Bass Teacher REACTS | Alex Webster RIPPING Tech Death Riffs! Conquering Dystopia "Kufra at Dusk"

[@Wolf-fl4gi]

I remember seeing his 3 finger picking style lesson for the first time a couple of years ago, it blew my my mind and still does to this day.

[@timgonzales2891]

I think the first time I ever saw three finger, was Steve digiorgio on the roadrunner united dvd lol. Incorporated it immediately.

[@blurplebear8573]

You should get his book. It has some of the best drills I have found for practice.

[@gnarbs4512]

​@@blurplebear8573ehos book steves?

[@liamjenkins82]

​@@blurplebear8573Hey mate what book is that.

[@blurplebear8573]

@@liamjenkins82 It's by Alex Webster from cannibal corpse. Extreme metal bass is the title. Very good drills in there.

[@the1khronohs40]

Websters fingers, on both hands, have always reminded me of a spider, frantically weaving a thread with extreme precision. 🙌

[@gsimongear]

My thoughts as well!

[@bradkneale7580]

@@gsimongear me too !!

[@morbydvisns]

yep. frantic disembowelment instrumental video. \m/

[@randomxaos]

Reminds me of Patterson

[@MaskedRiderChris]

If my memory serves me, he began with a Squire P-Bass, then went to Ibanez like most people did for a while, then Modulus Graphite instruments, then Spector. The right hand angling might have been something he picked up from Stanley Clarke, because that's something Stanley has always done. Alex is one of the few legit metal bass gods out there, for sure! One of the coolest, friendliest, and most mellow dudes you'll ever meet, too.

[@elpeluca7780]

Fender p bass first 2 albums, ibanez saber 3rd album, Ibanez SR 4th album, 5th album he used a jazz bass I think and a modulus depending on the song

[@j__s8802]

Love watching Alex and always wonder how many kids heard that solo on HSF and decided to play the low end. CC vids can be tough to find, but there are some Blotted Science vids with Alex out there. Awesome vid, sir!

[@LowEndUniversity]

GEEEEZ I forgot about Blotted Science entirely. It’s all coming back…

[@raulramirez9657]

Alex’s solo on The Strangulation Chair though..

[@kevinrox666]

Alex Webster is my all time favorite bass player! If you really want to hear Alex's bass chops put to the test you should check out his other side project Blotted Science. I have been fortunate enough to meet Alex on several occasions and he is hands down the most humble person you'll ever meet. I even brought my own bass to a Cannibal Corpse show hours before the show started and asked him to sign it and he did and played it a little too (not on stage just unplugged in the parking lot.) So now my bass has been signed/played by my bass hero. That was in 2022 and I'm still riding that high.

[@deimos915]

Lucky bastard

[@johnjohn37371]

You're doing a fantastic job, brother... instructive, entertaining, and extremely well edited... I am really enjoying your content...keep it up!

[@FrenchVanillaMilitia]

that moment at 9:23 was the most humble, yet most badass flex. Definitely can't play that fast yet

[@tomaskmet1043]

"Lots of bassists are intrigued with your three-fingered right hand technique. Can you explain it a little, and how you came to start using it? My three-finger plucking technique is fairly simple. It goes ring, middle, index repeatedly. The trick is to make sure that you can create an even pulse of 16th notes rather than simply triplets and gallops. To do that, I recommend that you practice accenting the pattern in a way that creates a feeling of four: RING, middle, index, ring, MIDDLE, index, ring, middle, INDEX, ring, middle, index, etc. Of course, once you’re playing the pattern quickly you won’t be thinking a whole lot about the patterns and counting; it’ll just be a steady, natural pulse. This way of plucking is pretty much the same way that John Myung and Billy Sheehan pluck, though those are not the players I learned it from. I actually learned it accidentally back in 1989. I was listening to Steve DiGiorgio from Sadus a lot at the time and I could tell that his playing was fingerstyle, but it was incredibly fast and able to keep up with a lot of the speed picking that the guitarists were doing. I had to learn how to do that. So, I looked up Steve’s number through information and called him up to ask him about it. Rather than hanging up on a crazy fan that had tracked him down, Steve graciously told me his technique: he plays with three fingers, returning to the middle: RING, middle, index, middle. Armed with that information, I slowly practiced the pattern for hours. The strange thing was, when I began to increase the tempo, I started falling naturally into the cycling way of playing that I described above, rather than the “return to middle” technique Steve had shown me. I do use the return to middle technique for certain things, but the bulk of my three finger playing is the cycling technique. It just came naturally to me I guess. It wasn’t what he taught me, but it worked. "

[@shredenvain7]

Alex is my favorite death metal bass player. Cannibal Corpse is one of the best Death metal bands around. They are one of the most consistent around as well.

[@jacintofragoso1211]

Dont forget about nile

[@f.b.jeffers0n]

Went searching on Bandcamp. Turns out this is an instrumental band, and I fell in love! Thank you!

[@ozzlayer]

Good to see people remembering that project. 👍

[@rolandboer95]

I've noticed the turning/rotating of the plucking wrist in my own playing since my first year, used to be very pronounced when i had my thumb stuck on the pickup or the low E/B string and really digged in. Gives a very solid anchor point for the thumb and allows the entire arm to dig in, which for me was a huge part of the growly sound. Always enjoyable to see alex' fingers walk like a spider, i can remember it being one of my motivators when i started learning to play bass using fingers. Enjoyable video, talking about the music rather than theory which a lot of channels seem to do. Also, i think the 35" scale helps with that 'spector emg' sound, schecter 35" 5 strings have that too to my ears

[@ntbhoang]

Everytime I watch this playthrough, I get goosebumps , such a great playing

[@tonycarel1785]

Great reaction video. I would like to see these guys put out another album. I am a long-time Spector and Warwick player. Love both brands

[@jerryoutlaw3396]

Alex is the KING of extreme bass guitar. I love what he does.

[@thinkingjack]

This guys such an amazing bassist. He was the reason I really wanted to play bass and still do to this day but damn I cannot catch up 😂😂 I love how hard yet precise he plays

[@JacksonAxe]

He gets to shred throughout every song. I recall a live video where his left hand looks like a Batio trick.

[@littledittymusic]

You're the best! I love to watch someone who knows his "thing"!

[@christopherrogers1249]

Good to see a parkway alum I’ve been seeing you play for years your phenomenal talent is out of this world

[@jdcsteelers498]

He’s the most talented member of CC. Always been one of the main songwriters and has been there from the beginning.

[@bassimprovjams3772]

I play the exact same way you mentioned with the 3 finger technique, I’m glad you spoke on that, my fingers willow my fret hand it just came naturally to me that way

[@syracuse6651]

I'm glad to see you do Alex Webster

[@rethils]

You're the man, Mark. Kne of my favorite bass players to try emulate. Would love to see some videos of your work on the V album or Linus Klausenitzers bass.

[@SPLIFFZPUFFZ]

Nice breakdown of the 3 finger technique he was implementing... i was trying to figure that out most!

[@Vincent_Roy]

Its interesting to compare different players' three fingers technique. It seems that there is no definitive way to approach this. In the past I only did some occasional triplets from index to ring finger when it helped me to keep the pace of the song. About two months ago I incorporated in my daily practice the ring to index Billy Sheehan-like technique. It was very weird at first, but now I just turn on and off the three finger mode when I need to. Next, I need to improve the attack consistency and raise the speed.

[@ThatBlindGuy247]

I only properly got into CC a tew months ago and when i learnt Alex finger picks everything his playing made me start practicing with 3 fingers

[@jeffclark1164]

Nice to see extreme metal bass players getting their due. Some players in the genre are just there to support the guitar, but others are probably some of the best bass players in music, period.

[@NosceTeIpsum]

Love your commentary on these more technical players! I hope you get to Linus Klausenitzer sometime, specifically his playthrough of Akroasis. Deeply technical, beautifully melodic, and shows that you don't have to go (or even reach) 200mph to make a technical metal bass track. Cheers!

[@ryananderson586]

Alex is the reason i fell in love with death metal and heavier music.

[@zvkryblkhrt8915]

I like the way Alex uses his DarkGlass he uses it as a boost with a hint of grit.

[@00Dakka]

From playing classical guitar, I think that the hand turning to play more technical parts is to compensate for the fingers being different lengths

[@andrewvela9839]

I think Alex also played on Blotted Science. Technical metal/ instrumental stuff.

[@anthonylaramie3295]

I think the reason Alex tilts his fingers like that is to mimic the finger style of a double bass. Which allows to use more meat of the finger for a deeper bass sound.

[@manuel.arriola]

Before being spector endorsed he used to play a modulus quantum 5, arguably the best bass for a piano-like tone.

[@nickfoster9350]

Alex Webster released a book a few years ago called "Extreme Metal Bass." Maybe you'll find your answer there?

[@EtoDemerzelSpaceBurial]

I have that book somewhere! I need to find it

[@ETOL17]

0:50 Back then during the Tomb of the Mutilated, he had an Ibanez 4 string that is like in a Jackson style (beginner bass)

[@yuletide]

That spector sound is dope

[@Gliam1205]

Jeff Berlin also uses that side twisted right-hand position

[@joemartucci4786]

Nice video. Alex is a monster bassist. Not a fan of their music but it is very technical. I've met him a couple times he's from my neck of the woods I think we're both aware of each other. Very nice guy. Love your video breakdowns.

[@keetakitten]

Conquering Dystopia is one of the best metal bands to ever exist

[@Winston_J._Chuckledick_III_Esq]

Except that it's not.

[@mikewright256]

Alex has a couple of videos of talking about and showing his bases and playing, and there's behind the scenes videos of Cannibal Corpse recording albums, you can react to them, I think I seen them broken up, like, Guitars, Drums, Bass and vocals, I think.

[@adriancole9681]

You’ve gotta check him out with Blotted Science! Ron Jarzombek on guitar and Hannes Grossman on drums. Absolutely crazy.

[@revlimit790]

My favourite bass player

[@NorthenTasawwuf]

Nice showcase of the three finger technique. Makes perfect sense 👌 and I have a similar problem. Spot on on the growl from the Spector, kinda makes me miss my old ww streamer (but it was just a 4-string, though a nice one). I wonder if I can get some cool clanky bassy sound like that on my thumb. I have to admit I'm impressed. I had written off Webster after looking up hsf because I thought of him at the time as too sloppy, though the bass riff always intrigued me. Clearly he turned out to be pretty classy! Well done, Sir! Edit: love this song now, and Alex too! He's like a combination of Brian May and Cliff Burton somehow. Checked out some old instructional video if his and it looks like the same technique Steve Bailey employs but starting from the third finger sometimes (remembering from Bailey's instructional video, and Bailey used various varieties of three finger techniqus but most famously strictly from index middle third (middle)).

[@brandonacker3290]

Interesting you mention the plucking hand technique. Stanley Clark does the same thing when he plays up high, angling his hand. Maybe it helps even out the tone for the fingers uneven length. Not sure the reason for it but it seems like it works!!

[@jackshittle]

Alex played Modulus Quantum basses for the longest time before he switched to Spector. He still has his Moduli btw.

[@TranzparentMethods]

Yeah, Alex Webster is one of the best with his fingers... To play that fast without a pick is Godlike!!!!

[@horrifyinggelatinousblob]

i think the reason for the turn is just to get a smaller angle of attack on the string so there is less impact friction allowing for quicker movement up and down the strings when doing arpeggios as fast as he does. remember a lot of cannibal corpse and Death songs have parts where the BPM is around 180-220BPM every little advantage in precision matters at that tempo, and you because the notes are short volume and clarity isn't as important as tightness for the low end non sustaining notes.

[@LowEndUniversity]

Really interesting point. It's weird, because it hinders me greatly if I try maneuvering my hand that way. I'm always fascinated how the same techniques between players can look so different, all while achieving the same thing essentially.

[@horrifyinggelatinousblob]

@@LowEndUniversity it's kind of in the wheel house of Troy Grady's youtube channel where he autistically analyzes ever detail of pick attack to try and get perfect speed picking technique.

[@theopinson3851]

The thing that gets me on 3 finger technique is using 3 fingers for 4 note lines (like 16th notes). I usually end up playing ring, middle, index, middle there.

[@EtoDemerzelSpaceBurial]

I believe I read that Steve Digiorgio does that for long fast 16th note sections too so you’re in good company

[@joonasvuomajoki2636]

The doing 16th notes going ring, middle, index, ring, middle, index is kind of a mindtwist since you're doing four notes but in cycles of three. But I have a really good excercise just for getting your head around it: Take just one string and place your fretting hand where ever it feels comfortable and start doing straight 8th notes ring middle index ring middle index in 6/8 alternating frets (for example 5, 8, 5, 7) every 3 notes, meaning schange to a different note on every time you pluck with your ring finger. So it's 5 5 5 8 8 8 5 5 5 7 7 7 and repeat. Basically do triplets. Start slow and speed up. THEN keep the same straight eight notes R,M,I,R,M,I but in 4/4 and now change the fretted note every 4 notes so it's 5 5 5 5 8 8 8 8 5 5 5 5 7 7 7 7. It feels really weird so start slowly and speed up over time. The changing of the note really helps you to feel where the first of four lands. I struggled mightily with this technique but this is literally what I did like every day for two years to get my 3 finger plucking on point. Just sitting on my couch watching Netflix not even plugged in, just sawing away at these 3 notes 😅 I hope this helps you.

[@KarloTheGreener]

FInally something from Alex Webster, tnx a lot \m/

[@OHBJJ9634]

Check out blotted science, mainly cretacous chasm, its a band i think alex is either still in or was a part of for one of their albums, but that song has him on it, crazy shit, its synced to the bug scene from Kong Skull Island, highly recommend to anyone

[@just.some.dud3]

If it's anything like picking, when you angle your hand like that with a pick, it allows it to clear the string and get across the string with out having to come as far away from the instrument to pick again. Maybe he's using it for the same thing, it lets him get back in position faster? Just a guitarist making a dumb guess. Love the content man. :)

[@DEATHMETALRUST]

I would describe the Spector tone as a “snarl” its aggressive and sharp.

[@Lord_Aghast]

I’m gonna tell you the weirdest Alex Webster story I know, it’s weird because it involves me lmao. So years ago probably back in 04 when Cannibal toured with a new up and coming young band “The Black Dahlia Murder” Severed Savior was on the bill as well. Jeremy Turner of Origin was also playing with Cannibal at this time. So yeah it was my first real concert and it just happened to be my favourite band, ya know that feeling as a kid when you get to see your absolute favourite fucking band Iive, it was beyond amazing. After the gig I notice Alex kind of standing in the club by himself behind a fold out table, did I mention I was an Alex Webster super fan and learned to play bass with my fingers just because of him, yeah I shouldn’t forget that 😂 So I walk up to him and say hey Alex awesome show man! He’s being polite and thanking me yada yada, the next thing I do is I place my hand on the table separating us and start doing my style of the finger technique and he’s like cool dude I only use 3 fingers though and than Alex himself proceeds to put his hand on the table and demonstrate the technique to me. Now what I did next might have been the most cringey thing I’ve ever done to someone in my entire life, I don’t know why, but I wanted to know how his hand operated during the technique to get some weird inner insight into what the fuck is going on (yeah I’m sitting here trying to even explain this to myself) so I put my 4 right fingers and the palm of my hand directly on his hand and I kinda grasped on a tiny bit, nothing crazy but it was enough for me to actually feel what the hell his hand does when he’s doing his finger plucks… and lemme tell ya… it was the most fucked up alien feeling nails on a chalkboard cotton ball between your finger tips type of feeling. I could literally feel every one of his knuckles like damn near dislocate and relocate and dislocate and relocate etc etc, but just imagine that at a very high speed, and that’s exactly what that guys hand does. I was shocked, there’s sooo much power in the way he pulls those strings, the guys gotta have arthritis by now fuck. As this is going on I realize what the fuck I’m actually doing and pull my hand a way, and I shit you not I looked at Alex and he was so fucking confused, like I could literally see his brain trying to figure out what the fuck just happened and why is this kid touching my hand. I don’t know if he thought I was trying to come on to him at the old fold out table, or I’m just like autistic and have no social boundaries, or fuck maybe he did know I was a crazy die hard Webster fan. I never walked away from a hero of mine quicker. That’s my Webster story, probably the weirdest one you’ll hear.

[@joninawhitecoat]

Whenever I've used three finger plucking I've used a 1-2-3-2 pattern so it doesn't matter which way my fretting hand is going, and it's easier to play 16ths.

[@Knotdead73]

The hand gesture. Your middle fingers are longer, simple basics to reaching strings at the same pace and or way fasterwhen using 3 fingers or simply just 2. I was doing this 30 years ago on my own and people where making fun of me. Nowadays, the Masters of Bass are doing it but I'm sure they where doing it 30 years ago too :) Like I said, pure normal gesture ergonomics. Anyhow, in my books

[@Khazandar]

Webster has played a few different basses, he started using Spector around 98' :3

[@fysy9989]

Might this angle be to compensate for different length of index and middle finger?

[@OldManDoom]

Alex Webster: he goes to 10 fast. Yeah, that is a pretty good way to phrase it

[@yuletide]

UFFFFF 10:09 so good

[@EtoDemerzelSpaceBurial]

There is a cool video of Alex, Victor Wooten, and Steve Bailey jamming. Most random thing ever but pretty cool

[@17joxe90]

Have you heard Trioscape? Worth a listen.

[@InsaneMonk89]

Fck yes! Can we get Nyetflix and Chill by Nuclear Power Trio??

[@BungSmuggler]

NPT is insane

[@Necro-slaughter]

That FRANTIC DISEMBOLMENT. video is from a behind the scenes when they were in the stuidio recording The WRETCHED SPAWN

[@ryanmurphy4110]

Great content as always, Mark! Still casting my vote for Dan Briggs, but have really enjoyed all the reaction videos thus far.

[@bradkneale7580]

yes .....ants of the sky !!!!

[@ryanmurphy4110]

@@bradkneale7580we did it buddy! Lol

[@bradkneale7580]

@@ryanmurphy4110 Hell yeah !! \m/

[@GreggOliverBass]

Looks like the angle is to keep the fingertips even, compensating for the middle finger being longer

[@jamesmarkham7489]

Simon grove does lots of play through vids. Before he played with Plini he had a prog metal band. Highly recommend

[@alecsmith5150]

Could you please cover Mike Flores of the death metal band "Origin"? He's insanely awesome!

[@LowEndUniversity]

Sure. What song? Reply with a link!

[@alecsmith5150]

@@LowEndUniversity Chaosmos. Mike's got a odd style where he can trem pick with his index finger. Thanks for getting back to me.

[@billkos744]

From what I have seen up close of his right hand technique, he plays index, middle, ring, middle most of the time.

[@TheInfectedVoice]

You should be React to Felipe Andreoli . Incredible 3 finger technique

[@nicolascox366]

I'm sure you'll be interested in the band Necrophagist. You can listen to the song Stabwound for having a taste.

[@bradkneale7580]

When I turn my wrist like that I find it makes my two fingers the same length p.s . he played modulas before Spector

[@KyleS.1987]

That's what I've always thought the 'turn' was for. I first read about it in one of Ariane Cap's books. The weird thing to me is turning my wrist makes my first and second fingers the same length, but not my third. So at least for the length my fingers are, it makes more sense to turn my wrist for two-finger plucking and keep my wrist straight for three-finger plucking. One player who uses three-finger picking but doesn't do the 'turn' at all is Billy Sheehan. He keeps his wrist hanging straight down, and in his instructional material points out that you can even out the lengths of your fingers by just curling your fingers in until your fingertips line up evenly. Billy does use the 'moving anchor,' though - even moving his thumb up to rest on the D string when he's doing fast picking on the G, which makes it possible to keep the fingers curled in. Whereas Alex Webster keeps his thumb on the pickup or fifth string (edit: on second watch actually you can see his thumb go up to the 4th string for those fast descending runs), so his fingers have to be fully extended to reach the higher strings, which maybe necessitates the 'turn' to keep the fingers even? This is all just me guessing.

[@MFDBLACKESTHART]

I really like Alex’s other super group Blotted science

[@drewinman7171]

CD is full step tuning on bass.

[@ArtGuitarLTX]

Frantic Disembowlment... jesus christ... that is one CRAZY ass song

[@LowEndUniversity]

Right?!

[@DizzyDez613]

When approaching a piece of music written by Mr. Webster, it’s important to keep one thing in mind; he is an alien that has seven fingers per hand.

[@LowEndUniversity]

Facts. 👽

[@timgonzales2891]

Alex is classically trained. Only one in cannibal to my knowledge, that is.

[@Mutabor1981]

pat was as well.

[@stephenkain6603]

Please review hibria

[@StarvingMorlock]

Watch him play Frantic Disembowelment you gonna enjoy that one.

[@Duckeggmike]

Bro speaking of tech death could you consider watching the spawn of possession bass playthrough? Dude is a monster

[@kenneths108]

This is my favorite video to watch Alex in his early years with cannibal corpse this can also be found on the centuries of torment DVD I believe Alex has been using the 3 finger tech from the very beginning he is a master at his craft kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z6msk3Z7mdmKsNk

[@prestoncassise4813]

You should see his 10 string bass video😮 blow your mind

[@filipfulea6350]

There are 206 bones in the human body. 207 if i'm watching Alex Webster play

[@BungSmuggler]

I saw this video when it came out, and I thought they should've cranked up the bass on the track more.

[@michaellorenz7177]

Alex and SDG make me sad my ring and middle finger are more like one finger, I just don't have the dexterity to move the two fingers independent of each other. Maybe due to injuries ling past, maybe I just never had it. 🤷‍♂️

[@bassbugleblower]

Alex is an absolute beast at bass, love his playing makes me wanna quit 😅

[@garysanders3193]

For me, I learned the 3 finger technique from the trooper by Iron Maiden.

[@grzegorzbrzeczyszczykiewic4061]

The technique used in The Trooper is called galloping. It’s way different

[@IShappyyy]

Amazing video really like your reaction videos I really recommend you check Martino Garattoni he is an amazing bass player

[@lt_johnmcclane]

Awesome vid. If you like checking out some underrated , more underground bassists (like the subject in this video and yourself for that matter) it would be cool if you’d check out John Ferrara and the guys in Consider the Source. They’re a trio and some of my fav musicians ever. They don’t get enough love

[@foldingpapers5574]

What's your bar for popularity? I tend to consider Webster relatively well known, personally?

[@lt_johnmcclane]

@@foldingpapers5574 I’m a pretty big metal fan and I’d never heard of him although I do know who Cannibal Corpse is. Admittedly I don’t listen to death metal so it may just be a blind spot for me

[@foldingpapers5574]

@@lt_johnmcclane Ah, that's perfectly reasonable - as a bassist and someone big on the heavier side it seemed pretty obvious to me that "One Just Knows the Bassist To The Big Metal Band That Is Cannibal Corpse", though that's obviously not a shared experience among everyone!

[@Concatenate]

Here's a cool clip, kind of older and hard to see, but one of my favorite CC songs called Bloodlands and it looks like Alex is blazing one here. kzbin.info/www/bejne/aJm8i5qqmqd2jdk

[@Johnny.1965]

His right hand technique reminds me of john entwhistle.

[@jbates237]

Alex was big on Modulus basses for a time.

[@MarkSpohn77]

Please check out these three great bands from Japan Babymetal song Rondo of nightmare live with mischief of metal Gods intro Hanabie and their song We love sweets and Nemophila and their song Descension

[@-zeer0]

*** J E F F H U G H E L L ***

[@rippedtorn2310]

Its not even technical death metal per se its just they are very good very very good .Its still just sweet killer riffs then you see what they're actually doing and its oh shit!!

[@JoneyJefe]

❤

[@DocBalance23]

Please do Dream Theatre Panic Attack

[@joeywilliams2675]

Blotted science also another technical metal super group Alex Webster is apart of

[@MarcWatty]

Alex Webster was made different

[@oice4727]

Ηe maybe uses his skin before the nail when he prepares the middle finger to avoid harmonics...Steve Harris and Alex Webster for life ❤