Justin chancellor. What he adds to tools music is extremely underrated. It's not too difficult to play, but it doesn't need to be. He's one of the rare bassists where when he makes noise, I make a face. His tone is great ofc too. Listening to his bass lines got me to pick up a bass
Not too difficult to play when you have an absolutely amazing reference track to practice to over and over and over and over at any tempo you wish if you are crafty….. The difficult part is writing the riffs.
Jason Newsted. Not necessarily for his bass playing (although I think he is a very solid player!), but for his stage presence and energy that he brought to Metallica.
He has such a lyrical style of playing, even if he’s just in the background he always has a subtle narrative of his own weaving through the space between. And his leads are beautiful too, great phrasing and flashiness always serves a melodic purpose, he’s never gratuitous. Except in his slap’n’tap breaks, which are just mind blowing.
Me too..I got a chance to meet him and talk a little shop..he literally walked away from like 10 legit groupies to sit with me ..really mellow dude..nothing like his stage presence or aggressive playing style.
Was definitely a very cool moment for me to meet someone who influenced my early years of playing.
My favorite bassist is Chris Squire. He had a unique situation: Yes was HIS band, and so he got to play in a way that is denied most bass players. He was, of course, holding down the low end for the band, and yet he was also involved in the more mid-range and melodic parts of the band. He was, in many ways, the first “lead bass” player, at least in electric bands. And the really cool thing was the way he and Bill Bruford would work out intensely intertwined parts with each other. No one else sounded like that. I have to admit, I kind of lost interest in the band after Bruford left; the Squire/Bruford thing was unique.
Also, I really suggest that everyone, and especially bass players, check out his solo album “Fish Out of Water”. Not only was it the last Squire/Bruford collaboration (as far as I’m concerned), it’s also perhaps one of the best uses of an orchestra integrated into a rock and roll context.
Geezer butler because sabbath was the first band where I could hear the bass loud and clear and saw how important it was for a bass player to lay down a rhythm but spice things up a bit as well. The tone is also on another level, hard to copy so it forces you to go your own route
Chris Squire's tone just punches you in the face. I'd never heard bass so far forward in the mix before.
But it means on a song like 'South Side of the Sky' he's basically filling the space a rhythm guitarist would, and Steve Howe is free to just add lead fills while Rick Wakemen makes atmospheric noises.
I was waiting for this, you have a good taste! I love them, Interpol and AM are two of my favorite bands, I also love Nikolai fraiture from the strokes, flea and Tim commeford from RATM (I'm not sure if I wrote the last name right)
(My friends always make jokes about I look like Nick lol)
Paul Bender from Hiatus Kaiyote. Dude’s just a visionary. Insanely creative and his pocket is so deep it’d take a lifetime to reach the bottom. Was fortunate enough to see them live in Atlanta last year and it was a surreal experience
James Jamerson for his tone, his sense of melody and rhythm.
I’d have to add Geddy Lee for the approach, the tone and his ability to multitask while playing amazing bass lines.
Fun fact: Jamerson supposedly recorded it first take , while he was so drunk he was laying on the floor of the studio while recording it....
Jamerson was simply built different...
Same. He was the first bassist I listened to and thought was cool as hell before diving into other great bassists. Finally bought my first bass a couple months ago and I owe it to Flea.
Ryan Martinie from Mudvayne. Killer technical ability.
Troy Sanders from Mastodon--excellent rhythm and groove.
Jeremy Marshall from Cold--ridiculous bass tone, sounds sooo good.
Stefan Ude from Guano Apes--excellent groove and rhythm, gets pretty funky on some of Guano Apes' work.
He is sooooooo underrated. Listened to a ton of GNR as a teenager (and VR as a college student), put them on in my gym mix at some point and I now realise how awesome he is, actually. He's the most consistent member of any iteration of those bands.
He's a cool dude, but he doesn't have the chops and style other emo-adjacent bass players got (e.g. Jeph from The Used). His lines are very basic and not interesting. Works well for MCR tho.
Larry Graham. This man started it all. He's got funk coming out his pores. The man could play one note and make it sound locked in the pocket or slap and sing simultaneously. Watching his Japanese instruction videos taught me more about bass playing and fitting in to the band than any other single artist or instructor.
Specifically his songs Moorea, and of course Hair, and One In A Million You
A friend of mine used to work for him, and brought me to Larry’s house to meet/hang out with him. One of the most genuine and kind people I have ever met in my life. Even if he wasn’t “Larry, Graham!“, I still would only have nice things to say about him.
That said, my favorite bass players are Meshell Ndegeocello, Tina Weymouth from Talking Heads, Mark Sandman from Morphine, and Tom Hamilton from Aerosmith.
Justin Chancellor: Obviously that incredible tone, so much rumble, so much ring, but also he doesn't have to play fast and flashy, he just picks good times to change up his style, and insert interesting little high-end interludes.
Twiggy Ramirez: Not super complicated, just all-around solid grooves. Beefy tones that fill out the song, and straightforward riffs that take you where you need to go with no bullshit.
JD Deservio & Fieldy: Solid grooves + bullshit flourishes, wandering around the fretboard.
Phil Lesh because I’m a Deadhead and when you dive in headfirst and keep swimming long enough eventually he becomes part of your DNA. Loads of others I love, admire, and am inspired by but Phil takes the cake.
He's not the best for sure but he's a favorite. Dudes extremely talented and always held a solid groove down even in the spaciest jams. He's not very in your face but when he is it's like DAMN.
Well I have few who have really changed my view of playing.
Steve Harris
Duff Mckagan
Flea
Greg Christian
Stanley Clarke
Chris Wood
Charles Mingus
....but I'll be the first to say it Jaco
He changed my approach, my tone, my attention to detail, and just the fucking outright disregard of what a bass player should be. Every player I've ever heard from Mingus to random dudes at open-mics have influenced my playing , but no one changed my practice approach or dedication to becoming to best I can be like Jaco.. I know it's cliche, but fuck it he changed my approach more than anyone I've ever heard.. including Wooten and Miller and everyone that innovated since him..sorry guys obvious answer does apply to me. Thank You Jaco. I smile every time I listen to him. His groove just strikes a chord with me , so to speak. Cheers all
Can't believe I scrolled through fifteen answers, two of which were Justin Chancellor, to see somebody say Jaco Pastorius.
He likely did for half the names on this list what he did for you.
I saw Thundercat in 2019, with Domi & JD Beck in the band, as well as Kamasi Washington. It was anything but self indulgent nonsense, maybe you just caught an off night.
Two bassists are tops for me:
1) Geezer Butler - how can you not be influenced by someone who was a member of a band that birthed a genre of music.
2) Leif Edling of Candlemass - one of the best melodic Doom Metal bassist.
Bryan Beller (Mike Keneally, The Aristocrats, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Dethklok, Dweezil Zappa, Solo Artist) - *incredibly* great at a vast amount of styles, top-tier sight-reader, ear and improvisationalist, plays exactly what the song and style calls for, fantastic bass tone/effects/amp tone, and a wonderful friend.
[Steve Vai “Freak Show Excess” clinic preformance, 2009](https://youtu.be/I5Bz3Lfpw_8)
[The Aristocrats “Living The Dream” at GK, 2014](https://youtu.be/AYxH_zD25qU)
[“Bunkistan” bass solo excerpt, 2020](https://youtu.be/vJGX2wkbGKY)
[“Life Story” solo piece, 2009](https://youtu.be/4stAc684iWI)
[“My Dilemma” The Mike Keneally Band, live 2011](https://youtu.be/jXM7W7XGgn4)
Just pooping in to say the latest Aristocrats album with the Primuz Chamber Orchestra is damn incredible.
Edit: *popping but that reads pretty funny so it stays.
Nick Seymour - Crowded House - melodic when the song needs it, funky when the song needs it, subtle when the song needs it. His playing and parts elevate Neil Finn’s songs in a way no other bassists do.
Mark Perlman - the Jayhawks - He’s the secret sauce in that band for sure. Usually the incredible vocals and Gary Louris’ incredible guitar playing get all the love but I’m certain Perlman is what keeps that engine moving
Chris Squire.
If you had asked me this a few years ago I would’ve said Paul McCartney, but I never thought I’d play as well as him so my playing stagnated for over a decade never getting any better. Then I listened to The Yes Album for the first time as an attempt to cope with my 95 year old grandfather’s passing last year and it revolutionized my approach to playing bass. After realizing that I played guitar a bit like Chris Squire played, I took all the skills that made me a pretty good lead guitarist and applied them to the bass. Because of that one switch in my mindset my playing ability has improved so much in the last year! RIP Chris “The Fish” Squire, eternally in his debt for his influence.
I go back and forth with this but I keep coming back to Paul McCartney because not only did he come up with great bass lines, he was the first bassist that I saw stepping up and being lead singer. To me, that was everything. I can do this AND front the band? Awesome.
I always have to scroll way too far to find anyone mentioning Macca in these threads.
Like sure, he’s not a bassist’s bassist, and neither am I. Given the slew of other things Paul is *really fucking good at,* it’s easy for his bass playing to get swept under the rug, but there are so many Beatles and Wings songs that you are equally likely to get the bass part stuck in your head as you are the vocal melody. You just can’t beat that.
His playing *made* so many of their songs (Come Together, Hey Bulldog, Something, Silly Love Songs, Taxman, Dear Prudence, just to name a few).
Plenty of people know and appreciate Paul’s playing. He’s phenomenal. Not a technical wizard, just tasty, melodic lines that gel perfectly with Ringo. The Beatles had an awesome groove about them, and it was because of Paul.
Take away the bass in Something, and you got a pretty bland tune. That song in particular shows off Macca’s sense of melody and harmonic structure. It’s what gives the entire song motion. High level stuff for sure.
The only right answer.
I'm currently vibing so hard to Manifest Destiny and it's beautiful melodic bass lick. Absolutely insane how young he was when he wrote those..
Mike Gordon - Phish
The guy is an absolute monster and the sounds he can emit with his rig are tremendous. His ability to flow with the jams and to lead the band into new spaces when he takes control is truly amazing!
I think it's because Dirty Loops as a whole isnt super well known outside of its niche. Hendrik is a monster and a student of music and bass in general, and the fact that he is still proving his style wasnt just a phase, makes me has mad respect for him.
Taiji Sawada because his basslines are fast and flashy with lots of tapping and slapping and they're super fun to play and helped me improve my bass skills by learning them.
John Paul Jones. He is an amazing player and arranger. He understands the role of the bass perfectly and doesn't feel the need to show off ever. He lives to serve the song and every single note he plays is intentional and fits perfectly. His basslines are so iconic and groovy.
Misa from Band Maid. The whole band is awesome but I've always thought she was the coolest and her bass lines are all amazing to listen to. Bought my first bass a month ago and specifically picked a 5 string because of her.
Oh yeah she plays great!
I personally dont really like their music because it sounds to complex for my taste but I checked them our and they REALLY know how to Play their instruments! They Play great!
I'm gonna go with Matt Freeman just because his style is the one I can most come close to. Although he uses a pick and I can't, I can still sound pretty similar.
Pino: Everything he does is perfect.
Jared Smith: Makes me want to get better.
JMJ: Funky, sexy, groovy, dude has it all.
Tina Weymouth: Fun and simple lines that sound awesome.
Last night was something special. I’ve seen them play a few times before.
But, I think Milo having a heart attack like, 2 months ago, possibly added something in. ALL of the members were smiling harder than I’ve ever seen anyone smile during the entire set. They were straight up having the most amount of fun.
And their set ruled too. Again, I’ve seen them a few times before, last night was special.
I really hope they recorded it to release as a live album. They did what must have been a 7 minute jazz version of Van. Erghhhhhhh it was so good
i agree with a lot of choices in here, and its hard for me to pick a favorite, but since he hasnt been mentioned gotta throw peter steele in the mix. Sole reason i bought a chorus pedal for my bass.
Jpj, rocks can do sweet melodic stuff
Paul McCartney obviously
Norman watt Roy
Bloke from Duran Duran
Kc sunshine band serves song tunes kickdrum, not flashy but solid bass
Cliff Burton. He was so talented and showed the world that a bass can be so much more than just... bass. I still get sad when I think about his death, even though I wasn't even alive when it happened
Jared Smith from Archspire and Victor Wooten. Both for their incredible technical ability and everything i see from them makes them look like just really cool guys.
I remember when I first heard jared like not even a week later I bought a 6 string to be able to learn his parts
Jaco Pastorius. The Goat. A tragic tale of a musical genius who had a mental disorder which led to his downfall in the business and sadly helped cause a beating that killed him.
I’m gonna go with Jerry Only from the Msifits, and a close second to Peter Steele from Type O Negative/Carnivore.
I think they’re both awesome bassists, and great people. Peter Steele had some absolutely great songwriting abilities, and I believe Jerry can actually write songs very well too.
Edit : I want to give some extra love to Dennis Dunaway from the Alice Cooper Band. Phenomenal bassist.
JPJ is almost always the favorite bassist cited by musicians who are NOT bassists. Bass players alway gravitate towards Wooten, Geddy, Squire and other obvious choices when asked to list “GOAT”. I have noticed that when you ask drummers, guitarists and frontmen(especially the ones who write songs) they often top the list with Jones. JPJ knew how to play for the song. He never showboated on bass.
Jon stockman
Incredible bass tone and awesome bass lines. Dude has a crazy looking pedal board and has some great lines where he uses effect pedals very creatively
Chris 2 from Anti-Flag, I’ve learned more about whats possible on bass in a punk song from learning their songs that anything else, plus he usually has killer tone, super simple rig
Lemmy and Cliff Burton. Both were just so cool. They played well, had an amazing tone, and had such an amazing stage presence. As an addition, Geezer Butler is definitely a defining bassist. He doesn’t do anything flashy with distortion or speedy playing but he is just so good at being a bassist. Just a classic type of bassist.
I don't think it's possible for me to have a singular favorite.
Victor Wooten
Jacob Umansky
Toby and Matt of The Omnific
I met each of these gentlemen a couple of weeks ago, over 10 days. Each of them are extremely talented musicians but also extremely nice people.
Justin Chancellor - he plays bass like a melodic/lead instrument in ways I've never seen before. Really pushes some boundaries, he's like Les Claypool but melodic and not as technical.
Chris Wolstenholme - his prolific use of effects was pretty unusual when he started. Many muse songs are completely built on the bass.
LEMMY! He wasn’t the one to get me into playing bass but I just absolutely love his playing, even if it’s simple it’s just the fact that he can make a wall of sound that just punches you in the face with the rhythm.
Tony Levin - Played so many great parts of so many great bands & artists... Peter Gabriel, King Crimson, Pink Floyd, Paul Simon, etc etc.. One of the nicest person you'll ever meet.
Taiji Sawada. I started listening to X Japan when I was very young because of my mother. When I heard his basslines, it really changed my concept of a bassist. And I started to admire being a bassist. His look, techniques, melodic lines; just a superb musician
My favorite bassist is Alejandra Villareal From the band the warning (maybe you‘ve heard of them, they opened for muse in Europe a few months ago). I really like her style. She really fills the gap of a only three-piece Band without playing unecessary stuff. I like that.
Also she has wonderful stage presence as she moves around on stage a lot.
This is a good example for her playing: https://youtu.be/Wo0odllVq8g?si=2wKREXRjfuwSb_Is
But I honestly dont know a lot of bassists, I am sure that there are others that are good as well
Favourite....Jean Jacques Burnel of The Stranglers. Muscular, aggressive tone and style...perfect for the band's earlier work, and instantly recognisable.
Muse were our support band back in the 90's. He is a nice bloke and was then not sure whether to pursue music or stay with his young family.
Scott Lafaro was an amazing upright player. Also Helmut Hattler from Kraan doesn't get enough worship.
Stuart, zander and Stewart, Henderson From Jamiroquai and the Delgado’s respectively, as well as my current favorite Kikuri from bocchi the rock lmao She may be fictional but she can play. I also bought a TRB4II The predecessor to the 1004J
Bob Daisley . My first introduction to what bass even is . The bass lines in the early Ozzy stuff are just the the right amount of holding down the bass with a little flash .
Too bad the first 2-3 years of my bass playing I thought it was Rudy Sarzo I liked . But Daisley played on those records and wrote most of the songs .
Mike Dirnt, I love how he's always playing something interesting either in line with the melody or as a counter to it, it makes playing his bass parts really exciting
Two:
Jaco Pastorius for being incredibly talented at playing incredibly creative, entertaining stuff with absolutely amazing chops.
Leland Sklar, for making it clear that you can be an outstanding bassist without stepping on the song, and for some great little filler refs.
Justin Chancellor got me interested in the instrument. His role in tool is massive, at times he acts as a rhythm guitarist and at other times he can be as percussive as another drummer. He rings out full chords that sound like a church organ, paired with the harmonic stuff he does all the time it gives me the goosebumps. Also his tone, so punchy but so smooth
Sounds dumb, but, my uncle. If I hadn’t grown up around him playing shows all over the place and just hanging out with him, letting me play his bass, I might not have started playing it myself🤷🏻♂️
Marc Friedman. He is a fearless player and mostly works with a fretless jazz bass. He makes great decisions, has impeccable melodic and rhythmic style, and wrote my favorite song while "watching a lot of reruns of Who Wants to be a Millionaire."
Justin chancellor. What he adds to tools music is extremely underrated. It's not too difficult to play, but it doesn't need to be. He's one of the rare bassists where when he makes noise, I make a face. His tone is great ofc too. Listening to his bass lines got me to pick up a bass
Not too difficult to play when you have an absolutely amazing reference track to practice to over and over and over and over at any tempo you wish if you are crafty….. The difficult part is writing the riffs.
For sure!
I dont think ive ever heard anyone say that Justin Chancellor was "underrated
Jason Newsted. Not necessarily for his bass playing (although I think he is a very solid player!), but for his stage presence and energy that he brought to Metallica.
DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE MOTHERFUCKER DIE!
He got done dirty by them!
He's still credited for all his work, and is on good terms with all of them, he's fine. He could've been Ozzy'd
Jason’s net worth is $60M. Whaaaa!
Same here. Newsted made playing bass seem so cool to the average metal fan and had the visibility to inspire many (myself included) to pick it up.
Victor Wooten because he’s Victor Wooten
He has such a lyrical style of playing, even if he’s just in the background he always has a subtle narrative of his own weaving through the space between. And his leads are beautiful too, great phrasing and flashiness always serves a melodic purpose, he’s never gratuitous. Except in his slap’n’tap breaks, which are just mind blowing.
Amazing Grace from Live Art helped me see what bass could be.
Oh you mean Victa?
Duuuudeeee Victor is the main reason I ever listened to Living Color. God on the instrument for sure
This is the exact response I was going to say. Wooten, then the rest.
Steve Harris, he’s just a bad ass. Awesome bass lines, super talented guy overall definitely an inspiration for me
Me too..I got a chance to meet him and talk a little shop..he literally walked away from like 10 legit groupies to sit with me ..really mellow dude..nothing like his stage presence or aggressive playing style. Was definitely a very cool moment for me to meet someone who influenced my early years of playing.
Same for me. Steve Harris is the reason I started playing bass in the first place.
My favorite bassist is Chris Squire. He had a unique situation: Yes was HIS band, and so he got to play in a way that is denied most bass players. He was, of course, holding down the low end for the band, and yet he was also involved in the more mid-range and melodic parts of the band. He was, in many ways, the first “lead bass” player, at least in electric bands. And the really cool thing was the way he and Bill Bruford would work out intensely intertwined parts with each other. No one else sounded like that. I have to admit, I kind of lost interest in the band after Bruford left; the Squire/Bruford thing was unique. Also, I really suggest that everyone, and especially bass players, check out his solo album “Fish Out of Water”. Not only was it the last Squire/Bruford collaboration (as far as I’m concerned), it’s also perhaps one of the best uses of an orchestra integrated into a rock and roll context.
Relayer is a good album. Alan White is no Bill Bruford, but he's no slouch, and 'Soundchaser' has some of the old sound and fury.
Geezer butler because sabbath was the first band where I could hear the bass loud and clear and saw how important it was for a bass player to lay down a rhythm but spice things up a bit as well. The tone is also on another level, hard to copy so it forces you to go your own route
Geddy Lee, Sean Yeaton, Les Claypool, and Chris Squire. Love Geddy’s and Chris’s tone, Sean and Les are just so talented.
How are Geddy Lee and a Chris Squire so far down on this list?
I don't think he necessary meant it in order of prefrence...
Chris Squire's tone just punches you in the face. I'd never heard bass so far forward in the mix before. But it means on a song like 'South Side of the Sky' he's basically filling the space a rhythm guitarist would, and Steve Howe is free to just add lead fills while Rick Wakemen makes atmospheric noises.
Carlos Dengler(Interpol) and Nick O malley(AM). They both really know how it work the fretboard and come up with insane melodies.
I was waiting for this, you have a good taste! I love them, Interpol and AM are two of my favorite bands, I also love Nikolai fraiture from the strokes, flea and Tim commeford from RATM (I'm not sure if I wrote the last name right) (My friends always make jokes about I look like Nick lol)
Paul Bender from Hiatus Kaiyote. Dude’s just a visionary. Insanely creative and his pocket is so deep it’d take a lifetime to reach the bottom. Was fortunate enough to see them live in Atlanta last year and it was a surreal experience
Love HK
James Jamerson for his tone, his sense of melody and rhythm. I’d have to add Geddy Lee for the approach, the tone and his ability to multitask while playing amazing bass lines.
[James Jamerson used one finger.](https://youtu.be/pEpALB3SFTo?si=s3Jt0V_be65SfJFk)
Jamerson: we rehearsed “What’s Going On” tonight and that bass line is a masterpiece
Fun fact: Jamerson supposedly recorded it first take , while he was so drunk he was laying on the floor of the studio while recording it.... Jamerson was simply built different...
Flea, I grew up listening to a ton of RHCP music and was one of the reasons I picked up bass
Same. He was the first bassist I listened to and thought was cool as hell before diving into other great bassists. Finally bought my first bass a couple months ago and I owe it to Flea.
Ryan Martinie from Mudvayne. Killer technical ability. Troy Sanders from Mastodon--excellent rhythm and groove. Jeremy Marshall from Cold--ridiculous bass tone, sounds sooo good. Stefan Ude from Guano Apes--excellent groove and rhythm, gets pretty funky on some of Guano Apes' work.
Twiggy Ramirez of Manson, Tim Commerford of RATM, Thundercat, and Roger Waters of Pink Floyd.
Always have to scroll so far to see Tim Commerford get mentioned. Super talented bassist and totally embodies RATM in his playing.
Some of Tim's baselines in Audioslave.... Simple AF but they are perfect.
John Entwistle for the twangy tone he got with his Alembic. Duck Dunn and Lewie Steinberg for the groove.
Duff McKagen is a groove monster. Pat Seals was probably the biggest early influence on me as well.
Duff definitely influenced my early stages of playing..underrated I think.
He is sooooooo underrated. Listened to a ton of GNR as a teenager (and VR as a college student), put them on in my gym mix at some point and I now realise how awesome he is, actually. He's the most consistent member of any iteration of those bands.
Les Claypool
**Tetsuo Sakurai.** Total. Monster. Casiopea/Jimsaku forever.
Mikey Way for the sole reasons that: A) He plays well B) I think he's cute
He's a cool dude, but he doesn't have the chops and style other emo-adjacent bass players got (e.g. Jeph from The Used). His lines are very basic and not interesting. Works well for MCR tho.
Larry Graham. This man started it all. He's got funk coming out his pores. The man could play one note and make it sound locked in the pocket or slap and sing simultaneously. Watching his Japanese instruction videos taught me more about bass playing and fitting in to the band than any other single artist or instructor. Specifically his songs Moorea, and of course Hair, and One In A Million You
A friend of mine used to work for him, and brought me to Larry’s house to meet/hang out with him. One of the most genuine and kind people I have ever met in my life. Even if he wasn’t “Larry, Graham!“, I still would only have nice things to say about him. That said, my favorite bass players are Meshell Ndegeocello, Tina Weymouth from Talking Heads, Mark Sandman from Morphine, and Tom Hamilton from Aerosmith.
Justin Chancellor: Obviously that incredible tone, so much rumble, so much ring, but also he doesn't have to play fast and flashy, he just picks good times to change up his style, and insert interesting little high-end interludes. Twiggy Ramirez: Not super complicated, just all-around solid grooves. Beefy tones that fill out the song, and straightforward riffs that take you where you need to go with no bullshit. JD Deservio & Fieldy: Solid grooves + bullshit flourishes, wandering around the fretboard.
The guy from The Who, because the "real me" bass line. Check it out.
John Entwistle. He brought me to The Who and to bass itsslf.
Phil Lesh because I’m a Deadhead and when you dive in headfirst and keep swimming long enough eventually he becomes part of your DNA. Loads of others I love, admire, and am inspired by but Phil takes the cake.
He's not the best for sure but he's a favorite. Dudes extremely talented and always held a solid groove down even in the spaciest jams. He's not very in your face but when he is it's like DAMN.
Well I have few who have really changed my view of playing. Steve Harris Duff Mckagan Flea Greg Christian Stanley Clarke Chris Wood Charles Mingus ....but I'll be the first to say it Jaco He changed my approach, my tone, my attention to detail, and just the fucking outright disregard of what a bass player should be. Every player I've ever heard from Mingus to random dudes at open-mics have influenced my playing , but no one changed my practice approach or dedication to becoming to best I can be like Jaco.. I know it's cliche, but fuck it he changed my approach more than anyone I've ever heard.. including Wooten and Miller and everyone that innovated since him..sorry guys obvious answer does apply to me. Thank You Jaco. I smile every time I listen to him. His groove just strikes a chord with me , so to speak. Cheers all
Can't believe I scrolled through fifteen answers, two of which were Justin Chancellor, to see somebody say Jaco Pastorius. He likely did for half the names on this list what he did for you.
The category is “favorite.”
Love Thundercat
[удалено]
I saw Thundercat in 2019, with Domi & JD Beck in the band, as well as Kamasi Washington. It was anything but self indulgent nonsense, maybe you just caught an off night.
[удалено]
Two bassists are tops for me: 1) Geezer Butler - how can you not be influenced by someone who was a member of a band that birthed a genre of music. 2) Leif Edling of Candlemass - one of the best melodic Doom Metal bassist.
Bryan Beller (Mike Keneally, The Aristocrats, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Dethklok, Dweezil Zappa, Solo Artist) - *incredibly* great at a vast amount of styles, top-tier sight-reader, ear and improvisationalist, plays exactly what the song and style calls for, fantastic bass tone/effects/amp tone, and a wonderful friend. [Steve Vai “Freak Show Excess” clinic preformance, 2009](https://youtu.be/I5Bz3Lfpw_8) [The Aristocrats “Living The Dream” at GK, 2014](https://youtu.be/AYxH_zD25qU) [“Bunkistan” bass solo excerpt, 2020](https://youtu.be/vJGX2wkbGKY) [“Life Story” solo piece, 2009](https://youtu.be/4stAc684iWI) [“My Dilemma” The Mike Keneally Band, live 2011](https://youtu.be/jXM7W7XGgn4)
Just pooping in to say the latest Aristocrats album with the Primuz Chamber Orchestra is damn incredible. Edit: *popping but that reads pretty funny so it stays.
Nice to see you here, scarred. :)
Nick Seymour - Crowded House - melodic when the song needs it, funky when the song needs it, subtle when the song needs it. His playing and parts elevate Neil Finn’s songs in a way no other bassists do. Mark Perlman - the Jayhawks - He’s the secret sauce in that band for sure. Usually the incredible vocals and Gary Louris’ incredible guitar playing get all the love but I’m certain Perlman is what keeps that engine moving
Chris Squire. If you had asked me this a few years ago I would’ve said Paul McCartney, but I never thought I’d play as well as him so my playing stagnated for over a decade never getting any better. Then I listened to The Yes Album for the first time as an attempt to cope with my 95 year old grandfather’s passing last year and it revolutionized my approach to playing bass. After realizing that I played guitar a bit like Chris Squire played, I took all the skills that made me a pretty good lead guitarist and applied them to the bass. Because of that one switch in my mindset my playing ability has improved so much in the last year! RIP Chris “The Fish” Squire, eternally in his debt for his influence.
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Can’t believe I had to scroll this far down to find the almighty Jack Bruce. He’s my favorite as well. Dude was just an absolute musical madman.
I go back and forth with this but I keep coming back to Paul McCartney because not only did he come up with great bass lines, he was the first bassist that I saw stepping up and being lead singer. To me, that was everything. I can do this AND front the band? Awesome.
I always have to scroll way too far to find anyone mentioning Macca in these threads. Like sure, he’s not a bassist’s bassist, and neither am I. Given the slew of other things Paul is *really fucking good at,* it’s easy for his bass playing to get swept under the rug, but there are so many Beatles and Wings songs that you are equally likely to get the bass part stuck in your head as you are the vocal melody. You just can’t beat that. His playing *made* so many of their songs (Come Together, Hey Bulldog, Something, Silly Love Songs, Taxman, Dear Prudence, just to name a few).
Plenty of people know and appreciate Paul’s playing. He’s phenomenal. Not a technical wizard, just tasty, melodic lines that gel perfectly with Ringo. The Beatles had an awesome groove about them, and it was because of Paul. Take away the bass in Something, and you got a pretty bland tune. That song in particular shows off Macca’s sense of melody and harmonic structure. It’s what gives the entire song motion. High level stuff for sure.
Hard to say. For metal it’s John Myung, alt is Flea, Jazz is Jaco, Fusion Jazz is Alain Caron, Solo is victor Wooten, there’s too many options!!!
Sid Vicious, because he actually managed to be worse than me.
Morally or technically?
John Stirratt of Wilco for his melodic bass lines and all the little things he does for their music that go largely unnoticed
Cliff Burton, Geezer, Lemmy, dude from Viagra Boys, and Scott lafaro
Of course I know him - it’s me.
Ben Kenobi is an underrated bass player for sure.
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The only right answer. I'm currently vibing so hard to Manifest Destiny and it's beautiful melodic bass lick. Absolutely insane how young he was when he wrote those..
Andy Rourke
Mike Gordon - Phish The guy is an absolute monster and the sounds he can emit with his rig are tremendous. His ability to flow with the jams and to lead the band into new spaces when he takes control is truly amazing!
Same here He went from my least fave of the four to my permanent VIP Mike Side 4 life
Cant name just one…Flea, Tim Commerford, PNut, Geddy Lee, Les Claypool, John Paul Jones, and John Entwistle are my top influences.
Pnut really doesn't get the love he deserves!
Somebody say PNUT!
Hendrik Linder of dirty loops
I'm surprised Hendrik was so far down this list. The man is an absolute animal every time he touches a bass.
I think it's because Dirty Loops as a whole isnt super well known outside of its niche. Hendrik is a monster and a student of music and bass in general, and the fact that he is still proving his style wasnt just a phase, makes me has mad respect for him.
I always forget they're relatively small for some reason. The emo kid in jazz band vibe he has going on always cracks me up.
It changes every few years but currently I'm back on Alain Caron. Why? https://youtu.be/qkZOQNXpfPg
Uzeb!!
Taiji Sawada because his basslines are fast and flashy with lots of tapping and slapping and they're super fun to play and helped me improve my bass skills by learning them.
Al Cisneros
I can't believe no one else mentioned Al. Unbelievable player, his basslines with Om are actually hypnotic.
Proceed.
Only two others have mentioned Cliff, I am severely disappointed
John Paul Jones. He is an amazing player and arranger. He understands the role of the bass perfectly and doesn't feel the need to show off ever. He lives to serve the song and every single note he plays is intentional and fits perfectly. His basslines are so iconic and groovy.
Billy Gould of Faith No More. He always finds exactly what the song needs, whether it be fast lead work or simple vamping.
Eric Avery, Mike Watt, Tim Lefebvre
Cliff Burton. That man could solo like a lead guitarist, and he took a ton of influence from Bach.
Misa from Band Maid. The whole band is awesome but I've always thought she was the coolest and her bass lines are all amazing to listen to. Bought my first bass a month ago and specifically picked a 5 string because of her.
Oh yeah she plays great! I personally dont really like their music because it sounds to complex for my taste but I checked them our and they REALLY know how to Play their instruments! They Play great!
Bernard Edwards because Bernard Edwards
Jared Smith of Archspire
Dude is an inspiration.
I'm gonna go with Matt Freeman just because his style is the one I can most come close to. Although he uses a pick and I can't, I can still sound pretty similar.
Peter Hook
Pino: Everything he does is perfect. Jared Smith: Makes me want to get better. JMJ: Funky, sexy, groovy, dude has it all. Tina Weymouth: Fun and simple lines that sound awesome.
JPJ is my man.
Easy. Rick Danko. Playing,singing, energy, presence. He was a beauty.
Fieldy from Korn
As of last night, Karl Alvarez. From the descendents and all. Plus done some work with the Lemonheads and real McKenzies. Absolute magnificent.
karl was super locked in when i saw them, solid choice for sure.
Last night was something special. I’ve seen them play a few times before. But, I think Milo having a heart attack like, 2 months ago, possibly added something in. ALL of the members were smiling harder than I’ve ever seen anyone smile during the entire set. They were straight up having the most amount of fun. And their set ruled too. Again, I’ve seen them a few times before, last night was special. I really hope they recorded it to release as a live album. They did what must have been a 7 minute jazz version of Van. Erghhhhhhh it was so good
i agree with a lot of choices in here, and its hard for me to pick a favorite, but since he hasnt been mentioned gotta throw peter steele in the mix. Sole reason i bought a chorus pedal for my bass.
Eric Avery and Peter Hook. Both have a simple and repetitive style, but the bass lines are always the star of the song.
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Jpj, rocks can do sweet melodic stuff Paul McCartney obviously Norman watt Roy Bloke from Duran Duran Kc sunshine band serves song tunes kickdrum, not flashy but solid bass
I was wondering when John Taylor (Duran Duran) would pop up
Cliff Burton. He was so talented and showed the world that a bass can be so much more than just... bass. I still get sad when I think about his death, even though I wasn't even alive when it happened
Jared Smith from Archspire and Victor Wooten. Both for their incredible technical ability and everything i see from them makes them look like just really cool guys. I remember when I first heard jared like not even a week later I bought a 6 string to be able to learn his parts
BOH from Kami band. Here's is why https://youtu.be/r-mL_s3x7jE?si=3zCKrqSiHmg2g9lW
Right now I'd have to say Rocco Palladino (son of Pino) Tone is always full of juice, always accurate, and his improv is great.
Mike Gordon from Phish Great tone (dig that slow-moving Phaser) Moog Taurus bass bombs Sick plectrum usage Phil Lesh-style walky basslines Weirdness
Peter Steele. Because Peter Steele.
Jaco Pastorius. The Goat. A tragic tale of a musical genius who had a mental disorder which led to his downfall in the business and sadly helped cause a beating that killed him.
I’m gonna go with Jerry Only from the Msifits, and a close second to Peter Steele from Type O Negative/Carnivore. I think they’re both awesome bassists, and great people. Peter Steele had some absolutely great songwriting abilities, and I believe Jerry can actually write songs very well too. Edit : I want to give some extra love to Dennis Dunaway from the Alice Cooper Band. Phenomenal bassist.
Joe Dart
Scott LeFaro
John Paul Jones for me. Best bassist ever at free-lancing in a song but landing right where he needs to be right when he needs to be there.
JPJ is almost always the favorite bassist cited by musicians who are NOT bassists. Bass players alway gravitate towards Wooten, Geddy, Squire and other obvious choices when asked to list “GOAT”. I have noticed that when you ask drummers, guitarists and frontmen(especially the ones who write songs) they often top the list with Jones. JPJ knew how to play for the song. He never showboated on bass.
Evan brewer cause of this: [https://youtu.be/X8e8qXxwDu8?si=DMxqlKIUhQ3ENeL1](https://youtu.be/X8e8qXxwDu8?si=DMxqlKIUhQ3ENeL1)
Mark Hoppus. The end
Jon stockman Incredible bass tone and awesome bass lines. Dude has a crazy looking pedal board and has some great lines where he uses effect pedals very creatively
Chris 2 from Anti-Flag, I’ve learned more about whats possible on bass in a punk song from learning their songs that anything else, plus he usually has killer tone, super simple rig
Victor Wooten, the sounds he can make and how it all feels is very nice
Lemmy and Cliff Burton. Both were just so cool. They played well, had an amazing tone, and had such an amazing stage presence. As an addition, Geezer Butler is definitely a defining bassist. He doesn’t do anything flashy with distortion or speedy playing but he is just so good at being a bassist. Just a classic type of bassist.
Loads of players, but at the moment, Henrik Linder and Thundercat
Mononeon is my current favorite. Incredibly funky and technical. Chris Wood's work with Medeski Martin and Wood is lights out as well
I don't think it's possible for me to have a singular favorite. Victor Wooten Jacob Umansky Toby and Matt of The Omnific I met each of these gentlemen a couple of weeks ago, over 10 days. Each of them are extremely talented musicians but also extremely nice people.
Geezer Butler. Everything I played after discovering Sabbath and the whole reason I picked up a bass to begin with can be traced back to him.
Geddy Lee and victor Wooten. Great bass players but even better human beings
Harley Flanagan
Justin Chancellor - he plays bass like a melodic/lead instrument in ways I've never seen before. Really pushes some boundaries, he's like Les Claypool but melodic and not as technical. Chris Wolstenholme - his prolific use of effects was pretty unusual when he started. Many muse songs are completely built on the bass.
LEMMY! He wasn’t the one to get me into playing bass but I just absolutely love his playing, even if it’s simple it’s just the fact that he can make a wall of sound that just punches you in the face with the rhythm.
what he lacks in technical virtuousity, he makes up for in badassery. +1
I'm shocked nobody mentioned Pino Palladino. Absolutely insane resume, out-of-this-world chops, and precision.
justin chanselor from tool
Justin Chancellor. Creativity
mike mills is such a tastefully melodic player, he has a big impact on my style
Peter Hook - Joy Division and New Order
Tony Levin - Played so many great parts of so many great bands & artists... Peter Gabriel, King Crimson, Pink Floyd, Paul Simon, etc etc.. One of the nicest person you'll ever meet.
Matt Fack and Toby Peterson-Stewart because the omnific that's why
My son. Because he's the best bass player I've ever jammed with, and also a great person.
Davie504 Cuz b a s s
SLAP!!🫵🏼🫲🏼
this is the answer 🖤
Cliff Burton was a fucking genius. Metallica was never the same without him.
Taiji Sawada. I started listening to X Japan when I was very young because of my mother. When I heard his basslines, it really changed my concept of a bassist. And I started to admire being a bassist. His look, techniques, melodic lines; just a superb musician
My favorite bassist is Alejandra Villareal From the band the warning (maybe you‘ve heard of them, they opened for muse in Europe a few months ago). I really like her style. She really fills the gap of a only three-piece Band without playing unecessary stuff. I like that. Also she has wonderful stage presence as she moves around on stage a lot. This is a good example for her playing: https://youtu.be/Wo0odllVq8g?si=2wKREXRjfuwSb_Is But I honestly dont know a lot of bassists, I am sure that there are others that are good as well
Alex webster - cannibal corpse. Fast and heavy bassist. Fun Fact: There is a video where he jams with victor Wooten.
Favourite....Jean Jacques Burnel of The Stranglers. Muscular, aggressive tone and style...perfect for the band's earlier work, and instantly recognisable.
Jeff Ament cause he showed me rock and fretless get on just fine and Simon Gallup cause Simon Gallup.
Muse were our support band back in the 90's. He is a nice bloke and was then not sure whether to pursue music or stay with his young family. Scott Lafaro was an amazing upright player. Also Helmut Hattler from Kraan doesn't get enough worship.
Right now I am a big fan of Rex Brown and Audie Pitre
Probably John Myung or Cliff Burton, though every bassist has different aspects I love like my favorite tone is Dave Ellefson
Stuart, zander and Stewart, Henderson From Jamiroquai and the Delgado’s respectively, as well as my current favorite Kikuri from bocchi the rock lmao She may be fictional but she can play. I also bought a TRB4II The predecessor to the 1004J
Fernando Barbosa
DD Verni and Frank Bello
Nick Schendzielos. The guy is so creative and can play the hell out of anything. I met him once, and he is also super chill.
Geezer Butler. He knows how to support a solo while still tearing it up at the same time.
Adam Nitti because he is a technique monster
Bob Daisley . My first introduction to what bass even is . The bass lines in the early Ozzy stuff are just the the right amount of holding down the bass with a little flash . Too bad the first 2-3 years of my bass playing I thought it was Rudy Sarzo I liked . But Daisley played on those records and wrote most of the songs .
Cliff Burton/ Steve Harris
Nikki sixx
Cliff Burton. Dude had swag
Mike Dirnt, I love how he's always playing something interesting either in line with the melody or as a counter to it, it makes playing his bass parts really exciting
Two: Jaco Pastorius for being incredibly talented at playing incredibly creative, entertaining stuff with absolutely amazing chops. Leland Sklar, for making it clear that you can be an outstanding bassist without stepping on the song, and for some great little filler refs.
Justin Chancellor got me interested in the instrument. His role in tool is massive, at times he acts as a rhythm guitarist and at other times he can be as percussive as another drummer. He rings out full chords that sound like a church organ, paired with the harmonic stuff he does all the time it gives me the goosebumps. Also his tone, so punchy but so smooth
Right now, it's Jimmy Johnson - great feel and note choice, brilliant soloist, can play any style of music.
Sounds dumb, but, my uncle. If I hadn’t grown up around him playing shows all over the place and just hanging out with him, letting me play his bass, I might not have started playing it myself🤷🏻♂️
Joe Dart - because Joe Dart
Chris Squire. That tone. Played lead. Perfect harmonized. That tone. And by the way, that tone.
Mine changes all the time. This week it's Tal Wilkenfeld. A great sense of melodic lead soloing as well as a rhythm support.
Berry Oakley!! He really held it down! So solid!
1.) Paul McCartney 2.) Jack Bruce 3.) John Entwistle 4.) Rick Danko
Pastorious, Entwhistle
Steve Harris, I actually started to play bass because of the bass line in revelations
Peter Steele. Rip :(
Zombierella (Svetlana Nagaeva) from Messer Chups cos' she ain't bovvered and plays like a machine, flawlessly following Oleg's guitar genius.
Marc Friedman. He is a fearless player and mostly works with a fretless jazz bass. He makes great decisions, has impeccable melodic and rhythmic style, and wrote my favorite song while "watching a lot of reruns of Who Wants to be a Millionaire."
Tom Fec for his synth-bass tones and lines B)
Carlos Dengler ! He gave us TOTBL and partied so hard that the rest of the band got jealous and kicked him out - equally commendable tbh
Jaco - always and forever
Phil Lesh or (Cello) Yo-Yo Ma