano-like tone for bass really defined an entire genre of rock and influenced players such as Geddy Lee and Steve Harris to name just a couple.

McCartney's playing can be said to be revolutionary for bringing a sense of melody to the bass line. Granted he was influenced by James Jamerson but he still took it to another level and reached an even wider audience.

I think that there are many definitions for the word. When I think of slappers who are revolutionary I think of Marcus Miller, Victor Wooten, Larry Graham (for the most obvious reason) and Mark King. I am sure there are more. Larry invented it but the other three took it in different directions and changed the sonic boundaries of the technique in the process.

I can't wait to see what happens to bass in the future.

[Darkstrike]

If you mean for the future, if we alreday knew what it is, it wouldn't be revolutionary.

[8guy]

^^^^ you beat me to pluging you Jauqo....I wold add your invention of the contabass guitar

[JAUQO III-X]

My hybrid pick,slapping,plucking,tapping all rolled into one is revolutionary.

My Sub contra bass (for those who don't know, it's a bass tuned Low C# F# B E) and the Low C# string and the electronics for it is revolutionary.

Me turning my idea and concept of a 15 string bass (a tripled 5)into reality is revolutionary.

I am proud to say that theses are just a few of my original and revolutionary contributions to modern bass guitar with more to come.

These instruments have been and are slowly catching on.

And I apply these tools and techniques in an actual band setting.

Thanks 8guy.I was editing my post when you were posting.

And it was the sub contra bass not the contra bass.

And to people who want to so I'm tooting my own horn, I say to them, so what if I am? (you have to do it some times in life, especially when its something that you're really proud of and it's factual)

[Dr. Cheese]

Originally Posted by JAUQO III-X

My hybrid pick,slapping,plucking,tapping all rolled into one is revolutionary.

My Sub contra bass (for those who don't know, it's a bass tuned Low C# F# B E) and the Low C# string and the electronics for it is revolutionary.

Me turning my idea and concept of a 15 string bass (a tripled 5)into reality is revolutionary.

I am proud to say that theses are just a few of my original and revolutionary contributions to modern bass guitar with more to come.

These instruments have been and are slowly catching on.

And I apply these tools and techniques in an actual band setting.

Thanks 8guy.I was edited my post when you were posting.

And it was the sub contra bass not the contra bass.

And to people who want to so I'm tooting my own horn, I say to them, so what if I am? (you have to do it some times in life, especially when its something that you're really proud of and it's factual)

You're a bad man, Jauqo! You won't get an argument out of me about your innovations.

[marcray]

more worthwhile Karn... early 80's, Japan live.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nK91a4vii3g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42T9W_MHek8

previous poster was correct, look for live "Oil On Canvas" CD for some incredible bass...

here is a nice performance (for a couple of reasons) with Kate Bush...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8WNeb_Lg9A