Awesome Mark King Slap Bass Riff - "43"

Lesson Material Available here: www.talkingbass.net/43-level-...
In this video I'm going to be showing you how to play the main riff from the tune 43 by Level 42. This is a classic Mark King slap riff and pretty tough to learn when you first try it.
Enjoy Bassketeers!!
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[@BruceLee-zd9bw]

Incredible to think Mark King was so young when he wrote this, plus to think he plays such a complex Bassline and sings at the same time. This is what sets him apart from any other bassist. He really is a special musician. 🙏

[@greatwhite61967]

Ps According to honest resources Mark is actually naturally " Left Handed " but plays right handed bass guitar's & i can only assume a couple of factors & that its down to his year's of playing drums before picking up a bass guitar or he is ambidextrous!.. I'm not 100% sure about the story around him being naturally Left Handed being true or not as Mark likes to joke around & says some things for a laugh but no one, whether reporter's or insiders from the Level 42 camp , has ever outted Mark by saying that this was not true & to this day if you dig deep enough you'll find out & read that he is (supposedly) left handed which makes him & his playing & style even more amazing... Either way he is a very versatile talented bass player who is wrongfully demoted than other bass player's because he is perceived to play slap bass too much... Wrong... Yes of course he plays slap style but he also plays great finger style playing either with slap during a song or instrumental & also has played many bass lines just using his fingers & i think those that think thats all he does have only & most likely have seen him do bass solo's leading into such songs like " Love Game's " or another song & for quite some time he never did them during live shows & when i last went to see Level 42 was in 2017 & he never did any solo's & the fan's didnt shout out for one as we were too busy dancing & singing away to their song's... If you play the bass & can play the slap style then its clear to see that Mark never creates slap bass lines that are way too busy & over the top but instead he plays exactly just enough to serve & suit the song's without over doing it on the bass guitar & only plays , insane at times , solo's when he feels like it or it serves as a distraction... According to the story i heard from Mark many many year's ago was that he only played slap solo's because at the time keyboards/synthesizers & sequencers were known & prone to have problems from either overheating/breaking down or causing a fuse to blow & Mark started doing those improtu bass solo's so that Mike Lindup & the tech guys could try to fix the problems as soon as they could & Mark played the bass guitar to keep fan's occupied whenever this happened... But then it became his trademark thing to do & he unintentionally turned something that was just there as a filler until Mike could either give the thumbs up (no pun intend lol) & they had fixed the problem or they had to move onto the next song as the problem was going to take longer to fix but it soon became something that fan's wanted to see & hear even if there were no issues from Mikes end... I was in 2 bands & having a keyboard/synth et al player in your band, i can vouch that this was quite a regular occurrence & why many of these keyboard/synth players would at times play pre-recorded tapes when playing Live so it could either take some of the problems of faults happening away or they were used it to give the band a bigger sound... You have to remember this was 4 decades ago & this was all an ongoing new tech when it came to synthetic keyboards & although they were used in the 70s it wasn't until the late 70s & into the 80s that solo act's & band's demanded more from them & like any new ongoing technology they were quite prone to have issues that at times meant that because of these breakdowns some song's were changed during each gig & every band that went onto to use them more & more knew that they could have problems with them... Fast forward decades later & they are way so much cheaper & can do so much more than their earlier released one's could even dream of doing & they never breakdown... In light of this still ongoing coronavirus stay safe and healthy wherever you are in this world... .....

[@thesuncollective1475]

Better riff than Jaco..best riff bar none..so under rated

[@MSM4U2POM]

You can't get bored listening to that, can you? It just gets better every time you play it.

[@JayHennigan]

I love your videos Mark and I’ve been an avid watcher of yours for a few years now, but I've found and enjoyed this video for the first time. What a groove, and what a great teacher and Bplayer you are! Thanks!

[@0x0221]

You are an awesome teacher! This was a really helpful lesson.

[@jameswhite7997]

I've loved this song/bass line for years and learned many others L42. This is a brilliant tutorial to help me nail this one- there are a few bits I could never work out but now I am feeling confident. Thanks a million for a great video very well explained. Cheers!!!

[@Markusewitz]

Thank you so much, Mark! I wanted to master this one for ages and finally nailed it...awesome :-D !!

[@grzegorzw.9650]

It takes a lot of practice to play it almost ok slowly... Now, after almost 2 weeks of trying hard I can play it at 80 bpm! I am pretty ok at 100 bpm. ... but 120 is still a long way to go... :(( I will check in once I get there!! ;-) Thanks for this lesson - it serves as excellent training material!

[@american-professor]

you there yet?

[@grzegorzw.9650]

@@american-professor nope. gave up some time ago... :(

[@damianmelvin5401]

instablaster.

[@benmadi]

By far, and I have tried a couple, the best tutor on KZbin. I used to listen to Marcus Miller playing Run for Cover and think if only I could play that, then I followed your tutorial and I got it. Now I have the confidence to attempt this. Thankyou, and your website is great too, with all the drum tracks and different tempos to practice with. In time I will be attempting your more advanced classes. Thanks.

[@Gruntcakes69]

Great tuition vid thanks! I've been playing this 'into the fretboard thumb' style for years, then thought I was 'doing it wrong' as everyone seems to be using double thumb 'up and down ' for the muted sixteenth notes. I've found it so frustrating trying to learn a new style and realise it doesn't matter which technique you use, as long as you can hear the muted ghost notes! Thanks again it's given me back my confidence!

[@paul12345brighton]

Mark. Thanks for this vid. I've been playing fairly average bass stuff for the last 40 odd years. Decided it was time to up my game and tackle some stuff i used to think was beyond me. Spent the last hour going through this vid and have almost nailed it. Never thought i'd be able to play the classic mark king stuff but your break down has shown me the way. Think i'm gonna subscribe to Talking Bass!

[@mattwhite8954]

Thank you for this! From just hearing that line I'd think I could never play it, but now I know what he's doing. Very cool.

[@RicardoFavoreto]

It was the most incredible bass lesson i’ve seen! Thanks a lot for this!

[@bigbroiswatchingyou2137]

One of the best slap riffs ever

[@markbass354]

This will take me a few days to get it under my fingers like Run for Cover just a bit more difficult , so many position changes. Sounds real good , Thanks Mark ,

[@briancherry8088]

(Pauses video)... (practices for a few years before resuming)

[@ujjwaltyagi3030]

I get the feeling man.

[@ujjwaltyagi3030]

Sadly it's not even a joke

[@spoons2562]

@@ujjwaltyagi3030 you alright man?

[@ujjwaltyagi3030]

@@spoons2562 I am fine bro I mastered this video actually and it didn't take that much time

[@spoons2562]

@@ujjwaltyagi3030 yea i just learned how to play the first 2 parts but didnt master them yet

[@Rockytakahashi]

gracias por los vídeos , espero que algún día alguien le ponga subtítulos en español ,es demasiado bueno este Maestro,de lo mejor que hay en KZbin,lo máximo.

[@rogeriotamazia1774]

Awesome! Thanks a lot, Mark!

[@JoeMama2112]

You really are an amazing teacher. I learn a ton from your videos!

[@FUNKMASTERFOURTWO]

hey mark, great tuitional vid for all slap bass not just for 43, but for any bass player wanting to learn slap. what a great song, this will help me too. im a huge level fan, but im no mark king or mark j smith !!!!!. cheers bud.. rob

[@AugustineMotiar]

The humble look after each movement just gets me.. Ok? Great job dig your videos, very informative and broken down perfectly.

[@corystoll2299]

Thanks man always appreciate your lessons

[@eliaslopez-me6kg]

Thanks for your videos I appreciate.. Learning from you all...

[@danielpalmersofficial]

Despite not hearing this song before, I think it’s a great way to start slapping bass. ✌️😙

[@neil2905]

wow you nailed this. good job brother.

[@raymondboye5946]

Thanks for this one, this riff is a mystery... I never heard anyone play it just in the near of the way Mark King does it. Especially the 1st and the 2nd part (of the 4) are almost not to get right :-)

[@fuzmaginty5822]

this guy's amazing great breakdown 👏

[@rodoherty1]

What a great lesson!! Thanks for taking it so slowly for us beginners! All those ghost notes make those lines sound so complex to the untrained ear!

[@bassmandesert]

Thank you for your analysis of the composition. I was able to play it at the original tempo!

[@grouvette]

I wanted to learn this groove, thinks to you I can now!!!

[@DaleHubbard]

Such skill. Thank you!

[@grooveattitude06]

Many thanks for this lesson with great pedagogy

[@nicolaanzalone6645]

great lesson!!! complimenti!

[@robertocoria5575]

Thanks for the effort, exelent job!

[@oenlaksono3049]

Awesome playing man!!!

[@doobz5655]

What a Blammin" video with superb instruction ...Well done Bro'

[@laserlithuanian]

great!

[@user-pd2rt7tm5t]

Realy Thank Your Great Jobs... It's to me Very Important know how Rich Contents... You Are Look So Such An Heaven's Music Worker. HaHaHa. Wish Your Happy Days😁 I'm South Korean.

[@edbredin6406]

Fabulous tutorial 👌

[@jonricaes1]

thanks ssssssssssssssooooooooooooo much for this lesson!!!!😉👌👌👌

[@Whitty4x]

Mark king is a different breed

[@Schumanized]

Sick stuff bruv!!

[@TGrant42]

Tremendous. Hey, can you please do a tutorial on Level 42’s “Coup de’tat”? Very tricky for a novice like me. And quite catchy. Thanks!

[@Peter_Gijsbers]

thanks a lot just finished learning it on the right speed in 4 days

[@raymondboye5946]

Best Funk riff of all times!

[@feliperickenberg8435]

thanks so much for the insight man...I'm new playing bass, but i feel like " it's possible".

[@azumaoka]

素晴らしい！very good！

[@suiheisensongs]

17:37

[@XxfalloutkidxX1]

¡Gracias!

[@SimulacronX]

Yeah this is the shit. I'm trying to do it in double-thumping fashion now. THANKS Master

[@jondee442]

How about Theme to Margret some time?

[@josecarlossantosseverocarl8843]

Um baita féra👏👏👉

[@whip3505]

Great lesson, thanks. What bass guitar is that?

[@doublepick]

How do you get your clean slap sound?

[@paulsav40]

mark - i count 3 ghost notes before the hammer g to a surely? not 4 like you state on your variation?

[@ernieflanaganstingraybassm1463]

Mark you play this exactly the way i learned it back in the day, except one pull off. now i got it mastered ,thank you buddy.....Mark what kind of bass are you playing ?? since 2003 i bought a victor wooten yinn yang bass by fodera.

[@markyates8399]

it’s an Enfield Bass.

[@BOB88o]

Okay !

[@f.d.english5080]

Mr King is awsome

[@jondee442]

I'm almost certain the arthritic left hand won't allow me to play this, however I'll give the left hand a good dosing in Voltarol and give it a try!

[@markbass354]

If I played this the lady under me would set me on fire with her stinky cigs.

[@winstonschwarz1636]

Great stuff fella. Nice tone also. Is that a Chowny bass?

[@PM-fs2eg]

Goodness...I must have listened to that great great song thousands of times :-) Anyway...Which Level 42/Mark King bass line would you say is the trickiest to play?

[@KFORfervincent]

I thank you for your very precise and detailed lesson, I have a question for you. What do MarkKing use to protect your right thumb when you are in SLAP mode .... a cloth tape or a rubber tube? thank you very much for any reply.

[@tsamlynx495]

fervincent boxeur pretty sure he uses a rubber bit of tape wrapped around the knuckle of his thumb, not sure whether a cloth piece would mute the strings, personally though, I don’t need to use any thumb protection, not sure exactly why my thumb never hurts but it doesn’t, Hope I was of assistance

[@Woo28]

Can you do a tutorial on love games pleaseeee

[@blairjones8231]

Hi - is there a name for this number? I wouldn't mind listening to the original!

[@aswinkrishnar1987]

Hey Mark , can you do a video on how to do your intro music...

[@talkingbasslessons]

Already done: kzbin.info/www/bejne/m5jHdIhqj5Kqi7c

[@piercejenkins13]

what kind of bass is that? Never seen it before i watched your videos

[@bendecker9073]

Awesome Mark, thanks! I'm sure you've been asked this ad nauseam, but what kind of bass is that? I don't see it listed on talkingbass.net...

[@talkingbasslessons]

+Xavier Bylinowski That's it!

[@yuriyi1]

Супер!!!!!!

[@dissyduster]

Tops,,,,,

[@OldJames]

what kind of bass is that Mark? also, you are incredible! THANK YOU :)

[@talkingbasslessons]

Enfield Lionheart bass. It's awesome.

[@olegbondarenko7975]

Супер!

[@MrGold-xg2tk]

PART 1 First lick slowly kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZnbPapqArJKfqKsm21s Second lick slowly kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZnbPapqArJKfqKsm48s together slowly kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZnbPapqArJKfqKsm36s together fast kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZnbPapqArJKfqKsm16s PART 2 working on this ;-)

[@skeelo69]

Just wondered , have you ever met Mark King and did he pass on any advice to you, Btw 43 is an awesome instrumental.

[@talkingbasslessons]

Met him a couple of times but only in passing at bass shows and at the pub! He only lives about a mile from me so you would think I'd see him a lot more.

[@rodoherty1]

I prefer this riff at 100bpm. 120bpm sounds very Level42 but I think it's got a better groove at 100.

[@01Gens]

Okay i have this question... in order to play slap do i have to get my strings higher? Because every time no matter how hard i hit the strings they hit the bottom frets and i give up...

[@LMAN3780]

+Erick Marshall In slap, the strings get the twangy sound by slamming against the frets. So no, your strings need to be close to the fretboard.

[@01Gens]

L-MAN Duderino Guess you are right but just dont sound right to me and i usually give up on this.

[@LMAN3780]

Erick Marshall Well, you could have something called "fret buzz". I would recommend taking your bass to Sam Ash or Guitar Center for a setup on your bass.

[@01Gens]

L-MAN Duderino No its fret buzz just hiting the frets i can tell the difference :)

[@oliveirarc4735]

qual o seu nome ? investe em alunos brasileiros dubla a suas aulas voce vai vender muito curso aqui no Brasil voce é muito talentoso muito eficiente

[@tysongalloway5700]

I’ve been trying to join for over a year, and I never get a reply from my emails!

[@talkingbasslessons]

To join Talkingbass? You just visit the site and sign up.

[@nurultea2243]

Jan 2rd, 2021

[@MrEvilernie73]

Is that a Wahl bass?

[@VHeadstockV]

It's an Enfield bass with SimS pickups

[@ffoteinos]

👍💪👍🎸🎸🎶🎵🎶🎸🎸🎸

[@ilaphroaig]

Nice!. Played that song many times over the years myself and love to play it. But am wondering...i think you are missing alot of notes. Mainly a lot of dead slaps on the E, but also some others. But a big thumbs up! Great work.

[@talkingbasslessons]

Can't hear where there are any more ghost notes. I don't know where they would go! lol. It's pretty cluttered in there.

[@nentihaiudittu]

This is how you play bass.

[@jamesbutterworth4313]

That sounds like an Ibanez bass from the 80s

[@florenttenryu5011]

Ok... i suppose?

[@Francois15031967]

OK?

[@TheSmoothiesMusic]

Love the lesson, but why not loop the different parts. The point of learning Mark Kings's basslines should be a foundation on which to build your creativity, no? By looping different sections of the lick one would develop many different ways of transitioning around the fretboard while slapping. Love your playing bro!

[@talkingbasslessons]

You do loop them but only after learning the variation otherwise it won't work. So you don't loop for a while just to get the opening lines under the fingers.

[@dzemperator]

why don't you start the video with the riff

[@talkingbasslessons]

+Dzem One of several reasons. I like to keep the format of my vids consistent and I have a very recognisable formula of introduction then demonstration. I play it sooo many times through the vid, the position of it is not really important. I'm sure some impatient people will turn off when I start talking, but that's a good thing. If they don't like the opening talk, they'll hate the talking I do for the remainder of the lesson so they're better off looking elsewhere for one of the hundreds of other 'demonstration' vids. This is a lesson, not a cover.

[@Creature_NL]

You miss alot of notes, taps and slides,...at the start you skipped the low A to G straight after the hi D

[@infolimofirst]

Wich bass is it ?