Angel Posted June 22, 2021 Share Posted June 22, 2021 And that is fine, we are all entitled to our own opinions. Personally I don't like showboating when it is terrible, indulgent drivel (like many bass solos I've seen live over the past 40 years!), but when it is musical, when it has groove etc, yes, I really like that sort of thing. A bass player that I really enjoy is Charles Berthoud, he plays solo stuff on Youtube etc, and he has a mindblowing level of technique, but he keeps musicality at the centre, and gets a great groove going. To that end I really enjoyed this cover of Uptown funk. If you don't want his preamble, playing starts at 40 seconds. 7 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crawford13 Posted June 22, 2021 Share Posted June 22, 2021 1 hour ago, Angel said: And that is fine, we are all entitled to our own opinions. Personally I don't like showboating when it is terrible, indulgent drivel (like many bass solos I've seen live over the past 40 years!), but when it is musical, when it has groove etc, yes, I really like that sort of thing. A bass player that I really enjoy is Charles Berthoud, he plays solo stuff on Youtube etc, and he has a mindblowing level of technique, but he keeps musicality at the centre, and gets a great groove going. To that end I really enjoyed this cover of Uptown funk. If you don't want his preamble, playing starts at 40 seconds. I agree, I really like Charles Berthoud. I've said in another thread I think he is the most technically accomplished bassist I've ever seen, as much as its not a competition, he may actually be the best bassist I have ever seen. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Blank Posted June 22, 2021 Share Posted June 22, 2021 1 hour ago, Angel said: And that is fine, we are all entitled to our own opinions. Which I had firmly set in the negative before I pressed play. Then I pressed play. Then I got down. Excellent! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted June 22, 2021 Share Posted June 22, 2021 When I scroll through the likes of Instagram, a lot of what I see is various players up at the dusty end, noodling away through various modes, or some noisy slappity, poppity nonsense (the kind of thing you hear at bass shows). That kind of soloing leaves me cold. This, however, is great because, although all the elements mentioned before are present and correct, he’s actually playing a tune. Proper structure, melodic ideas and rhythm, interspersed with some tasty fills. That’s how it should be done. Any solo that doesn’t reference the actual song, or isn’t a tune within the tune is pointless willy waggling. Thanks for sharing. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Dare Posted June 22, 2021 Share Posted June 22, 2021 He's a tremendous player. Personally, I find his presentation style a bit in yer face, but I suppose that's what you have to do to stand out and get views. There are quite a few people with fantastic ability making similar videos. It's almost as if, having spent countless hours developing awesome technique, they struggle to find opportunities to use it (relatively few bass playing jobs call for that level of playing and certainly few require you to be that busy). So I guess the obvious thing is to make YT vid's to showcase it. They are useful in that you can use them to learn a few new things to incorporate into your own playing. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crawford13 Posted June 22, 2021 Share Posted June 22, 2021 41 minutes ago, Dan Dare said: Personally, I find his presentation style a bit in yer face, but I suppose that's what you have to do to stand out and get views. I think you have hit the nail in the head there. It's what he has to do to get views and earn a living. If you look at his earlier YT videos they are much more about the bass playing. He got his big YT break when doing a Fiver video for Davie504 and then a bass battle with Davie504. I think the path was then clear that to make a living out of music he would actually be able to eat from making YT videos, rather then solo bass gigs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WinterMute Posted June 22, 2021 Share Posted June 22, 2021 Not a fan of slap bass, but what fine bit of playing, talented fellow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubit Posted June 22, 2021 Share Posted June 22, 2021 Granted he is superb but there was a bit of overdubbing going on in that song. At times I was hearing another bass when he was doing something else. I like things as they are played. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted June 22, 2021 Share Posted June 22, 2021 I like showboaters. I'm impressed by any bassist who is good at their craft. I like inventive players who have good skills and technique. I stood 6 feet away from Victor Wooten when he was doing a bass clinic and my eyes were out on stalks for most of the evening. Sadly, I can't see most of what they play fitting in to any musical situation that's relevant to me. Maybe I should have more imagination! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BreadBin Posted June 22, 2021 Share Posted June 22, 2021 1 hour ago, ubit said: Granted he is superb but there was a bit of overdubbing going on in that song. At times I was hearing another bass when he was doing something else. I like things as they are played. There are plenty of videos where he does just that - the only extra bass on the backing track there is just doing the root notes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WinterMute Posted June 22, 2021 Share Posted June 22, 2021 33 minutes ago, chris_b said: I like showboaters. I'm impressed by any bassist who is good at their craft. I like inventive players who have good skills and technique. I stood 6 feet away from Victor Wooten when he was doing a bass clinic and my eyes were out on stalks for most of the evening. Sadly, I can't see most of what they play fitting in to any musical situation that's relevant to me. Maybe I should have more imagination! See, that's the point for me, I do love a bit of pyrotechnics, Geddy Lee's playing is a huge influence, as was Jaco, but it has to work in context of the song, and often that level of virtuosity outshines the composition, there's a reason Micheal Manring plays solo... That may just be an excuse for my lack of talent however... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted June 22, 2021 Share Posted June 22, 2021 (edited) I liked that. Interesting nut on the bass too, doesn’t go all the way across. Edited June 22, 2021 by LukeFRC it originally had auto corrected "nut" to "but" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubit Posted June 22, 2021 Share Posted June 22, 2021 (edited) 56 minutes ago, BreadBin said: There are plenty of videos where he does just that - the only extra bass on the backing track there is just doing the root notes. Nope, there was high end noodling going on as well which wasn't being played. I'm not slagging his playing, just that its been given a bit of extra jhazoom. Edited June 22, 2021 by ubit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeftyJ Posted June 22, 2021 Share Posted June 22, 2021 Zander Zon 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonestar Posted June 22, 2021 Share Posted June 22, 2021 10 hours ago, Crawford13 said: I agree, I really like Charles Berthoud. I've said in another thread I think he is the most technically accomplished bassist I've ever seen, as much as its not a competition, he may actually be the best bassist I have ever seen. And with humour. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angel Posted June 22, 2021 Author Share Posted June 22, 2021 6 hours ago, ubit said: Granted he is superb but there was a bit of overdubbing going on in that song. At times I was hearing another bass when he was doing something else. I like things as they are played. I would argue that you are sailing dangerously close to making it a sport with a comment like that. He is merely playing along to a backing track and making music. We are all bass players around here, we can all see what he is playing or not. Still, I shouldn't really work at defending, you have every right to make that comment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubit Posted June 23, 2021 Share Posted June 23, 2021 10 hours ago, Angel said: I would argue that you are sailing dangerously close to making it a sport with a comment like that. He is merely playing along to a backing track and making music. We are all bass players around here, we can all see what he is playing or not. Still, I shouldn't really work at defending, you have every right to make that comment. Fair comment mate, I just wanted to point out that he is selling it as a live performance when it's clearly not. The guy is HUGELY talented and I bow to his skill and dexterity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Munurmunuh Posted June 23, 2021 Share Posted June 23, 2021 I wish his rhythm was a little more crisp - in the very sparse section just after 2'00", for example, the articulation is a bit woolly. I guess it must be hard to feel the responsibility to be driving the rhythm when taking a tempo from something else? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hellzero Posted June 23, 2021 Share Posted June 23, 2021 He always does the overdub thing as it's the way he shares his videos. Nothing wrong with that, it's like using a looper. And I don't think he ever claimed it was a live performance... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itu Posted June 23, 2021 Share Posted June 23, 2021 Live from the bedroom? True, this seems to be the thing today - no "jitter" or tiny faults. No false notes or rhythmic issues. But I want my live out there in the stages without extreme post processing. Raw, full dialogue between band members. He plays well, no doubt. But I doubt, too, this has very little to do with live. This is a recording in a bedroom studio. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crawford13 Posted June 23, 2021 Share Posted June 23, 2021 5 minutes ago, itu said: He plays well, no doubt. But I doubt, too, this has very little to do with live. This is a recording in a bedroom studio. The guys is much more than a bedroom instagrammer. It's just what everyone has been forced to do in these times. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itu Posted June 23, 2021 Share Posted June 23, 2021 2 hours ago, Crawford13 said: The guys is much more than a bedroom instagrammer. It's just what everyone has been forced to do in these times. Sure, and it is a real pity we have no chance to meet these players face to face. No more Teams, Mural, Meet, Hangouts, Zoom, Insta, YT, or anything else from any screen! I want to see the real musicians on a physical stage. Me want to go to a gig, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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