Because it forms the basis of the music, the bass is an essential component in every ensemble. It gives a composition its rhythmic and harmonic framework, generating a strong and steady beat that forms the foundation of the music. The bass contributes depth and complexity to the entire mix, rounding out a band’s sound. Music without a bottom can come off as flat and uninteresting.
However, despite being underappreciated, they are some of the most challenging instruments to play live. For the most part, a bassist who wants to be regarded as one of the best in classic rock today needs to have exceptional ability and write some truly amazing lines.
Here are some classic bassists who are still going strong even today.
John Entwistle From The Who
Entwistle always stuck out, unlike a lesser player who tried to contend with Pete Townshend’s massive power chords and drummer Keith Moon’s wall of sound. The most well-known bass performance in rock history is most likely Entwistle’s solo from “My Generation” early in his career.
He views the bass as a whole instrument and does not allow the other instruments to diminish the bass’s grandeur. Entwistle asserts that bass is more than just extra noise for a tune, despite what some people might believe.
Roger Waters From Pink Floyd
Talking about bass music would be incomplete without discussing Roger Waters’ greatness. His involvement in the band’s most popular record, Dark Side of the Moon, is what made him most famous. He was a bassist who was truly creative and remained well-liked even after leaving the band in 1985.
Although Roger Waters is more frequently regarded as a singer-songwriter than a bassist, his innovative prog-rock tunes were an important part of Pink Floyd’s sound. Waters developed some of the most recognizable bass melodies ever recorded before his time.
Paul McCartney From The Beatles
McCartney, who began his career as a guitarist, is known for his soulful bass lines, which have contributed to some of music history’s most enduring tunes.
Players all over the world have benefited from McCartney’s groundbreaking influence by choosing simplicity over what he refers to as “fiddly bits” and usually avoiding them. Nobody could play the bass as Paul McCartney does. Being a left-handed bassist, he creatively altered the bass strings to suit his playing style.
Geddy Lee From Rush
Geddy Lee is the maestro of juggling multiple instruments on stage while singing and playing bass and keyboards simultaneously. You might think that he would be distracted by such difficult duties, but his seven Grammy nominations prove otherwise. He is best known for his distinctive bass lines and legendary-caliber vocals.
The most technically difficult bass sections are probably played by Geddy Lee, who uses the instrument almost like a lead guitar. Lee, who is frequently referred to as a “prodigy” by other musicians, has never ceased improving on his instrument and has instead adopted fresh methods like flamenco-style plucking.
John Paul Jones From Led Zeppelin
Jones was well-known as one of New England’s top bassists before he founded the most famous band in history. He served as the foundation for the band, which became so well-known thanks to Jones’s talent as a musician.
From the recognizable bass line on “Dazed and Confused” to the galloping bass line followed by the relaxed country blues feel on “The Song Remains The Same,” what Jones did with Led Zep changed the game for many burgeoning bass players at the time. He and John Bonham created what is arguably the funkiest and finest rhythm section in the annals of rock music.
1 Comment
Geezer Butler? Jack Bruce?