flea bass technique

[kmk42019]

I was wondering if anyone knows what technique flea uses on the song C'mon Girl off of stadium arcadium. Ive been experimenting with using the thumb as a up and down attack to get that double thump sound on each note. Anyone have any other suggestions?
Thanks,
Tim

 

[pretaanluxis]

He just uses his magic fingers to get that sound (the vintage bass helps too)

There's some great clips of his playing on www.bassplayer.tv

 

[Jazzman23]

just some mad-ass fingers

listen to Right On Time by the chilis. Ive been trying to get that down for the last 6 months....im partially there!!

 

[kmk42019]

do you use your index and middle?

 

[Peregrine]

I play it fingerstyle,index and middle I think that is how flea plays it.

Here's a video of me playing it

I hope it helps.

 

[fenderx55]

Yeah I just took a look and started learning it; standard fingerstyle, just work with a metronome to get it up to speed.

 

[EADG mx]

Flea generally plucks really hard and has a bit of fretbuzz in his tone, that's a big contributor to his sound.

 

[Kwaito]

jusy had alook at the clips of Flea at www.bassplayer.tv - does anyone else find his playing really messy (especially the first two clips) - all that fretbuzz and strings clacking against the frets?

 

[xafofo]

nice clips... too bad he's UNPLUGGED!!

 

[Gawd]

jusy had alook at the clips of Flea at www.bassplayer.tv - does anyone else find his playing really messy (especially the first two clips) - all that fretbuzz and strings clacking against the frets?

Well of course, the bass is unplugged so he's plucking really hard so the camera can hear it, which causes more fret buzz

 

[EADG mx]

jusy had alook at the clips of Flea at www.bassplayer.tv - does anyone else find his playing really messy (especially the first two clips) - all that fretbuzz and strings clacking against the frets?

I do find this even in recordings, not just in those unplugged videos. And yes he is pretty sloppy at times.

A lot of the best bass players have fretbuzz though, for example Sheehan, Hamm (most noticable in old stuff), Wooten.

 

[daskatze]

he just doesn't care really to be honest, thats y hes all sloppy in those vids

 

[omar_basspr]

A lot of the best bass players have fretbuzz though, for example Sheehan, Hamm (most noticable in old stuff), Wooten.

indeed