My three tips for beginner bassists as an old dude: 1) Get a drum machine and practice against it non stop. Timing is everything when you are in the rhythm section. 2) Learn chords and understand how they fit into scales. Yes you won't use them directly, but a chord is just an arpegio played all at once. These are the basic notes you'll be writing your baselines from. So if the songs in A minor. The chords will be triads that fit that scale. Theres your notes, now use them to make the drummers beat pop. 3) Keep it simple, and follow. By supporting the beat, and supporting (not defining! Unless thats what the song is, of course) the chords and melody, you make the whole band sound great, and hopefully they'll pass it back and give you a chance to pop your own spotlight. and finally, when your competent, go learn jazz. Seriously, those cats have some fucking great theory going on, and even if its not your first choice of music , it WILL make you a better musician. Oh and in Jazz, the bassist gets to solo....every.....damn.....song. Mingus, Pastorious, Wooten, all those guys are/where fucken amazin
Right on. Jazz really teaches you a lot, even if you don't want to play it full time afterwards. And one of the greats, Ron Carter, is pretty far from a flashy player. Most of the time he's just outlining the chords or walking through scales. In the groups he played for, like Miles' Second Great Quintet (with Tony Williams on drums!), he was essentially the music director. No matter what crazy ass out shit one of the other players was doing, Ron was there making sure the form carried on and everyone knew where it was, including the listener.
@@theredhotchilipepperssexof4269 You know, separate the art products from the artists. I like Metallica music even though I knew Lars is a manipulative and greedy s.o.b who almost screwed his bandmate's career. That's just my opinion, though. And I thought Western countries have respect toward different opinions.
@@theredhotchilipepperssexof4269 thank you for that report. I have a feeling we would have a much lower opinion of many of our male heroes if we spend more time listening to the women that had to work with them.
Frusciante said the same thing in an interview '''hear what the others are playing and try to compliment them''! That's why their jams was so pure and fantastic,both were playing for the music!
Okay, I admit that it's subjective as to whether or not Kiedis messes everything up. What is inarguable is that Anthony Kiedis IS most definitely a bona fide prat.
Playing with a solid rhythm section, bass and drums, when they are in time and in the pocket, it's the greatest of luxuries you can have as a guitarist.
If you listen to one of the greatest rhythm sections in rock, check out Minutemen and fIREHOSE. Mike Watt and George Hurley were so locked in together there are times when the guitar just drops out or plays a few notes here and there and it doesn't sound empty at all.
I care about the guitarist last. Not that I don't care, but he's in line behind the drummer, keyboardist, singer, sound guy and the drunk chicks dancing in front.
I started playing bass because I couldn't find any good bass players to play with, just failed guitarists who couldn't hold chords. When I started learning bass, I looked at it as inferior to guitar. After 6 months of lessons and practicing, my guitar had dust on it and I only wanted to play bass. I no longer saw it as an inferior instrument or even compared it to guitar because I realized that comparing it to guitar would be like comparing a harp or violin to a guitar. It's a completely different instrument and should be played that way. Bass should be felt more than heard, it's what moves people and bridges melody with percussion. I completely agree that it's a supportive instrument and is reactive. After mastering modes and developing my technique I could play without thinking. I would feel the music and my playing became a reflex to what my bandmates would play. I love the bass, it was the instrument I was meant to play and wouldn't be happy playing anything else.
J G the bassist for system of a down started the same way haha. he was a guitarist but all the bassists were either guitarists trying to be bassists or wanmabe cliff burton shredder virtuosos. so he decided to take it upon himself to learn and then find a guitarist. which he met daron. then the rest is history
That's a common path. Anyone who's primarily a guitarist benefits a ton from learning bass, too, and not just bullshitting through it, but really learning the instrument and how a bassist thinks. (Vice versa, too.) A lot of guitarists only so-so know the neck, but on a bass you absolutely have to know the neck in all keys.
Talking about "feeling the bass", i knew a guy who was an outstanding bass player, who suffered from progressive hearing loss. After several years he was almost completely deaf, and yet he continued to play the bass as well as ever. His trick? he had a special cabinet of plywood constructed, with a speaker in it. He would route the signal of his bass and the drummer's kick to the speaker which would rattle the plywood cabinet on which he stood atop. He played by literally feeling the bass. It was pretty incredible.
This is not just an advice for bass players. Its a advice for other musicians who allways look down on that guy who just plays rooted instead of playin 'machine gun slapping' and tapping around all the time.
yea fuck that u come jammin and just play roots then u are hurting everyones playing because ur lack of skill, i think he means more of accenting the notes and chords and feel or sound that the other instruments are giving. unless im exaggerating what u meant by "just plays roots" but 65 people argreed with u and idk bout all that
If the song calls for things other than root notes, and the bass player stays rooted, he's a shit bass player. I'm with you about slapping and tapping though. Too many people try and force that shit into everything.
That's awesome advice Mr. Flea .. Sometimes people overlook the Bass guitarist.. But the truth is, he's the one who gives his band mates what they need to drive on. Long Live the Fire of the Bass Guitarist's!!! Thanks for sharing that very important knowledge..👍
The more i listen to what this guy actually has to say, the more respect i have for him. This is really sound advice and i totally appreciate how honest and for real he is when he speaks.
Great advice. I would add what Abe Laboriel (perhaps the world's most prolific session bassist with over 2000 records under his belt) told us in a clinic he was teaching in Costa Rica: Always think about committing all your musical talent to help the composer materialize the music he wrote, nothing else matters. It is worthless to play super busy lines if you are ignoring what the composer wants to convey, and no one would hire you again.
This is why I love Flea. Play the obvious. Serve the song. Play on the kick drum. Then, when it's your turn to shine, Shine. And Flea, you are Magic Johnson of bass.
It is when he stops all the slapping and popping. In other words when he's in Atoms for peace. RHCP have to be one of the most overrated bands of all time.
Wow! That's the single best advice I've ever heard! I used to tell my advanced students the most important thing to do to be a good bass player - is to THINK like a bass player (it's more in your head, than in your fingers). Meaning to never forget your Job One, which is to be the root, the base, for all the other instruments to build upon. Then you can add a little flourish to fill-out the music, but job one was being the anchor. And this comes from a notoriously "busy" player. And there is no greater lesson for any musician who wants to make all the instruments gel into that magical being that is the synergy of all the players, than to listen AND feel the music! Sometimes, with all our amazing musical gymnastics, some players lose sight of finding that groove that makes it all work as a unit, and the extra little sparkles that not only add to the music, but add to (and not detract from) the FEELING and mood of each particular song. Through the years I reconnect with players from the past, and we recently had a laugh when each of us long-time players said to each other that our best talent (beyond all the hot stuff that made names for us), was that we had the "magical" talent to make any one we played with or any session or gig sounds its very best. We each claimed we could take a stinky gig or a dull session and breath a substantial amount of life into it - sometimes that meant stepping up and playing more aggressively, but more often it meant playing tastefully and adding what was needed. And all that was done by listening to the overall sound, tight interaction with the drummer (and other players), keeping a SOLID bass anchor, and gently placing some sparkles and flavor where it would best fit the FEEL of the song, or help support the featured performer. ---------------------- Flea, I play/played a completely different style than you (prog-rock and fusion), but I always enjoyed and respected your playing so much, from the very earliest days of hearing you (early 80s? before the RHCP were a household name), and I always found such deep inspiration from your performing with these very same principles in mind. Made me wish I did more slappin' and poppin' - like you and others made sound so amazingly great! Thanks so much for all the great music and inspiration!
"Make the rest of the band sound good." My dad- a great swing and classical trumpet player-, taught me this. I used it in all my bands. It serves the music well.
I play a lot of slap on my own as I find it funnier to play, but when I play with others I'll only slap if they REALLY want me too, which they rarely do. I enjoy being the one who keeps the groove, and, in my opinion, how simplistic the bass line may be, it's not about the difficulty or speed, but about making the other band members truly shine.
saber wolfe it all depends what type of music your playing. If your just in some cover band or typical rock band then you won’t use it much. Funk jazz fusion and such you do it a shit load. Also, if someone is slapping a lot in GC or something they are just having fun and most players enjoy seeing each others slap techniques and learning new stuff. Plus they feel who wants to hear them sit there and finger 3 notes over and over. Wake up you guys. Don’t be so one sided. The guys slapping great are likely dialed in with the typical shit already. I wanted to toss a guy out yesterday cuz he was playing horrible and with mostly treble in GC for like 30 minutes. He finally left. Then I realized who he was and I’ve seen his band and he’s great. Y’all got too much hate for slap, hope you don’t tell victor wooten, Marcus miller, Stanley Clark, Stu ham, bootsy, flea, and so on the slap isn’t even bass.
Listening is everything. My biggest problem with most musicians is that they don't listen. They just play. Flea mentioned Jamerson. He embodied the art of listening to the whole band/orchestra each and every time he played.
God bless you, Mr. Flea. I am posting this to my Facebook page as required watching for ALL bass players. This is the best 6 minutes of advice you will ever get regarding this instrument.
As a Lead Guitarist I always depended on the melody of my bass player to determine what I would do. By doing so, much like what Flea is saying here, I always felt like the bridge between the singer and the drummer. I was blessed with one of the finest rhythm sections I have ever seen or heard and by being so tight as a unit (they were always playing together in their respective roles for 15yrs since starting) I always considered them as almost one instrument. That being said, learning bass was one of the most gratifying things I've ever done as a musician. I loved feeling like I was not only an anchor, but with my experience as a Lead player I could really verbalize and express melody in a way you sometimes can't on a guitar. Hearing Flea's love letter to the bass guitar here is really incredible because I agree with him fully. It's a beautiful, real and (in my heart) correct statement he makes here. The funny part being I am one of the people he talks about being a support for but by taking time to invest myself into his instrument of choice and loving the experience I respect it even more than I already had. Bass players get a raw deal sometimes, and at times they may deserve it (looking at you every band brodude who realized they sucked at everything else and moved on to bass) BUT the reason for poking fun or being negative towards bass players is because we all know drums, vocals, guitar or otherwise that we need them. Sure, sometimes dropping bass makes something a bit more unique (Kiss by Prince for example) but at the end if the day it NEEDS to be there. Flea, thank you for this moving statement on the thing you love most. It makes the world happy when you're happy. This man had THE best, most honest humble and loving RnR Hall of Fame speech of all time. I don't think anyone was quite as grateful and happy to be honored in that way in all the years I've been watching thise ceremonies and singlehandedly made me an RHCP Fan. Peace, Love and Rock n Roll CJ
i have always loved his bass work. he is unique among bass players. ...but i have never heard him speak about his work until now. he really is a very thoughtful and talented man.
This is excellent advice for ALL musicians. Even leads sound better when they are complimenting all the other instruments as opposed to just "playing the lead." Great video.
"The bass is the bed that the rest of the band rests on". Okay, this would apply to those "play one root note at the same rythm for the whole song" bass players" 😴 but Flea, who could sleep on your bass lines ? 😅🎉❤ As for the bassist being generous and a giver, yes that is our Flea. We ❤ you Flea ! You give so much, it's a wonder you are still alive after a live show ! and I love the fact that you take time to share your knowledge in a way accessible even for beginners. Thanks man
This is what makes this man the great that he is ,the humility of his message is the greatness he exudes in craft ,as well as the art of a great bass player .this advice works in any walk of life , lift up others and bring them along then you all can enjoy the journey together.
K...dude, anyone who gave this a thumbs down can just gargle these nuts. Knowledge from one of the greatest bassists in rock history - not to mention the bad-assness that is Flea - take notes, kids. Flea is an incredible bassist. I've been a recording (and some gigging) bass player for over 20 years, and he's always been in my top 2.
Holy cow, that was six minutes of some profound advice! Flea’s not just the guy bouncing around on the stage, he’s really got a handle on what he’s doing and where he’s going! Rock on, Flea, rock on! Great advice, thanks for posting!
I agree, the bass player is the band public servant. Like an engine hidden under the hood it does all the work spinning the wheels forward...and no one sees it.
An old teacher of mine compared good bass to the floorboards of a room - you don't usually notice unless they're exceptional or there's something wrong.
bass is like the glue in a model airplane. If the one who makes the airplane(bassist) is good at what he is doing, the glue(bass) won't be seen(heard) but it's always there supporting holding everything together. Of course the great ones don't follow that rule but in order to be able to make solos and lead the band you need practice. If you just try to show of (and don't know how to stick the parts together), you will be rather unpleasant to listen to, just like the glue is not pleasant to see at all
Bass has just always felt right for me :) I've always been the "supportive" guy in all my social circles, and I like to think I'm a giver, so in the name of Flea, and in my own name too, I'll strive to make whoever I play with sound legendary :D Only been playing for 8 months, but I'll take my time getting up there in skill
Wow. I am NOT a Flea fan, but WOW. Very eloquent, thoughtful, cerebral, scholarly. He's like one of those athletes you see onfield/court who's a total animal, eyes rolling up in their head and blood streaming down their chin, but then you see him interviewed and he's a total erudite Oxford scholar. Blown away, great clip, great quotes. Who knows, maybe I AM becoming a Flea fan...
I think I would trust Flea's advice about Bass and it's position in a band setting as he has play in at least one band in his lifetime and that style was/is popular (by that I mean accessible to a large audience). He has also played in a recording setting many times. All of that together puts him in the positon of SME (Subject Matter Expert). Way to go Flea!
Spoken like a true pro. Words of wisdom from Flea. It's beautifully executing these things he's talking about which make him a great bassist. He can be busy as hell, but he also knows when to lay back. He knows when to slap aggressively and when to give it a soft finger walking approach because he's listening to the band and playing what is appropriate for the song. He's giving great advice that every young basis should heed. Hell, it's advice bassists of all ages should heed.
I SO agree with what he says at 2:20. Listen to "Dreams" by Fleetwood Mac if you want to hear both a perfectly locked rhythm section AND super simple bass playing that totally carries the song, courtesy of John McVie and Mick Fleetwood. They provide a rock-solid foundation for the guitar and all of the vocals to soar and do their thing.
Super cool and humble take! I always felt like the drums and bass were a duo, the ones responsible for laying the groove and keeping everyone in it and on it. That’s a nice outlook
Wow! Great advice. Too many younger bassists today seem to think they should be soloists rather than ensemble players supporting the rest of the band. Kudos!
As a bass player flea is my number 1 role model he is soo humble and musically amazing and cultured and I started with the trumpet just like him there will never be another flea he is the goat
Great advice. I've finally taken up bass when I found one that felt right (short scale gretsch). I was a guitarist and I knew I wasn't cut out to be one, but my ego stopped me dropping onto the instrument that would fire me up properly. Now I realise, as with most things in life, it's a greater pleasure to give than to receive, but in giving you always get back more than you could ever expect..
Very well said Flea, you're closing remarks on individuality is most crucial. Above all else -support the band, song, etc.... it's ironic, but when I miss a note or play a wrong note on the bass, everyone in the band notices, but can't place where it's coming from or who did what. -nuff said.
He nails it, and you don't have to be a 'great player' to immediately apply what he's talking about and become a great asset to whomever you are playing with.
"You wanna make sound the drum player like the best in the world" Now I get why people think lars is a great drum player with cliff here anyone can be the best
He is not great. He is just OK for the job. Just listen to And justice. There is so much going on in the music while he just goes on. It works for the specific band he is in, but there is litle creativity going on.
He's at the very core of the band. The band has always been the way it has because of lars, with the ups and downs of it. It's not just about playing your instrument in a band, unless you're doing cover bullshit
Lars Ulrich is a good drummer, not an exceptional one. But in Metallica the music doesn't really need a Neil Peart or a Danny Carey to drive the sound. He just needs to keep the beat.
and feel - listen and open yourself to a kind of empathy for the players in the band. Let yourself feel what they are. As you are playing, this is when music becomes something else, transcends.
Excellent words, Flea! Words of wisdom, words to live by! You don't want to be a carbon copy or any copy of anyone else. You want your own unique sound. It's your own style, what defines you, to take bass playing to a new level...
Flea, an alltimer that has a timeless character, humility and some kind of magic. (Bloody, sugary, sexy, magic). On top, or beside his advice, or beneath (whatever): LOVE what you do.
In the words of my Grandfather and Hero who got me my 1st Bass, "A 1975 Fender Jazz back in 1976 when I was 15", "Now Son remember this, Everyone in Whatever band you play in will be Standing on Your Shoulders".
My band supported them May 19th 88 at Manchester International 1 and again May 21st camden electric Ballroom. Hillel was still alive, I didn't see their soundcheck and hadn't heard them. When they came on they blew my mind.
A deciding factor in what kind of bass player, musician, one becomes is the the style of music one wants to play and the compositions composed. In the west, rock, and moat music seem to place vocals and guitar/strings as the focal point (rather than a whole band sound), and so their compositions reflect that. Decide for yourselves what you want the music to be, then do the due diligence to bring it to life as best as possible.
“One thing I like to stress as a bass player is the spirit of givingness”
*Walks out on stage naked*
well put
Yes keanu
He gave us a free onlyfans content without any paid subscriptions
Well, technically he _was_ wearing a tube sock. A...SINGLE...tube sock.
@@JamesDavisakaRemguy Not at woodstock
Playing bass is like playing a medic in a multiplayer game...
Support character
CeaselessDischarge thats fucking inspirational
"MEDIC!!!" ~Team Fortress 2
Or tank.
@mikebalko :DD wtf
I didn't know flea owned any shirts
XD
xD
I actually laughed out loud when I read this.
Lol
he dressed up for the video
he shines bright in the band. bass players are unappreciated sometimes.
Tampatec That is so true
th-cam.com/video/K4n-uvXFnxA/w-d-xo.html
So true
Tampatec he is the best part of the band imo
most of the time*
My three tips for beginner bassists as an old dude:
1) Get a drum machine and practice against it non stop. Timing is everything when you are in the rhythm section.
2) Learn chords and understand how they fit into scales. Yes you won't use them directly, but a chord is just an arpegio played all at once. These are the basic notes you'll be writing your baselines from. So if the songs in A minor. The chords will be triads that fit that scale. Theres your notes, now use them to make the drummers beat pop.
3) Keep it simple, and follow. By supporting the beat, and supporting (not defining! Unless thats what the song is, of course) the chords and melody, you make the whole band sound great, and hopefully they'll pass it back and give you a chance to pop your own spotlight.
and finally, when your competent, go learn jazz. Seriously, those cats have some fucking great theory going on, and even if its not your first choice of music , it WILL make you a better musician. Oh and in Jazz, the bassist gets to solo....every.....damn.....song. Mingus, Pastorious, Wooten, all those guys are/where fucken amazin
Shayne O'Neill I usually ignore most TH-cam comments. This was gold
Aw snap props for Max Headroom
Mingus was a beast. Haitian Fight Song is a good example of what you're talking about.
Right on. Jazz really teaches you a lot, even if you don't want to play it full time afterwards.
And one of the greats, Ron Carter, is pretty far from a flashy player. Most of the time he's just outlining the chords or walking through scales. In the groups he played for, like Miles' Second Great Quintet (with Tony Williams on drums!), he was essentially the music director. No matter what crazy ass out shit one of the other players was doing, Ron was there making sure the form carried on and everyone knew where it was, including the listener.
Kids, listen to this guy, he knows what he's talking about
What an absolutely top bloke flea is, no ego, not bothered about trying to be cool or fashionable just a decent humble brilliant musician.
@@theredhotchilipepperssexof4269 You know, separate the art products from the artists. I like Metallica music even though I knew Lars is a manipulative and greedy s.o.b who almost screwed his bandmate's career. That's just my opinion, though. And I thought Western countries have respect toward different opinions.
@@theredhotchilipepperssexof4269 thank you for that report. I have a feeling we would have a much lower opinion of many of our male heroes if we spend more time listening to the women that had to work with them.
@Don’t Subscribe No, dude. As you grow up, listen to the experiences of women. Your understanding of the world will expand.
@Don’t Subscribe I understood you. It's not equal at all. It's like 99% of the sexual harassment is done by men. Probably well over.
"It provides the bottom for the band."
You could say it's the... base.
I'm not a chili peppers fan really, but geez, FLEA IS THE man. What a cool guy he seems to be despite the fame and wealth. Rock on Flea
Brent Valenzuela and have you heard his funky playing? So amazing
soul to squeeze is one of the all time bass lines
Brent Valenzuela ii
Flaccid Pancake yep. He's really talented
De-Loused In The Comatorium
One of the best album's ever, and featuring Flea
Frusciante said the same thing in an interview '''hear what the others are playing and try to compliment them''! That's why their jams was so pure and fantastic,both were playing for the music!
Glad to hear this ^_^
That must be bloody difficult to do when you've got that prat Keidis messing everything up. He almost manages to ruin even In love dying. Prat!
MisAnnThorpe Haha, Anthony is more of a performer-entertainer than a musician xD
+MisAnnThorpe What the hell are you talking about calling Anthony Kiedis a prat and messing everything up. He's a founding member of the band
Okay, I admit that it's subjective as to whether or not Kiedis messes everything up. What is inarguable is that Anthony Kiedis IS most definitely a bona fide prat.
Thanks Flea. You're the man.
Playing with a solid rhythm section, bass and drums, when they are in time and in the pocket, it's the greatest of luxuries you can have as a guitarist.
If you listen to one of the greatest rhythm sections in rock, check out Minutemen and fIREHOSE. Mike Watt and George Hurley were so locked in together there are times when the guitar just drops out or plays a few notes here and there and it doesn't sound empty at all.
I care about the guitarist last. Not that I don't care, but he's in line behind the drummer, keyboardist, singer, sound guy and the drunk chicks dancing in front.
I started playing bass because I couldn't find any good bass players to play with, just failed guitarists who couldn't hold chords. When I started learning bass, I looked at it as inferior to guitar. After 6 months of lessons and practicing, my guitar had dust on it and I only wanted to play bass. I no longer saw it as an inferior instrument or even compared it to guitar because I realized that comparing it to guitar would be like comparing a harp or violin to a guitar. It's a completely different instrument and should be played that way. Bass should be felt more than heard, it's what moves people and bridges melody with percussion. I completely agree that it's a supportive instrument and is reactive. After mastering modes and developing my technique I could play without thinking. I would feel the music and my playing became a reflex to what my bandmates would play. I love the bass, it was the instrument I was meant to play and wouldn't be happy playing anything else.
J G the bassist for system of a down started the same way haha. he was a guitarist but all the bassists were either guitarists trying to be bassists or wanmabe cliff burton shredder virtuosos. so he decided to take it upon himself to learn and then find a guitarist. which he met daron. then the rest is history
That's a common path. Anyone who's primarily a guitarist benefits a ton from learning bass, too, and not just bullshitting through it, but really learning the instrument and how a bassist thinks. (Vice versa, too.) A lot of guitarists only so-so know the neck, but on a bass you absolutely have to know the neck in all keys.
Talking about "feeling the bass", i knew a guy who was an outstanding bass player, who suffered from progressive hearing loss. After several years he was almost completely deaf, and yet he continued to play the bass as well as ever. His trick? he had a special cabinet of plywood constructed, with a speaker in it. He would route the signal of his bass and the drummer's kick to the speaker which would rattle the plywood cabinet on which he stood atop. He played by literally feeling the bass. It was pretty incredible.
J G I am a professional working drummer for nearly 30 years. Since i play bass now for 6 years I'm finally happy.
DJRY This is a great story, thanks for sharing!
This is not just an advice for bass players. Its a advice for other musicians who allways look down on that guy who just plays rooted instead of playin 'machine gun slapping' and tapping around all the time.
Not to say that machine gun slapping is bad :)
Jackbho "Not that there's anything wrong with that!"
yea fuck that u come jammin and just play roots then u are hurting everyones playing because ur lack of skill, i think he means more of accenting the notes and chords and feel or sound that the other instruments are giving. unless im exaggerating what u meant by "just plays roots" but 65 people argreed with u and idk bout all that
If the song calls for things other than root notes, and the bass player stays rooted, he's a shit bass player. I'm with you about slapping and tapping though. Too many people try and force that shit into everything.
never look down on the guy holding the steady foundation of the groove. thats the one/ones that makes the trip to space possible.
"After a while, you become one with the music, and the music becomes you...and it becomes like breathing" 💜💚💛💙
When you practice and play EVERY DAY this is what happens...
That's awesome advice Mr. Flea .. Sometimes people overlook the Bass guitarist.. But the truth is, he's the one who gives his band mates what they need to drive on. Long Live the Fire of the Bass Guitarist's!!! Thanks for sharing that very important knowledge..👍
The more i listen to what this guy actually has to say, the more respect i have for him. This is really sound advice and i totally appreciate how honest and for real he is when he speaks.
Great advice. I would add what Abe Laboriel (perhaps the world's most prolific session bassist with over 2000 records under his belt) told us in a clinic he was teaching in Costa Rica: Always think about committing all your musical talent to help the composer materialize the music he wrote, nothing else matters. It is worthless to play super busy lines if you are ignoring what the composer wants to convey, and no one would hire you again.
Been playing myself for 30 years now. Flea has just nailed what being a bass player is all about. Love and maximum respect. What an inspiration!!:-)
This is why I love Flea. Play the obvious. Serve the song. Play on the kick drum. Then, when it's your turn to shine, Shine. And Flea, you are Magic Johnson of bass.
Such humility. I didn't necessarily expect to hear this level of musicianship from Flea.
He’s very …. human 😅
5:53 the bassline inside Flea must be fucking awesome
It is when he stops all the slapping and popping. In other words when he's in Atoms for peace. RHCP have to be one of the most overrated bands of all time.
MisAnnThorpe Lmao clearly not too many people share your view. Why are you watching this video if you don't think Flea is a great bassist?
Did you actually read my comment? I also like his trumpet playing.
Wow! That's the single best advice I've ever heard! I used to tell my advanced students the most important thing to do to be a good bass player - is to THINK like a bass player (it's more in your head, than in your fingers). Meaning to never forget your Job One, which is to be the root, the base, for all the other instruments to build upon. Then you can add a little flourish to fill-out the music, but job one was being the anchor. And this comes from a notoriously "busy" player.
And there is no greater lesson for any musician who wants to make all the instruments gel into that magical being that is the synergy of all the players, than to listen AND feel the music! Sometimes, with all our amazing musical gymnastics, some players lose sight of finding that groove that makes it all work as a unit, and the extra little sparkles that not only add to the music, but add to (and not detract from) the FEELING and mood of each particular song.
Through the years I reconnect with players from the past, and we recently had a laugh when each of us long-time players said to each other that our best talent (beyond all the hot stuff that made names for us), was that we had the "magical" talent to make any one we played with or any session or gig sounds its very best. We each claimed we could take a stinky gig or a dull session and breath a substantial amount of life into it - sometimes that meant stepping up and playing more aggressively, but more often it meant playing tastefully and adding what was needed. And all that was done by listening to the overall sound, tight interaction with the drummer (and other players), keeping a SOLID bass anchor, and gently placing some sparkles and flavor where it would best fit the FEEL of the song, or help support the featured performer.
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Flea, I play/played a completely different style than you (prog-rock and fusion), but I always enjoyed and respected your playing so much, from the very earliest days of hearing you (early 80s? before the RHCP were a household name), and I always found such deep inspiration from your performing with these very same principles in mind. Made me wish I did more slappin' and poppin' - like you and others made sound so amazingly great! Thanks so much for all the great music and inspiration!
"Make the rest of the band sound good." My dad- a great swing and classical trumpet player-, taught me this. I used it in all my bands. It serves the music well.
this videos has 60k views, while the slap bass one has 800k views. this, was the more important one. this is why most will fail.
saber wolfe 90% of those dudes being those one guys who do nothing but play shitty slap in a guitar center at full volume.
Slap isn't even bass at all to me.
I play a lot of slap on my own as I find it funnier to play, but when I play with others I'll only slap if they REALLY want me too, which they rarely do. I enjoy being the one who keeps the groove, and, in my opinion, how simplistic the bass line may be, it's not about the difficulty or speed, but about making the other band members truly shine.
It is but not when it's self serving and devolves into musical masturbation.
saber wolfe it all depends what type of music your playing. If your just in some cover band or typical rock band then you won’t use it much. Funk jazz fusion and such you do it a shit load. Also, if someone is slapping a lot in GC or something they are just having fun and most players enjoy seeing each others slap techniques and learning new stuff. Plus they feel who wants to hear them sit there and finger 3 notes over and over. Wake up you guys. Don’t be so one sided. The guys slapping great are likely dialed in with the typical shit already.
I wanted to toss a guy out yesterday cuz he was playing horrible and with mostly treble in GC for like 30 minutes. He finally left. Then I realized who he was and I’ve seen his band and he’s great.
Y’all got too much hate for slap, hope you don’t tell victor wooten, Marcus miller, Stanley Clark, Stu ham, bootsy, flea, and so on the slap isn’t even bass.
Dude I just wanna hug him man, Flea is just too good man
Yeah, he's just too good to be true......don't be fooled!
Not only is he a good man, he is really well spoken. Very smart.
Wow. Very profound truths for all bass players.
Listening is everything. My biggest problem with most musicians is that they don't listen. They just play. Flea mentioned Jamerson. He embodied the art of listening to the whole band/orchestra each and every time he played.
God bless you, Mr. Flea. I am posting this to my Facebook page as required watching for ALL bass players. This is the best 6 minutes of advice you will ever get regarding this instrument.
I will truly take this to heart thanks Flea
I thought it would be "be naked".
As a Lead Guitarist I always depended on the melody of my bass player to determine what I would do. By doing so, much like what Flea is saying here, I always felt like the bridge between the singer and the drummer. I was blessed with one of the finest rhythm sections I have ever seen or heard and by being so tight as a unit (they were always playing together in their respective roles for 15yrs since starting) I always considered them as almost one instrument. That being said, learning bass was one of the most gratifying things I've ever done as a musician. I loved feeling like I was not only an anchor, but with my experience as a Lead player I could really verbalize and express melody in a way you sometimes can't on a guitar. Hearing Flea's love letter to the bass guitar here is really incredible because I agree with him fully. It's a beautiful, real and (in my heart) correct statement he makes here. The funny part being I am one of the people he talks about being a support for but by taking time to invest myself into his instrument of choice and loving the experience I respect it even more than I already had. Bass players get a raw deal sometimes, and at times they may deserve it (looking at you every band brodude who realized they sucked at everything else and moved on to bass) BUT the reason for poking fun or being negative towards bass players is because we all know drums, vocals, guitar or otherwise that we need them. Sure, sometimes dropping bass makes something a bit more unique (Kiss by Prince for example) but at the end if the day it NEEDS to be there.
Flea, thank you for this moving statement on the thing you love most. It makes the world happy when you're happy. This man had THE best, most honest humble and loving RnR Hall of Fame speech of all time. I don't think anyone was quite as grateful and happy to be honored in that way in all the years I've been watching thise ceremonies and singlehandedly made me an RHCP Fan.
Peace, Love and Rock n Roll
CJ
i have always loved his bass work. he is unique among bass players. ...but i have never heard him speak about his work until now. he really is a very thoughtful and talented man.
This is excellent advice for ALL musicians. Even leads sound better when they are complimenting all the other instruments as opposed to just "playing the lead." Great video.
that was the most real thing someone said! thank you flea!!!
"The bass is the bed that the rest of the band rests on". Okay, this would apply to those "play one root note at the same rythm for the whole song" bass players" 😴 but Flea, who could sleep on your bass lines ? 😅🎉❤ As for the bassist being generous and a giver, yes that is our Flea. We ❤ you Flea ! You give so much, it's a wonder you are still alive after a live show ! and I love the fact that you take time to share your knowledge in a way accessible even for beginners. Thanks man
Flea is shining here
This is what makes this man the great that he is ,the humility of his message is the greatness he exudes in craft ,as well as the art of a great bass player .this advice works in any walk of life , lift up others and bring them along then you all can enjoy the journey together.
K...dude, anyone who gave this a thumbs down can just gargle these nuts. Knowledge from one of the greatest bassists in rock history - not to mention the bad-assness that is Flea - take notes, kids. Flea is an incredible bassist. I've been a recording (and some gigging) bass player for over 20 years, and he's always been in my top 2.
Not only a wonderful musician but also a lovely man. Long may he live.
Holy cow, that was six minutes of some profound advice! Flea’s not just the guy bouncing around on the stage, he’s really got a handle on what he’s doing and where he’s going!
Rock on, Flea, rock on!
Great advice, thanks for posting!
I agree, the bass player is the band public servant. Like an engine hidden under the hood it does all the work spinning the wheels forward...and no one sees it.
An old teacher of mine compared good bass to the floorboards of a room - you don't usually notice unless they're exceptional or there's something wrong.
bass is like the glue in a model airplane. If the one who makes the airplane(bassist) is good at what he is doing, the glue(bass) won't be seen(heard) but it's always there supporting holding everything together.
Of course the great ones don't follow that rule but in order to be able to make solos and lead the band you need practice. If you just try to show of (and don't know how to stick the parts together), you will be rather unpleasant to listen to, just like the glue is not pleasant to see at all
What a wonderful humble man. He deserves every bit of success.
"Always follow the drummer" ....unless he completely sucks... good god i have some stories.
Well what you need to do is: make the drummer great!!!
Yari Bins make the drummer great again
Yari Bins in our case, we got a new drummer lol and problem fixed. A drummer with terrible timing will cripple the whole band.
wolfmancs yup drummers can make or break any band. zeppelin wouldn't have been the same without bonzo and rush without niel etc.
was in a band with a guy who couldn't play Whole Lotta Love once... Bonham rolling in his grave had better rhythm than that dude did.
Bass has just always felt right for me :) I've always been the "supportive" guy in all my social circles, and I like to think I'm a giver, so in the name of Flea, and in my own name too, I'll strive to make whoever I play with sound legendary :D Only been playing for 8 months, but I'll take my time getting up there in skill
Wow. I am NOT a Flea fan, but WOW. Very eloquent, thoughtful, cerebral, scholarly. He's like one of those athletes you see onfield/court who's a total animal, eyes rolling up in their head and blood streaming down their chin, but then you see him interviewed and he's a total erudite Oxford scholar. Blown away, great clip, great quotes. Who knows, maybe I AM becoming a Flea fan...
This should be archived forever. I come back to this every few years and it still rings true
it's the first time I've seen him dressed and not moving like he's on hot coals
Damn, this was poetry and a love letter to the bass, what it can do for the band and the bass player. Really uplifting
Its so fun to see all these wonderful comments about the playing the bass, as a bassist they are super heart warming
I think I would trust Flea's advice about Bass and it's position in a band setting as he has play in at least one band in his lifetime and that style was/is popular (by that I mean accessible to a large audience). He has also played in a recording setting many times. All of that together puts him in the positon of SME (Subject Matter Expert). Way to go Flea!
Thank you Flea! You guys kicked ass at the Ritz! Was back awhile but I won't forget that great evening.
john paul jones + john bonham = flea's words
Spoken like a true pro. Words of wisdom from Flea. It's beautifully executing these things he's talking about which make him a great bassist.
He can be busy as hell, but he also knows when to lay back. He knows when to slap aggressively and when to give it a soft finger walking approach because he's listening to the band and playing what is appropriate for the song.
He's giving great advice that every young basis should heed. Hell, it's advice bassists of all ages should heed.
Regardless of how I feel about basically the last 20 years of RHCP music, Flea is such an awesome dude.
I love this. I learned everything Flea talks about here as a child, but rarely see in other musicians. Wonderfully said.
I SO agree with what he says at 2:20. Listen to "Dreams" by Fleetwood Mac if you want to hear both a perfectly locked rhythm section AND super simple bass playing that totally carries the song, courtesy of John McVie and Mick Fleetwood. They provide a rock-solid foundation for the guitar and all of the vocals to soar and do their thing.
i could listen to this guy talk forever. god bless flea!
so basically the bass player is the best wingman you have in a band
Such a nice guy.... yet such a badass ferocious and funky bass player...one of the very best! Respect!
Phenomenal advice. So true about the uniqueness of each bass player's playing.
Super cool and humble take! I always felt like the drums and bass were a duo, the ones responsible for laying the groove and keeping everyone in it and on it. That’s a nice outlook
No matter what this flea guy says, if someone goes 'widdeliwipp', I go certainly 'widdeliwipp' too.
Wow! Great advice. Too many younger bassists today seem to think they should be soloists rather than ensemble players supporting the rest of the band. Kudos!
Now here's a guy that gives great bass advice. He is 8 years my senior to the day. I love you FLEA.
I love that...right in the middle of the drum hit. Great advice. Best drummer in the world.
I love the fact that he's so humble and giving, when he himself is absolutely world class legendary status. RHCP for life :-)
As a bass player flea is my number 1 role model he is soo humble and musically amazing and cultured and I started with the trumpet just like him there will never be another flea he is the goat
This was INCREDIBLE.
bloody love Flea. what a beautiful view on music (and life) that guy has
What a humble man flea is. He’s the star and still the base of all !
Great advice. I've finally taken up bass when I found one that felt right (short scale gretsch). I was a guitarist and I knew I wasn't cut out to be one, but my ego stopped me dropping onto the instrument that would fire me up properly. Now I realise, as with most things in life, it's a greater pleasure to give than to receive, but in giving you always get back more than you could ever expect..
I had no idea he was as eloquent with words as he is with his bass. The ending was the icing on top of the cake.
Very well said Flea, you're closing remarks on individuality is most crucial. Above all else -support the band, song, etc.... it's ironic, but when I miss a note or play a wrong note on the bass, everyone in the band notices, but can't place where it's coming from or who did what. -nuff said.
He nails it, and you don't have to be a 'great player' to immediately apply what he's talking about and become a great asset to whomever you are playing with.
"You wanna make sound the drum player like the best in the world" Now I get why people think lars is a great drum player with cliff here anyone can be the best
He is not great. He is just OK for the job. Just listen to And justice. There is so much going on in the music while he just goes on. It works for the specific band he is in, but there is litle creativity going on.
He's at the very core of the band. The band has always been the way it has because of lars, with the ups and downs of it.
It's not just about playing your instrument in a band, unless you're doing cover bullshit
Lars Ulrich is a good drummer, not an exceptional one. But in Metallica the music doesn't really need a Neil Peart or a Danny Carey to drive the sound. He just needs to keep the beat.
+The Big C He doesn't in live shows tho
Virtually everyone gives shit to Lars for being a horrible drummer what the hell are you talking about
I wish this advice had been available to me forty two years ago, when I started playing bass. It took me a long time to realise it for myself.
Oh! the guy just went "weedillawhip" so I am going to go "weedillawhip"
Great advice! I like to think of the bass as the heartbeat of each song.
I learned more about music and the bass here than I ever knew or would've guessed , thank you .
This is just awesome, so insightful. LOVE Flea.
Thanks for sharing! Flea is the man, great interview.
I love the way Flea is dancing with his Bass guitar when performing. Badass
and feel - listen and open yourself to a kind of empathy for the players in the band. Let yourself feel what they are. As you are playing, this is when music becomes something else, transcends.
flea and chad smith,
Timmy C and Brad Wilk and
John Paul jones and John Bonham
Are my three fav rhythm duos
Geddy Lee and Neil Peart?
Just midway to the video Flea has already earned my Like. After finishing the video he earned my respect.
Thank you so much for reminding me why I love playing bass guitar for the past 45 years
Excellent words, Flea! Words of wisdom, words to live by! You don't want to be a carbon copy or any copy of anyone else. You want your own unique sound. It's your own style, what defines you, to take bass playing to a new level...
Flea, an alltimer that has a timeless character, humility and some kind of magic. (Bloody, sugary, sexy, magic). On top, or beside his advice, or beneath (whatever): LOVE what you do.
Awesome advice from one of the best, there's such beauty in simplicity.
Flea knows. One Love and so grateful for informing me why I have always loved Bernadette
Every word of that is dead on.
In the words of my Grandfather and Hero who got me my 1st Bass, "A 1975 Fender Jazz back in 1976 when I was 15", "Now Son remember this, Everyone in Whatever band you play in will be Standing on Your Shoulders".
My band supported them May 19th 88 at Manchester International 1 and again May 21st camden electric Ballroom. Hillel was still alive, I didn't see their soundcheck and hadn't heard them. When they came on they blew my mind.
What a Humble amazing musician!
That man put the bass instrument into the light with his band. To often it's in the back, forgotten.
He's awesome
A deciding factor in what kind of bass player, musician, one becomes is the the style of music one wants to play and the compositions composed. In the west, rock, and moat music seem to place vocals and guitar/strings as the focal point (rather than a whole band sound), and so their compositions reflect that. Decide for yourselves what you want the music to be, then do the due diligence to bring it to life as best as possible.
brilliant assessment from a respected bassist
God bless you Flea. You are a total inspiration. 😶
Shed a tear at the end, thanks Flea