I'm 59 years old and I've been playing since my early teens. I've always wanted to learn this part but never took the time to try. Thanks to you guys, that's about to change.
@@bassislife-trh Its all pentatonic/blues. It's only a mystery if you can only play it in one position. Sorry if I came across as rude I meant to say this song will teach you how to extend the scale across the whole fretboard.
So... Without giving up, and a little searching for the isolated bass track, I finally have it!!! After 2 weeks I finally have it. I was so discouraged at one point I almost broke out my old trumpet because I know I could sight read that shit when I was first trumpet in high school... but I kept at it with the bass and I finally have it note for note!! Thank You Scott's Bass Lessons!!!
Growing up with no internet, I had to learn this by ear. Took a lot of time to get a bar down. Now you have professional musicians teaching you note for note online for free. What a great time for learning. Keep them low ends groov’n.
My first time playing it on a gig (I was 19 or 20) was also a disaster, but since then it's always been an absolute joy to play. Such a killer song and rightly a core part of the repertoire for any working bassist.
This is the best bass video I’ve ever scene. Not only my fave bass song, but you guys are so great and funny together. No one ever broke this down like this. Wow..Love it ! Peace..
This song and this bass break will always have a special place in my heart because it was the song i played for my prepared piece during my Berklee audition. And now i’m attending class there. It’s great!
I remember taking me few weeks when I was 21 to learn Sir Duke on bass as my audition for my college fusion band, & it's still one of my all time favorite songs to jam along many years later!
guys french player here glad to speak english to be one of your followers, beyond this iconic phenomenal bass line of stevie, just wanted a massive thanks for all your contributions and your passion !!! it is so bloody contagious !
The turns played by the horns on the last few notes almost always go unnoticed by bands (obviously the bass doesn't do it in the recording) but it's such a nice little flex whenever I hear people do it!
It's wild to hear these two play the exact same phrases, yet sound so different. If I'm being honest, I prefer Ian's approach. The snap/articulation from playing each note individually - rather than using pull-offs - seems to fit in the pocket better for me. There's a percussiveness to the notes that I really like with his approach.
I’ve been playing bass since I was 14 and this was one of the first things I attempted, it was just way too cool 😂 I’ve been playing it non stop for the last 5 years and have never been able to get it just right. But you’ve inspired me to keep trying it, enjoying every bar!
I remember playing this song in my high school jazz band (I had picked up bass in about Grade 8 and was my main instrument throughout high school, and quickly got the reputation/nickname of "rock star" from a lot of my friends because I was the only guitarist in the band and they knew I played guitar and loved rock music), and while it did definitely take me awhile to get down it's still one of my favourite songs that I've learned and I got to play this back in 2017 when my music teacher took up on our annual Cuba trip (every four years he would take our high school/Senior band to Cuba for a week to play some shows and the last time they had gone some of my friends who had already been playing there went when we had started Grade 9 so I got to experience it once I hit Grade 12 and it was absolutely beautiful), such an absolute bloody jam and it'll always be one of my favourite Stevie songs
One of the nice things about playing this break is the little “yeah!” on the track after the first long phrase. Always makes me feel like Stevie and the band are rooting for me to get it right!
I remember learning this with the vinyl when I was 12 . Absolute monster Luckily my dad’s old record player went all the way down to 18 on a variable slider so I could get it an entire octave down. Still took me a while So much fun tho Watts is a beast
Thanks for the video, amazing breakdown of all the details! Would you be able to do a similar video on Matt Ramseys bass playing from the NPR tiny Desk with Kirk Franklin, it's got some of the most inspired song-serving bass playing I've ever heard. I'd love to hear you both analyse it!
I got to learn this iconic break on both bass ánd keys (we couldn't afford a proper brass section 🤣😭👍) for 2 different bands... Once you've got it, it'll never leave you! Stevie Wonder is such a deserved legend....
Ian sets off showing what to play at a speed you can relate to. Scott man, you blast through "It's just... (insert the lick played faster than the original!" 🙂
I've been working on this for two days now, that third section is leading me busy. Two things a occurred to me while going over the notes slowly. The phrasing in the third section is very similar to the Keyboard solo in Africa by Toto, and when you slow it down to about 30 bpm it starts to sound like the Theme from Father Ted.
My son just started playing the bass 3 months ago, has had 4 lessons, and is already playing this like a pro 😮 any other suggested songs/ breaks for him to push himself?
Great playing both! i'm new to the game but I really love the sound of that Wal bass, even more than the F. Anyone can comment on that Wal v/s a EBMM stingray special 5HH?
I learned this one first on the sax, which actually made it harder to learn on the bass, as it actually isn't the same line. Similar, but not the same.
Hey guys, would you ever consider analysing Trevor Bolder when he was playing bass with Bowie. Amazing, melodic lines with lots of notes, created almost instantaneously by Trevor not David ……he was much underrated, but so good. Take the bass line for ‘Lady Grinning Soul’ for example…..
Hi! Your sound is so full, so reach, even with different basses. What's the secret? There is so many bass videos on RU-vid and too many with a crappy sound. Please show us/them the light! 😉
After downloading the workbook I'm like wait isn't this super similar to Take the A-Train? Oh Sir Duke... plays the two songs together at the same time... Stevie Wonder is a genius
I guess, parts im struggling with is 7:19 when you hang with the note on the D string, my fingers climbing from that up to the E string clashes up when i try to do this full speed. Same with the part of the same part on 8:31 my right hand just cant seems to climb up the A string and hit the G and D as it should. And i struggle with the part that goes A-4-4 D-1 A-4 D-2-3-4 E-4 A-4 E-0-2 A-1-2
After scott gets done saying how important articulation is to match the horns, he does that dead string rake that blows that out of the water. Ian articulates the thing a lot better.
Great song, great bass line... and it even aint the best song in that album, which is totally KILLER. Contusion, I Wish, Ordinary Pain, Isn't she Lovely, Black Man, As, SUMMER SOFT!!! It's just top 5 alltime any genre shit for me... too darn freakin sublime! Cheers
Stevie's 70's albums run was incredible! I can't think which album is the best, or which song. There are like 5 genius albums released one after another! 🎸🤩Peace!✌
Guys I have a question for you. Forgive me if you’ve already been asked this, but how do you build stamina and endurance on your plucking fingers. Mine get tired and sore quickly 😅. Help!
waiiiit wait, back up! the Banana bass! Didn't you give that away? I'll be honest I entered to win that... so I could guarantee Scott an unconditional return if ever he wanted it back. I didn't win. But there it is in his hands, is this an old recording or has that bass found its way home somehow?
Nice job lads. I'm glad you pointed out the portion where Nathan Watts played it up an octave, which is how I've always played it. I learned this back when "Songs in the Key of Life" came out, and I love to play it. I don't think that specific portion of the line should be played in the lower register. It's cooler to play that lick like the original track, up high!
Oddly when I first tried picking this song up it wasn't the bass break that tripped me up, it was that last chorus! The variations definitely get trickier as the song goes on.
