Beatles bass lines....wow!

[dand666]

[quote name='Orbs' timestamp='1352636981' post='1865363']
I can't add much more that has'nt already been said about his playing or songwriting skills. His vocals are pretty hot too, check out his general harmonies, or lead on numbers Long Tall Sally, Oh Darling, or Maybe I'm Amazed, which I could reach those notes!
[/quote]

Them songs are amazing. Also I've Gotta Feeling on the Rooftop of Apple Studios. The guy had an amazing range, not even lennon/little richard could reach.

IMO His bass playing changed the way people played. Something, Dear Prudence, and basically the whole of Sgt Peppers is phenomenal.

[Dingus]

[quote name='KingBollock' timestamp='1352596356' post='1865109']
But... But... He uses a pick!
[/quote]

Playing with a pick is considered socially acceptable nowadays , unlike when I started playing in the 1980s.

Edited November 11, 2012 by Dingus

[BetaFunk]

[quote name='flyfisher' timestamp='1352593338' post='1865068']
Me too, though sadly too young to have ever seen them play. Strange you feel the need to avoid their music though. Do you also avoid the other influential bands around at the same time? the Stones, Kinks, Small Faces, etc etc (it's long list!).
[/quote]
My quote was (slightly) tongue in cheek and i must admit that they did write a few decent tunes. Although i wasn't a great Stones fan i always thought that they and the Kinks, Animals, Small Faces were much more exciting than the Fab Four who always seemed to me to be the acceptable face of pop. As in, if your Mum liked then they weren't as cutting edge as you thought!

P.S. In the early 60s i would much rather have been Johnny Gustafson (The Big Three, The Merseybeats) when posing in front of my Mum's hall mirror than Macca!

Edited November 11, 2012 by BetaFunk

[paul torch]

Something was the first Beatles track that made me sit up and notice Macca's playing.

Rain and Paperback Writer followed shortly after.

[flyfisher]

[quote name='BetaFunk' timestamp='1352646200' post='1865516']
My quote was (slightly) tongue in cheek and i must admit that they did write a few decent tunes. Although i wasn't a great Stones fan i always thought that they and the Kinks, Animals, Small Faces were much more exciting than the Fab Four who always seemed to me to be the acceptable face of pop. As in, if your Mum liked then they weren't as cutting edge as you thought!
[/quote]

Fair point. I tend to think of them as almost two bands really - the touring 'pop' band and the later studio band. I hit my teens as they broke up and although I was obviously aware of their earlier work I really started my serious listening with Sgt Peppers and Abbey Road, which is sort of in at the 'deep end' as it were, and I then worked backwards. I still remember the white album as being a total revelation in terms of the range of styles. But even listening to them in reverse, as it were, and with hindsight, it's clear that a lot of their 'pop' stuff had lots of depth - as has already been mentioned in terms of the basslines for All My Loving and I Saw her Standing There, for examples.

[Doddy]

As a bass player,I've never though of McCartney as being either a 'genius' or a 'virtuoso'.
The way I've always heard him is as singer playing bass. What I mean by this,is that on a lot of the
later studio based Beatles tunes he's basically playing vocal-like melodies on the bass and playing
the way he sang.His later work,where he often takes on a more traditional Bass role,is generally more
Rock and Roll influenced and not particularly groundbreaking (if at all),although it fits very well within
the music.

[flyfisher]

[quote name='Doddy' timestamp='1352657620' post='1865736']
The way I've always heard him is as singer playing bass. What I mean by this,is that on a lot of the
later studio based Beatles tunes he's basically playing vocal-like melodies on the bass and playing
the way he sang.
[/quote]

Perhaps that has been his USP? It doesn't seem to have held him back.

Not sure I can think of one of his bass lines that follows his vocal melodies though.

[SteveK]

[quote name='Doddy' timestamp='1352657620' post='1865736']
As a bass player,I've never though of McCartney as being either a 'genius' or a 'virtuoso'.
[/quote]Maybe not... But his ability to create and execute the most perfect bass lines certainly places him (rightly) as one of the great bass players.
He was, and still is a hugely influential bass player.
I'm sure that (in his day) had he let it be known that he was available, even for anonymous sessions, he would have been in great demand.

[waynepunkdude]

Play Twist and Shout and 8 Days a Week in my covers band, very fun to play.

[Dingus]

[quote name='Doddy' timestamp='1352657620' post='1865736']
As a bass player,I've never though of McCartney as being either a 'genius' or a 'virtuoso'.
The way I've always heard him is as singer playing bass. What I mean by this,is that on a lot of the
later studio based Beatles tunes he's basically playing vocal-like melodies on the bass and playing
the way he sang.His later work,where he often takes on a more traditional Bass role,is generally more
Rock and Roll influenced and not particularly groundbreaking (if at all),although it fits very well within
the music.
[/quote]

Then perhaps the most accurate description of Paul McCartney would be as a Maestro- a master musician of supreme compositional ability. There are are many great bass guitarists , but they would struggle to come up with a more effective line than this regardless of what chops they've got :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sV-3aGnF714

l

[KingBollock]

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1352642559' post='1865451']
Playing with a pick is considered socially acceptable nowadays , unlike when I started playing in the 1980s.
[/quote]
Sorry, I was just being silly. I am very much a pick player, I was sticking my tongue out at the "Your not a real Bass player if you use a pick!!11!!" brigade. I never got any stick for playing with a pick when I started using one in the 80s and I was working in a Guitar shop at the time and they loved to take the Mickey whenever they could. It wasn't until fairly recently, when I discovered Bass forums, that I found out what an abomination I am.

[Dingus]

[quote name='KingBollock' timestamp='1352665626' post='1865912']
Sorry, I was just being silly. I am very much a pick player, I was sticking my tongue out at the "Your not a real Bass player if you use a pick!!11!!" brigade. I never got any stick for playing with a pick when I started using one in the 80s and I was working in a Guitar shop at the time and they loved to take the Mickey whenever they could. It wasn't until fairly recently, when I discovered Bass forums, that I found out what an abomination I am.
[/quote]

Playing with a pick is one bass playing technique that I really struggle with. When I started playing it was drummed in to me that playing with a pick was taboo if you wanted to be a properly good player , but nowadays I would love to be able to use a pick when it suits me ( like when playing along to songs by The Police for example ) , but after 30 -odd years of fingers I just can't seem to get to grips with it . Some stuff just sound better played with a pick.

[dand666]

http://youtu.be/qR-SlkUgCRg