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Recommendations for bassists to check out.

steph_sec

steph_sec

Guest
Jul 15, 2015
39
38
41
Canada
#1
Hello!

I'm new to the forum and to playing bass. I'm looking for recommendations to bassists that you follow or that would be good to research to learn from.

I began playing bass as my friends needed a bass player for their band. They had their first gig in a month and were desperate. So I'm coming into this as a newbie! We have now been playing together for a year, and I'm now looking to get deeper into playing.

So, who would you recommend checking out to someone like me?
 
#2
I started out learning whole albums. I learned all of Zeppelin II and I feel it's a great album to learn from. So John Paul Jones is a must in my book. Then I learned Rush Caress of Steel(Geddy Lee is a must to learn IMO). Also do your best with Yes Fragile(Chris Squire of course). Other than that, You should play the songs you like to listen to. New stuff like Cage The Elephant has great fun bass lines.
I have been playing for 38 years so it may seem like old junk to you but trust me here's some stuff worth studying.
Bad Company
Styx
Foreigner
Black Sabbath
Sweet
10cc
Deep Purple
That should keep you busy for a while unless it's really not your type of music.
 
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#3
What kind of stuff are you doing? Because you've got a bit of a time crunch, I'm assuming you want to check out players that are doing the kind of stuff you want to do. I'd usually recommend guys like James Jamerson (Motown), Duck Dunn (Stax), Chuck Rainey and Rocco Prestia (Tower of Power) But, they may not help solve your immediate issue if you're playing rock or punk or alt-country, etc. Can you give us a little more info?
 
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#5
steph_sec said:
Awesome! Thanks so much for your quick recommendations! I will start with Led Zeppelin!

I'm not on a time crunch, now that I'm more comfortable with playing I'm looking to start learning more on my own.
Click to expand...
Cool, I am a classic Rock player but the Motown stuff is very fun to learn too. What kind of bass do you have?
 
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#7
Listen to Matt Freeman from Rancid if you play punk. Krist Novoselic from Nirvana and Nick Oliveri from Queens of The Stone Age are solid alternative rock bassists as well IMO. Plenty of interesting, and not-impossible-to-pick-up bass lines to learn and study from there.
 
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#8
Probably the best way to go about it would be to look at the many threads on people's influences that are here in the "bassists" forum and start looking each of them up on youtube. The other thing is just to ask yourself what music you like, especially that you like the bass line in, and work on learning that by ear.

Some classic giants of the field (thinking in rock/pop terms, to start):
James Jamerson (Motown)
Duck Dunn (Stax records, played on lots of blues/R&B albums and with the Blues Brothers)
Carol Kaye (R&B session bassist)
Paul McCartney (Beatles)
John Entwistle (the Who)
Chris Squire (Yes)
Geddy Lee (Rush)
John Taylor (Duran Duran)
Tony Levin (session bassist, played with lots of people, including lots of 80s hits with people like Peter Gabriel)
Lee Sklar (session bassist, lots of 70s and 80s soft rock and pop hits and other things)
Tina Weymouth (Talking Heads)

...and lots of others, without getting too much into the present. Just explore and listen and learn all you can.
 
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#10
Wow, thank you guys! I really appreciate all the advice. I'm at that point where you know so little, it's hard to even know where to go to learn more because you don't even know what questions to ask. Thanks for the advice on whom to check out, and thanks hrodbert, for advice on where to go from there.
 
#11
All great suggestions already, but if you're playing indie rock and punk (big +1 on the Matt Freeman stuff btw), I would just say learn the bass parts to some of your favorite songs! Also, YouTube is very helpful.. A search for "song abc bass lesson" will usually bring back a few videos so you can see what's being played along with hearing it. Welcome to TB! :)
 
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#13
steph_sec said:
So, who would you recommend checking out to someone like me?
Click to expand...

akukulich said:
What kind of stuff are you doing? Because you've got a bit of a time crunch, I'm assuming you want to check out players that are doing the kind of stuff you want to do.
Click to expand...

dgrizzly said:
I would just say learn the bass parts to some of your favorite songs!
Click to expand...

Yes, welcome!

I have to agree with what these posters said--it makes a big difference what kind of music you like, will be playing in the band, and what kind of music you are interested in playing yourself.

I mean, I fully believe that you can learn something from anyone, but at this point it may not make sense to try to learn from the lines of, say, Bootsy Collins or Larry Graham (both known mainly for funk) if you are going to be playing stuff more like Pixies and Misfits.
 
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#14
All of the folks hrodbert696 said but also include early Wishbone Ash's "Martin Turner" who fit melodic bass stuff into harmony guitars. He had some busy work on their first album when they were "finding" their sound.

Here are a few of the folks I've "borrowed" and learned from:
Rick Suchow: tons of great advice and some of the best isolated tracks anywhere(don't know how he gets them)....
Invalid Link Removed
rick suchow - YouTube
Scott for technique & more:
Scott's Bass Lessons - YouTube
Josh for similar & some humour:
Josh Fossgreen - YouTube
And for things never thought of doing & fun stuff, these 2.

Mike: https://www.youtube.com/user/amimbari
Davie:


Tons more are out there.....just make sure you also HAVE FUN !!!
 
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#15
For punk stuff, the first four Ramones albums, and "Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's The Se Pistols" are your benchmarks.
You could check out some Dead Kennedys as well.

For general bass recommendations, try Mountain Song by Jane's Addiction, early U2 stuff, and for something a bit more under the radar, there's a band called The Chameleons, that you could try.

For great pop stuff, the first two Cars albums are indispensable.

Have fun!
 
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#16
Lots of great suggestions on here! There is a lot of great classic rock artists listed by everyone, but I would like to add one more that helped me and influenced me a great deal many many years ago! Mel Schacher with Grand Funk Railroad. The bass is right there in your face, so no problem hearing the fantastic work he did in a three piece band. Late years they added a keyboard also, but the earlier stuff is great, especially their first live album. Probably not the style of music your interested in, but great to learn from and take to any style. And listen to motown! James Jamerson is a groove master that still influences bass players even today. Oh yeah, for early 80's bass playing I really got a kick out of Ian Dury and the Blockheads! Fantastic bass work!
 
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#18
Lots of great suggestions so far, but I would defintely stress Motown/R&B artists. I grew up in a household where Classic Motown, Earth Wind and Fire, Marvin Gaye and others were always on the 8-track (eep!). When I picked up the bass, I spent hours in front of the stereo listening and playing along. I think I could play the bassline for 'What's Goin' on?' in my sleep if I had to (but no where near as good....).

Kaden Daniels said:
Im 17 but my influences are older check out
Paul McCartney
Chris Squire
John Paul Jones
John Entwistle
Geezer Butler
Tommy Shannon
Tina Weymouth
And from a new band Tame Impala Basslines Even tho all my bassist listed are classic rock Im a huge indie rock fan and is my main gerne right now
Click to expand...

These are also great suggestions. Learn from the masters. And welcome!
 
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#19
almost human said:
For punk stuff, the first four Ramones albums, and "Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's The Se Pistols" are your benchmarks.
You could check out some Dead Kennedys as well.

For general bass recommendations, try Mountain Song by Jane's Addiction, early U2 stuff, and for something a bit more under the radar, there's a band called The Chameleons, that you could try.

For great pop stuff, the first two Cars albums are indispensable.

Have fun!
Click to expand...
Don't forget Paul Simonon for punk; love his playing on I Fought The Law.
 
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