great bass players with terrible technique, are there any?

[Steve G]

[sub]Surely if these pioneers are so great[u] their [/u]technique is [u]right[/u] and it's the rest of us who suck [/sub]

[Angel]

Who's that black player that plays slap with the bass mega high up and his right arm seems to come up from under the bass? That's a pretty mad technique to be starting off with, although he was pretty darned good at it!

Anyone recall his name?

[uncle psychosis]

For me there are two reasons to learn "technique":

1. To learn how to play something that your current technique does not allow you to do
2. So that you don't injure yourself with RSI or similar.

If you're already playing what you want to play and you're not damaging yourself then just fill your boots

[Doddy]

[quote name='Angel' timestamp='1352898007' post='1868976']
Who's that black player that plays slap with the bass mega high up and his right arm seems to come up from under the bass? That's a pretty mad technique to be starting off with, although he was pretty darned good at it!

Anyone recall his name?
[/quote]

Quentin Berry

[shizznit]

I don't like dragging names through the dirt, but one player who is highly revered that I got to see play at very close range was Billy Sheehan at a clinic that he played with Paul Gilbert in Cardiff many moons ago. I thought his finger technique was appalling, his bass tone was even worse and his timing just plain sucked. I still really don't understand how this guy is such a big influence to some players. Everything he does seems wrong to me.

That said, Billy is a really nice guy to chat to! Very down to earth and very funny.

[Beer of the Bass]

One example who springs to mind would be Charlie Haden. I have difficulty watching his left hand, but I love his sound and his lines, and his body of work speaks for itself.

[Fat Rich]

I'm always surprised how much Anthony Jackson waggles his fingers.

[Angel]

[quote name='shizznit' timestamp='1352900306' post='1869032']
I don't like dragging names through the dirt, but one player who is highly revered that I got to see play at very close range was Billy Sheehan at a clinic that he played with Paul Gilbert in Cardiff many moons ago. I thought his finger technique was appalling, his bass tone was even worse and his timing just plain sucked. I still really don't understand how this guy is such a big influence to some players. Everything he does seems wrong to me.

That said, Billy is a really nice guy to chat to! Very down to earth and very funny.
[/quote]

Personally I think that his live performances are fantastic fun. Great energy and enthusiasm. My favourite gig was a Steve Vai one with Billy on Bass. I don't recall thinking that his timing was out or his technique was bad, but the whole atmosphere was cookin' and immensly enjoyable.

Maybe Michal Anthony is a candidate? I remember a few years ago the separated masters for some bands/songs were 'out there' (was it related to guitar hero?) and a lot of people seemed to be commenting on how sloppy the bass parts were on VH recordings when everything around them was removed.

[JTUK]

What you want from your technique is the ability to do what you want to do..and to do it over a long period of time.

So things to avoid, IMO... is odd shapes or stretches and bad awkward positions...and you don't want to be beating your hands up
for 30 years.

If you play the bass that long and then some, your technique can't be that bad...if you don't have or never have had repetive strain injurys or arthritis.
Not saying that is the only reason why you may avoikd these sorts of things, but you can help yourself.

[paul_5]

[quote name='bassman7755' timestamp='1352845091' post='1868440']
Geddy Lee has the most shockingly inefficiently plucking hand technique on the planet, he defies the very laws of physics to play so many notes so quickly with it. His only real competition in the famous-musician-with-shocking-technique stakes was garry moore.
[/quote]

This, Ged was the first player to spring to mind. Massive inspiration to me, so I certainly don't see it as a bad thing.

[lojo]

Lemmy doesn't often play with his thumb on the back of the neck

[BigRedX]

[quote name='Roland Rock' timestamp='1352889720' post='1868797']
BRX, if you don't mind me saying, you have quite an unconventional left hand technique, certainly not economical, but somehow in keeping with the energy of the band, and it sounds great. Like you say, if one achieves what one sets out to do, who cares how it was achieved.
[/quote]

Not at all. I'm quite a physical player and probably put more energy into the playing than is strictly necessary, but then that's all part of the performance. Regarding the unconventional left hand technique I assume you mean the amount of movement up and down the neck? Some of it is down to keeping the right hand simple otherwise there would be a lot of very complex right hand picking patterns, and choosing to play notes where IMO they sound best - sometimes I need the fatter sound that comes from playing a thicker string higher up the neck instead of swapping to the higher string in a closer fretting position.

[BassPimp66]

[quote name='MiltyG565' timestamp='1352881109' post='1868650']
flea. his right hand technique is shockingly rough. listen to any RHCP bass master track.
[/quote]

+1 You beat me to it !

[Delberthot]

I always thought that Steve Harris' technique looks really awkward. He always looks like his playing playing looked really uncomfortable but still manages to play some fantastic stuff

[BassTractor]

Terrible technique - - Check!
Bass player - - Check!
Great (as in overweight) - - Check!
The answer is [i]BassTractor[/i]. What did I win?


Seriously though, bad technique is what limits you or hurts you, as expressed before.

I have no idea about bass players, but as an organist I'm trained to hear other organists' technique, including fingering, through their playing, and it's very often quite revealing.
As an example, one can often easily hear it if an organist has practised the piece on a pneumatic organ before playing it on a mechanical one during the concert.
The techniques used might be perfect for the pneumatic organ, but in that case are telling (and limiting/bad) on the mechanical one.

In popular music, we have this fun thing called "style", which often is the result of the limiting capacities of the players' technique and imagination. Some great music has come out of that tiny window, so I wouldn't care about it too much, [b]and certainly not close it[/b].


best,
bert

[risingson]

[quote name='MiltyG565' timestamp='1352881109' post='1868650']
flea. his right hand technique is shockingly rough. listen to any RHCP bass master track.
[/quote]

He actually amazes me that he didn't develop CT a long time ago, god knows he must have had some problems over the years.

[MiltyG565]

[quote name='BassPimp66' timestamp='1352927401' post='1869551']
+1 You beat me to it !
[/quote]

It's only rough because he plays so hard. i love it though. you won't fall asleep listening to this though. (he has an INCREDIBLY bright amp, doesn't he?)

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBJuxGrWAA0"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBJuxGrWAA0[/url]

[Doddy]

[quote name='MiltyG565' timestamp='1352933695' post='1869645']
It's only rough because he plays so hard. i love it though. you won't fall asleep listening to this though. (he has an INCREDIBLY bright amp, doesn't he?)
[/quote]

That's horrible.

[MiltyG565]

[quote name='risingson' timestamp='1352933434' post='1869642'] He actually amazes me that he didn't develop CT a long time ago, god knows he must have had some problems over the years. [/quote]

He spends as long warming up for gigs as he does playing at them. Also, he has a guy that massages his arms, and has had for years.

[MiltyG565]

[quote name='Doddy' timestamp='1352934616' post='1869664'] That's horrible. [/quote]

yeah, but it is really poor audio quality, lets not forget. probably just ripped from the song.

[risingson]

[quote name='MiltyG565' timestamp='1352934835' post='1869669']
He spends as long warming up for gigs as he does playing at them. Also, he has a guy that massages his arms, and has had for years.
[/quote]

Interesting stuff, didn't know that. But I can't imagine he will have that the hand masseuse in the earlier days, i.e the times he had to full the gaping holes in his thumb with superglue and tape up.

[MiltyG565]

[quote name='risingson' timestamp='1352935024' post='1869673']
Interesting stuff, didn't know that. But I can't imagine he will have that the hand masseuse in the earlier days, i.e the times he had to full the gaping holes in his thumb with superglue and tape up.
[/quote]

Yeah, he has always done lots of warming up, but the masseur couldn't magic flesh onto his thumb, could he?

[brensabre79]

I've always found that the players have 'exemplary technique' have so because they have spent years mastering technique, not music. Generally they have no 'feel' or taste and an unhealthy obsession with playing as many notes as its possible to fit in a bar, and a few more for good measure.

The expressive players, the ones that have soul, tend to be self-taught and tend not to post videos on YouTube every week showing people their excellent technique...

(runs for cover)

on another note, I will say that although I can't stand Rush, I observed Geddy Lee's technique, I don't know if its bad or good, but I tried it, it was hard at first but for the first time in 20 years of playing I got the sound I wanted without the string clanking against every fret on the board!

[MiltyG565]

[quote name='brensabre79' timestamp='1352983087' post='1870064']
I've always found that the players have 'exemplary technique' have so because they have spent years mastering technique, not music. Generally they have no 'feel' or taste and an unhealthy obsession with playing as many notes as its possible to fit in a bar, and a few more for good measure.

The expressive players, the ones that have soul, tend to be self-taught and tend not to post videos on YouTube every week showing people their excellent technique...

(runs for cover)

on another note, I will say that although I can't stand Rush, I observed Geddy Lee's technique, I don't know if its bad or good, but I tried it, it was hard at first but for the first time in 20 years of playing I got the sound I wanted without the string clanking against every fret on the board!
[/quote]

I don't post videos to show off my technique, TBH, technique is something that i don't put a lot of thought into. I have never been told i have bad technique, so why would i worry about it? I post videos to fill some time in my day as i now have absolutely nothing to do, and can't go anywhere. But i agree with everything else you said before that.

[JTUK]

[quote name='brensabre79' timestamp='1352983087' post='1870064']
I've always found that the players have 'exemplary technique' have so because they have spent years mastering technique, not music. Generally they have no 'feel' or taste and an unhealthy obsession with playing as many notes as its possible to fit in a bar, and a few more for good measure.

The expressive players, the ones that have soul, tend to be self-taught and tend not to post videos on YouTube every week showing people their excellent technique...

[b](runs for cover)[/b]

on another note, I will say that although I can't stand Rush, I observed Geddy Lee's technique, I don't know if its bad or good, but I tried it, it was hard at first but for the first time in 20 years of playing I got the sound I wanted without the string clanking against every fret on the board!
[/quote]

ha ha I would think so...

If that is your opinion, then so be it... but it doesn't seem to have done many a classical player any harm.

Just on the basis of LJ or Flea videos... you would think you'd help yourself and not ask for problems..

but then, I doubt they thought about it in the early days ... or had anyone to tell them.