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Paul McCartney bass playing


The-Ox
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Original, up-front, and deeply pocketed lines. Come together originality for example, takes *all* the glory on the track, and deservedly so.

Had his finger on the pulse of bass playing at the time and translated a lot of global influences into listenable, catchy, and original riffs.

Loverly :)

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British Jamerson. Many have followed him, all have learnt from his lines.

His lines still stand up to the test of time, just as Jamerson's do. In fact, one of my old bass lecturers claimed that 'If you learnt ALL of McCartney's, Jamerson's, and Jaco's lines, you could become the complete player.'

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One of the first, along with James Jamerson (an early McCartney influence) to get away from playing roots and fifths and play melodic lines that were well up in the mix, McCartney put creative bass-playing on the map. Because he was, and is, a great singer, songwriter, arranger and performer it is very easy to underestimate the huge influence McCartney's bass playing had on anyone who picked up a bass guitar after The Beatles.

Edited by discreet
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[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1449261670' post='2922118']
One of the first, along with James Jamerson (an early McCartney influence) to get away from playing roots and fifths and play melodic lines that were well up in the mix, McCartney put creative bass-playing on the map. Because he was, and is, a great singer, songwriter, arranger and performer it is very easy to underestimate the huge influence McCartney's bass playing had on anyone who picked up a bass guitar after The Beatles.
[/quote]

Agreed, I didn't even know what an electric bass guitar was until I saw him on our Ed Sullivan Show February 9th,1964.

My Mom, at My request purchased my first bass guitar that week. And I doubt I was the only guy to get a bass that week 50 years ago.

Blue

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Love his stuff. It was McCartney more than anyone else that taught me to pay more attention to note choice and note length than tone. After years of messing around with different basses, amps, effects, etc, I heard my first isolated Macca line... fat, dead, dull... and perfect! Jameson on is the same. It became clear to me at that point that what you're playing on and what you're playing through is almost irrelevant compared to what you're playing.

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He's a great bassist and a lot people don't realise apart from us bassist how good he really is always loved his bass lines , macca and jamersons are probley my two fave bass players I think but I'm parshell a good 70s disco bass line , but hey I just love people who don't confirm. and play roots and fifths all the time your missing out on so much fun ,

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[quote name='The-Ox' timestamp='1449257961' post='2922084']
What do you guys think he does well?
[/quote]

Well first off he holds the bottom like a sunken anchor. He spikes that with a melodic creativity bassist's have never known his heretofore. And he smiles all the while singing like the canary who ate the cat.

Edited by Behlmene
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[quote name='Twincam' timestamp='1449312098' post='2922422']
I do sometimes wonder can McCartney slap?
[/quote]
You nearly made me spit my coffee all over the place!! Ha ha. Seriously though, if I ever heard him slapping the bass I'd hunt him down and slap him myself.

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[quote name='ratman' timestamp='1449314232' post='2922449']

You nearly made me spit my coffee all over the place!! Ha ha. Seriously though, if I ever heard him slapping the bass I'd hunt him down and slap him myself.
[/quote]

Haha. Would be amusing to see him Mark King it up though.

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