Thanks for the shout-out Scott! IMO Geddy Lee, Chris Squire, and John Entwistle are the three godfathers of exactly the thing you're demonstrating in this video - the bright strike-through chime and attack, but not so much that it strangles the note - it actually enhances it. And notice how Geddy doesn't look like he's mangling the strings to get that sound! It's pretty sublime.
It's a hard technique to pull off, at least for me. You have to hit the string hard but not too hard to choke it out completely. Getting that consistent attack every time is tough.
Every Rush fan is like a normal fan x100. The love is so real! If I could be in any concert in life, it would be Rush in Rio... those fans were the absolute best!
Happy Birthday to the man himself! Rush as a whole is 3 of the greatest of their respective instruments. A true pioneer of Progressive and articulate music
Geddy Lee was so influential to all those funk metal guys. Les Claypool, Timmy C, Dirk Lance, FLEA, Billy Gould. The idea of really smacking through the string is prevalent with all those guys.
The difference, I think, about Rush time signatures was that they always serve the riff or phrase. They're not doing it to be clever, but because the music required it.
"...but because the music required it". That is absolutely dead on, and that is the description i've been struggling to put into words for nearly thirty years. It's the hidden ingredient that makes their music such a joy to listen to.
Immediately makes me think of Tool, inasmuch as they are a great example of using odd time signatures to be clever. The outcome is generally the opposite of what Rush produces: it's boring.
Geddy grows out his nails and uses them to get that grinding, aggressive sound. He did it because he was never comfortable playing with a pick, but he loved the tone. It's soooo nasty good. He lost some of his higher vocal range, it was evident during their last few tours, but they never EVER disappointed me when I saw them live. Absolute legends.
@@Riley88990 I remember reading an interview in a guitar or bass magazine years and years ago, where he mentioned doing it. I honestly can't say if he gave Les credit for the inspiration or not. Either way, it kind of worked for him.
I love that they brought up the fact that you can sound like Geddy no matter what bass you’re playing. I’ve played on an ‘03 Geddy J-Bass (MIJ) ever since my brother gave it to me for Christmas that year, and I’ve honed that aggressive Geddy tone with my right hand to the point that I could switch over to my Modulus Quantum V (which has its own tone and feel) and still get that gritty, barking tone. My dad and my brother- both accomplished bassists in their own rights- initially hated that I had developed such a heavy hand due to my Gedhead discipleship. However, after discovering isolated Geddy, Squire, Entwistle, and JPJ bass tracks, they came to realize that 90% of your tone comes from your attack. All of them had their own aggressive styles. The other 10% is divided into what bass and rig you’re playing through. Each bass and rig has its own unique sound. Ampegs will definitely give you a different tone than a Mark Bass; Music Mans will give you a slightly different tone than an Ibanez. But it’s all in the way you approach the instrument. The only time in Rush’s history you can tell he’s playing neither his Rickenbacker nor Jazz was in the late ‘80s with the Wal. That Wal had a very poppy top end, but you could still hear it and say, “Damn, that’s Geddy!”
The reason there were so many people at the Rio show was that it was the first time they had ever toured South America. Some of those people had been waiting for twenty five years to see them!
Geddy talks about his later career “flamenco fingerpick” style to describe that back and forth sweeping style. Geddy was my first bass hero - he just put the bass right out front and covers so much landscape. I first heard Rush when Hemispheres came out and Geddy just blew me away. The other thing about his bass playing was the incredible connection and tightness with Neil on drums (RIP). He also has an incredible sense of melody. While my own tastes have expanded and style has evolved over the years, Geddy will always be my favorite bass player. Thanks for the Geddy Lee birthday present and y’all should definitely interview him!
He started doing that after touring with primus. He liked les’s percussive sound but wasnt a fan of slapping or tapping, and at that time rush was starting to get away from the keys so he felt a need to funkify and fill up the sound. Making his bass parts busier with the flamenco did that. I dont personally like that style of his but that’s definitely why he did it. Although he actually did it very sporadically much earlier in rush’s career. For example on exit stage left, when geddy does his little solo thing at the end of red barchetta, you can hear him doing the flamenco. So he always had it but didnt feature it like he did later. You gotta have nails to do it though. The whole point is to get a picking sound without using a pick. Geddys heroes used a pick like chris squire but he never wanted to use one.
@@trenken Yep, and I'm totally with you that I personally preferred his earlier style. I remember when Moving Pictures came out (am I dating myself?) and it floored me. Everything about it spoke directly to my bass playing self at that time. The tone is unmatched, as is the bass parts.
Geddy is a legend. He is one of those few players that embody the SPIRIT of music in it's essential quality, he knows who he is and can express himself with whatever he can get his hands on.
"Countdown" off of Signals is worth a watch. Geddy gets after the keys and plays open strings on the bass at the same time. I had never seen anything like it live.
I had the pleasure of being in the studio audience at Electric Lady in NYC when Rush played live over the radio. We're talking December '74. Good memories.
This is awesome! Happy 70th Birthday to Geddy today btw! So u hit the nail on the head, Geddy's sound is mostly in his aggressive right hand attack and placement! That's the most important element. And that flamenco attack he began using since "Counterparts" added a whole new dimension to his lines and in my opinion made some of them more difficult to learn than the standard 2 finger plucking lines.
Ya gotta cover Chris Squire from Yes. He heavily influenced Geddy and a million other bassists. Hell, I had a 1974 4001 back in the day and now own a 4003 Rick because of Chris. And yes, you are correct, it didn't matter what bass he played, Geddy always sounded like Geddy. The debate still rages as to what bass he played on various songs. No one knows except the man himself. All I know that no matter what it was he played it still sounds like Geddy.
Geddy is my second favorite bassist, just short of Squire. Much can be debated and there are certainly things Geddy does better, but he is surprisingly deficient in one way that Squire was absolutely expert: timing. When you hear either of their playing in isolation, Squire is always perfectly in time, no matter how fast the run, whereas Geddy (sometimes) actually sounds rather sloppy, especially with his faster flurries of notes (which are very frequent). I first noticed it when learning Red Barchetta and used an iso track of his bass. I also think it's because of Neil that the (occasional, to be clear) sloppiness of Geddy's timing isn't really noticeable when heard in their full context.
Great video guys! You've exposed the tip of the iceberg of Geddy's greatness, so many more performances you could analyze. In my opinion, he's not only the greatest prog-bassist but greatest singer-bassist of any genre. I've not seen any other bassist play his complex lines, sing a completely different melody, and play Taurus pedals. All at the same time! Truly one of a kind.
He was the bassman (a really world class one), he was the keys man, and he was the singer... a killer one... and he did all those things simultaneously... the fkn boss!
Geddy is my personal bass god and I modeled my playing off his aggressive attack and was surprised to learn not every bassist plays that way. There ain’t no going back though
Geddy Sings, bass, Taurus, Keys ( HE'S NUMBER ONE IN MY BOOK ). Got to See RUSH free for years through Skip Gildersleeve, 10 row, stage left. Eye level with Geddy (WOW). When he signed my book I told Geddy about Skip hooking us up when they rolled in town. Geddy smiled and said good O' Skip.
When I got my first bass, the first album I decided to try to play along with was Moving Pictures. It...wasn't quite as easy as I thought. But Geddy is still the most influential bassist in my entire musical career.
Taurus Pedals are considered “bass” pedals, but can be programmed to play the droning “strings” parts as well. Both Geddy and Alex play pedals throughout Tom sawyer.
I still remember the day when I first "hard plucked" the strings on my very first bass, so I said "Woah! This thing sounds like Geddy Lee!". 😍 Today the legendary man reaches 70 years! 🕶
Geddy said in an interview that his technique is sort of a blend of flamenco, typical styles and just digging in. When Geddy played with Yes at the Rock Hall of Fame, he played Roundabout and sounded a bit like himself and Chris Squire. He sounded awesome as always.
"Geddy sounds like Geddy," EXCEPT when he played "Roundabout" with Yes, where he absolutely nailed the Chris Squire sound, and on a Jazz Bass, and without a pick! Very impressive.
Fun fact about rush, my grandfather was the principal at either Alex’s or geddys high school (I don’t remember the full details) and he suspended him for smoking weed behind the school. And my uncle used to jam with Alex’s son.
TIL I learned to play bass in the Geddy Lee style before I learned the "right" way. But it makes sense, Rush lines were some of the first I truly put effort into mastering.
I’ve watched a few of your videos, but this one had me clicking SUBSCRIBE. You two are a hoot - and you’re a good pair, as you frequently deeply offend one another and the laugh it off! That’s just terrific.
I saw Rush in concert several times, and Geddy is just astonishing to see perform. First, he always looks like he's just tootling about, like the sickest bassline you ever heard is simple for him. Second, he wasn't just playing the Taurus bass pedals at the same time. He had what looked like a small doorstopper attached at the neck of his bass, and he was using it to hit keys on a keyboard - probably triggering sounds or sequences. But doing all this at once is just incredible.
I Really enjoyed the video. I'm a singer bassplayer from a Finnish native langueage band with seventeen gold records at home, and my first influences on bass were the three greats of semi distorted sound: Geddy, Chris Squire and Lord Kilmister.
This is so cool expert bass players teaching each other styles of great bass players to convince the other of the reason why their playing is so special. I’m a major geddy fan but a plec player I struggle to copy but his influence is very much embedded
It's important to understand that while Geddy was playing the keyboard, Alex would use his pedals to fill in, or trigger, bass lines. Alex and Geddy played off each other and had the arrangements down to perfection. I can't imagine the hours these three spent in the studio or practice room getting the timing and structure sorted.
I've been a huge Rush fan since I first heard 2112 in my best friends bedroom on a cheap stereo back in 1980. I saw them live many times back in the day and I can attest to the super human virtuosity of all three of these men. The wall of sound they created live just between the three of them was often even bigger and better than their studio tracks. As a bassist he's always been my favorite, and he influenced me a TON! Thanks for this one guys, I really enjoyed it! Oh and Scott... get on board the Geddy train dude!! Ian.. you rock man!
👍The 3rd album, “Caress of Steel” was the beginnings of Rush being a major force in Rock. Geddy’s tone works well in Rush to allow the bass to articulate in the mix more effectively. 😉
Rush manages to be liked by regular rock fans, not just prog fans. That is truly their special skill. Ps. Scott has the musical tast of a 75 year old. I am always amazed by the obscure R&B and Jazz bass players that he talks about.😊
Sorry, Scott- after that opening comment, you need to be fed to the winged creature (with the Carmen Miranda fruit hat) on the cover of the “Rush In Rio” DVD… 😂😂😂 Seriously, you guys did a great job of covering Geddy’s unorthodox right hand technique. (I met him in 2000 right after his solo album came out- so cool, humble and amazing.)
I have never seen a video done about Dave Hope from Kansas. He's also a singular sounding player with some truly magnificent contributions. I'll even double-dog dare ya to try and figure out bass parts to things like The Spider, Magnum Opus, Journey From Mariabronn and Song For America!!!
I had no idea but when you describe how he plays, it’s the same way I play. Geddy has been my hero forever and was so glad I was able to see Rush live.
Rush kind of seems like the silent powerhouse. All my life I've been hearing people obsess over guitarists like Slash, Steve Vai, Jimi Hendrick, Eddie Van Halen, but when people talked about bass, it was almost always Flea, Paul McCartney, or Stanley Clarke. Sometimes Victor Wooten, or Davie. In college I got exposed to Jaco Pastorius, Carol Keyes, and Marcus Miller, as well as classical upright players like Dragonnetti and Botesinni. But I never even heard about Rush or Geddy Lee until my 30s. Now all of a sudden I'm constantly hearing how great he is, how innovative he was, how big his fan base is.
Their music is amazing and all three are/were virtuosos but for some reason they never really had widespread appeal. I'm not sure why. Maybe too technical and complex for the average listener?
Geddy Lee is my yardstick of excellence. I can mention many bass players which inspire me. I can play many different styles. But Geddy is the player who made me want to be a bass player. And digging in is so much fun! I can’t even compare to Geddy, but what I’ve learned is, you develop your style and you apply it to the instrument. And all you can be is the best version of yourself. And I got that fro Geddy. Great chamber, guys!
You can't forget the influence that Yes had on him as well. Not just Chris Squires, but also Jon Anderson. Many parallels can be drawn between their two vocal styles. Rush constantly filled massive stadiums and arenas as the headliner for 30 years. Scott needs to spend some time with their "Hemispheres" album. They're very much on the line of fusion on that album. "La Villa Strangiato" is a piece where they basically plunge right into that realm. Although there is no true improvisation (unless you count Alex Lifeson's rants during the live versions) it's basically executed exactly the same way every time. But the Rush in Rio version of it gave them a chance to streach out a bit. Plus it's quite impressive that, like YYZ, the audience was belting out the entire song back at them! Brazilians are exceptionally passionate people where it comes to their music.
Excellent! At the age of 53 I'm trying to teach myself bass after discovering Rush, turns out all the rattling and buzzing I'm trying to stop is exactly what I'm looking for to sound like Geddy, just turn the amp up! Seems to work attempting Geezer Butler bass lines as well... Great vid chaps.
Thank you, gentlemen! Such a wonderfully instructive and entertaining program! Geddy is such an interesting cat. His books have been a feast. One of the things that you have both pointed out is that his right-hand technique is quite aggressive. That fact alone has caused me to wonder how he didn't escape carpal tunnel issues or other repetitive stress injuries over the years. Thank you also for introducing a younger audience to the fact that this man held down the keyboard/singing/Taurus pedal duty over the years. For those of us who are challenged by walking and chewing gum at the same time, his ability to do all of these things leaves me speechless even after having witnessed 'The Boys' live 24 times. They are no longer a band, but I feel like their legacy will endure; rightly so. Very happy that you have done your bit for them. Peace and prosperity to you, good Sirs.
Chris Squire and John Entwistle, particularly Squire, is an earlier progressive bass monster. Listen to Close to the Edge or Tales from Topographic Oceans, and he is the precursor to prog bass. Rest In Peace, Chris. I would love a Rickenbacker 4003S/5 Bass Guitar, I used to have a 4001, and I now have a few 5-string basses, but I still want the the RIC..It's pricey for me right now. but It has authority. Another Prog bassist was Greg Lake. Hey, I'm old school. Squire was percussion bass. Geddy, Squire, Entwistle, Greg Lake and Jack Bruce are some of my favorites.
I saw them on the “A Farewell to Kings” tour back in high school and I’ve been a devoted Geddy fan since. I’ve met Geddy and Neil at separate times and both of them were genuinely nice guys; hopefully, I’ll get a chance to meet Alex one of these days. As far as bass lines go, I’ve always enjoyed learning Geddy’s lines… And don’t even get me started about “Xanadu!”, lol!
I love Getty, Steve Harris, John Myung, Billy Sheehan, Geezer Butler, Frank Bello, Cliff Burton, Jason Newstead, I could go on and on. So just keep the videos coming.
One thought, re: 8:51 in the video. I don't know that they ever played to "tracks". They triggered a lot of stuff, be it with keyboards, taurus pedals, or Neil hitting an electronic pad. They definitely used rhythmic tracks, usually an arpeggiated synth thing that was in the original recording. But not tracks like you think of modern artists playing to, where main, important parts were happening because the musicians couldn't cover them. If there was a sound happening on stage, they were making it happen live. Great video as always, guys!
Long live Geddy. His playing style is one of the reasons I because a fan of Rush. Justin Chancellor is another fabulous bassist with an aggressive style. Gotta love the tone of his Wal.
Baddass show!!! LOVE RIO! people whose first language is portugese, singing the songs word for word, RUSH has touched more people in the world in life changing ways/connections with feelings we all have. Thanks you guys, ROCK, funk it up!
Great video! I agree Geddy is the man (singer), the myth (keyboards), the legend(bass) of music! While it's not a Rush show in Nov, I'm excited to go see Geddy Lee's book tour event for My EFFIN' Life in Philly! I hope he gonna sign some books afterward.
With all the due respect, the video title is misleading. Geddy Lee is GOD. As much as Jimi. And Rush was made of GODS. What a perfect band, I regret I wasn't able to see them live. Thanks for this video, much much appreciated!
On his 70th birthday as one of the greatest bassists from the 70s! Best part of the Rio tour was that they had no idea those guys were THAT giddy for Rush!
one of my FAVORITE bass players who made me the bass player i am is Stuart Henderson of The delgados his lines and phrasing were awesome super underrated band as a whole and broke up in 2005 JUST before the indie alt scene GAHHH if there was a reunion concsert ANY WHERE ON EARTH EVEN FOR 1 DAY I"D GO
I’m so sad I was never able to see rush live. Rush is one of the best bands I’ve ever known and I’m glad this video came out brought out some cool opinions. Awesome stuff guys
When it came to live performances, both Geddy and Alex played Taurus peddles. With Alex playing the lowest notes and Geddy playing the higher. Just one of the myriad reasons why Rush were the greatest band ever! 👍
My approach is heavy handed as well. Thank you Jack Bruce, John Entwistle and Geddy Lee! Those weren't even great examples of Geddy's playing in those clips, Scott would definitely be impressed when Geddy starts really burning!
Funny thing mentioning his singing, before I knew anything about Rush I seriously thought they had a female lead singer lol. Geddy can hit those high notes for sure. Also, Scott, I LOVE that Alleva Coppolo there. The color combo and block inlays with lollipop tuners... drooooool. YES! GREAT video guys.
I play a 90's Aria Pro II and I CONSTANTLY get friction blisters on my right hand due to playing too much Rush. My girlfriend always loved the bass, but she says she never heard it "quite that way" before she met me, that my sound is "violent". Then she heard Caress of Steel and she was like "oooh, I get it".
geddy is history's greatest musician hands down. singing, bass keyboards with his feet and wrote 98% of the melodies, and all of the sound effects...think of the bridge of Force Ten-genius
So many riffs when he constructs rushs bass tracks. It is outstanding and another layer of difficulty usually different timesignatures and tight Breaks.
Geddy’s sound was mostly his dynamics. He pounded those strings like they owed him money. I first saw them live in 1980 on their Permanent Waves tour and never missed them any tour after that. I saw them 32 times over the decades and Geddy was always amazing to watch him juggling vocals, bass and keyboards. Most bassists just need to learn how to get round wound strings and learn to hit them with some serious authority to sound like Geddy. You don’t have to have a Geddy signature Jazz Bass or the Geddy signature Sans Amp, because you can have all of that and still not match his sound if you don’t have the finger strength to pound those strings like you’re trying to bust them. That’s the key to sounding like Geddy on bass. I always found him to be the most impressive bassists to watch live. The fact that he could sing lead on every song, play keyboards and still play the bass as good as anyone ever had is always a marvel to watch live.
All the world's a stage was the door opened in the late 70s to my loving for Rush and Astoning playing and bass tone from the one and only Geddy Lee. It's still contined today Thanks Ian and Scott for this episode. I wish to see another great bass player who mainly works with Joe Jackson... Please do an episode with Graham Maby... Please!
One thing I did learn, and use today is, doing 16th notes with my middle finger going up and down on whatever string with I can't do it with 2 fingers.
We need one of these deeper dives on the legendary Geezer Butler one of my biggest inspirations and who i try to sound like the most in my short bass playing journey
Albums like Power Windows, Hold Your Fire and Presto could be Scott's ticket into Rush. Those albums have beautiful melodies and showcase Geddy at his absolute peak imho.
I was in the Rush In Rio show, in front of Geddy Lee. I'll never forget the look on his face when the crowd started to sing YYZ.
That would have been fucking amazing
@@montlejohnbojangles8937how do you sing YYZ lolz
@@emobassistbruh thats what i was thinking lol
@@Wizardhandzsing the riff lol. The live video is amazing
Lol never knew it was a … oh crap as I type this ninjas
Showed up and cut meee
All three of those guys are the greatest! And rest in peace, Mr Peart
Thanks for the shout-out Scott! IMO Geddy Lee, Chris Squire, and John Entwistle are the three godfathers of exactly the thing you're demonstrating in this video - the bright strike-through chime and attack, but not so much that it strangles the note - it actually enhances it. And notice how Geddy doesn't look like he's mangling the strings to get that sound! It's pretty sublime.
As a bassist myself I agree I might add Greg Lake also. Plus you’re a beast of a bassist Bryan….love your playing….great tone great feel.
It's a hard technique to pull off, at least for me. You have to hit the string hard but not too hard to choke it out completely. Getting that consistent attack every time is tough.
Those are my top three GOAT rock bass players!
My 3 favorite bass players as well
Don't forget Geezer!
I’d say Geddy is the Progson, Chris Squire is the Progfather, and John Entwistle is the Grandprogger. Three of my favorite bassists :)
I love Scott's Bass Lessons, but it's about time this channel showed Geddy some love.
Every Rush fan is like a normal fan x100. The love is so real! If I could be in any concert in life, it would be Rush in Rio... those fans were the absolute best!
Geddy is incredible, Rush is one of the greatest bands of all time imo
they’re definitely my number 1 or two band of all time. They could be 1a and 1b with Led Zeppelin
Happy Birthday to the man himself! Rush as a whole is 3 of the greatest of their respective instruments. A true pioneer of Progressive and articulate music
True! And great lyrics by Mr. Peart.
Geddy Lee was so influential to all those funk metal guys. Les Claypool, Timmy C, Dirk Lance, FLEA, Billy Gould. The idea of really smacking through the string is prevalent with all those guys.
Justice finally done! SBL finally recognises the brilliance of Geddy!
Ive always loved the bass on anthem. Its about as complex as any bass line and he wrote it in his early 20's. Geddy is the best
The difference, I think, about Rush time signatures was that they always serve the riff or phrase. They're not doing it to be clever, but because the music required it.
And because they could . Those three loved to play and play hard . Every song of theirs has a challenge or challenges
I never have to count playing Neil, it always feels
..just right, shrug
"...but because the music required it". That is absolutely dead on, and that is the description i've been struggling to put into words for nearly thirty years. It's the hidden ingredient that makes their music such a joy to listen to.
Immediately makes me think of Tool, inasmuch as they are a great example of using odd time signatures to be clever. The outcome is generally the opposite of what Rush produces: it's boring.
Geddy grows out his nails and uses them to get that grinding, aggressive sound. He did it because he was never comfortable playing with a pick, but he loved the tone. It's soooo nasty good. He lost some of his higher vocal range, it was evident during their last few tours, but they never EVER disappointed me when I saw them live. Absolute legends.
I believe Les Claypool was what got him into that lol real nasty good
@@Riley88990 I remember reading an interview in a guitar or bass magazine years and years ago, where he mentioned doing it. I honestly can't say if he gave Les credit for the inspiration or not. Either way, it kind of worked for him.
I keep my nails short and just pluck the strings harder to get the same effect. Keeping a low action helps.
Have you see Geddy played Roundabout with Yes? I still prefer Chris's, but Geddy wasn't slouch. Still very cool.
@@anta40 Yes, I think I've seen it.
I love that they brought up the fact that you can sound like Geddy no matter what bass you’re playing. I’ve played on an ‘03 Geddy J-Bass (MIJ) ever since my brother gave it to me for Christmas that year, and I’ve honed that aggressive Geddy tone with my right hand to the point that I could switch over to my Modulus Quantum V (which has its own tone and feel) and still get that gritty, barking tone. My dad and my brother- both accomplished bassists in their own rights- initially hated that I had developed such a heavy hand due to my Gedhead discipleship. However, after discovering isolated Geddy, Squire, Entwistle, and JPJ bass tracks, they came to realize that 90% of your tone comes from your attack. All of them had their own aggressive styles. The other 10% is divided into what bass and rig you’re playing through. Each bass and rig has its own unique sound. Ampegs will definitely give you a different tone than a Mark Bass; Music Mans will give you a slightly different tone than an Ibanez. But it’s all in the way you approach the instrument. The only time in Rush’s history you can tell he’s playing neither his Rickenbacker nor Jazz was in the late ‘80s with the Wal. That Wal had a very poppy top end, but you could still hear it and say, “Damn, that’s Geddy!”
The reason there were so many people at the Rio show was that it was the first time they had ever toured South America. Some of those people had been waiting for twenty five years to see them!
Geddy talks about his later career “flamenco fingerpick” style to describe that back and forth sweeping style. Geddy was my first bass hero - he just put the bass right out front and covers so much landscape. I first heard Rush when Hemispheres came out and Geddy just blew me away. The other thing about his bass playing was the incredible connection and tightness with Neil on drums (RIP). He also has an incredible sense of melody. While my own tastes have expanded and style has evolved over the years, Geddy will always be my favorite bass player. Thanks for the Geddy Lee birthday present and y’all should definitely interview him!
He started doing that after touring with primus. He liked les’s percussive sound but wasnt a fan of slapping or tapping, and at that time rush was starting to get away from the keys so he felt a need to funkify and fill up the sound. Making his bass parts busier with the flamenco did that. I dont personally like that style of his but that’s definitely why he did it.
Although he actually did it very sporadically much earlier in rush’s career. For example on exit stage left, when geddy does his little solo thing at the end of red barchetta, you can hear him doing the flamenco. So he always had it but didnt feature it like he did later. You gotta have nails to do it though. The whole point is to get a picking sound without using a pick. Geddys heroes used a pick like chris squire but he never wanted to use one.
@@trenken Yep, and I'm totally with you that I personally preferred his earlier style. I remember when Moving Pictures came out (am I dating myself?) and it floored me. Everything about it spoke directly to my bass playing self at that time. The tone is unmatched, as is the bass parts.
All he’s doing is using his middle finger as a guitar pick… which isn’t easy to just “do” in this application
@@MyVideos-fm7ug he uses his index finger
Geddy is a legend. He is one of those few players that embody the SPIRIT of music in it's essential quality, he knows who he is and can express himself with whatever he can get his hands on.
💯💯💯
"Countdown" off of Signals is worth a watch. Geddy gets after the keys and plays open strings on the bass at the same time. I had never seen anything like it live.
Absolute 🔥🔥🔥 skills from Geddy!
I had the pleasure of being in the studio audience at Electric Lady in NYC when Rush played live over the radio. We're talking December '74. Good memories.
So awesome dude! 🔥
This is awesome! Happy 70th Birthday to Geddy today btw! So u hit the nail on the head, Geddy's sound is mostly in his aggressive right hand attack and placement! That's the most important element. And that flamenco attack he began using since "Counterparts" added a whole new dimension to his lines and in my opinion made some of them more difficult to learn than the standard 2 finger plucking lines.
My favorite Geddy bass line is from Digital Man. Just love the melody.
So sick! 🦠
I was at the concert in Rio and it was awesome!! The crowd and the band had such a good time! Amazing.
Awesome, looked like an incredible experience! 🔥
Ya gotta cover Chris Squire from Yes. He heavily influenced Geddy and a million other bassists. Hell, I had a 1974 4001 back in the day and now own a 4003 Rick because of Chris.
And yes, you are correct, it didn't matter what bass he played, Geddy always sounded like Geddy. The debate still rages as to what bass he played on various songs. No one knows except the man himself. All I know that no matter what it was he played it still sounds like Geddy.
Geddy is my second favorite bassist, just short of Squire. Much can be debated and there are certainly things Geddy does better, but he is surprisingly deficient in one way that Squire was absolutely expert: timing. When you hear either of their playing in isolation, Squire is always perfectly in time, no matter how fast the run, whereas Geddy (sometimes) actually sounds rather sloppy, especially with his faster flurries of notes (which are very frequent). I first noticed it when learning Red Barchetta and used an iso track of his bass. I also think it's because of Neil that the (occasional, to be clear) sloppiness of Geddy's timing isn't really noticeable when heard in their full context.
Great video guys! You've exposed the tip of the iceberg of Geddy's greatness, so many more performances you could analyze. In my opinion, he's not only the greatest prog-bassist but greatest singer-bassist of any genre. I've not seen any other bassist play his complex lines, sing a completely different melody, and play Taurus pedals. All at the same time! Truly one of a kind.
He was the bassman (a really world class one), he was the keys man, and he was the singer... a killer one... and he did all those things simultaneously... the fkn boss!
Geddy is my personal bass god and I modeled my playing off his aggressive attack and was surprised to learn not every bassist plays that way. There ain’t no going back though
My man
Geddy Lee...is...da...man! He's why I started playing bass.
Geddy Sings, bass, Taurus, Keys ( HE'S NUMBER ONE IN MY BOOK ). Got to See RUSH free for years through Skip Gildersleeve, 10 row, stage left. Eye level with Geddy (WOW). When he signed my book I told Geddy about Skip hooking us up when they rolled in town. Geddy smiled and said good O' Skip.
I was there in that show, here in Rio, at Maracanã Stadium. The croud sang every riff. It was a dream comming true to see theese 3 guys live!
That's so awesome, must have been a hell of an experience! 🙌🏻🧡🔥
Sure it was! Geddy is my hero!
When I got my first bass, the first album I decided to try to play along with was Moving Pictures. It...wasn't quite as easy as I thought. But Geddy is still the most influential bassist in my entire musical career.
Awesome dude! Geddy has been such an inspiration to SO many bass players! 🙌🏻🧡🔥
Geddy was about the worst choice to copy. Maybe play along with Devo's Freedom of Choice. I heard a bit of "Whip It" at 14:30 in the video.
Geddy is THE reason I play bass. I'm still not sure Scott is entirely convinced though.
Nobody can play like Geddy
Taurus Pedals are considered “bass” pedals, but can be programmed to play the droning “strings” parts as well. Both Geddy and Alex play pedals throughout Tom sawyer.
I still remember the day when I first "hard plucked" the strings on my very first bass, so I said "Woah! This thing sounds like Geddy Lee!". 😍 Today the legendary man reaches 70 years! 🕶
Moving Pictures is the backdrop to my life. Lost count how many times I've listened to that album.
MP is an amazing record, along with 2112 and Permanent Waves (and many others!)
All three trigger sounds, Alex via midi/Taurus bass pedals, Neil via pads, etc.
Thank for turning on Scott to Geddy lee and RUSH
Geddy said in an interview that his technique is sort of a blend of flamenco, typical styles and just digging in. When Geddy played with Yes at the Rock Hall of Fame, he played Roundabout and sounded a bit like himself and Chris Squire. He sounded awesome as always.
"Geddy sounds like Geddy," EXCEPT when he played "Roundabout" with Yes, where he absolutely nailed the Chris Squire sound, and on a Jazz Bass, and without a pick! Very impressive.
Rush is the best band in the history of the universe
Fun fact about rush, my grandfather was the principal at either Alex’s or geddys high school (I don’t remember the full details) and he suspended him for smoking weed behind the school. And my uncle used to jam with Alex’s son.
Both, I think they went to high school together. That is dope as hell!
Happy Birthday to the Ged. If not for him I never would have considered a J style bass... Now I cant get enough of em.
TIL I learned to play bass in the Geddy Lee style before I learned the "right" way. But it makes sense, Rush lines were some of the first I truly put effort into mastering.
I’ve watched a few of your videos, but this one had me clicking SUBSCRIBE. You two are a hoot - and you’re a good pair, as you frequently deeply offend one another and the laugh it off! That’s just terrific.
I saw Rush in concert several times, and Geddy is just astonishing to see perform. First, he always looks like he's just tootling about, like the sickest bassline you ever heard is simple for him. Second, he wasn't just playing the Taurus bass pedals at the same time. He had what looked like a small doorstopper attached at the neck of his bass, and he was using it to hit keys on a keyboard - probably triggering sounds or sequences. But doing all this at once is just incredible.
I Really enjoyed the video. I'm a singer bassplayer from a Finnish native langueage band with seventeen gold records at home, and my first influences on bass were the three greats of semi distorted sound: Geddy, Chris Squire and Lord Kilmister.
This is so cool expert bass players teaching each other styles of great bass players to convince the other of the reason why their playing is so special. I’m a major geddy fan but a plec player I struggle to copy but his influence is very much embedded
It's important to understand that while Geddy was playing the keyboard, Alex would use his pedals to fill in, or trigger, bass lines. Alex and Geddy played off each other and had the arrangements down to perfection. I can't imagine the hours these three spent in the studio or practice room getting the timing and structure sorted.
I've been a huge Rush fan since I first heard 2112 in my best friends bedroom on a cheap stereo back in 1980. I saw them live many times back in the day and I can attest to the super human virtuosity of all three of these men. The wall of sound they created live just between the three of them was often even bigger and better than their studio tracks. As a bassist he's always been my favorite, and he influenced me a TON! Thanks for this one guys, I really enjoyed it! Oh and Scott... get on board the Geddy train dude!! Ian.. you rock man!
👍The 3rd album, “Caress of Steel” was the beginnings of Rush being a major force in Rock. Geddy’s tone works well in Rush to allow the bass to articulate in the mix more effectively. 😉
Please do more video about Geddy and his playing!
Agreed, more Geddy is needed!
Rush manages to be liked by regular rock fans, not just prog fans. That is truly their special skill.
Ps. Scott has the musical tast of a 75 year old. I am always amazed by the obscure R&B and Jazz bass players that he talks about.😊
Sorry, Scott- after that opening comment, you need to be fed to the winged creature (with the Carmen Miranda fruit hat) on the cover of the “Rush In Rio” DVD… 😂😂😂
Seriously, you guys did a great job of covering Geddy’s unorthodox right hand technique. (I met him in 2000 right after his solo album came out- so cool, humble and amazing.)
I have never seen a video done about Dave Hope from Kansas. He's also a singular sounding player with some truly magnificent contributions. I'll even double-dog dare ya to try and figure out bass parts to things like The Spider, Magnum Opus, Journey From Mariabronn and Song For America!!!
Und immer wieder kommt jemand um die Ecke und sagt er kenne etwas noch viel besseres! Langweilig!
I had no idea but when you describe how he plays, it’s the same way I play. Geddy has been my hero forever and was so glad I was able to see Rush live.
Awesome Brad! Thanks for watching! 🙌🏻🧡🔥
Rush kind of seems like the silent powerhouse. All my life I've been hearing people obsess over guitarists like Slash, Steve Vai, Jimi Hendrick, Eddie Van Halen, but when people talked about bass, it was almost always Flea, Paul McCartney, or Stanley Clarke. Sometimes Victor Wooten, or Davie. In college I got exposed to Jaco Pastorius, Carol Keyes, and Marcus Miller, as well as classical upright players like Dragonnetti and Botesinni. But I never even heard about Rush or Geddy Lee until my 30s. Now all of a sudden I'm constantly hearing how great he is, how innovative he was, how big his fan base is.
you could say the same thing about Alex Lifeson. He seems to get drowned out by the absolute masters that are his band mates, Neil Peart and Geddy Lee
Their music is amazing and all three are/were virtuosos but for some reason they never really had widespread appeal. I'm not sure why. Maybe too technical and complex for the average listener?
Dig in like Geddy Lee!
Geddy Lee is my yardstick of excellence. I can mention many bass players which inspire me. I can play many different styles. But Geddy is the player who made me want to be a bass player. And digging in is so much fun! I can’t even compare to Geddy, but what I’ve learned is, you develop your style and you apply it to the instrument. And all you can be is the best version of yourself. And I got that fro Geddy. Great chamber, guys!
I saw Rush a couple times before, amazing live Geddy's so hype. I like the growl I get on my Spector when I dig in, so do it all the time.
You can't forget the influence that Yes had on him as well. Not just Chris Squires, but also Jon Anderson. Many parallels can be drawn between their two vocal styles.
Rush constantly filled massive stadiums and arenas as the headliner for 30 years.
Scott needs to spend some time with their "Hemispheres" album. They're very much on the line of fusion on that album. "La Villa Strangiato" is a piece where they basically plunge right into that realm. Although there is no true improvisation (unless you count Alex Lifeson's rants during the live versions) it's basically executed exactly the same way every time. But the Rush in Rio version of it gave them a chance to streach out a bit. Plus it's quite impressive that, like YYZ, the audience was belting out the entire song back at them! Brazilians are exceptionally passionate people where it comes to their music.
Excellent! At the age of 53 I'm trying to teach myself bass after discovering Rush, turns out all the rattling and buzzing I'm trying to stop is exactly what I'm looking for to sound like Geddy, just turn the amp up!
Seems to work attempting Geezer Butler bass lines as well...
Great vid chaps.
Thank you, gentlemen! Such a wonderfully instructive and entertaining program! Geddy is such an interesting cat. His books have been a feast. One of the things that you have both pointed out is that his right-hand technique is quite aggressive. That fact alone has caused me to wonder how he didn't escape carpal tunnel issues or other repetitive stress injuries over the years. Thank you also for introducing a younger audience to the fact that this man held down the keyboard/singing/Taurus pedal duty over the years. For those of us who are challenged by walking and chewing gum at the same time, his ability to do all of these things leaves me speechless even after having witnessed 'The Boys' live 24 times. They are no longer a band, but I feel like their legacy will endure; rightly so. Very happy that you have done your bit for them. Peace and prosperity to you, good Sirs.
Chris Squire and John Entwistle, particularly Squire, is an earlier progressive bass monster. Listen to Close to the Edge or Tales from Topographic Oceans, and he is the precursor to prog bass. Rest In Peace, Chris. I would love a Rickenbacker 4003S/5 Bass Guitar, I used to have a 4001, and I now have a few 5-string basses, but I still want the the RIC..It's pricey for me right now. but It has authority. Another Prog bassist was Greg Lake. Hey, I'm old school. Squire was percussion bass. Geddy, Squire, Entwistle, Greg Lake and Jack Bruce are some of my favorites.
Absolutely, Geddy Lee is an iconic bassist, and he's in great company with those legends! 🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻
I saw them on the “A Farewell to Kings” tour back in high school and I’ve been a devoted Geddy fan since. I’ve met Geddy and Neil at separate times and both of them were genuinely nice guys; hopefully, I’ll get a chance to meet Alex one of these days. As far as bass lines go, I’ve always enjoyed learning Geddy’s lines… And don’t even get me started about “Xanadu!”, lol!
🧡🧡🧡
Been a rush fanatic since 78 here in uk. Saw them live 10 times wish it was more.
I loved Ged's sound when he was on the Wal bass.
💯💯💯 Killer!
I love Getty, Steve Harris, John Myung, Billy Sheehan, Geezer Butler, Frank Bello, Cliff Burton, Jason Newstead, I could go on and on. So just keep the videos coming.
One thought, re: 8:51 in the video. I don't know that they ever played to "tracks". They triggered a lot of stuff, be it with keyboards, taurus pedals, or Neil hitting an electronic pad. They definitely used rhythmic tracks, usually an arpeggiated synth thing that was in the original recording. But not tracks like you think of modern artists playing to, where main, important parts were happening because the musicians couldn't cover them. If there was a sound happening on stage, they were making it happen live. Great video as always, guys!
Long live Geddy. His playing style is one of the reasons I because a fan of Rush. Justin Chancellor is another fabulous bassist with an aggressive style. Gotta love the tone of his Wal.
Absolutely dude! We love Geddy & Justin. Killer players! 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻
Rush has been such a huge influence in my bass and guitar playing I’m convinced everyone should learn from them
That's awesome dude! Definitely some great lessons to be learned from Rush & Geddy Lee! 🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻
Baddass show!!! LOVE RIO! people whose first language is portugese, singing the songs word for word, RUSH has touched more people in the world in life changing ways/connections with feelings we all have.
Thanks you guys, ROCK, funk it up!
Great vid. Would love to see one on Michael Shuman or all of QOTSA's bassists. Or Jesse Keeler from Death From Above
Loved this. Please feature the late Mick Karn of Japan
Some insanely brilliant fretless playing
Great video! I agree Geddy is the man (singer), the myth (keyboards), the legend(bass) of music! While it's not a Rush show in Nov, I'm excited to go see Geddy Lee's book tour event for My EFFIN' Life in Philly! I hope he gonna sign some books afterward.
With all the due respect, the video title is misleading. Geddy Lee is GOD. As much as Jimi. And Rush was made of GODS. What a perfect band, I regret I wasn't able to see them live. Thanks for this video, much much appreciated!
I was at snakes and arrows concert in Glasgow Oct 2008,..Geddy was bass God🙏✨✨
Awesome dude! 🔥
I think Scott just needs to listen to all twenty Rush studio albums!
Favourite band, first seen in Glasgow at the SECC on the Hold Your Fire tour. Seen many time since and always fantastic.
Awesome dude! 🤘🏻
Such a huge Geddy fan he is playing a Wal bass which was used on The Big Money. Geddy is simply the best for all reasons ;)
I love playing clanking hard, up on the neck too with tone rolled off. Geezer butler is my bass hero
On his 70th birthday as one of the greatest bassists from the 70s! Best part of the Rio tour was that they had no idea those guys were THAT giddy for Rush!
I think Alex played the Taurus pedals when Geddy was playing keys. Cool video!
Its a korg set up like a moog, really interesting
Oh how I wish you'd have covered Camera Eye, from Moving Pictures, I absolutely love that one. Still bloody brilliant stuff, Thanks
one of my FAVORITE bass players who made me the bass player i am is Stuart Henderson of The delgados his lines and phrasing were awesome super underrated band as a whole and broke up in 2005 JUST before the indie alt scene GAHHH if there was a reunion concsert ANY WHERE ON EARTH EVEN FOR 1 DAY I"D GO
I’m so sad I was never able to see rush live. Rush is one of the best bands I’ve ever known and I’m glad this video came out brought out some cool opinions. Awesome stuff guys
When it came to live performances, both Geddy and Alex played Taurus peddles. With Alex playing the lowest notes and Geddy playing the higher. Just one of the myriad reasons why Rush were the greatest band ever! 👍
Thanks for sharing dude! What a combo!
My approach is heavy handed as well. Thank you Jack Bruce, John Entwistle and Geddy Lee! Those weren't even great examples of Geddy's playing in those clips, Scott would definitely be impressed when Geddy starts really burning!
Funny thing mentioning his singing, before I knew anything about Rush I seriously thought they had a female lead singer lol. Geddy can hit those high notes for sure. Also, Scott, I LOVE that Alleva Coppolo there. The color combo and block inlays with lollipop tuners... drooooool. YES! GREAT video guys.
Haha, Geddy's vocal range is impressive! Glad you love the Alleva Coppolo too - it's a drool-worthy bass 🤤
His voice could be somewhat shrill in the early days but he improved drastically.
I play a 90's Aria Pro II and I CONSTANTLY get friction blisters on my right hand due to playing too much Rush. My girlfriend always loved the bass, but she says she never heard it "quite that way" before she met me, that my sound is "violent". Then she heard Caress of Steel and she was like "oooh, I get it".
These player focused videos are awesome. Loved the Steve Harris video as well…definitely motivates me to pick up my bass! Give us Lemmy next!!
geddy is history's greatest musician hands down. singing, bass keyboards with his feet and wrote 98% of the melodies, and all of the sound effects...think of the bridge of Force Ten-genius
So many riffs when he constructs rushs bass tracks. It is outstanding and another layer of difficulty usually different timesignatures and tight
Breaks.
I would add Chris Squire (Yes) to the Mount Rushmore of bass
To the bass players starting out with Geddy Lee; Get ready for the blisters
Geddy’s sound was mostly his dynamics. He pounded those strings like they owed him money. I first saw them live in 1980 on their Permanent Waves tour and never missed them any tour after that. I saw them 32 times over the decades and Geddy was always amazing to watch him juggling vocals, bass and keyboards.
Most bassists just need to learn how to get round wound strings and learn to hit them with some serious authority to sound like Geddy. You don’t have to have a Geddy signature Jazz Bass or the Geddy signature Sans Amp, because you can have all of that and still not match his sound if you don’t have the finger strength to pound those strings like you’re trying to bust them.
That’s the key to sounding like Geddy on bass. I always found him to be the most impressive bassists to watch live. The fact that he could sing lead on every song, play keyboards and still play the bass as good as anyone ever had is always a marvel to watch live.
All the world's a stage was the door opened in the late 70s to my loving for Rush and Astoning playing and bass tone from the one and only Geddy Lee. It's still contined today Thanks Ian and Scott for this episode.
I wish to see another great bass player who mainly works with Joe Jackson... Please do an episode with Graham Maby... Please!
Yes dude! Geddy is such an inspiration. Sounds like we need to get our ears onto some Graham Maby, thanks for the suggestion, we'll take a look!
One thing I did learn, and use today is, doing 16th notes with my middle finger going up and down on whatever string with I can't do it with 2 fingers.
We need one of these deeper dives on the legendary Geezer Butler one of my biggest inspirations and who i try to sound like the most in my short bass playing journey
Thanks for the suggestion dude! We definitely need to make that happen!
First Steve Harris then Geddy Lee! You two are killing it.
Thanks dude! 🙌🏻
Albums like Power Windows, Hold Your Fire and Presto could be Scott's ticket into Rush. Those albums have beautiful melodies and showcase Geddy at his absolute peak imho.
🔥🔥🔥
That was a lot of fun! Let’s hear something on cliff williams from AC/DC next. He’s slept on way too much