5 Louis Johnson Basslines (and how to play them)

[@DarrylSims-ug9wr]

Hello Sir ! My name is Darryl Sims , I was taught by Louis PERSONALLY!!! But the answer to your question ' he used his FENDER PRECISION on their 1st album, 2nd album he used his Alembic on Strawberry Letter 23! On the rest of the LP he used a Music Man Sting Ray, on their 3rd BLAM it's Music Man Sting Ray! On their 4th album all Sting Ray except on a track called CELEBRATIONS he used a Music Man Sabre Bass! The Bass solo is TOO FUNKY !!!!! CHECK IT OUT. ........I was in his inner circle! I know the SECERTS to the Louis Johnson tone ' I KNOW HOW HE GETS SOUND! He showed it to me in secret !!! I'm telling ANYONE

[@anthonyvermeersch90]

didn't he play a Sabre on Stomp too?

[@ColinBoonstra]

How did he get his sound?

[@grantmullings8245]

Correct in the assessment of which Bass on which disc/album.

[@visualsoundworks]

It's really interesting seeing bass players of today playing and teaching these songs. I started playing bass in 1976 the year George and Louis came out. We had to know all of these songs and more just to get into a basement band to jam! Our stereo systems were so bad we could not make out all of the notes Louis, or Bernard, or Mark Adams from Slave and others were playing. And we didn't break them down the way you are on this video. We just had to learn the new hot songs of the day back then. Man, was it fun, and the lessons we learned as all of this unfolded in real time! Good video Huw!

[@keithphillips8049]

I really enjoy watching young Bassist playing the song from the late seventies and eighties ,it took them awhile to know how funky the Bass Gods were

[@aaronj.brooks1977]

Louis ( Thunder Thumbs) Johnson is one of the baddest bass players that ever lived.thanks for sharing this was great.

[@Brownhornet201]

I've been talking about Louis's thumb technique for years, and I have been chasing his tone... you are correct, he has a strong attack with his thumb, which you can hear... I saw the Brothers Johnson live up here in Spokane,Washington, many many years ago, kinda pre M.J. they opened for the Commodores... Blew the Commedores out of the water... Anyway, take a listen to his cool thumb work on tune The Dude, which is on the Album called The Dude... I'm still chasing the tone he gets on that tune.... Great video, I just subscribed.... keep up the great content...

[@Lysdexia]

Huw: mild-mannered, considerate, articulate and polite to a fault. And, yet, plays bass like an absolute motherfucker - it's brilliant! Thanks for this Huw and more, please!

[@HuwFoster]

Haha wow, what a review. Thanks so much!

[@danielpalmersofficial]

Louis Johnson was fantastic, he was a beast at the bass. ✌️😙

[@Iguatemy70]

Besides learning the basslines, I also get to know some artists and records with your tutorial videos! Thank you and god bless!

[@bigfuzzztv787]

LJ and Stanley Clark are the reasons that I started playing the bass,... EXCELLENT JOB. Subscribed,...

[@chriscureton622]

I saw him live 1978 at his peak he was 23 and the blam album just came out. Take it from someone who's seen Larry Graham and Victor Wooten. Louis Johnson is the goat of slap bass. 👺🔥

[@antonfokker4671]

Thank you, my friend ! Louis is my hero. And I appreciate you keepin' the funk alive !

[@faziolisp4102]

Louis Johnson y Bernard Edward son mis bajistas preferidos, ambos dejaron un legado en el bass.

[@HuwFoster]

Estoy de acuerdo, completamente.

[@shugemery]

Big funky thanks to you Huw for breaking this down clearly and playing it so well. Mucho Appreciato~~~Thunder-Thumbs Up.

[@willieshorterjr9753]

Great job, Huw!!! Thanks for the shoutout as well my brother!!! On the George Duke album, I think OVERTURE is great! Pure speed & aggression. Then there’s the track FLY AWAY. Slow slapping but oh so funky! Please consider those tunes if you ever do a Louis Johnson part 2! LOVE YOUR PLAYING!!!! 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾

[@colinbradford2671]

Well played Sir, you certainly kept the Funk very much in our face!

[@markr.devereux3385]

Louis Johnson's bass skills are the best any add ons are unnecessary in my opinion. Bass players are now in a contest to play the most 32 nd notes.

[@trevorblair5552]

Hi Huw, it was the natural coloured P-bass! 🙏🏿 lovely playing. 😊

[@briezim]

Thanks for this, I needed a good Louis Johnson study, I am going to be hanging out with this video for several weeks This is great!

[@Intenzity]

Awesome stuff, yet again. Classic foundational slap techniques, there could be no Victor or Marcus without Louis...

[@JGulliMusic]

Outstanding music 🎶 video production. Truly enjoyed watching 👀 you play all the classic bass lines of Louis Johnson. You too are an amazing bassist👍🏽. Thank you for sharing 🙏🏽 😊! Continued success 🙌🏽!

[@mattfoley6082]

20:00 Descending 4 note pattern is G F D G starting on the G of the D string, notes are not ghosted.

[@HuwFoster]

I've played it like that previously, and the first couple of measures sound like they start on G, but I'm convinced he's doubling up on Fs after that point. The horns hitting concert G might create the illusion that he's hitting a G as well. Anyway, it's a tiny detail, and who really cares? I'm sure Louis wouldn't, as long as the vibe is right.

[@mattfoley6082]

@@HuwFoster If you listen to him at .75 speed you'll see he's playing GFDG. He cuts the notes short a few times but he's always starting on that G. Don't believe me, listen for yourself!

[@dslapster64]

This is absolutely brilliantly done . Bravo

[@mathieuvaylet1782]

the "level42 : the early tapes" bass !!!! wow ! 😍😍

[@bigtimelakersfan5836]

Very very nice playing and i totally appreciate your breakdown of Louis Johnson’s bass lines. Now I’m going to check out your whole repertoire your a awesome bass player 👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾

[@artakha14]

LJ used a Fender P bass in his earlier years, as documented in a video of him playing in Billy Preston's band. Before Stingray, he also played Alembic and Gibson basses for some time, mostly heard on Brothers Johnson's second album.

[@MultitrackCassetteFans]

Fantastic demonstration, thanks a lot!!!

[@richardrichard5409]

This is gold, many thanks for the upload😎👍

[@stcezaire06]

Awesome video , Thanks and Super MM stingray and Shergold sound

[@eisenyeo]

The key changes, you are right also, but I'll describe it as a G Minor to G Major key change. Thanks for your videos, great work.

Really great video, thanks Huw 🙏🙏🙏

[@jakesensi5552]

One of my bass heroes. He used a Gibson Ripper also. It's why I brought one in 77.

[@HuwFoster]

Awesome, I’ve always wanted one of those. How’s your chiropractor bill? 😂

[@jakesensi5552]

@@HuwFoster I was 16 years old then. I had no problems. LoL. It had a great sound.

[@nickpicc]

Great video and tight playing!

[@jonathanchevallier7046]

Very very nice explanations ! And thank you for your skill and the sound quality ;-)

[@fergieweather]

Super stuff Huw, as ever. Thanks for this video. As you rightly note, the Tokyo recording of George Duke's fabulous show will forever serve as testimony to the very essence of Louis, both in terms of his musicianship & showman quality. Like Bernard Edwards - the Stingray's other late '70's great exponent - Louis is so sorely missed & was lost far too soon.

[@JonathanMRandall]

Thanks!

[@l7funk]

Thank You

[@painalain]

Very very very Good job 😎 you make practicing !!! You are my best teacher on the web 😉👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽thanks 😁

[@sirmoog]

Absolutely LOVED this video. Thank you so much.

[@steve441962]

nice tone on the hayman

[@anthonyterrell9239]

Thanks for playing Prince and the Brothers Johnson Bass lines. Nice funky grooves. I like funky Bass lines. I’m a beginner do it slower for us first timers. Say the notes step by step slowly.

[@DarrylSims-ug9wr]

Correction: I'M NOT TELLING ANYONE!!! He showed me his Amp settings, the strings he used you WON'T find them at any music store, MOST OF ALL He showed me how he adjust his treble&bass knobs on his bass! HE WILL ALWAYS BE THE BADDEST BASS PLAYER!!!

[@darrylsims3242]

Get on the floor was originally intended to be a song 🎵 for The Brothers Johnson's! What Louis told me was they had just finished one of the Off the wall sessions and Michael ran out to the parking lot to tell Louis thank you and Michael heard that Bass! And was totally floored and said to Louis WHAT IS THAT and Louis replied just somethin I'm working on and Michael asked Louis CAN I HAVE THAT? Louis said yeah! Louis went home and wrote the music 🎶 and Michael wrote the lyrics and the song was ' Get On The Floor '

[@steve441962]

george duke for the win - and dont forget paul jackson jr playing on that dukey gig - how about a special on george duke synth bass lines? mystery eyes, let your love shine... you get the idea ;-)

[@supersam1914]

Love Louis one of my favorites

[@ROCKNROLLFAN]

He had some monster bass lines....

[@veter6074]

Legendario Louis 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[@stevotisdavis2462]

Hue I've been playing for at least 8 years and I'm at a brick wall again. My ear it sucks. The first time I heard you play I think you played what's going on by late great Marvin gaye. I'm going to make you my go to teacher, I recently found you again I don't have money so I'll have to learn from ur free stuff ... Keep it up your great, thanks for everything but if you ever read my comments please drop my a message on what to do when ur stuck please

[@alessiopizzignach3878]

Great job and great video!!

[@Thesilverthunder777]

James Jamerson, Louis Johnson, Bernard Edwards, Larry Graham and Jaco.

[@andrewgrace4410]

You should check out "Have you heard the word" by his band Passage😊

[@markcoward2472]

Excellent stuff, you have a new subscriber here! Do you have these tabs available for download, I'm not always online?

[@HuwFoster]

Thanks, appreciate the sub! The tabs are available to download from my Patreon at the Pentatonic Patron tier: www.patreon.com/huwfoster

[@markcoward2472]

@@HuwFoster Appreciate the reply mate. I'll have a look at your Patreon later.

[@FrowinIckler]

Awesome !!

[@MrJsfingers]

Great stuff!

[@darwin_j]

Awesome video ! Could you do one on Ai no corrida bass lesson ?

[@HuwFoster]

Great shout!

[@dwaynejones1146]

Well done.

[@rogervlog.]

Huw foster SER idol very beautiful voice bass guitar 🎉🎉🎉🇵🇭🇵🇭🇵🇭🇵🇭🇵🇭👍👍👍👍♥♥♥♥♥♥🎵🎵🎵

[@jway-z8405]

He also used a Gibson Ripper bass back then.

[@thunderbolts2438]

Heyyyy I was "like" #23 😀

[@HuwFoster]

🎵 Rainbows and waterfalls run through my mind 🎵

[@sandrasanders706]

A present from you, Strawberry Letter 22, the music plays, I sit in for a few😊😊😊

[@JoeBartosiewicz]

iT WAS A MUSIC MAN I SAW HIM LIVE TWICE..

[@marcuswarren1320]

If you haven't, do a video like this for Larry Graham

[@pietervisser4479]

Good video, what kind of bass do you have in the first song?

[@HuwFoster]

Thanks! It’s a Hayman 40-40.

[@REAL-oo6xe]

Yes it’s two tracks

[@ErixSamson]

super nice. what bass is that?

[@HuwFoster]

Thanks! First bass is a 1975 Hayman 40/40.

[@chidalchoe5791]

Bass lesson celebrations the brother jonhson

[@REAL-oo6xe]

Bro thank u I’m good on the tricks but what im trippin on is ur bass ?? What is that ?

[@fabioupc]

Neil jason mi favorite play bass on roxy music the main thing song

[@funkonrr8705]

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@niarotica]

Great lesson. Check out Twinkle by Earl Klugh and I'll be good to you.

[@precisionhoops365]

Do you give private lessons?

[@HuwFoster]

Yes! Send me a message on my website: www.huwfoster.co.uk

[@troybranch]

Great job sir , I know it's the in thing to refer to thumping as slap, but it's no where near the truth , your upright bass players slap the finger board and pull the string players. Thumping is what your doing now. 👍

[@thesuncollective1475]

Great , a lil too much talking tho

[@REAL-oo6xe]

Stomp is done on a music man . The old shit on PBass

[@shugemery]

Thanks!

[@HuwFoster]

Aw thanks for the Super Thanks - I believe that’s my first one!

[@shugemery]

@@HuwFoster Well worth it. Hope you get more thanks and all that. You are a mighty fine player. I'm pretty new at bass but all in~~