To say Billy is a highly accomplished bassist is the understatement of the century!!! It's unmistakable just how much practicing and experimentation Billy has done with the bass guitar. It shows through in every single note and performance. There's simply no substitute for tons of practice hours and everything he teaches is bass gospel in my opinion.
he said just the opposite. is ability comes from gigging. if you are just going to sit and practice for years you'll never be the player you want to be. it comes from playing with a band not practicing alone
Hi, Yes, Billy was one of the first to realize that scalloped frets above the 12th fret helped him control the string better. Hope that helps, Larry DiMarzio
His technique is world renowned,...his philosophy is the real deal,..what being a fine musician is all about!! Think of the aesthetics of playing!!... Bassists! & Guitarists!...emotion/expression/passion are paramount in your performances!..💓⚡️🎶 Heart-charged Music!...in all genres hits the mark every time folks!..trust it! Pick your techniques that appeal,..and apply them as you see fit in the music,.. to deliver the sound,..tone and emotions you experience as you play and you’ll come across!.. thus touching your audience!!...now ROCK!,..POP!,..REGGAE!,..FUNK!,..& JAZZ on children!! ☝🏾This advice is coming from a “Seasoned Veteran” Musician!...✨🎶🎸👍🏾👌🏾✌🏾 Bless Billy Sheehan!!...🎶🎸 ...for his talents and generosity!🙏🏾👏🏾
Hi, There is a plastic cover on DiMarzio bass pickups and the coils are also potted so I doubt that finger oil and sweat will have any effect. Hope that helps, Larry DiMarzio
Just try tapping 4 notes on 3 fingers with one occurring on a different finger. It drives me nuts. He's amazing & most of it goes over a listeners head importunately
I find the Will Power Middle to be an amazing pickup. I love its tone and though I'm not a Billy Sheehan style player, find that it suits me well. Good lows, highs and powerful mids. I really (really) wish you made a 5-string version as I'd modify my 5 string Jazz style pass to use one. The other feature that I really like is covered pole pieces. I don't have problems with clicking noises caused by my fingers hitting them.
I don't know if it has been mentioned, but it should be: He plays with an extremely low action, but not only that, he has his frets filed to perfection so that there are no bad frets with his low action. His action is so low the E string buzzes against the frets _hard_ if you pull it and let go. It's what he likes. You should check out his bass setup video. Most bass players change the action of their basses.
Hello Mr @LarryDiMarzio, I'm thinking of buying some pickups in the near future and play the high gain shred stuff. But I am restricted to the pickups I can buy because there are only a limited amount of pickups available from the NZ Rockshop. The one I am looking at buying is the DP127 but they also stock the DP122, 126, 250 and 251. Thanks Larry!
@GiantPandas You might like a Model P, although I wouldn't describe it as vintage-sounding. I think most players would find it to have more of a rock sound.
This man can show every trick but can't impart the gift he inately was born with, he's one in a million.I'm not saying he didn't work hard,but the majority could practice forever and still not be half the player Mr.Sheehan is.One thing I have found is that one gig is equal to five practice sessions.IMO Billy probably gigged more than anyone ever.
02:23 LIke sweep picking. It's sweep fingering "Billy Sheehan's Secret Tricks" 1) Make sure your instrument is resting on your abdomen when you wake up and when you go to sleep 2) Only unstrap your bass for showering 3) Inject anabolic substances directly into your fingers before you lift weights with your fingers
@sirmoog You are correct but if you really listen to Rainey's playing most of it is anything but simple. It sounds simple on the surface but rhythmically it is heavily syncopated and complex and harmonically it is very interesting.
His "secret" of playing over the pick ups is well known. Many players install wood inserts (called a Ramp) at the same height as the pickups so they can pick at different spots for different tones and still have that consistent distance. Gary Willis, another excellent bassist, is a strong advocate of using a ramp under the strings.
Hi Larry I play on a Ibanez RG 350 DX which has ibanez pickups(Two humbuckers and a single coil). I'm thinking about changing those into dimarzio pickups instead, but the problem is that i am quite new to the whole area of pickups. The sound i'm aming for is in the area of heavy metall/shred.. Could you please recommend something?:) Thank you
@KongoXIIV I'm not sure, but I think Steve DiGiorgio uses that pattern - 3-2-1-2 [repeat]. To me, each player should develop the technique that suits them best. I can't, for all the money in the world, use that pattern. On the other hand, I spent months before I even bought my first bass (I'm a guitar player) practicing 3-2-1-3/2-1-3-2/1-3-2-1... not really thinking but letting it flow naturally, you just have to forget you are using 3 fingers... if it makes sense.
i find that my fretting hand (my left) can move like Billy's plucking hand but my right only likes two fingers. Am I left handed, are there exercises to train my plucking hand or what?
this is ridiculous... does he have the high frets of the high strings scalloped? ... and that is the first time I've ever heard a pinch harmonic on a bass.. wow. Amazing.
He's right about tech from music, not music from tech. For years, coming from a Steve Harris kinda way of playing I always kept to 2 fingers "Well harris only needed 2"...but Harris wasnt playing what I am. This is also before I got heavily into Sheehan, and in order to do rhythmic patterns I needed I addopted a 3-2-1-2 pattern, different from sheehans and over time it worked and now I can do what I need to! Ive since tried sheehans way...cant do it, makes me play triplets.
Well, he was just showing what he meant, he didn't know it's called a "double thumb" unless you mean the super percussive thing he did on the fret board with his thumb while playing. He does that to mimick a double kick pedal thump,Billy can (surprisingly enough to myself and I'm a big Sheehan fan!) slap and double thumb, though he doesn't do it often at all as it's not his style :)
I've played bass with two fingers so long my ring finger feels paralyzed trying to pluck. But like platform playing with two fingers and my thumb it came with time. Slowly my ring finger is starting pluck the string , 3 finger plucking very slowly. One thing at a time then maybe pluck with my little finger , dont know yet its paralyzed too small
he is right about the technic thing, it folows u. i only played whit two fingerswhen i first started, then suddenlig my third finger was playing along.
i dnt care who says wut about billy..THE MUTHER FUCKER CAN JAM!!!!!!!! lol..hes 1 of my favs..i grew up in Buffalo . i remember watchin him in TALAS when i was a kid..luv him then..i been playin Bass for almost 28yrs now..its not wut i do its "who i am"Gezzer Butler is my biggest influence tho..thats where i got my stytle frm the most ya no..hes BADASS.. but i just love watchin Billy play the hell outta that Bass.. ROCK ON BILLY!!!! . THANKX 4 SHARIN UR GIFT
What are the odds that BOTH Billy Sheehan AND EVH got the tapping idea from Billy Gibbons?? Just came from a vid where a poster claimed EVH got the tapping idea from BG as well..The only question is, who took it further FIRST?? Billy or Eddie?? Not sure why I really care, but for some reason i do..lol
Still come back and watch this one every few months... cos its just that damn good!!
To say Billy is a highly accomplished bassist is the understatement of the century!!! It's unmistakable just how much practicing and experimentation Billy has done with the bass guitar. It shows through in every single note and performance. There's simply no substitute for tons of practice hours and everything he teaches is bass gospel in my opinion.
he said just the opposite. is ability comes from gigging. if you are just going to sit and practice for years you'll never be the player you want to be. it comes from playing with a band not practicing alone
0:59 "This one sticks up a little bit." I died there!
Bill Sheehan is an amazing bass player in that he can both shred AND play great bass with terrific feel and tone. Seems like a heck of a nice guy too!
Hi,
Yes, Billy was one of the first to realize that scalloped frets above the 12th fret helped him control the string better.
Hope that helps,
Larry DiMarzio
I know it's kind of off topic but does anybody know a good site to stream newly released movies online?
I like Billy the more I watch him!
His technique is world renowned,...his philosophy is the real deal,..what being a fine musician is all about!!
Think of the aesthetics of playing!!... Bassists! & Guitarists!...emotion/expression/passion are paramount in your performances!..💓⚡️🎶
Heart-charged Music!...in all genres hits the mark every time folks!..trust it!
Pick your techniques that appeal,..and apply them as you see fit in the music,.. to deliver the sound,..tone and emotions you experience as you play and you’ll come across!.. thus touching your audience!!...now ROCK!,..POP!,..REGGAE!,..FUNK!,..& JAZZ on children!!
☝🏾This advice is coming from a “Seasoned Veteran” Musician!...✨🎶🎸👍🏾👌🏾✌🏾
Bless Billy Sheehan!!...🎶🎸
...for his talents and generosity!🙏🏾👏🏾
Sheehan is to the bass what Vai is to the guitar, godly!
Hes the Paul Gilbert of bass
I so appreciate your approach and sharing it Billy!
I am Amazed at your finger speed...OMG..I absolutely love watching and hearing you play...Awesome Billy, Thanks for sharing my Brother....
Great tutorial Billy Sheehan rocks, great outlook and great bassist. Thanks a lot for the video!
What a beast of a player! Thank you for uploading this and for your quality products. Big fan
Thank you so much for posting this!!!!! PREACH ON !
Love he's Sounds and Tones . . . Frosty F******yes .
doing 4 with three for 20 years now with all 3 with same velocity,,but man you got it so fluent..i am envious...just wow!!!
Thank yo Billy Sheehan for putting my mind at ease about bass technique!!!
that guy is a pure musical genius too, his feeling is awesome
Made me giggle abit when he showed the middle finger :D
And he is so right, Learn a technique because you NEED it for the music you want to play
Hi, There is a plastic cover on DiMarzio bass pickups and the coils are also potted so I doubt that finger oil and sweat will have any effect.
Hope that helps,
Larry DiMarzio
Hi, Billy uses DiMarzio Will Power Middle DP146 and a Will Power Neck DP 145 in his Yamaha signature bass.
Hope that helps,
Larry DiMarzio
Nicely said Billy...Great dude there!!!
@FunkyRegan Hi, You are correct. The Will Power neck requires a professional installation.
Hope that helps,
Larry DiMarzio
Just try tapping 4 notes on 3 fingers with one occurring on a different finger. It drives me nuts. He's amazing & most of it goes over a listeners head importunately
3:37 = TRUTH.
+Jason Demakis He gives us relief and despair at the same time. Watch 4:49
I find the Will Power Middle to be an amazing pickup. I love its tone and though I'm not a Billy Sheehan style player, find that it suits me well. Good lows, highs and powerful mids. I really (really) wish you made a 5-string version as I'd modify my 5 string Jazz style pass to use one.
The other feature that I really like is covered pole pieces. I don't have problems with clicking noises caused by my fingers hitting them.
Wise Words. Thank YOU Mr. Sheehan. (:
FUCK!!! No wonder Steve Vai always wants Sheehan on tour with him. Billy is bad ass.
I don't know if it has been mentioned, but it should be: He plays with an extremely low action, but not only that, he has his frets filed to perfection so that there are no bad frets with his low action. His action is so low the E string buzzes against the frets _hard_ if you pull it and let go. It's what he likes. You should check out his bass setup video. Most bass players change the action of their basses.
I was totally in the front row here, Billy was/is amazing, and he was cool enough to sign my bass afterwards.
Hello Mr @LarryDiMarzio, I'm thinking of buying some pickups in the near future and play the high gain shred stuff. But I am restricted to the pickups I can buy because there are only a limited amount of pickups available from the NZ Rockshop. The one I am looking at buying is the DP127 but they also stock the DP122, 126, 250 and 251.
Thanks Larry!
This video is a breakthrough. Billy is the absolute bass technique.
Are there any plans for a 5 string P pickup? Or an extension on the 5 string line? Or even a 6 string pickup? I'd LOVE a 6 string dimarzio pickup!
this is pretty helpful. and this guy is so cool
His finger picking skills are incredible!!
Very COOL!!! And IMPRESSIVE!!!
Real bass Genius!
thumbs up, stick with it, I'm 930, been playing for 30 yrs. and am still learning.
It’s not fair that one person has so much talent...
Youll think it's fair when you see him do it before he got it all.
I like how down to earth he is about the WAY he plays!
@GiantPandas
You might like a Model P, although I wouldn't describe it as vintage-sounding. I think most players would find it to have more of a rock sound.
This man can show every trick but can't impart the gift he inately was born with, he's one in a million.I'm not saying he didn't work hard,but the majority could practice forever and still not be half the player Mr.Sheehan is.One thing I have found is that one gig is equal to five practice sessions.IMO Billy probably gigged more than anyone ever.
You may not like his style but this guy is a great teacher. Billy rules :)
Pinch harmonics on a bass! That's just amazing.
02:23
LIke sweep picking. It's sweep fingering
"Billy Sheehan's Secret Tricks" 1) Make sure your instrument is resting on your abdomen when you wake up and when you go to sleep 2) Only unstrap your bass for showering 3) Inject anabolic substances directly into your fingers before you lift weights with your fingers
@sirmoog You are correct but if you really listen to Rainey's playing most of it is anything but simple. It sounds simple on the surface but rhythmically it is heavily syncopated and complex and harmonically it is very interesting.
Yes, exactly. That goes with any style, riff, lick etc. Slow and correct is better than fast and wrong.
hi mr.DiMarzio can you pls make a vid on how to recoil the picups of a guitar thanks
Awesome video
Thanks!
Hi,
I would suggest finding some people to practice with and some classes.
Hope that helps,
Larry DiMarzio
Einstein has E=Mc2 and Billy has 3 into 4
His "secret" of playing over the pick ups is well known. Many players install wood inserts (called a Ramp) at the same height as the pickups so they can pick at different spots for different tones and still have that consistent distance. Gary Willis, another excellent bassist, is a strong advocate of using a ramp under the strings.
@Zooperman The song in the beginning is Theme From An Imaginary Sci Fi.
Is the other pickup (not the p-bass one) DiMarzio as well?
Sheehan is amazing!
Hi Larry
I play on a Ibanez RG 350 DX which has ibanez pickups(Two humbuckers and a single coil). I'm thinking about changing those into dimarzio pickups instead, but the problem is that i am quite new to the whole area of pickups. The sound i'm aming for is in the area of heavy metall/shred..
Could you please recommend something?:) Thank you
billy sheehan THE BEST!
Hi,
I think Billy is back on the road with Mr. Big this year.
All the best,
Larry DiMarzio
"Sometimes we lose our way..."
He told me so much.
Great Instruction.
@KongoXIIV I'm not sure, but I think Steve DiGiorgio uses that pattern - 3-2-1-2 [repeat]. To me, each player should develop the technique that suits them best. I can't, for all the money in the world, use that pattern.
On the other hand, I spent months before I even bought my first bass (I'm a guitar player) practicing 3-2-1-3/2-1-3-2/1-3-2-1... not really thinking but letting it flow naturally, you just have to forget you are using 3 fingers... if it makes sense.
guy is amazing!
i find that my fretting hand (my left) can move like Billy's plucking hand but my right only likes two fingers. Am I left handed, are there exercises to train my plucking hand or what?
this is ridiculous... does he have the high frets of the high strings scalloped? ... and that is the first time I've ever heard a pinch harmonic on a bass.. wow. Amazing.
I want this CD so bad
What is the song at the start?? that riff is addictive !!!!! :L
this man has a lucky wife...
+Davi Routner I dont think he's married but he does have a wife.
Billy is married :)
Disney Jazzcore ahaha I see what you did there.
His wife is hot
@@AttitudeCastle Google Billy Sheehan Wife and you will understand :-)
Wow he is just amazing.
If you like this check out Segovia Scales . Same concept X 10 . Great for bass.
He's right about tech from music, not music from tech.
For years, coming from a Steve Harris kinda way of playing I always kept to 2 fingers "Well harris only needed 2"...but Harris wasnt playing what I am.
This is also before I got heavily into Sheehan, and in order to do rhythmic patterns I needed I addopted a 3-2-1-2 pattern, different from sheehans and over time it worked and now I can do what I need to!
Ive since tried sheehans way...cant do it, makes me play triplets.
That was real good advice.
Does anyone know what kind of pickup he has for a front pickup? And also can you buy these?
Just Plain WOW
I know, I find it amazing how he said it came naturally. In other words, he naturally evolved the bass guitar.
Does anyone know the name the song in the beginning?
Well, he was just showing what he meant, he didn't know it's called a "double thumb" unless you mean the super percussive thing he did on the fret board with his thumb while playing. He does that to mimick a double kick pedal thump,Billy can (surprisingly enough to myself and I'm a big Sheehan fan!) slap and double thumb, though he doesn't do it often at all as it's not his style :)
i didnt get it thou about the three fingers ,does it go 1-2-3-2-1 or 1-2-3-1-2-3??
is the bottom half of the neck scalloped from the 17th fret up?
Yes.
Why does he have grooved out parts on the neck past the 12th frets?
I've played bass with two fingers so long my ring finger feels paralyzed trying to pluck.
But like platform playing with two fingers and my thumb it came with time.
Slowly my ring finger is starting pluck the string , 3 finger plucking very slowly.
One thing at a time then maybe pluck with my little finger , dont know yet its paralyzed too small
he is right about the technic thing, it folows u. i only played whit two fingerswhen i first started, then suddenlig my third finger was playing along.
que buen video!
Sheehan is the best!
I'd like to see Billy do a tribute to Motown or play with and orchestra as Vai and Malmsteen did. Maybe he could do both?
Legend
name of the song at the intro and in end?
i dnt care who says wut about billy..THE MUTHER FUCKER CAN JAM!!!!!!!! lol..hes 1 of my favs..i grew up in Buffalo . i remember watchin him in TALAS when i was a kid..luv him then..i been playin Bass for almost 28yrs now..its not wut i do its "who i am"Gezzer Butler is my biggest influence tho..thats where i got my stytle frm the most ya no..hes BADASS.. but i just love watchin Billy play the hell outta that Bass.. ROCK ON BILLY!!!! . THANKX 4 SHARIN UR GIFT
Name of the intro song please
Great video: does anyone beside me do this technique using the right pinky insgead of the ring finger?
Crazy bass sound
The only guy that can squeeze 3 out of 4 lol. Amazin!
Christ and I thought Paul was the only virtuoso in Mr Big!!
DUDE.... EVERYBODY in MR. BIG was a badass!
I wish he cover flights of the bumble bee 🐝
What are the odds that BOTH Billy Sheehan AND EVH got the tapping idea from Billy Gibbons??
Just came from a vid where a poster claimed EVH got the tapping idea from BG as well..The only question is, who took it further FIRST?? Billy or Eddie??
Not sure why I really care, but for some reason i do..lol
3:35 so true
Amazing speed Billy S., the ring finger is very dificult to work, need about two years for develop.- good video thak men .-
"Where's your thumb? Right there apparently!" LOL!
I just cannot get that kind of spot-on even consistency using three fingers. My ring finger always drags and creates more like a triplet sound.
What a monster 😍
I wonder why he has grooved out parts past the 12the fret on his bass?
is his bass scalloped?
total bad ass.