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Double Bass Paul McCartney why he's an Icon.
- Thread starter Vincent P
- Start date
Well, I'm not sure that clip says anything to me except that McCartney can't play the upright bass. 
Cute for the act but....
On the other hand he is certainly an icon for a number of reasons and really one of the finest electric bass players I've ever heard.
Cute for the act but....On the other hand he is certainly an icon for a number of reasons and really one of the finest electric bass players I've ever heard.
Yup - pretty awful playing, technique and sound...he can still just about sing - although he's not Elvis either!
I mean, he's f****** Paul McCartney for chrissakes. I love him....but I think someone might have advised him not to pull out the bass and play with that wimpy little finger! Ha. Paul, I know you lurk here on TB, ....you're still the walrus!
I suppose it's a good lesson that while a lot of people must have thought - "wouldn't it be great to be playing bass in the Beatles", Paul was thinking : "I wish I was playing bass for Elvis"!!
"pretty awful playing, technique and sound."
I don't know, you try playing a bass strung backwards, on a stand, and see how great you sound...
I don't know, you try playing a bass strung backwards, on a stand, and see how great you sound...
Happy New Year Olie !!
Are you standing up for Sir Paul or are you touting to have the chance to give him some lessons!!??
To me, criticizing Paul's upright technique is like saying that Charles Lindbergh was a lousy driver. So what?
Yeah, except Charles Lindbergh didn't hold a press conference so the world could watch him drive his new Bugatti into a lake. :/
I've only watched half the clip and haven't seen SirP play the DB yet -- I fully expect it to be pretty bad, we all know you can't sound good on this instrument without some serious shedding -- but I'm with Sting when it comes to SirP's bass-playing and musicianship. Probably 20 years ago Musician (or was it Bass Player?) mag did a piece on what bass players think of SirP. Sting's response? "Paul McCartney? Why, he's the guv-nah, in't he?"
Beatles music isn't ordinary pop music. Even so, Paul's lines aren't ordinary lines. And he sings lead while playing 'em. To me, he can be the walrus, the tuna fish, the Big Moose Man, whatever...
Beatles music isn't ordinary pop music. Even so, Paul's lines aren't ordinary lines. And he sings lead while playing 'em. To me, he can be the walrus, the tuna fish, the Big Moose Man, whatever...
OK, now I've heard him play it and it wasn't anywhere near as bad as I thought it would be. Terrible technique, of course. But a pretty decent tone, you've gotta admit, and good intonation. But his line is really sluggish rhythmically. Just like any plank player coming to the DB, he's gotta learn about how these big strings behave...
Let's keep in mind he's essentially playing a right-handed bass. In other words, it's strung backwards from what he's used to. That alone deserves some kudos. Yes, I agree his technique is not great. But then it doesn't have to be. He played well enough for what he was doing, plus he was singing.
I'd love to see some right-handed electric players on here pick up an upright strung G-D-A-E (I've never seen one, but I'm sure it could be done) and play just as well while singing. Yeah, that's what I thought.
I'd love to see some right-handed electric players on here pick up an upright strung G-D-A-E (I've never seen one, but I'm sure it could be done) and play just as well while singing. Yeah, that's what I thought.
I have no doubt that I would be useless in a similar situation - but then I didn't come on to a public forum and say this is what makes him an icon!! 
To me - that would be his songwriting! No argument!
To me - that would be his songwriting! No argument!
In the Hamburg days, just after Stu Sutclff left, Paul played Stu's bass - a righty, strung right - left handed. So this is just rehashing his past a bit as far as that goes. Still takes a lot of talent.
