Victor Wooten Interview on Sounding Off with Rick Beato 

Dad was born in 1930 and Mom in 1934. I remember when Regi taught us to play. Victor was two and I was 5. Imagine that...a 10 year old music teacher...Regi.

Victor is one of my most favorite humans on the planet. Such an amazing dude!

Appreciate listening to these 2 amazing humans expressing their experiences. Thank you

I love how organic this is....real to the core....interrupted by your daughter...and it is all good...unscripted sincerity.

I'm loving the sounding off series so much. Thank you Rick!

Come on, you have to be kidding. This has become my favorite channel on You Tube. The content here is insane. Just thank you.

Victor Wooten is such a lovely inspiring guy.

One thing that might be interesting is if you were to moderate a discussion between two ostensibly different musicians. For example a classical conductor and a jazz drummer. It would be fascinating to hear their perspectives on so many things - learning/development as a musician, practice, rehearsal, auditioning, etc.

Rick, Happy to have just found your channel. I'm a cellist, and discovered you through the cello video you recently posted. You are a great interviewer. Clearly capable of speaking non stop by yourself, you are able to choose NOT to and let your guest speak. I really mean this as a complement because so many interviewers are there to show everyone how smart THEY are. We know you're smart. Thanks for what you do, Dave

I saw the Flecktones in Santa Cruz, CA and Victor and Roy is all I remember.

:-) Hey Rick, Victor is SO right in his final comments (and all the rest of them, of course) your son Dylan, is a phenomenon. I play the vid for all the museos that come into my studio, and he blows their minds. He IS raising the high-tide mark globally. Thanks for your musical Aladdin's cave, you're just the best my friend. tez

That was really cool Rick. Victor is a super nice guy, really down to earth. Thanks and keep 'em coming.

Great job Mr. Beato, thanks a lot! This interview it`s a milestone! Maestro Wooten thanks for your wisdom and commitment with music and life! Cheers from a Venezuelan in Italy!

More often than not, the kids from a military family are really decent human beings and Victor is a great example of that. Besides being a world class instrumentalist! Thank you for this great channel Rick.

I love victor wooten. Not only is he an inspiration to me, but an inspiration to my favorite band, Animals as Leaders.

wow this is what i ve been waiting for, a proffesor in music ,talking with all my hero, s and a wizard who knows everything !! i ll follow this channel till i die . tnx rick beato!!!

Saw Victor,Dennis and Bob in cambridge in 2017 and it was probably the best show I've ever seen. Absolutely amazing musicians and on top of that you could tell the were having a blast playing for us.Thanks for being amazing people and I hope to see you play again, it had a great effect on my life!

What an amazing man. Such an inspiration. Completely humble and so cognizant of the world around him. So great.

Victor has to be one of the nicest people on earth. I remember I met him once at the Blue Note in NYC, and he just started talking to me like we were old friends, about all his philosophies about life and music. I chatted with him for probably 20 minutes. I'm really enjoying Sounding Off! It's a beautiful thing you're doing here, Rick!

Hey Rick I have been a fan of your page and interviews and lessons. I have been a musician for 35 plus year's mostly guitar and have a lot of the same thought's and did many of the same thing's that you have shared. I played the Bass for year's along with Guitar in Band's, all through the year's we mostly had rehearsals at my place. Well that got me into play drum's then when they would notice something out of place or broken they would get on my case, so I ended up buying my own 13 piece Tama set with all Red Sabian Cymbals. So I continued to be the guitarist and bassist, never played drums in a band. So I am still playing all and been learning more about the keys and now have it all, and have so many original songs its a huge amount. I am the only one of the musicians I have played with who kept recordings of everything, along with the master tapes from most of the original music others were recorded and then sent certified mail to myself going back to the 80's and 90's. But I just saw the interview with Steve Via and I got the advice I needed. Not sure how to transfer the Master Tapes yet but maybe you have some idea's. Also for my question for today I agree with most of the people you have on your best list's, but I have some that I have yet to hear you talk about, just one for now and that's the story of John Sykes and how great I thought his playing and then his voice so powerful. I live just South of Baltimore Maryland so the old Hammerjacks was the place to see some of the greatest up close, KIX, GnR before their album was a hit, and many more. The best was "Blue Murder" and to see that three piece with John Sikes playing guitar and the lead vocals to one of my favorite albums ever, just wanted to get your take on the mess with Coverdale and the songs John wrote then Whitesnake goes out with a great set of guitarists Vandenberg and the rest all great, but John and David must have had some horrible split. Seeing John Live will always be in my best ever show's. Any thought's and insight into the true story? Thanks and keep up the great show's.... Bryan Steele

Thanks for your work Rick. You are a wonderful guy and a great teacher. Much love your way

Dang, Rick, these interviews are amazing! You're making a bass player super happy with all these fantastic educators (VW and Adam Neely esp.) If you had Janek Gwizdala on too, that'd be the greatest!

I read all the Tom Brown books like over two weekends in the early 90's... Awesome books... Tom Brown grew up in Tom's River, New Jersey and he was playing in the woods exploring when he was really young. He met a young boy his age in the woods who was Native American and he invited him that first day to see his Grandfather who was an Indian Tracker. He instructed them so well that by the time they were ten they could survive in woods on their own. They joined the Boy Scouts and the Troop got stuck in a blizzard and the Troop Leader freaked out and the two boys saved the Troop with their survival skills. About laying the needle down, Duane Allman used to drop the needle with his toes to save time... Great Show as always....

What!? You got Victor Wooten! I love your channel Rick. Thanks for everything you do for the music community. My life is dedicated to it.

Wow, what a dream come true. GET THUNDERCAT NEXT!

Vic is the guru. 🙏❤️

This makes total sense to me. Bass players definitely need life skills coaching! learning how to use fire, walk properly, tie their own shoes, change their strings... So great, that finally they are getting the special attention they require, bless their simple, little hearts. So glad to hear there are places, where bassists could be taught to fend for themselves, well done guys!

Early in the morning and no coffee yet. I swear I thought this said Rick Soundo - BEATING OFF with Bassist Victor Wooten. Okay, coffee's ready.

Thanks Rick I really enjoy this serie. Thank you very much for these great interviews.

I loved this converation.

Yaaaay!!! Wonderful interview gentlemen. Thanks Rick!

Sounding Off was Great as always - wonderful interview - thanks a lot guys.

Love Victor. Combining the outdoors learning and music is so great. Reminds me of Aristotle and the Academy approach.

VW is one of the most easy, gracious interviews around. Just say hi and ask him a question and be prepared for him to ask you things and inspire you. I wanna be like him when I (finally) grow up.

I learned so much at his camp! Such a cool experience!

Thanks Rick.... Yes, we would love to see Guthrie here.. Love your work. Thanks for all you do for us.

Great interview! I was reminded that, "Youth and enthusiasm can always be overcome by age and treachery."

Thanks Rick! 👌👍✊️ That was one amazing hour of my life. Wooten‘ s a legend💪🏿

i love what you all do..good humans to learn from. thanks and keep going

Rick, Awesome inspiring interview. Not only is Victor super talented. He is also a very decent human being

Priceless

Awesome interview Rick! 'Sounding Off' is a great series.

This was great. Thank you for making these videos, Rick. Always looking forward to the next one!

lovely stuff

Dude, Rick. AWESOME video. I've seen Victor several times in concert-including once with his bros. in Nashville at 3rd and Lindsley and another at Tower Records in Nashville (up close and personal) with Bela Fleck. Such an incredible musician. Also a great person. If you haven't seen his brother Reggie play guitar he's simply amazing. In fact, the Wooten Bros. at 3rd and Lindsley playing Prince covers is one of the greatest musical things to witness live. Just astonishing.

I bet both of your kids are amazing. you two are basically parents to a bunch of musicians... i cant imagine how awesome your kids will be :)

What a killin' video, man. Thank you Rick for sharing all that you share, and for having special guests like VW to help guide us on our musical and personal journey.

this was amazing, thank you rick, love you victor!

The first rock show I saw was the Eat Em and Smile Tour with David Lee Roth, Billy Sheehan, Steve Vai and Greg Bissonette! I think I was 14!

Great interview! Victor thanks for doing this with Rick!

Victor makes light to something one of my bass playing friends used to do when we were younger. He was curious of drum rudiments and would have us show them to him so that he could practice left/right hand patterns as slap patterns for his plucking hand.

Thanks for your work Rick. Amazing!

Hey I live in Sacramento! That was cool to hear to that Victor lived there for some time growing up.

Idaho's finest. Thanks for enhancing my life Rick!

i remember a conversation btw Ray Brown and Howard Roberts in the hall ways at G.i.T ,,I happen to be and hearing Ray turning to Howard and saying" Howard when are you going to teach these students to play tunes:..lol..very true...Great Interview Rick and great to hear victor being so open about life and music...cheers

❤️Wonderfully fascinating and enjoyable, Rick. Victor's aunt sounds great. Willie Weeks is alive. I'm thinking he could be an interesting guest on SOUNDING OFF. Thanks Rick.

Awesome. Thx Rick and Vic! Inspiring

Great interview, Rick! Really enjoying your channel.

This is brilliant stuff Rick, thank you so much for doing this and sharing it, so much inspiration, simply fantastic to hear all these legends speak so candidly. I must add you always have great questions. Surely the best channel for musicians on YT, love and regards from India!

Wooten always has some wisdom for us.

Sts9's Alena Rocklin was Victor's student?! I'm not surprised! Thanks for helping bring the funk to our Sound Tribe ;)

Man, how is this channel even real O_O

Amazing interview. "A very succulent time for music" being my favorite :)

yeah!

Very cool. There are many of many interview with Wooten out there and most of them are very identical. Your one is very interesting to listen many new things. Thanks a lot.

This was uploaded on my birthday! :D

incredible

Wow great video Rick, so much great information, I find your channel very inspiring, thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and experience with all of us, and also these sound off videos are amazing, thanks again! These interviews are so great and full of great information!

Great stuff Rick. Thanks

awesome man!

Great conversation... Rick, I watch a lot of your guitar videos... very good, helpful work. When you mentioned that why didn't these rock players in 70s/80s grab these great rhythm sections from the fusion world, I thought of several live shows from Bob Weir... Bobby and the Midnites with Billy Cobham and Alphonso Johnson... Weir got that right

Second thankyou, really appreciate the parenting discussion.

He's so right about the rhythms section in the end of "Stairway to Heaven" I mean it's the section before the solo, the solo section, and then the section right after the solo. The way these 3 sections take up speed - just slightly - and of course what Bonham and Jones are playing before it slows down again in the last section.... It's not the most technical playing ever, but certainly the Alchemy between these musicians that gave the greatest Rock song in History

Victor Wooten = insta like

Victor is my bass hero, ever since the Flecktones. Although recently I am a big fan of Bryan Beller.

Has anyone ever heard Vic talk about the importance of less being more and rhythm and the groove being supreme? I saw a friend's DVD years ago where Vic was saying that and wrapped it up by saying something like "and then you can play like Miles Davis". I'd love to see it again if anyone has a link.

Victor is such a nice guy.

Victor is tight 🤙🏻 Also enjoyed the Dennis interview Love to see Wayne Krantz and Scott Henderson and Oz Noy on here! P.s. Is Chuck d'Aloia Rick's brother or related?

Deep stuff in this interview. Loved it!

woooooow dude!

great job Rick!

Another brilliant interview... It's as if you're slowly letting the cat out of the bag because if you didn't, none of us would ever believe you'd got so much great stuff up your sleeve...:-)) And once more, Dylan... WoW! I shared one of those ear exercises & people were blown away!

Boys, you are both great. Thanks for this vid

GREAT!!! 🙏🏼

Ayyyy, you're really going places with this channel! :D

Had to be first for this one, legend like none other!

They don’t make people like this anymore…Good decent man

Victor Wooten's camp sounds a bit like like Jorma Kaukonen's Fur Peace Ranch. Must be an amazing experience.

Brilliant Interview. Tonnes of knowledge and life lessons in less than an hour. Just curious to know why names like Anthony Jackson, Nathan East, Abraham Laboriel don't pop up??

Wooooow. So glad I subscribed a week ago!!

Dylan, Lennon, and Layla! How in the world did you come up with these names?!!!:)

Back then when Buckethead was writing guitar lessons for Guitar magazine made a lesson in making your guitar sound like a rollercoster trip :)

It's funny to see him do interviews. I have this mental picture of him as this unphatomable genius I expect him to speak like an astrophysicist or something not just a musician.

Hey! Talking about pop radio, check out WFMU broadcasting out of Jersey City, NJ.

I know victor Wooten but have no idea who Stanley Clark is. I’m gonna have to look him up after I finish this video. And I’m gonna have to give stairway to heaven a good listen.

cooool!!!

Great interview. I wonder what Victor would think of the band Animals as Leaders. :D

Great Videos! I read Victor's Book: The Music LessonThanks

BEATO!!!!

Can we see Stuart Zender &/ Paul Turner, both of Jamiroquai fame? =]