Guitar Center Sessions: Billy Sheehan - Become a Better Bass Player 

I am not a bassist, but Billy hit it right when he said that we should focus on playing the same instrument, rather than experimenting with different equipment and changing our guitars and gears. Well said Billy. you are very inspirational by the way!

"Just sit down and pound the thing." So right.

"All of us tend to look for something else to be the problem", @2:42 truer words are rarely said.

PERFECT. This is what everyone is missing. Great words.

Billy Sheehan is a seasoned/pioneer bass player in every respect. I mean Steve Vai chose this guy for a reason right? IMO ,EXCELLENT LECTURE SIR!

Sheehan and Geddy Lee are true bass gods and both are extreme humbleness !

I was ‘that guy’ who refused to learn cover songs because I thought it would make me a copy cat. I was that way for YEARS. When I finally started learning songs, THAT’S when I started to really improve as a musician and construct a cohesive style of playing. Billy’s advice is spot-on!

Billy always seem like the bass version of Steve to me for some reason. Love and respect both of them.

I'm a guitarist (mainly I just play rhythm), and I love this guy...the world needs more good bass players. I have a band and I can find and replace lead guitarists left and right, but good bass players that have taste and can play several different styles are rare as hell. Hats off to you, Mr. Sheehan.

Billy Sheehan is a great teacher. There is a huge difference between knowing something and being able to teach something.

I was at this event, still hold these lessons to heart.

What a great Human Being! Billy, Thank you so much....

It's nice to see that he still loves playing music after being a professional musician for so many years, doing sessions, tours etc.

This is BRILLIANT advice. Just learn as much as you can - sit and learn a whole album just because it will be good for you. "Start getting to work. Just practice. Sit down and pound the thing!"

Man...Billy is describing exactly how I self-taught myself to play electric bass! He seems pretty humble considering his awesome playing ability. What did he or she do in that song? I just try to figure it out and get the right tones, spacing, and feel. Billy makes a lot of sense here.

Thank you for being humble

"Can... not... ever... come... o... *strap breaks*"

Wow! this is what I call a truly humble person! What a man! What a legend!

Great advice from an elite bassist. And humble too? Sheehan is awesome.

One of the best rock bass teachers. Got to talk with him briefly one time too. Incredibly nice guy.

Some of the most honest things a rock star has ever said Thank you great bass player to boot.

This guy has a knack for teaching/speaking.

that's why they work so well together!

Very true. It's all within your hands. Don't blame the gear, etc. Just practice. That's it. Billy you're an amazing player !!!

Holy shit...These 5 minutes were so helpful. very good tips,learning a few songs is pretty good if you're new to bass,damn even if you're a pro learning different song from bands you like will help you plenty. Cheers man,great guy.

Everything he says makes sense, especially the part about learning songs. That follows my own personal philosophy about music, which is I play music to practice music, and I practice music to play music. I never sit and run scales and modes all day, I'd much rather play along to a song I like. Think about it, would you pay good money for a ticket, and sit there and listen to Billy Sheehan running scales all night? Or would you rather he play songs? I think the answer is obvious.

Love Sheehan! Thanks for uploading!

He's got such a crushing tone. Jesus, just listen to it.

What he's preaching is what I preach too. It's how I learned to play!

Great and brilliant Billy, humble and so down to earth !, and very important tips that i never have heard before, like the strap length, was funny and informative... : D

a master and a good teacher.

I have never heard of this man! But I love him!

My guitar teacher bought a yellow Strat when he was around 15 because of Jimi Hendrix. When I met him he was 32, had a Master's degree in music, taught jazz guitar at three local colleges, and did blues and jazz recording sessions -- and had never owned any guitar but that yellow `70's Strat! The only modification to it was a brass nut. "Buy you a guitar, and play that guitar!," he said. (But buying gear is fun.)

5 minutes of best tips in my life!

Billy S, what a legend...!!!! Learn Whole Albums, that's been my drum teach moto all year.

Billy is so Great a Teacher

I've been playing for 17 years but only knew him by name but i think he's very engaging when he talks. I don't care for the type of music he generally plays but i'd sure like to hear more from him on bass playing in general.

i think i want to be just like this man.... he is my inspiration

Great Words of wisdom Billy! I am more of the type that you've described from 3:15, someone who looks at gear, at another theory book, another lesson, another pedal, as the answer! From today on, I will not forget; the answer is inside me and myself. Thank you Billy!

Billy Sheehan is the reason why I picked up a bass.

Блииииннн.....! Он мне просто на пятки наступает..... ))))))

The one thing that really should stick out is "What I think matters not. It's who you love, and you think is great." That's extremely true. Just because someone doesn't think that a musician you like is good, or great, doesn't mean they're not. And it doesn't mean they're not especially to you. We all have our idols and it doesn't matter if anyone else likes them or not.

Some really sage advice. "The real thing everything else is based on is right here (fingers)" "Play the same instrument a lot. You get used to where everything is." 3.24-3.49. I would love to have that same material for some guitar straps.

First time seeing this and when he did Maiden I immediately liked. One of the finest bassist playing my favorite band of all time :D

right as this was starting to play, i fast-forwarded to a random spot, and it landed on 0:50, which was awesome. you could do that with pretty much any Billy video. at any given point, he's either saying something interesting or playing some unbelievable line.

Hey billy, You're the Man!

I remember back in the 80's Billy talking about a host of greats such as Geddy, Chris Squire and John Entwistle in a rather dismissive tone to Guitar Player or another similar mag and then I saw Mr. Big backing Rush in Portland Maine expecting them to amaze and the show was summed up as I recall in a subsequent interview with Billy where he was more humble said something to the effect that "Rush had something that we didn't which was an amazing body of work".

Spent 14yo to 16yo hiding in my room playing along with the first Metallica, Iron Maiden, and Black Sabbath albums. I am technically self taught, but I always say I was taught by Burton, Harris, and Butler. To say my current style of bass playing was heavily influenced by those first two years would be an understatement.

I've met him and he is a really good bloke.

dam bily sheehan is a genius such good guitar concepts

Amazing bass player and amazing musician. Sometimes drives me crazy in live settings with improvising (like say, when playing with Vai on Vai songs) but I probably would too if I knew as much and was as able with music as he.

I think he is a great teacher, even if his music is not your cup of tea

Thought the same thing.... blows my mind.

I WANT HIS RIGHT HAND! So much control!

I don't play bass, but this guy is my new idol!

He speak with is heart open

Billy is talking the same way about the old gear, that I do to newbie golfers who want new clubs and irons alle the time.

this guy looks like hes about to explode with energy

this guy is awesome

So high strung!

great, this is thoughts, that everyone playing man starts to thing sometime. I'm very sorry that I did't think like that in my youth...

Its nothing of how to play , but Were To PLay ... LOVE THE ADVIE! when Billy talk about learning a song First then add to the Vocabulary of your phrasing JEEZS THIS GUY PLAYS THAT THING LIKE A LEAD....

Billy Sheehan playing Iron Maiden... too much musical talent.

Wise words. What a great musician. I should have watched this video seven years ago when I started playing the guitar. Unfortunately I now play different when I'm sitting as to when I'm standing :(

I can't read sheets music for bass but I learned from Rush and Iron maiden. I remember when I was 16 sitting on my bed for hours after school learning 2112

The master at work! I love the Yamaha Attitudes, i've got one xD

"It isn't the same belt" Awesome.

yeah!

YES! Billy knows AWESOME! Steve Harris ROCKS...Metals? Whatever Steve Harris is a damn good bass player! Billy too!

Very good thoughts about sticking with the same gear, but I've found sometimes when you get into a rut, it can change your approach to pick up another guitar from time to time. But, yes, by all means. Master your instrument.

this man is a fucking GENIUS!!

Thanks for correcting my mistakes! :)

Even as a guitar player this is helpful :)

Great Speech.. :D

Everything in bass is this: ✌

hmm. Got it. Not a big Billy Sheehan fan, but I really admire his skills. Its just that I kind of got super excited when he started playing a Maiden song.

This guy really thinks a lot like me. I'm so happy RU-vid recommended this for me

Thanx Billy love your advice need all i can get lol from an old cat bass player

He has played with Steve for most of each of their careers up until recently.. even with DLR.

i dont speak english but what i understood with it is enough

Excellent tips!! Real question guys... Has Billy EVER held a note for a measure or two. It's bababababababababababa constantly every time I've seen him play.

I was SO wanted him to drop the bass when he was shaking it

I used to make fun of this guy because of his ponytail, I was wrong. He’s one of the greats that I look up to now 🙌🏼

2:46 good words :)

Billy and Stu Hamm 2 of the best bass players ever

Your one cool dude!!!

Holy shit that cover of Run To The Hills blew my mind..

I need this wall!

I'd love to have that Yamaha Attitude.

My favorite part is when he plays "Run To The Hills" when he mentions Iron Maiden.

Steve, try to do things that Billy cannot do at one breath)

It also says 1961, vintage in very good condition.

all the guitars at his back are jeallously of that bass

great tips

Great video! more pedals more gear better bass, amps:) made me laugh. But I remember when me and my frends got our first brand new 150w marshals packed in a tiny cellar. From that day music became religion for me:)

Not only is he a great player, he also seems so laid back and down to earth. When I first heard Talas way back, and heard him play my first thought was that he is probably extremely arrogant...I was very wrong thankfully.

He's a HUGE Maiden fan! (Especially "The Number Of The Beast"

"just sit down and pound the thing." lol Gotcha! d(^_^)b

@TheNuma11 His Signature bass from Yamaha: The Yamaha Attitude bass.

nice