Love it. I got fired from my first job back in 1992 because I called out to go see Primus open for U2. It was totally worth it. And yes I took off right after Primus was done. Who wants to see U2? Not me that's for sure.
Martinie and Claypool are two of my favorites. Incredible musicians that push the envelope of excellence. I got a chance to meet Martinie a couple years ago and he is as cool as you'd expect and has such a passion for creation of sound and innovative thinking. I was "supposed" to also meet Les last year at the Rush: Tribute To Kings tour but just my luck that the world got bitch slapped by the pandemic and put the brakes on that adventure. But my tickets are waiting in the wings still hoping that meeting will become a reality in the near future. Cheers!
A comment I once read someone make about Claypool that has stuck with me is that his playing has an absolutely incredible economy of motion. The video touched on some elements of it, but it's like he makes twice as many sounds while his hands are doing half as much.
Yes, Les Claypool is one of a kind on his technique and sound. The cool thing about Primus is that they sound heavy but not with the lower tones, as for "standard" metal. It's a really cool percussive, funky metal mashup. I can now name these techniques Les uses thanks to your video! Good job
Les claypool: *sneezes* Andrew: that was siiiick!! *camera zooms in and out 3 times* Andrew: that was like my fAvOrItE sneeze! Les claypool: *leaves* Andrew: whoa! CrAaAaZy!
Great breakdown of his technique. The Flamenco-technique is actually more of a full hand strum, he got it from Stanley Clarke, one of his prime - see what I did there? - influences. Clarke and especially Abe Laboriel did use the flamenco strum, where you rake across the strings with all fingers, alongside the FH strum extensively however. The way actual flamenco guitarists do it is called rasgueado and that's next level shit...
Damn dude. Well done. I've always been blown away by Les's work on Lacquerhead, and you described it brilliantly. I haven't watched any of your other videos, but you strike me as an excellent teacher. Breaking down every little part, then putting it together. I haven't played bass in years, but you're making me want to get back at it. Just wanted to say - really great video, mate.
Tbh, I read text on the thumbnail as “How to slap Les Claypool like” and my brain autocompleted it to be “How to slap Les Claypool like a professional.” It was a strange and magical 2 seconds before I realized my mistake.
In case you're wondering how to really get the most out of your slap. Don't bother with russian slap fight videos, they just use brawn over brain. Check out the skinny middle eastern dudes that wind their arm 300 degrees back before unleashing a god damn skyrim spike door trap of a slap into your noggin. It's all technique and execution it's just something else. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-AXO4RS4s7iU.html pictured is a 180 degree wind up. I'll allow you to extrapolate what adding another 120 degrees would do. It may not be professional but it is most likely the pinnacle of technique. Then just start lifting weights so you can put some meat into it like the russians.
Y’know a lot of people never really take into account, Les Claypool is like 6’3”. His hands are friggin huge, and at least his Carl Thompson 4 is short scale. Im not discounting his skill in anyway, but it is a factor in ease of play that I can attest to. I’m 5’9.5” and some stuff that Les does seem impossible or is a hella workout for my hands, simply because they are a lot smaller than Les’. Other songs take absolutely no effort, like Lacquer Head. I actually learned it just from watching the music video and just trying to imitate what he does. Now if I set everything up right, I can make my basses sound just like his. Some would say it doesn’t really matter how physically large someone is, but there are some things I just can’t do well because my hands just aren’t big enough, or my bass isn’t small enough. The intro to Puddin’ Taine comes to mind. Very difficult for me to get right because I can’t just rest my middle finger on the B, the fretboard is just too wide, I have to lift between each note to somewhat get the desired effect. Jerry was a Racecar Driver is also another one for the left hand. People say to use my pinky more, but I was blessed with tiny pinkies, so that really isn’t an option for anything but octaves and some chords. For Tommy the Cat, instead of using my middle finger for the octave in the main riff, I have to use my pinky because my hands are just not big enough. After years of almost daily practice of that song, I still cannot even come remotely close to even RU-vid covers, let alone Les himself. My hands get tired and start cramping right around the first chorus.
Mmhmm, can confirm. Even being 6ft alot of his bass lines are pretty hard on a 34 inch scale bass. I remember trying some fender that was short scale and my god, what a ease it gave me. For now I will just exercise my fretting hand :/
@@darraghtate440 Name one Mayer song that is impossible without large hands. I'm not saying you're wrong, I'm genuinely curious. I've learned a lot of Mayer songs off Continuum and have had no trouble. PS: My main guitar has a John Mayer signature Fender neck. Modeled after the 63
@@ikigai47 Neon is the most obvious example. The bass notes are all with the thumb hanging over the neck, I can't even get my hands in the correct position to play 8 - x - 8 - 5 - 6 - x with the thumb on the 8th fret of the low E string (which is tuned town to C). I'm certain there's plenty more, but I haven't done a very deep dive.
Saw Primus at ozzfest 99, les claypool and frog brigade in my hometown FrogTown, Angels Camp, Ca (what Les named the band after, in 2000. Primus with Mastodon't in 2019. And saw Primus open for Slayer 11/30/19, Slayer's final show.
FYI a LOT of good bassist also do some flamenco on the side. I've studied right hand flamenco technique a bit and it's so essential to getting cool sounds out of a bass. I also play a classical guitar as my 6 string primary and when I took a workshop with Stephane Wrembel (gypsy jazz), he kept picking me as accompaniment because I was playing fingerstyle with those flamenco stabs in place of the percussive hits of la pompe (the basic stroke of manouche). Anyway, not surprising to learn Les has brought that stuff into his playing! A charangista I know, when I asked him about his right hand technique, said 'whatever works'. He had dozens of styles packed in, but didn't really use any of them. They just trained his hand to do what was needed, when he needed it!
One really cool place that chord stab right hand technique pops up is the intro to Aces High by Iron Maiden. Not sure how Harris plays it, but I use 100% the flamenco-based move you show here!
Les claypool is one of my favorite musician, own everything he's ever put on vinyl(even sausage and oysterhead). Just recently defretted my 6 string so I can play more songs like Mary the ice cube, I'm also getting a 4 string bass made by Carl thompson just like Les' walnut bass
I saw Oysterhead at Bonnaroo, and good lord were they incredible. There is very little that Les Claypool has been a part of that I don't totally love. I even read his novel. It wasn't life changing the way my first Primus album was (Sailing the Seas of Cheese) but it was a fun, easy read.
I'm incredibly new to bass, and instrument playing in general. Kinda just messing around with things I'd like to learn in the long run, slap being a huge one (mostly thanks to Primus). The left hand hammer thing honestly explained dead notes better to me than anything I'd come across so far so, like, thank you. Excellent video that I'll be coming back to many times in the future! The bit of Lacquer Head is super fun from what I've tried after watching this and I will get down to the other techniques shown down the road! You got my sub and my support, chief!
Sadly Les doesnt play his Carl Thompsons much anymore. Partly because one; "they are so dang valuable its scary to take them on the road, and two; I am kinda doing my own thing with the Pachyderms now" as he told me the last time we chatted about it. Another thing, his "Tone" is a tricky subject. Depending on the "Era" you are refering to you would be suprised at how different his gear was and how much his gear changes in those periods. He literally has gear A.D.D. and constantly changes things around amps, cabs, effects, pick ups, etc and goes back and forth. Which really begs the real question; What is the secret to Les Claypools "Tone" .... Its Les Claypool.
@@3three3three3three For sure. The Pachys are all pretty much set up the same electronics wise. They are fine Basses in their own right, but I have a personsl bias in favor of the Thompsons. The black one was inspired by the Geddy Lee Signature J Bass from Fender....but in the Pachy style.
@@JangoMike i didn't know that it was inspired by the ged signature. cool fact, makes perfect sense. that bass seemed to have a much less twangy voice than the other pachys, but you're probably right and it was just whatever amp setup he was on at the time. infinite variables there i guess. nothing beats a Thompson at the end of the day anyway
@@3three3three3three I think around the time he started using the black Pachy he had switched BACK to his PreAmp and PA amp set up with Mesa Subway cabs. For a period he had gone back to the Mesa D800 head, but then got A.D.D and went back to his weird preamp/amp set up. Depending on the Venue, he will go straight to the board from the amp. Yes the Thompsons are like nothing else on Earth. I have had the pleasure of owning several over the years (and some Basses from his most esteemed appretices) new and vintage. I wish Les would go back to them, or sell me some of his CTs....lol.... ive got tons of vids on my channel featuring ny CTs and CT family of Basses if you wanna peep it out! Cheers 😎🎵🎸🎶🎵🎣
@@JangoMike Les is currently playing vintage Ampeg SVTs heads through Mesa Neodymium cabs. The newest Koa Pachaderm Bass sounds amazing. Check out this set-up at Alive at Pachyderm Station.
A big part of that tone is him and his hands himself. He plays a Fender Jazz, you can tell it is Les, he plays that weird steel bayou bass thing and you hear his tone.
07:19 it’s not because Carl Thompson made it, it’s because it’s a short 32” scale length bass. I personally don’t like this tone, too much guitaresque. His Pachyderm 32” basses sound about the same as his CT.
Saw the primus 3d tour. They sent out sound wave specialists to every show prior and set up their own sound systems for those specific spaces. Life changing experience.
Hey man, been playing Claypools stuff for years. This was a good vid, touched on a lot of stuff, wish i wouldve had this starting out, took me FOREVER to figure it out all by myself. Great job though
@@koba5152 alright so it’s. Slang that Primus made cause they new that they were going to here that in the crower Fan:primus sucks New fan:primus sucks
Agree completely. Ive seen Les pick up a plain ol boring out of the box Jazz Bass and he still sounded like Les. The secret to Les Claypools Tone ..... Is Les Claypool.
It’s interesting how intimidated people are towards learning Primus stuff. I starting climbing that hill back in 2017 and what I tell people is just learn one song. Get one piece of the puzzle and it’ll unlock chorus’s, versus or other individual parts of other songs. First song I learned was American life. Got that strum down, then I could notice that strum every time it ever came up in another song. You learn another song like To Defy cause you hear the strum and that unlocks slap and some right hand tapping. Now you got 2 pieces of the puzzle. Then all of a sudden you’re playing Duo De Twang stuff or songs from his solo albums. It’s definitely a lot of fun to start slapping other songs in the style of Les. Mastodons Chimes at Midnight is a badass one to slap or the last part of Megadeth’s Wake up Dead. You get a lot of fun party tricks down this path.
that was really informative. Q: for your slapping tone, do you turn your mids down & turn up the low & highs? Also another bassist I'd like to see covered is Tom Hamilton. Yeah yeah yeah I know he's not in Claypool's league, but I've been an Aerosmith fan for like 45 years, he's been a huge influence on me & I think he's really underrated.
Thank you! I keep my mids pretty tame (unlike Les!) around 12 o’clock, and crank the bass and treble a little bit. I’m also playing through a compressor pedal and preamp before adding some EQ and compression in post. And thanks for the recommendation! The first concert I ever went to was Aerosmith in 7th grade and they were GREAT. I also saw them in 2019 in Vegas for their Deuces Are Wild tour. Definitely underrated player. Cheers!
The technique you are explaining as flamenco is much more akin to what banjo players call claw hammer , Stanley Clarke innovated it on the bass in the 70s, obviously one of Claypool’s main influences
Your bass tone was amazing, you got another sub!! Could you do an analysis like this one of Chris Squire, Tony Levin, Mike Rutherford... Prog rock bassist in general?
I've seen Primus many times. Oysterhead, The Flying Frog Brigade, and Bucket of Bernie Brains. I saw Primus with Helmet, and got my nose broken in the pit (NOT a willing participant) during "Jerry Was a Racecar Driver" (GO! *CRACK!!*). Les Claypool is, has been, and always will be my Main Bass Hero.
I can’t stop watching this video, thank you so much for making this! I did not know about Les Claypool until now. I feel like I should have known because I’m a bassist as well. His skills are immaculate.
As an aspiring bassist, I’ve always loved Les Claypool’s tone and technique, but I’d never heard it broken down like this. I saw a cover someone did on a dingwall of John the Fisherman, so I could really see that combined flamenco and slap style. Well done here 👏 👏 👏
I love les claypool, and I don't know a thing about playing any kind of instrument, but I appreciate your break down of his technique, I learned so much!! Thank you!!
Something on Norwood Fisher of Fishbone would be good. Other bassists love him (including Flea), but I feel he doesn't get the recognition he deserves. One of my favourite examples is this video: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-pvbrQQjpksA.html Not the best quality recording, but Norwood's bass elevates it to another level.
I remember bringing a copy of Fizzle Fry over to my buddies place about 91-92. My tape trader friend gave it to me, and I had it well before most. I was like.. I don’t know what this is.. I kind of like it..do you like it? My buddy was like.. like it! And then we proceeded to wear it out. Later we had an epic pilgrimage to see the Sailing the Seas Tour. Easily one of the best shows I’ve ever been to.
Nice vid! Les was really inspiring when I started to play bass about 20 years ago. Les is Hendrix of bass. Real superstar that shines as a lead of the band. Unique person and bassist.
Les Claypool..... The Jimi Hendrix of Bass. Yeah, I said it. I love JH in guitar. I dunno Les real well... But enough to make that comparison. He's insane in the membrane.
Dude you are incredible! Subbed you immediatly and I’m gonna make all my friends sub to lol, this channel needs to blow up! I recently started listening to primus and It‘s basically all I’ve been listen to these last couple of weeks. Les Claypool has inspired me so much that I‘m probably gonna go buy a bass myself! What type of bass would you recommend if I wanna go for the Primus sound?
Thanks man!! To be honest it's impossible to get that Primus sound. I would find a bass thats comfortable for you and tamper with the tone as much as you can!!!
EXCEPTIONAL VIDEO!! you have helped me understand what exactly is happening when les plays. ive got my own technique to mimic it but its weak compared to seeing you show the real process
As a bass player, I always respected Les and knew he was a G.O.A.T. Never really went out of my way to listen to Primus. (John the fishermen used to annoy me. Blasphemous in hindsight, I know) However, fairly recently, Primus came on my Playlist. For the first time, something clicked. Now I'm obsessing over them. The music, the videos, their stage presence, and most importantly, les Claypools utter mastery of his instrument. I've needed motivation recently. I just never thought Les would be there for me. But he wouldn't help if there weren't people who could eloquently explain his technique because his written music doesn't translate at all.
I’m looking for a bass... I’m not too musically gifted. I’m not talking about a custom Carl Thompson or some Fisher Price “my 1st bass,” something in the middle of the road. Primus Sucks! I like that natural wood aesthetic of a Carl Thompson, something versatile; rock, jazz, funk... I’m looking at a Schecter?? I’m also a lefty
I had a 5 sting fretless Carl Thompson …. He came to Ward Brodt music store in Madison Wi quite a long time ago and did a clinic …. I was hooked … had him make me a similar rainbow style to Les’ 6 string from the SSOC era ….. took 3.5 years , and almost $5k when it finally arrived …. It was epic…. Couldn’t even come close to playing it to its potential …. But it was my pride and joy for decades…. Unfortunately I had to sell it to a collector and store owner up in northern Wi… son was born, divorce, you know….. life happened… still regret it heavily to this day.. Carl completed it on his wife’s birthday … so the serial number was 3-3-97 I think ….. I’m gonna go cry now …..
You forgot his other slap technique. It's just a lazy open hand slap. He actually uses it in the john the fisherman video you showed. Make sure to check out his other bands: C2B3, Frog Brigade, Fancy Band, Sausage, Highball With the Devil, and Oysterhead.
I feel like you need a good setup (mostly a good bass) to really learn this - is that just a cop-out? On my seriously-no-frills high-action-but-its-as-low-as-i-can-get-it bass that sounds nothing like the video..... its hard. It kinda just doesnt really work. Granted, I havent put the hpurs in. But when ive been lucky enough to try a better bass and I try slap, its like OMG....breakthrough. Its completely different.
Andrew, I am playing squire p bass now and I feel I am not getting the right tone. If I upgrade to active eq or active pickups will that help me? Or is it just my lack of skill? Thanks g
I may be a bass player for 12 years. I may be a huge Primus fan. I may love playing slap bass. But I only clicked on this video for the font from the movie "Slap Shot" in the thumbnail.
Great video. Les is also a major influence to me. In fact, after Primus' only show ever in Brazil, I managed to get into the backstage area, asked Les to autograph my arm and tattoed over it, right under my F claff tattoo. One of the proudest moments of my life
When you demonstrate Les's techniques, it sounds more like you are playing a percussion instrument, not a melodic one. The bass was meant to be a melodic instrument, providing the bottom end foundation of a song. Not constant percussive slapping that competes with the drums, and leaves the listener wondering, "but where is the melody? Where is the bottom end? Where are the vocals?,...etc...?
I have decided to have 3 children.. In order have bass battles against each other using Primus techniques. That is how legit this channel is! Thank you bass player Steve Jobs.
I kind of hate Bass InFlUeNcErS (you know, those who are only in the business of showing off their chops and endorsements) but your channel is sweet man, you're a great, GREAT teacher!
