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►► FREE: Get the tabs, notation and practice tracks for all the Paul McCartney bass lines in this lesson → becomeabassist.com/227-beatle...
I learned every 227 Beatles bass lines
That’s every song in the Beatles catalog (I think…)
It was a massive job trying to keep track of all these Paul McCartney bass lines, so I even made a super nerdy spreadsheet to keep track of everything.
The Beatles bass lines have a very special place in my heart since the very first line I ever learned was the iconic ‘Come Together’.
So I was super excited to start learning all the Paul McCartney bass lines.
But as I began learning the songs from the first few Beatles albums, I noticed something…
The lines on the early albums weren’t nearly as cool as Come Together.
And it wasn’t even close.
In fact, I found myself getting a little bored with the bass lines.
Not because the bass lines were ‘bad’ at all - the lines were fine, they worked great, and Paul played them really well.
But were they as melodic and singable as Come Together?
Definitely not.
**That all changed on a dime though.**
There’s one specific album where Paul McCartney’ss bass lines go from being a little dull, to being downright genius.
He started treating the bass in a completely new way and it transformed his playing into the bass legend that we know today.
So in this lesson, I want to show you what I discovered from learning the entire Beatles bass line catalog including:
► Why the early bass lines ‘worked’, but weren’t super compelling
► The extra ‘layer’ Paul added to his playing that let him churn out genius bass lines
► The reasons why his bass lines changed so much between one album and the next
► What Paul avoided doing that guaranteed his bass lines still worked with all the songs
It’s one thing to hear these bass lines and listen to the difference between the early Paul McCartney bass lines and the later Beatles bass lines.
But you’ll truly understand the difference if you play these lines for yourself and experience the things I mention in the video.
So make sure you download the FREE tabs and tracks for everything in this video. Just go to this page:
becomeabassist.com/227-beatle...
Fill out the form above and I’ll send it all to you so you can get started in the next 60 seconds.
Good luck with the lesson and happy playing!
Cheers,
Luke
P.S. Here’s that interview where Paul talks about ‘stealing’ one of his early iconic bass lines
amoralto.tumblr.com/post/1674...
P.P.S. Here’s the link to get the free tabs and tracks:
becomeabassist.com/227-beatle...
[Chapters]
0:00 Intro
1:04 Were Paul McCartney’s Bass Lines A Little ‘Boring’?
3:11 Where Paul McCartney’s Bass Lines Came To Life
4:36 Paul McCartney’s BIGGEST Influence
5:57 The Technology That Made Paul Bass Lines Possible
7:56 The Extra ‘Layer’ That Paul Added To His Bass Lines
10:45 The TRUE Genius Of Paul McCartney
12:11 How To Make Sure YOUR Bass Lines Are As Good As Paul’s
#beatles #paulmccartney #basslesson
By the way, if you’d like the free tabs, notation and bass-less backing tracks I used in this video, just head to the site and download them here: becomeabassist.com/227-beatles-bass-lines
Great video !!!!!! Thanks. Have a look at the serie McCartney.3.2.1. Incredible serie about Paul's sound.
Good yes. John GREAT. F Paul
there's nothing wrong with roots and fifths if they suit the song. complexity is not the best fit for every song.
Do John Paul Jones 🙏
@The Upright Luthier - that's some pretty hardcore gatekeeping. And considering the number of very accomplished 'real' musicians who use tabs that I know, I disagree. 'Real' musicians use whatever tools and methods that work best for them, and for some, that includes tabs.
His bass lines got more intricate around the time the Beatles stopped performing live. He knew he wouldn't have to play the more sophisticated line and sing something completely different. James Jamerson wasn't singing a lead vocal while he played.
Not quite. This vid says Rubber Soul on; and both that one and the next, Revolver, were released before they (officially, at least) decided to stop touring. It does make you wonder, though, whether it might have been something they had already spoken about, when you think about how few of their "newer" songs made it into the live sets during the last few concerts...
Playing bass and singing lead proficiently isn't easy to pull off ( discovered as much firsthand decades ago), imo. I gained great respect for artist like Paul McCartney, Sting, Jack Bruce, among others, who made successful, legendary careers doing so.
@@soundaffects8352 True but they didn't really play songs from those albums live.
@@kevinmichael9482 Took ME a while, but I can do it proficiently enough! Was def HARDER than playing guitar and singing, but PRACTICE works! (just ASK Glenn, 'Know it all' Fricker! )
@@kevinmichael9482 Yes. I typically play two bass parts for a song. The easy one for when I’m singing and the better one for when I’m not.
Paul was a guitar player and pianist prior to agreeing to play bass because the band already had John and George on guitar and because he was a guitarist and piano player, he wasn't going to deny his melodic tendencies because he now played bass, he just adapted the bass lines to be melodic. When he first started, he did what any guitar player would when first learning bass, he played root notes ( and then roots and 5ths). As he got comfortable on the bass, he made it his own...and we're glad he did!
Exactly. You just owned this guy's video! 😆
@@ride8575 ✌
Yes, Paul had an advantage 😂of playing the baseline along with the ability to play the melody. Other bassist have had such miraculous moments. Carol Kane in just about any work she did.
Paul essentially developed his bass lines from standard rhythm section stuff into true counter melodies centered around the root and 5th.
@@buffybrown1619 And Carol was a session guitarist as well.
All My Loving is a great example of an early intricate bassline. The riff in Drive My Car was Harrison's idea, actually, and he had the idea by listening to Otis Redding's Respect.
Wouldn't call it intricate. It's essentially just quarter notes landing on each beat.
It’s just a walking bassline
I agree, this lad is way off…
@@oggabob Yeah and it's a pretty good one. It's more melodic than most walking lines.
The Night Before, She's A Woman, and Do You Want To Know A Secret are also pretty good examples of his early playing being somewhat interesting. Listening to the isolated bass track of Don't Bother Me was pretty shocking though, by far the most difficult bassline of any Beatles song up to that point in my opinion.
I have always felt that the two Beatles songs that changed bass playing forever were on the single Paperback Writer and the flipside Rain. All of a sudden out of nowhere the bass was right out front like a lead instrument and this ultimately changed how the bass was played and how it was treated in recordings thereafter. It was stroke of genius by Paul.
Absolutely!!!
Part of that was pushing the recording and engineering. Before that, EMI was afraid to mix the bass too hot or it would cause the needle to jump. Paperback Writer is Paul saying “screw it, beef up the bass!”
I read in Geoff Emericks book "Here, There and Everywhere" that Paul had been complaining that the bass on Beatles records wasn't as loud or as full as on American records. So for Paperback Writer and Rain, Geoff came up with the idea of using a loudspeaker as a microphone for recording Pauls bass amp. But it wasn't just the sound that changed, it was also Pauls playing style on those two tracks that I feel set a new trend for bass playing in general.
"changed bass playing forever...." yeah for the Beatles.
Coincides with the bass being overdubbed, last of all -- clearer & louder - instead of the more usual bass and drums forming the FIRST recorded track.
"Something" is his absolute best. It's so much more than a bassline. It's a full countermelody.
I agree 100% @Jason Remy - I even made an entire video dedicated to that single line: kzhead.info/sun/pNKQYNScppWKZ2g/bejne.html
interesting as I believe George thought he overdid the bass on Something..
George hated the bass line of Something. He asked Paul to play a bass line as simple as the ones Paul always played on his own slow ballads, but Paul ignored his request. I always hear the line as a raised middle finger from Paul to George. Bass players love it though. They get to pretend to be as cool as the lead guitarist. For three minutes.
EDIT: I just saw that you made a similar claim on that video 10 days ago @jotcarey. I asked for a source then and you never replied. I’m afraid ‘Trust me bro’ is not a credible source. Original comment: Do you have a reliable source for that claim @jotcarey? Geoff Emerick tells the story of George asserting himself in the studio, but mentions nothing of Paul ignoring the request to play simpler, and if you listen to early rehearsals, Paul is definitely noodling pretty hardcore, so I wouldn’t be surprised if George told him to chill. And to my ear, the bass line serves the song really well. I explain in the video linked above. Also, the live recordings I’ve heard of George playing Something, the bass line is pretty much what’s on the original recording, so that indicates to me that he can’t have hated it _that_ much; otherwise he would have got his bassists to play something different/simpler.
@@BecomeABassist Geoff Emerick accounts are not trustworthy whatsoever
All My Loving from With The Beatles is an incredible bass line and he also sang while playing it.
Came here to say the same thing. That showed he was for real. 1963.
Every rule has an exception.
Oh yes
It's not that hard to sing and play because the rythm is not complex
@@ajfalo-fi3721 Very true. Many people comment on how hard it must be to play AND sing 'All My Loving'. But it shouldn't be hard at all. It's not the NOTES you're playing that make a song complicated to play and sing at the same time. It's the RYTHM of what you're playing. 'All My Loving' uses a simple walking bass line. Very easy to sing and play. The clever part is that Paul McCartney decided to USE a walking bass line for the song in the first place.
Keep in mind that in those early songs, Paul was simultaneously singing, while playing live, a feat not commonly done today. He wasn’t just harmonizing, he was often singing lead. There was a very notable change once they were given the unheard of freedom to produce in the studio, without being required to tour live with those very songs. That allowed an explosion of freedom in the studio, with most songs not possible to replicate performing live. That in itself released Paul to do more intricate playing, something he was always capable of, but chose not to do.
Plenty of bands sing while playing even today. idk what you're on about
@@Andrew-zb8fn "not commonly" it is simply not as common as someone who does not simultaneously sing while keeping up with a compeltey different part on the song, considerbly if the line was made to not mimick the singing or follow other instruments
@@Andrew-zb8fn And outside of maybe geddy lee, VERY few of those players are doing anthting intricate or interesting while they're singing, even guys like geddy and chris squire laid off the fancy stuff until they didn't have to focus on their singing
@@kyleh1127 okay whats your point?
@@Andrew-zb8fn the point was made twice. Your baggage if you refuse to see it.
Paul`s basslines increased in complexity and strength the longer he played. I love how he puts unconvetional pauses,etc. in his basslines. Amazing!
Lennon once said that Paul was the most innovative bass player he ever knew.
I'm sure Klaus Voorman didn't take it as a slight. Then I wonder how many bass-players John actually knew at the time he said it. Bill Wyman, I guess.
And I once said that I don't give a shit.
@@adriantrusca1245 looks like someones getting their panties in a twist over someoine having an opinion
@@adriantrusca1245cool
McCartney has this strange off-handed genius that is almost throwaway if you aren't interested enough to follow along. The most bizarre thing is how funky his bass is on "Silly Love Songs".
And. ‘Goodnight Tonight’.
Yes! I've always loved the bass on that one. It's practically a lead instrument.
@@trapezoidspangle934 Yes, "Goodnight Tonight" is a great track especially because of the bass.
silly love songs is THE song I heard on the radio as a little kid in 76 that started my lifelong fandom of paul and by extension the beatles...that whole song is like the decade of the 70s encapsulated in a pop song
coming up too...his playing in the 79 live version is tasty
Try playing bass on Day Tripper and singing the song at the same time. This shows how talented he is. It was almost if his hands and his singing are controlled by two different brains!
Paul didn’t sing lead on Day Tripper, John did. Paul did harmonies, both low and high.
@@debbieburke3162 Which are arguably even harder. I know, it's taken me years and I'm not great at it.
Funny you should say that: I have a mental model of being an instrumentalist: left brain, right brain. Right brain is association, left brain is processing. When you play with your right brain, you're just playing. When you're struggling and thinking about the mechanics, and this is where I should change my hand position so I can reach the frets coming up on the next measure, and wait, what finger should I pluck this note with again? -- you're in your left brain. You practice until you don't have to think about it, so you can just think about the music and the brain doesn't have to work at it because you've already worked so hard on the "how do I play this" part that it becomes a matter of association and your right brain says "don't worry left: I've got this". If you play with your right brain you can sing and play at the same time. If you want to. I used to marvel at people who could do it -- especially bassists, because their parts are so linear: a guitarist can strum out chords, but a bassist is playing a line. Then under the pressure of joining a band that was already playing live every week, I got much better, and learned the mystery to singing and playing at the same time. Just stop thinking about the bass line as actively. Your fingers still know what to do.
@@debbieburke3162 ?? He did, actually.
@@lucytupper69 🤪
What changed in that the Beatles spent more time in the studio. Their early albums were recorded as quickly as possible. On later albums, he often recorded the bass after the other instruments were in place. He'd spend hours in the studio after everyone had left, trying different things until he got the perfect bass line. I recall that he'd punch in a section over and over until everything about it was exactly right, down to the smallest nuances of note length and articulation. His engineer, Geoff Emerick, also started experimenting with new techniques to get more massive and interesting low end. It was more complicated than just using more DI bass or using a Rickenbacker. Emerick talks about it in his book.
Two items that you missed, which I've heard Paul McCartney report as being what really made a difference in his bass playing on records as of "Rubber Soul", was (1). how Brian Wilson, yes, even pre-"Pet Sounds" was arranging bass parts for The Beach Boys' records which knocked McCartney out - bass lines that implemented both alternate bass notes and very melodioc bass lines. (2). which inspired McCartney, going forward, to leave the bass off of the basic track on Beatles recordings and unlike all previous Beatles albums, to record his bass lines last, after all of the other music had been recorded. McCartney said this new recording techniqe gave him a lot of room to take his time and be more creative. And as you point out, the change in what Paul was doing on bass as of "Rubber Soul" is hard to miss.
Totally agree and surprised Wilson wasn't mentioned in the vid.
Wilson was a genius and I think Carol Kaye played a lot of those lines.
That would be Carol Kaye playing for Brian Wilson.
It was Brian Wilson who came up with the insanely melodic bass line at the beginning of Good Vibrations, which was then played by Carol Kaye. She stated that she would never have come up with that line herself (watch the movie “The Wrecking Crew”). Her admiration for Brian was quite evident.
Can’t believe he doesn’t mention that Paul started dubbing over his lines, that’s the biggest reason
While Paul is alive and still with us, someone needs to spend a couple of days with him going through a tonne of his lines and get Paul's thoughts on how and why he played what he did. He has a true gift of finding how to make songs extra special by doing many unconventional things but always leaving that famous McCartney signature all over them. We have no one coming through to replace this amazing genius when he's gone.
Jerry Rubin's series on Apple+ (I think) covers some of it - they go over some of the iconic songs with the multi-track tapes. Not exhaustive but that's an awful lot of stuff to drag someone through.
@@thosdot6497 Rick Rubin’s ‘McCartney 321’ on Disney. Before watching ‘Get Back’ I stumbled across ‘321’ and binged 3 episodes in one sitting. Brilliant. I hope they do more.
@@trapezoidspangle934 - thanks for the correction, my memory's getting kinda worrying these days! But yes, great show. I love it when people who know what they're talking about have access to the tapes (like Rick Beato sometimes), you can learn so much.
It’s called genius. Also xfactor. Not much to discuss.
Justin Chancellor is awesome... Tool
The McCartney bassline that stands out to me is Rain from 1966. It's sounds like something John Paul Jones would have played in 1971.
Yes, Session players
@@fortunatomartino8549 dont tell me you actually think a session player played the rain bass line
@@JFFM730 I don't worship Beatles
@@fortunatomartino8549 i never said you do, nor do you have to. it doesnt mean you need to come up with shitty conspiracy theories and go against literal facts all for the sake of discrediting them
It's probably likely,it was John Paul Jones...Decca session player .
Paul’s bassline for Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite is a wonder to behold
Agreed! Rita too!
He started playing it a few years ago too (must’ve been in his late 70s at least) and said it was one that really foxed him. As it would! Especially to sing it at the same time
He initially played bass like a converted guitar player, which he was. He completely absorbed his role, and took it to another level.
role
@@richsackett3423 Thanks. I'm a grammar nazi as well. Guess that one got away😊
@@camc5483 More of "yo dude you dropped something" than anything.
No doubt, he simply refused to be a just time keeper. His personality wouldn't allow it.
All 4 Beatles progressed musically throughout their career.
Excactly , and the world of Tech. did change along with them they were straight into the Flow when Music develloped more sophysticated Sounds, Equipment, Recording Tech. and all what has to do with evolving . . .
All (good) musicians progress as they age. Assumming they continue to practice and study, the older they are, the better they will be.
@@wkyt9324 get out!!!
get out!!
@@wkyt9324 Self-admittedly, Harrison did not practice.
Paul was a rhythm guitarist. He picked up the bass out of necessity. My opinion, even his early bass lines may have been basic, but they were still perfect for the songs they were doing. He has gotten better, and better, through the decades. His lines are always perfect for the feel of the song.
I have always felt that Paul was the greatest bassist of all time for any pop rock band. . We hardly talk about this special genius of the iconic man because normally it gets over shadowed with the other super human song writing abilities of Paul and the Beatles as a whole ..Paul plays bass, piano, uklelle, guitar leads, strums most intricate chords , plays drums .... GENIUS.unparalled
Don’t forget the fact that the baseline became busier as the recording techniques changed. He no longer had to record in one take with the band. He could now layer his base on a separate track.
In a similar vein, once they stopped touring and didn't have to play songs live dozens of times a year, they could add layers of complexity to all aspects of production.
Baseline
This is very true. On the composition/arrangement level, the bass line became something other than just root notes filling out the bottom. And on the production/engineering level it became more present and driving in the mix. In the mid to late 60s the bass really exploded in popular music. Think "My Generation" by the Who, or James Jamerson in Motown, or Carol Kaye over at Capitol Records. By the late 60s the bass was front and centre.
On the single for "Paperback Writer /Rain first time use of seperate bass channel. Also first recording where Ringo's bassdrum is on seperate mike channel. More fun for the players because everything becomes audible.
@@stephenderry9488 A lot of people throw this theory around. It's got a fatal flaw. It's much easier to play later Beatles than early Beatles.
Paul may not have written the bassline for I Saw Her Standing There, but he deserves serious credit for pulling it off so well. I'm a pretty experienced bassist and I still struggle to play the whole thing flawlessly, not to mention singing lead over the whole thing
Of course @Nick Chambers - he definitely plays/sings it incredibly well.
Do you play with a pick? I can't do this one up to tempo with my usually two finer technique.
I just played it last night in our gig and I use a plectrum because the guitarist always wants to go about 6 beats faster than the Beatles played it. I can play it with my fingers but playing it with a plectrum allows me to play faster more easily. I can nail it that way. BTW: after trying out dozens of plectrums, I've found the Dunlop Prime Tone Sculpted Plectra 1.4 (with the raised dots for better grip) to be the best I've ever played with. It glides off the strings like ice and lets me play very fast with minimal effort. Try one out and see what you think.
whatever. it is very trendy to praise his lame bass work.
@Lolo How can it be stealing if he's given credit to the source?
Paul also had some INCREDIBLE bass lines with WINGS!
Silly love songs ❤
The Wings recordings were his best.
Great video. I'm a bass player and a McCartney fan and he's always been one of my favourite bassists. But I think there's another major influence on his bass playing that you haven't mentioned, and that's Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys. Brian was also an excellent singing bass player and he created beautiful melodic bass lines on his records like "Pet Sounds". But the real key to the beauty of these McCartney/Wilson bass lines are how they blend with the vocal harmonies on top. Nobody else can get close to the Beatles and the Beach Boys when it comes to this.
Chris White from the Zombies got pretty close as a whisker close. Listen to the Odyssey and the Oracle.
Was it really Brian or was it Carol Kaye?
He had more time when the Beatles became an exclusively studio band to work on his bass lines, but some of the early Beatles stuff is pretty good too. His playing on I Saw Her Standing There, Twist And Shout, I Want To Hold Your Hand, Help!, Michelle and so many more songs were just incredible.
I agree, but they were still touring during Rubber Soul, and that's when Paul really began to kick things up to the next level.
A couple of other things to think about, when the Beatles first started to get big, Paul had only been playing bass for a relatively short time, taking over after Stu Sutcliffe left the band. So I'm guessing he was still finding lots of new things to do with the bass. And the other possible influence, when his lines got really good, was when they were transitioning from a live band, to being strictly studio. And even during the rubber soul and revolver time, the Beatles were still playing a lot of early material live, and a lot of the songs from those two albums didn't get played live. Once they were in the studio, he could spend more time perfecting his lines, and not having to worry about performing live!! I think once he had the freedom to spend more time, and not having to worry about live performances, it gave him the freedom to become the fantastic craftsman of bass that he is!! So, that's my two cents worth!! Not to say anything you said was wrong, I'm with you on it all, but I believe these are two more pieces of the puzzle worth thinking about on top of your analysis!! Great vid as always!! Keep up the great work!! 😀😀
I totally agree @scott ewen! From everything I read, it seems like Rubber Soul was the first time that the band members really started asserting themselves in the studio and really taking time to perfect the songs and production. Their reluctance to keep touring, I think definitely made a difference to the effort they started putting towards the recording process.
Yes, I've thought this - when they moved to the studios, the harmonies they sung likewise could become more complex - they poured all their musicality into the recordings, adding to it growing knowledge of the studio.
What is also remarkable is, Paul was a composer and preferred to sit at a piano or with a guitar and write songs, leaving less time to practise playing the bass.
yes - I agree. When playing live the intricacies of the bass line can be influenced by having to sing and play at the same time. In the early days a lot of songs that John was the lead on - Paul was doubling and/or singing harmony on.
@@iamtheralwus I think Paul playing piano as a child helped his bass playing. He’d play at family sing-a-longs.
I understand what you’re saying about the early period bass playing, but one of the main reasons Paul’s playing starting getting more adventurous was due to the recording technology in the studio improving. Paul didn’t waste his time getting complicated prior to Rubber Soul because no one really would’ve heard it. Having that been said, “I’ll Cry Instead” from the Hard Day’s Night album stands out to me as an early example of a solid bassline, especially on the part that starts just before John sings “And show you what your lovin’ man can do…” - Brilliant! Anyway, love the video and I’m looking forward to more!
Thank you. After not playing bass for several "decades" I've fallen in will a group of aging ukulele players and have become the bass player! In a little more than a year the basic stuff has come back to me, it's now automatic. You've inspired me to move forward and spice up all of my playing! After all it was the Beatles who inspired me to learn the guitar in the first place circa '63. 😉
It’s extremely difficult to pull out fresh insights about the Beatles..well done!
Thanks so much @John Jarvis!
Yeah this was excellent
I think All My Loving is a pretty damn good bass line
Absolutely. It's a belter.
Penny Lane!
Yes, that's a good one- and his little descending licks on I'll Cry Instead is something I never really could figure out.
6:56: doubtless this is from where Yes's bassist got the idea of a "metal" bass.
Damn right. It's always the first bass lick I play when I'm trying out a new bass.
I think the shift in bass styles goes from playing bass parts that support a chord structure to writing lines that are actually melodic hooks in the song. This was a huge development in the Beatles, the constant melody to melody approach to part writing. I think Ringo became that type of drummer as well.
Also pay attention to the space given to the bass. In earlier Beatles-songs, it’s mostly a classic rock sound with vocals and guitar up front, not giving the bassline much headroom for attention at all. If the bassline would have been more varied, it would most likely have crashed with something else. For later songs, the band is a lot more symphonic, the structure of the compositions are different, and the vocals and guitar give the bass a lot more space. The bass goes from having a purely fundamental functional role, to play a significant role in the contrapoint of the melody itself. In short: early songs with complicated bassline will sound messy, while later songs with simple bassline sounds incomplete.
I can't believe you put out a beatles bass video and not mention rain. And day tripper is one of the best rock bass lines ever.
To think Paul wrote and played all these incredible bass lines when he was only in his early 20's. That shows how genius he is.
That dude didn't waste time on social media or the hot broads hanging out near him.
That's when musicians are at their best.
“All My Loving” is a great walking Bass line that not just root fifth and it’s from their 2nd album…definitely in the first 67 songs, the first 67 is like four of their albums
My thoughts exactly!
Also Hold Me Tight, but it's very quiet.
Paul's bass lines. Fresh, fun, flexible, fearless and fab. And the feeling that he just dashed such great lines off without thinking about it too much.
The Beatles' parts were lakmost cerainly played by session players on the albums. The parts could become more complex after they stopped playing live because there was no need to replicate them on stage. Don't quote me the new Let it Be film....a film made by P Jackson, a CGI expert.
@@acoustically9201 What an amazingly fantastical theory! It just shows you that in this era of conspiracies and fake news anything can be asserted, no matter how preposterous! Besides the film, what other 'evidence' do you have please?
@@sparkipeat2255 Take it you've seen the Rick Rubin interview where he asks ''our Paul from Liverpool'' about the so-called genius bassline on While My Guitar Gently Weeps, and he can't offer a word of insight on it ...playing-wise or recording-wise, excerpt for 'very aggressive sound''. Looks like the first time he's ever heard the part.
@@acoustically9201 Yeah, that's mainly John on Fender VI bass.
@@sparkipeat2255 Now that is preposterous - John could only play about half a dozen chords on guitar but you tsuggest he was a phenomenal bass player!! Mate, the producer needs a great part the band can't nail, they don't pee about wasting studio time and energy, they call up their pals who can do it and the guy turns up in an hour and nails it. Everyone in that business knows this. Have a good day.
I’m a Berklee trained bass player - I’m also a song writer - It took me a few years to realize the majority of my attention went into my songs as a whole. Meaning, my mind was occupied with guitars, melody- harmony- lyrics - rhythm - and bass was the last thing on my mind. When I was recording for other artist as a bass player, my bass lines were so much more creative and melodic and I was always requested by artist and praised for what I added to songs, yet I wasn’t doing this with my own music. It would take me a while to apply what I did to other peoples music to my own.
The bass line in You Won't See Me has always been one of my favorites. You can definitely feel the James Jamerson influence.
Brian Wilson's influence on Paul's bass playing is often overlooked as it has in this video. Paul once remarked that he learned what a bass guitar could be after hearing Pet Sounds.
There was definitely a Brian Wilson/Beach Boys/Carol Kaye influence on Paul’s playing - especially when it came to albums like Sgt. Pepper. However, the time I’m mainly talking about, was pre-Pet Sounds which was released in May of 1966. It was actually Rubber Soul that inspired Wilson for a lot of Pet Sounds, which then deeply influenced Sgt. Peppers. Source: wearecult.rocks/11-things-you-probably-didnt-know-about-rubber-soul (Point #3)
@@BecomeABassist I understand that. But if you listen to Brian’s playing on, for example, ‘The Beach Boys Today’ (1965) you can hear the influence. Paul is and always was a huge fan of Brian Wilson, and vice versa. Perhaps it is because they were born on the very same day.
@@BecomeABassist Thank you for mentioning Carol Kaye
Man that was a masterclass. Please make a similar episode for Gene Simmons KISS and how his phenomenal basslines of the 70's went into root notes in the 80s and his original style comeback in Revenge 1992. Thank you!
Great video! Just keep in mind that the most basic ones are also great bcs they are exactly what those songs needed. The rhythmic/melodic complexity doesn’t necessarily makes it better
3 other great early basslines: Do You Want to Know a Secret Don't Bother Me I'm Happy Just to Dance With You All 3 are George songs. Often when Paul didn't have to focus on singing, he went all-out on bass.
Yes, I just wrote that too about "Do You Want To Know A Secret" I would have to question anyone's credentials who would miss that song. Paul's playing is fantastic there. I loved that song ever since I watched that Beatles documentary from the 80s, the one with narration done from the actor who was the main actor in Clock Work Orange. McDowel, or something like that. But even as little kid, I remember hearing that on a TV show back then, and just loving that base line. During " you you you, and then that guitar arpeggio, and you you you.
I'm a loser is also a great bassline. It starts with the root and fifth "plodding" style, similar to Love Me Do, The Night Before, I Want To Hold Your Hand, etc. before going it an awesome driving line in the chorus.
Ask Me Why good too
Now that you mention it... i'm happy just to dance with you has a very catchy lively bass line
@@surfdigby Yes, I'm a Loser really swings in that Chorus.
Dude, after the intro of this video I was literally thinking: “There’s no way he’ll mention a major change in Paul’s playing without bringing up the conspiracy theory”, and then you did! You have earned a follow from me sir. Very awesome video!
Awesome video! Liked and subscribed. I've been listening to The Beatles for over 50 years now, playing bass for over 30 years, and learned to play a few Beatles songs over the years, but not all of them. Your video has motivated me as much as seeing Paul McCartney live for the first time back in 1993. I've only seen him live 3 times in my life, and every time I've been left amazed at his talent. Thanks for getting me motivated to learn more Beatles songs again!
Excellent presentation and playing in this video, Luke. Cheers!
I read somewhere that once they became a studio only band, Paul's bass would often be recorded last. So that means he would have had a finished track (minus bass) with which to play with and work out a bass part. If true, this would allow for a lot of experimentation and tweaking to get what he wanted for the song.
Makes sense
I did hear many years ago that Paul, not writing and reading music in a trained classical sense, would often sing some bass lines until he was happy and then transfer the ideas to the instrument. That would make sense when adding the bass to an existing idea or recorded track. The alternative would be where a distinctive bass part may have come to him earlier in the process and other parts fitting around it. The approach taken would, I imagine, be dependant to some degree on whether the basic idea for the song came from Paul himself or not. The evolution would continue with Wings as others have pointed out.
Paul had problems with his Hofner bass and couldn't play past the fourth fret without losing tune. His playing took off when he started playing the Rick. I used to study his playing and wondered the same but that's why. Paul also writes bass lines as if he was playing a piano. I think a majority of Beatles songs were arranged on piano. The bass line in Something is metaphysical and portrays the male voices concern before coming back again and reuniting with the female voice of the guitar on the songs motif. It's very beautiful to listen to Something and imagine a couple bickering back and forth until finally the lead guitar states her case in the solo.
He plays an open E on one of the BBC versions of Hippy Hippy Shake, and it’s halfway down to E-flat. THUNK!
There are plenty of early Beatles basslines that went way past the fourth fret, so….
Glad to see so much love for Rubber Soul. It's long been one of my favorite Beatles albums, and I believe you've perfectly explained why. The bass playing just gets so much better starting there! Two of my favorite Beatles songs to play on the bass are Drive My Car and Michelle. I love the walking lines he plays on "That's all I want to say, Until I find a way" (and the similar lines later in the song). It's SO much fun to play! Thank you for the great video!
Very enjoyable, you’re a cool dude and kudos for learning all Paul’s jams. One thing I kept waiting for you to mention is that he didn’t have to sing and play live gigs anymore during that Rubber Soul swing. That in itself changed a whole dynamic and his recording ability to improve his skills and showcase the bass separately. Not to mention all the influences that were going on around him with the talent the world was giving us with other music geniuses.
I enjoy that process very profoundly! It's like appreciating the big picture rather than the sum of its parts! Not to mention, Paul was a great bass player!
100% agree @RC32!
Savoy Truffle is another masterpiece. I learned when i was a kid and i it blows my mind, its really difficult (at that time i didnt ear the kind of intrincate notes that Paul usual record like a jam session, probably because it was). Couple of years laters i brought a Rickenbacker. The magic of learning again the songs, and find that signature sound is something i really recomend to any fan of McCartney and bass players. Also, Harrison did an amazing job on "old brown shoe" playing probably the Fender VI. George had a outstanding ability to mimic paul and john tec and ways of playing. What a great band. Great video man! V
Rickenbacker's are lovely, and have contributed to my favorite bass tones over decades. Paul's bright fuzz, Lemmy and Cliff Burton's rumble. They don't step all over the song, but they won't be ignored. If only the 4003 came in a "comfort model" I might actually buy one.
Such a great work you have made here amigo! also beautiful bass sound.. im sure paul its proud of you 👽🤟
Luke, I've been following you for many years. I never commented but I gotta say your content approach, editing, humor, on-screen graphics, and overall research has immensely improved! You were always a good teacher online but having left and now come back, it's like I'm watching a whole nother content creator. Really spot-on analysis and presentation my dude~! Thanks for everything I hope you're having a great day, man! Cheers from Korea
Outstanding, Luke, one of your best. Around 1965 Paul's creativity may have benefitted from other agencies.
Glad you said this so I didn't have to!
And possibly from California ?
I mean, it's definitely possible @Richard Cornuelle. Haha!
I believe a Mr Dylan introduced them to epod.
@@lyndamcardle4123 No, Maui waui maaan!
To me, the one bass line that sums up Paul's insanely great bass playing post Rubber Soul is the bass line to Rain.
Absolutely! Rain and Paperback Writer are the standouts for me.
All My Loving was his first kickass bassline
Rain is Ringo at his best too!
Your video, itself, has achieved the same quality of Paul's base lines: functional and beautiful(ly) explained! Greetings from Brazil! 🇧🇷
Paul’s bass lines have NEVER been boring. It have always been really dynamic
Thank you for this. I'm not a musician and I don't understand the technicalities, but I can hear the difference. I think that I've always listened to the bass since I was a teen listening to the Beatles and the Stones. When I came across Tal Wilkenfeld playing with Jeff Beck at Ronnie Scott's, I realised that the bass wasn't just there to provide a mostly musical beat.
This is not only one of the best music instruction videos I've seen, but one of the best insights into the magic of the Beatles' recordings. Well done.
My all time favorite bassist. I never get tired of listening to his melodic bass lines
I love Paul's bass lines from Rubber Soul on. I think of Rubber Soul as the emergence of the real Beatles- that is, the mature Beatles. The first hint of that was 'Yesterday'. And Paul's bass lines are not just great melodies. They are a beautiful interesting harmonious part of the wider composition. Like a line from Beethoven's ninth symphony would be. And they have the feel of interesting storytelling. Ringo's drumming on their mature music was also very interesting and sophistocated. They set such a high standard for interesting sophistocated music, all while writing perhaps the greatest lyrics in the history of the English language. And what a tone from Paul's bass!
This is what I love about The Beatles. Everytime you watch deeper, you can keep founding more stuff. When I was a teenager, I used to love The Beatles, but the first half, with catchy songs, and always hated the later stage with more complicated songs. As the time went by, I started to listen mre carefully the late stage, and every time I kept founding new songs that I loved in the later stage. Then, one day, I realized that I was completely in love with the late stage and almost didn't listen the initial stage. Everytime I read or watch something about the Beatles, I keep learning new stuff.
💯
When they were recording Rubber Soul, Paul was inspired by Marvin Gaye's bass player; it was when he received the Rickenbacker on a US visit. But, hey, 'I'm Happy Just To Dance With You' has an awesome bassline.
Really enjoyed listening to what you had to say. Succinct and to the point. Many thanks for sharing your undoubted knowledge and insight with us.
Excellent episode!! This was super engaging and fun. Great job.
Love the video keep them coming ! I’ve always been fascinated by Paul’s base playing and you did a great job covering it
I love "Norwegian Wood"--it's like a jam recorded in a living room. Two acoustic guitars atop a bass through a 50-watt amp.
Fascinating, thank you for sharing this!
Ok, first vid of yours that popped up in my "Watch next" list - BANG, hooked! Amateur guitarist here, deffo I'm longing to try some bass now. Thank you, mate.
All my loving is a great bass line. Totally underrated.
I love, 'Love me do' it's my all-time favourite Beatles song; and maybe it is that elementary bassline that makes it work. So, if that simple bassline is underpinning the song's overall make-up and character, then as simple as it is; one could argue that the simplicity is in fact genius.
Really enjoyed your examples re Paul's improving beauty in addition to function - thanks!
I believe that Paul was/is one of the very best and most creative electric bass players ever. Proof of the Count Basie school of music: you don’t have to play so many notes if you know the right notes. Edit: your commentary and analysis are superb!
Excellent Basie namecheck 👌
'Something' is an outstanding bass line with all the right notes, but it's not a good example of 'less is more'. Harrison complained, even.
@@wheatonna Not sure why Harrison complained tho .. " Something" imo is not that busy a bass line . It suits the song perfectly , but maybe Harrison was just using that example to get back at Paul a little .. I dont know
The bass Paul plays throughout Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band has always mesmerized me. It is fantastic start to finish. Apparently Paul laid those tracks last (where one would typically think the bass would be recorded first with ant or all rhythm tracks) in just a few sessions, and it sort of makes sense, as the bass makes the whole thing gel.
There's no doubt that his bass lines became more involved, complex, and rich later in the band's history, but even early on he had some really solid and even iconic ones. A great example is the bass line for 'All My Loving'. It's so prominent and it's really a kind of walking bass line which no one in rock or pop was doing at the time, certainly not with the prominence of his part in the recording, nor the prominence of the band.
Your video staging is a piece of art!😊
Amazing job on the video, brother. Been a long time Beatles fan and its been years since I've been calling Paul my all-time favourite bassist, and was a bit offended when you opened up the video saying his first 67 song's basslines were bland. Then I tried to think of which early Beatles songs have memorable basslines and I was blank haha. Actually, the way he picked up his influence's bass playing so quickly is actually pretty impressive and makes me respect him more as a musician. Would love more Beatles content from you in the future. Subscribed :)
This was so cool! I just stumbled upon this vid, and appreciate the insights. After seeing Paul on his recent Got Back tour, I’ve been obsessed with his playing. I’ve always liked it, and was a huge Wings fan (and of course, Beatles formed the soundtrack of my young life). His bass parts make tunes feel great. I wondered if Jamerson was an influence on him, so it’s great having that validated. I’m hoping Sir Paul is with us for a few more decades. He’s so special and truly magical 🥰
Greatness was already in him. McCartney just needed that spark, that inspiration, to bring it out of him. Jameson did that. McCartney’s “Coming Up” live in Japan is just One great example of his innovative bass playing.
Glad you said Rubber Soul was the turning point. I'm not a musician, but when I first heard the bass line on Nowhere Man (my older sisters had all the LPs until Pepper) it changed the way I listened to music forever. It's good young musicians study McCartney, as a baton is passed down from blues and jazz, through Motown and soul, and onto nowadays.
Super interesting analysis, Luke! Thanks for the video.
Right about the time Paul began inhaling inspiration, really being connected to other great musicians and having time to really connect with studio work. The release from touring, and the requirements that come from songs that need to be sung and played live also added new life to all of the Beatles accomplished.
Wow, worth the wait! Absolutely fantastic video Luke. You really did a great job dissecting Paul's development. I really enjoyed this one. Always great to learn how the masters do it. Paul redefined the role of the bass for so many. Wonderful lesson. And Arnie was all over it!
Thanks so much @Thomas Fioriglio! And I guess Arnie must really love Paul's playing. lol
The lines are amazing, but imagine singing lead vocals at the same time. Makes it even more amazing.
Excellent! I always loved Rubber Soul as the album in which the Beatles became really adventurous and original, but I never connected this with Paul's changes as a bass player. Wonderful watch!
Taxman has an amazing bass line, especially during the bridge
One thing I love about Ringo is that he didn't overplay - never tried to show off. He gave each song exactly what it needed without drawing undue attention to himself. I think that's true of Paul's bass as well. A bassline shouldn't stick out but complement the song. I usually don't notice the bassline until someone points it out. And for a song like the iconic Love Me Do, anything but a very simple bassline would have overpowered it. And you know what? I think Love Me Do did okay for itself.
Well observed, Dave. Thank you!
Why not try to listen to their song, "And Your Bird Can Sing", which for me is even a typical bass player will have to figure out the difficult bass progression before performing it live.
Funny, I was thinking just today about learning Beatles’ bass lines and this video showed up for me! Nice, I’ll start this journey too! Thanks for this video!
Wow. Thanks for sharing your work. This is great to know.
This reminds me of when I had a band, we were learning and playing Twist and Shout, our singer looked over at us playing and said everyone looks bored! We responded "we are bored!" lol
Listen to 'Wings over America'. His bass playing is really flamboyant in places and melodic at the same time. It also has a lot of clarity as he was playing a Rickenbacker 4001 full time then with its instantly recognisable sound. I still regularly listen to this album even though its over 40 years old, it still sounds so good with the best line up of his post Beatles band...
Very good, now I understand why my interst in the Beatles raised even more from Rubber Soul onwards. Everything started to ‘come together’ 😊👍
Great content. I always find myself fixating on Paul’s bass lines. Thanks for helping me understand why.
Remember paul was a guitarist before he picked up a bass. And hes a supremely accomplished vocalist. Hence he plays like a guitarist and often directly references the vocal melody in his bass lines. Another later detail is his penchant for going in after everything is tracked and redoing his basslines. Genius. His real gems are hidden in Prudence, Day in the Life, Lucy, and Something....and so many more tbh
Yes I agree!!
Aa always an interesting and great video. Paul McCartney is one of my all-time favorite bass players, the Beatles discography is a bass school with something for every level. I like his early bass lines too, Macca is a master of playing for the song and he played functional yet elegant with subtle finesses. Already on the early Beatles albums, he showed his melodic side on Please Please Me, Do You Want to Know a Secret and All My Loving, the last mentioned song is one of the greatest walking bass lines in my opinion
Very interesting video - Really enjoyed it. Also, cool t-shirt!
what a cool thing you have dine to study every baseline - I subbed
With his many contributions to all aspects of the art and entertainment world we often forget how innovative his bass playing is.
Mmm . . . I found some of his early bass lines very good, e.g. Do You Want To Know A Secret, Please Please Me, You Can't Do That, and, of course, I Saw Her Standing There. I also loved his chords on songs like I Want To Hold Your Hand, Can't Buy Me Love, and Eight Days A Week. Now, of course he improved over time, but his early work definitely showed the promise he would eventually realize.
Bang on..
Ty very interesting i appreciate the information and your sound is amazing 🤘