""I recently saw Francis "Rocco" Prestia with Tower Of Power in London and that was the closest i've come to being a punter again. He was absolutely marvelous; I've never heard or felt a groove stronger than his " Pino Palladino in March '92 Bass Player interview
actually i read that in Chris Jisi's Brave New Bass (interviews & lessons w/the innovators,trendsetters and visionaries) highly recomended bass book ;)
Thanks for another great lesson Scott! I'm really astounded at what you have produced over the years, and love turning old musician friends as well as students on to your work. Even with my own years of experience studying and teaching music, your lessons have a range of depths that are always engaging. I was a student of Kai Eckhardt's between 2004-6, and still see him around town shopping for veggies from time to time. Also really dug your clips talking about your appreciation for his playing. Cheers!
How Rocco did it is amazing. He couldn't read music and came up with iconic Funk lines, all the while staying so tight in the pocket with David Garinaldi. Not to mention, as he admits, that he was often drugged out of his mind. He was incredible!
For what it's worth, coming from a percussion background, I try to think of my fingers as sticks in terms of R and L (drum music sometimes has sticking written in for tricky parts). So when you play this tune, in consideration of the 16th notes, you always have to hit the "ones" and "ands" with your index finger, and the "e's" and "uh's" with your middle finger. Then when the octave things come up, it'll be much easier and much more comfortable. Hope that's helpful!
Good point about the right index leading the jumps to the G string. But the part isn't as accented as Scott is playing here. It's very even -- machine like and steady.
I do think Rocco plays it more evenly. For me, I would probably attempt to play it with less accents if I had a drummer pumping the kick on those beats. Without a drummer, I personally like how it sounds with the accents added.
Great video! As someone who has always been taught to "rake" (use the same finger rather than alternate) when descending strings, this bass line is flipping my world upside down. I never felt like I could quite get it tight enough and recently started watching some videos of Rocco literally frame by frame at some parts. I was shocked to see him alternate fingers practically no matter what, even when descending strings.
I'm a drummer that plays a bit of bass. I'm lovin this bass lesson. The strictness of keeping consistent the index finger on all downbeats cannot be stressed enough, because the same goes for drums. You never want to get your hands turned around, and on the bass you never want to get your fingers turned around. And if you can build that muscle memory to always play your downbeats on the index finger, and play those sixteenths like playing drums, you're gonna become a monster on the bass! Props to Scott for really really great RU-vid content.
Scott, I am a newbie still in your beginner sections of the academy. But I love that song and I tried it as you showed Yikes! I find it easier to play it this way: E on the A string using down and up sweep using the index finger only. The higher octave E using a pinky hammer on, and low E using the middle finger. I find it easier to keep that rhythm and emphasis you highlighted, without messing up the finger sequence. Try it for giggles. Lol
Rocco doesn't actually pulse on his 16th groups. Listen to the track. He's using dynamics elsewhere, but on those 16th note groups, he's actually very uniform. The pulse is implied by the drummer. also, 19:46 ...thanks, I'm deaf now and will never have to concern myself with music ever again.
First time I knew Rocco, I was not amazed. Until I tried one of his bass line and failed big time. Thats the time my jaw was on the floor. Rocco is the man
rip rocco! btw Scott, my friends and I call things "rude" and it warmed my heart hearing you do it too haha. you can't listen to something like "Bad Reputation" by Thin Lizzy and describe it any other way besides rude. Like, the nerve of something being so cool--just rude :-)
Bravo, someone who actually got it right! I agree with Scott, the pumping may be a little over the top, Rocco actually plays it pretty straight. But I would advise people to learn it your way because with most drummers you're going to need it! Also, anyone who aspires to learn some of Jaco Pastorius' stuff should take the time to learn this because as Jaco once told me, Rocco was a big influence on him. Great lesson Scott!!!
I played with Rocco a fair amount 40 years ago in the late 70's; I played guitar but was always trying to learn about bass. He was one of those guys who you really could not imagine how he was playing what he played, and it was of course no effort for him. Like Vic Wooten. Not that Roccos' notes were that difficult, but that he could keep up that pace of relentless 16th notes was just amazing. And you really did not hear any accent on beat 1.
If you like "What is Hip" (and I very much do; used to play it in a classic rock band in the 90's on, of all things, a fretless fender), you have to take a few minutes to listen to Jeff Berlin's "Joe Frasier," where the bass line comes at you like a prize fighter doing a speed bag workout. He's cut several versions, but my favorite is still the original, with Bill Bruford on the "Gradually Going Tornado" album.
Sorry, she doesn't. Whacking sloppy 16ths with the thumb completely misses the point of the part. Listen again as Scott describes the pulse. Rocco "rocks" over the beat with a pulse. Every eighth downbeat is slightly ahead of the beat and every other 16s upbeat rocks back slightly behind the beat. This creates a heartbeat like pulse. This stuff comes from organists like Chester Thompson essentially drumming between their left or right hand and their foot. Listen to Squib Cakes in the organ solo when Rocco lays out. You hear CT doing that same forward/backwards rocking pulse. And there are RU-vid's where CT describes doing this. Many people seem to be unable to hear this, they hear it as straight metronomic 16s. Scott tries to simplify it by emphasizing the quarter notes and using the dominant leading finger on them. If you can't hear it, that's okay. Keep listening to old Tower, Sharay Reed and other gospel folks. Eventually you'll realize why your head bobs in the direction it does.
Scott, just wondering, wouldn't it be easier just to play the low E (referring to the very first octave shift) with the index finger, then the next E with the middle finger, and then start the riff once again with the index finger? This way you don't have to play with the index finger 2 consecutive notes. Cheers from Italy
Thanks for this glorious lesson Scott, it helped a lot! I'm definitely considering becoming a member of SBL for your beginner guide on Jazz, been playing bass for 5 years now and I feel it's the time to get to know the fret board inside out. Your videos are very explanatory but also feel close and fun, almost allowing me to experience the lesson as if I was in the same room even though a computer screen is separating our realities. I will also say you are as important and influential to me as any of the many bass idols we all know and love. Again thanks for your awesome work!
Thank You so much for this lesson, Scott! Awesome explainings! :) Small correction: In the verse, the low E-string is hit by the index finger. --> alternating 16th flow all the time: i m i m... ... as you can see in a lesson this lesson by the master himself. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-TaJasC5xtb4.html but of course the most important thing is groove and not such details... :)
Scott I am huge fan, you do great work. 2 things I agree with Gary below not so many accents, but a great way to build the foundation. Point 2, I have been lucky enough to hang with Rocco a couple times. Once he played Funkifize in a loud room, unplugged. Just me and him sitting there. I could not believe how hard he played the strings. I've seen him live and watched countless hours of video, but that's the sort of thing you can only experience up close. I played many TOP songs live for years and incorporated this heavy handed approach, it did add to the attack and tone. But wow it's hard. fantastic job!
Awesome work. Anyone that needs to be told that they've got an epic bass line doesn't get it. The brass section's already informing them anyway in this song.
So nice! I've basically learned to play drums on this tune and "To the night club" on my dad's live record of Tower of power 30 years ago :)). Thanks, and oh yeah, you're amazing!
So many times I've been in a groove trying to figure out where my lead plucker suddenly alternated. Usually I don't have time to worry about it, but other times I've compromised a groove that way, having been distracted by it.
Been playing a little under 2 years and this video helped immensely. It's gonna take a fare amount of time to get this entire bass line under my fingers but that's half the fun.
of COURSE..i start watchin this...3 weeks after having my rt. index finger/hand, smashed by a 19 year old helper, with his favorite 12 lb. sledge. Stitches on both sides, inch an a half top and bottom right thru the first index knuckle..220 volt electrical shock style nerve damage from finger tip back to palm...i've been playin bass / guitar for eons, and, a couple months back, decided to learn WiH CORRECTLY for once...was a finger player w/VERY fast fingers..lol..WAS...now tryin ta shift it all to middle and ring finger from index/ring finger on right hand...DAMN is that right ring finger slowin it all down...and Scott is emphasizing the use / importance of..? yep..the right index finger...lol .*end whine*.
Nice feel and muting Scott! I got to play What is Hip with Tower’s original What is Hip guitarist, Bruce Conte, in Danta Fe the band…Vegas Days. Bruce mentioned Rocco’s Muting….but he or no one else ever showed or explained it…. So happy to meet Rocco and see his instructional video explaining his left hand muting. On that video you’ll see his higher action too. He played my bass sitting in once and said he wished my action was higher. I said these strings has been soaked in alcohol and had lost some tension, so they were lower than usual. The next day he gave me a brand new set of Blue Steels Bass Strings. Cool guy.
It's funny that I'm self-taught, always lead (downbeat) with my middle finger and could never even contemplate those octaves. Go figure! That one simple (finger) tip is going to make a difference for me. Thanks! Those 16th will _KILL) your foreams, BTW. One of my favorite bass lines ever. Second thanks in one post.
I have always wanted to learn bass and you and Victor Wooten are inspiring me to actually begin learning the bass. I play tenor and baritone saxophone, trombone and euphonium. Love all things bass, never thought I could ever play bass but you guys are showing me that it is possible. Thanks.
Hi Scott - Just venturing into the world of funk!! Great lesson BTW... My natural tendency when I started learning this is to play the octave with my 3rd (M) finger rather than all the string skipping with my index (P) finger. This frees up the 1st fingers to keep the 16ths going. Any thoughts please?
If you can play this, then you should have no problem playing Ramble on by Led Zeppelin. When you study old Blues music you soon realize that a lot of rock people did the same thing, cause so many songs came from there. Also R&B and funk had a lot of people stealing from each other, lot of the same runs and licks all over the genre. Some bass parts for different songs are practically interchangeable.
How do you get the stamina to play this bassline through an entire song? Just straight-up practicing for hours? Or is there a trick to it? I think my whole arm would fill with lactic acid.
Ive been working the drum part with Garibaldi for 50 years..Ibdid a clinic with both Dave and Rocco...it was awesome..so for a drummer, Scott, i really locked into "I-M I-M...patterns with fingers..great lesson Brother!
My index finger was actually in acute physical pain after a few attempts at playing this song, but I was really digging in deep and hard on that accented note. The bass line makes the whole song. I also play trumpet and guitar, so this is an awesome song for me. The trumpet solo trails off and I come back on another track matching that high trumpet note on guitar and then lead into that solo. Without that bass line it's all meaningless.
May I suggest the next bass line Analysis video? :) "Don Blackman - Holding you, loving you" I mean, I know how to play it, its not that hard, but it is one of the most epic bass lines ever, just because of the rhythm and the weird syncopation :) Keep up the good work! Greets from Belgrade
aYYY SCOTT, I WENT DOWN A ROCCO AND TOWER OF POWER rabbit hole this weekend. I saw that lightning speed 1977 video of them It was really too fast, but I also saw the same song performed on a different video and it sounded more normal the key with me was listening to the singer on the fast one versus the more normal one. on the fast one almost had a getting to a chipmunk type vibe. That's when I realized the really fast playing one was altered in someway. This however does not change the fact that Rocco was a beast of a player. Interesting side note. Emilio Castillo, the band leader said, that when drummer David Garibaldi came to the band , this is what allowed Rocco to open up in his playing, it freed him up, Emilio says to do bass lines that they had never heard Rocco do before.
Our band leader brought into our repertoire A Little Knowledge is a Dangerous Thing, I saw the sheet and thought, bah just eight notes with some sincopations. Hahah, I was never so wrong :D Prestia's grooves are one of the greatest schools for bass for sure. Playing Jaco and other super drilling grooves and I strugled a lot with Tower of Power songs, but they are soo good to play .
This line has been a major pain in my butt for a long time. It plays straight, then BAM!, syncopation curve-ball and jumbled up fingers! Arrggh! Apart from the technical bits, it's also quite tiring. Thanks so much for breaking this down into the separate parts.
I can't wait to get this thing down so I can be super stoked about ruling the groove and gettin my squinty-eyed "stanky-groove-face" on.! Didn't realize about the muting thing.
I have struggled to nail this riff for months. I could play it in sections but not together. My hand would cramp up or I'd fumble all across the stings me I couldn't figure out why. Until now. Lead with my index finger everything comes together. Thanks Scott!
The lesson is great Scott, but could be more segmented into smaller parts. Playing the entire riff is simple, I guess, IF you can already play it. Those trying to initially get it would need it broken down even more.
Thank you Scott,there are a few songs that has these Bass lines that I think, will always Blows the head away, What is Hip, Licking Stick by James Brown, Bootsie Collies, on Bass The live versions are the best,
This is fascinating Scott. I just posted my drum cover to this song and I really loved Rocco's bass playing on this as he was really pushing through it all the way to the end. Fantastic. I also play a little Bass to. You played it so well Scott.
