The Bass GENIUS of Geezer Butler (7 INCREDIBLE Black Sabbath examples)

[@I_like_bass]

Never clicked as thumbnail as fast. Geezer's basslines got me into the instrument.

[@maximgulyaev1635]

same🔥

[@Zeitgeist64]

​@@maximgulyaev1635Same here Guys! And that right hand technique is awesome.

[@Roberto-nn6kb]

same

[@manuajayan763]

Same here bro. Huge influence

[@Chad_Sandridge75]

Ditto

[@NicholasMaus]

RJD was also an amazing person. I was at dinner at a nice restaurant with my parents when he sat down at the table next us. He saw me staring and asked if I knew who he was. Stupefied I said "you're Ronny James Dio" and he said "I didn't know I had many fans you're age" He chatted with us until our order came. He was so kind and thoughtful.

[@SO-ym3zs]

He was a ridiculously good singer--for any genre. RIP.

[@frederickmurphy3250]

I bumped into him in the aspirin aisle at the Rite-Aid drug store on Riverside Dr in N. Hollywood late one night after a gig back in the mid 90's. After being a fanboy for a couple of minutes we talked about over the counter meds for migraines for a while. He was so down to earth and cool, not the least bit full of himself at all.

[@raymondfink9580]

I’ve heard he was. It actually makes me feel bad, that I never liked his singing. I can’t stand opra and opera rock. I cringe every time I hear his voice. And I feel bad because I do understand he was a straight up dude.

[@jordanknapp8061]

Haha reminds me of an experience I had with Glenn Hughes’s at the rainbow bar and grill. He said the same thing I didn’t know I had fans your age

[@TheWRCS]

Oh my bad, I read RDJ and I was expecting a Robert Downey Jr story. Lmao.

[@DaBadMofo]

Saw him live at 17, picked up the bass instead of the guitar, never stopped. The best of the best

[@sebg2086]

lol the best of the best lol

[@TheOldmandaddio]

Or G.O.A.T 🤘😈♠️😈🤘

[@bass68144]

FINALLY! Sabbath rules. Can we get a John Paul Jones video next?

[@jasoncoetzee6729]

Pleeeez! Yes!

[@nylesfrench3568]

😢 John Paul Jones is A MUST !!

[@eladd229]

Yesss my favorite bass player

[@harrysutton8998]

YT will kill it, but yes please if you can make it work.

[@matrodmedia]

YES 🙌 🙌🙌🙌

[@frederickmurphy3250]

You two are so much fun to watch, great chemistry together! Geezer and JPJ were my first two idols of rock bass, so thank you so much for this vid. It reminds me so much of learning his lines as a budding young bassist 45 years ago. Geezer is probably THE most influential bassist of his era. I mean, how many of us started out in our first band, learning Paranoid, and Iron Man?? Millions I'm sure. I know I did.

[@Neakenator]

FINALLY a video about the Heavy Metal Godfather! Geezer Butler's my favorite, I loved his book 'Into the Void'

[@billbones77]

I've read (listened) to Geezers Toni's and of course Ozzy's brilliant insights and a good laugh. 👍🏼

[@xxShadowxx-dy2wo]

Geezer is the reason i play bass today, the first time i heard the "thunder fingers" line in iron man, i was like I NEED TO SOUND LIKE THAT... 20 years later the rest is history, i never clicked an SBL video so fast, good job on learning those on the fly btw!!!! love to see the gears chugging along in someones head.

[@akenawell]

I’ve been waiting so long for a geezer episode!! And yes it is a bend in NIB

[@robertpace4913]

GEEZER!!! He is the only reason I picked up a bass and never looked back. GOAT!!

[@keltoibard]

I was waiting for Ian to do the "Oh yeah!" in NIB, and he didn't disappoint! Great job on Geezer y'all.

[@Neakenator]

My favorite band and my favorite bassist! Geezer Butler forever! My favorite is A National Acrobat, that bassline just kills every time!

[@Greyflavor]

Please dig into The Cure. Their sound defined a culture, and the bass is equally as important as the vocals.

[@chriskizziah4497]

I have a bass that I keep tuning down a step and a half just so I can play Black Sabbath. One of my favorite riffs is the intro to Into the Void.

[@danzemacabre8899]

Same ,got a jazz with black nylon strings that sound, killer playing sabbath ,I have it where it's comfortable in c.# and D for vol 4, sabbath b sabbath master of reality also Born Again is in D and a blast to play along with (the album , first side) and check the last show in NYC with RJD and Geezer is actually using black nylon stringɓ

[@bassiclymike]

@@danzemacabre8899 Geezer uses DR Black Beauties, not nylon wraps. He's been an endorser for years. Black coated stainless steel strings. I use them on one or two of my bases, they're awesome.

[@andywitch666]

A correction: Vinnie Appice didn't join Sabbath until the Heaven and Hell tour, Bill Ward plays on the album!

[@Blackwavewhitebeach]

AND - Bill toured with them on the 1980 H&H Tour (up to Mid August) as I saw them at Hammersmith Odeon in May. 44 yrs later I can still remember Bill's amazing huge kit and his amazing and very long drum solo!

[@andywitch666]

@@Blackwavewhitebeach Yes!!!! Lucky you!!!!

[@221b-l3t]

However Bill does not remember any of the recording session because he was deep into his alcoholism.

[@markgishhargesheimer7218]

@@221b-l3t Again

[@neoland666]

Thanks for featuring Geezer, an incredible bassplayer. Love the way he wonders into space under the guitarsolo's, and then supports the guitar riff when that kicks in again. Makes it many times heavier!

[@Pyewack3t]

Sharon's great. Really liked watching her pick things up. Would have liked to have seen her reaction to the bass behind the first solo on War Pigs.

[@JBjopa8]

Me too 🤘🏻😎

[@julimf42]

How about The Cure iconic basslines?! Simon Gallup!

[@SO-ym3zs]

Just in time for the new album, too!

[@Farewelltokingz]

Peter Hook was the one who he nicked everything fron

[@tcw8287]

Surely you can say this about a lot of musicians...oh they stole from them etc etc ​@@Farewelltokingz

[@Farewelltokingz]

@@tcw8287 wasn’t trying to discredit Simon but Pete deserves some attention too

[@DavyLaStrange]

I saw Sabbath the 1st time they played Detroit, the Eastown theater, 1970 opening for Fleetwood Mac. After a bombastic nonstop set 1/2 the crowd left when Fleetwood started to play, in shock after experiencing Butler & Iommi peeling the paint off the walls.

[@tonygaruba424]

Saw them in 75 sabotage, laid waste to Philadelphia

[@kipholscher1812]

That's quite a contrast, but I bet an awesome show.

[@bassonthemark8191]

Into The Void is one of my favorite songs, and a great bass line. Thanks for this, really enjoyed it!

[@devinebass]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Anonymous-o6t6p]

FINALLY SOME GEEZER LOVE also at 3:17 the note on the 7th fret bends up instead of sliding to the 8th

[@andrewpappas9311]

Geezer will always be one of the greatest bassists and one of the absolute metal GOATs, I've always loved his playing and my band has played Paranoid and War Pigs at our own shows (which sound really damn good on my Rickenbacker, since Geezer had a brief stint with one in the late '70s) and it's always been fun to play his riffs. Also to answer Ian's question about NIB at 13:53 it is indeed a bend that he's doing and that always made the riff sound so damn cool to me, and regarding the amps Geezer recorded Sabbath's debut with a Laney amp and a cabinet that only had three working speakers and that was how he got his distortion and that Tycobrahe was the wah he used and it actually belonged to Tony

[@Andyanddiana467]

LOVE GEEZER! He's the GOAT, and one of the reasons I play bass. I don't think I ever clicked on one of your videos so fast. I also love that you gave props to the "Dehumanizer" album, which is criminally underrated.

[@DylanWOWilliams]

Hell yes!!! Geezer is the reason my dad bought a brand new Stingray in 1976 and taught him self so he could join his brothers’ band. Then in 2005 I learned how to play Geezer’s lines on that very stingray. This guy transformed my dad’s life and in turn my own life. Though I make my music money through ambient guitar, I will always be a bass player that plays guitar.

[@SO-ym3zs]

I love that Sabbath started putting out these dark, crushing tunes in '70 during the Flower Power movement. If you cranked these songs up, all the hippies' flowers would wilt and die :) Then again, lyrically and musically there actually was more than a bit of hippie psychedelic trippiness and jazziness in their music. Some metalheads conviently forget how gentle and spacey some of their tunes were. Anyway, great to hear you guys paying proper homage to one of metal's giants.

[@221b-l3t]

Definetly a very strong jazz influence. Also a lot of religious themes in the lyrics. Like After Forever, Geezer wrote almost all of them, he is very religious. Or at least he was, I don't know about these days.

[@SO-ym3zs]

@221b-l3t I think some non-metalheads who have a stereotyped view of metal would be really surprised by some of the Christian-leaning lyrics.

[@221b-l3t]

@@SO-ym3zs Especially back then. They really had a huge problem with their image, so many people were scared of them and thought they were devil worshippers and possibly witches. At one point a Christian school booked them (they had rock bands before) and as they walked on stage wearing their crosses the pastor remarked to the guy who booked them, "finally a good Christian band". They were but he didn't expect the sounds he was about to hear. And it was a big gig, ended up being very good for them and they ended up being invited to several such events. Geezer of course had his whole charity stuff going on with the Church. Me personally I'm not religious at all but I still enjoy the lyrics. I think they're good. Even if I might not agree with all the conclusions, they ask good questions. I love After Forever. I would endlessly play that riff as a kid trying to remember how the rest went. First year was just learning Sabbath songs. Luckily my teacher liked them so he taught me all the early stuff. I forgot most of it unfortunately. Relearning Into the Void. Such a fun song to play. Super jazzy. Now that I started playing bass, it's fun going back to Sabbath and learning with their songs, like I did with the guitar.

[@PeytonGreen-gz9fd]

I love the excitement in Ian’s face throughout this whole video 😊.

[@gustopherus]

Geezer is my all time favorite bass player. It is a shame you couldn't just put his picture on the thumbnail instead of Ozzy.

[@mikeg2939]

Junior's eyes is one of my favourite Sabbath tracks, it swings in a groovy sort of a way.

[@zephead64]

Facts!

[@gumbly4174]

The inventors of heavy metal. They’re absolute legends.

[@Roberto-nn6kb]

YOU KNOW WHO ELSE IS ABSOLUTE LEGEND?

[@robubik670]

@@Roberto-nn6kb Leroy Jenkins

[@Schizophrenie183]

I really wish you guys could do a video about Oliver Riedel from Rammstein. He’s secretly a genius on bass but just keeps getting overlooked by everyone. Some of my favourite basslines he played are in “Seemann”, “Asche zu Asche”, “Ein Lied”, “Rammlied”, “Waismanns Heil”, and “Diamant”.

[@irmagerd2480]

It's very cool how his playing changed through the years. Geezer is the man. Thanks for showing him some love

[@joshweigel1131]

one of my favorite players across any genre

[@devinebass]

🧡🧡🧡

[@Q1043NewYork]

This episode has the appropriate amount of Bill Ward appreciation. 🥁 Also, Geezer Butler wrote most of Black Sabbath's lyrics. My apologies if you mention that later (I haven't yet finished watching).

[@Q1043NewYork]

Oh, and Bill Ward was still in the band on 'Heaven and Hell'; he left before 'Mob Rules.'

[@metramaks]

@@Q1043NewYork I always thought it was Appice playing already.

[@c24peach]

OMG thank you for the Geezer highlight!!!!

[@doctersound9630]

I LOVE THIS CONTENT! You guys and girl are awesome! Keep up the good work! Can't wait to put all three of you on my record! 🙂

[@TSE_WOODY]

Woooo been hoping for a Geezer video at some point. One of the GOATs!

[@robertmansell3667]

Geezer was the Greatest for me,he inspired me to play Bass and Sabbath inspired SO Many metal bands,GREAT content,Sharon as always absolutely killed it,very impressive 🤟❤️

[@MichaelIppersiel]

Couldn't click on this one fast enough. GZR = the GOAT!!!!

[@devinebass]

MIIIIIIIIIIIKE 🤘

[@MichaelIppersiel]

@@devinebass YEEEEEEAAAAAAHHHHH boi!!!! :)

[@MichaelIppersiel]

Classics SBL omitted - Fairies Wear Boots, Sweet Leaf and HOLE IN THE SKY!!!

[@tybaltstone]

Lots of love for this - Paranoid was the first song I learned on the bass (back in 1988 or 89) :-)

[@devinebass]

🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻

[@NathanYokum-u7e]

You two are great fun. Ian you consistently inspire me with your positive attitude and love of music. Sharon great playing and awesome pup.

[@devinebass]

🧡🧡🧡

[@electricdawn2258]

Yes! Black Sabbath are the godfathers of Metal! Thank you, thank you and thank you again for featuring Geezer! 👍 Oh yes, and shame on you for missing out on "Mob Rules". 😁 THE iconic heavy metal album from the inventors of metal themselves! Every song a winner and an iconic shredder in their own right.

[@MK-lm8te]

Ohhhh mannn is the one for me! Geezer is absolutely one of my fave bassists ever and Black Sabbath is my top band! I have never clicked on anything so fast🖤

[@angelhollow9735]

Ive been waiting on this forever, im 20 but black sabbath is one of the reasons why i picked up the bass, butler is the goat.

[@peteyk9391]

Love your videos! Thanks to an older brother, I grew up loving Geezer (then later Steve) as a kid. Molded me into the bassist I am today. N.I.B. still my fav. The attack is insane. BLACK SABBATH and PARANOID albums written in the same calendar year (1970). Insane!

[@strykr82]

First time I've heard Master of Insanity. What an amazing bassline!

[@nicorepetto5781]

Iron man was the first song I remember hearing at the age of 6. Still one of my favourite songs. Geezer Butler is one of my favourite bassists ever

[@alanwadey2848]

Children of the Grave is a fantastic riff, as is Supernaught. Fairies Wear Boots and Planet Caravan show a different side to Sabbath as well. I would like to seee a video on Scorpions, specifically the Uli Roth era. Francis Buchholz is horribly underrated.

[@Izoo8524]

Wow, you completely made my day!! Geezer has always been a primary influence on my sound. Good job guys!!

[@devinebass]

👍👍👍

[@simonwolverton3604]

Thank you!!! This was my first bass influence. I love exposing young people to this music

[@OlavSchneider]

Finally I almost gave up hope. Great choice! I love you guys.

[@oliverstansell4203]

Love this video on Geezer! I think y’all should do one of these for Rex Brown of Pantera. He had some of the best tone and bass lines of anyone in that era and he’s just super underrated. I definitely think he would be worth looking into.

[@chadrtc]

Slipping Away off Mob Rules is an absolute killer line. It also comes with a dualing bass and guitar solo as a bonus!

[@craighill3715]

This is awesome! I was in a Sabbath tribute. I’ve done just about everything but that Tribute was a HOOT! Geezer, JPJ & Bob Daisley are my guys! The most fun thing about that gig was the fact that Geezer never played a song the same way twice. Which meant as long as I got the big ticket items punched, I could just go nuts on everything else! All hail the mighty Geezer!!!

[@simonwolverton3604]

This was the perfect video! Sharon is too good to have only had to learn one of these songs. And…. I may have been playing NIB wrong for the last 30 years

[@gargoyleontheroof]

Bill Ward played drums on Heaven and Hell! Said he doesn't remember it but he did play on that album.

[@skirchmerch6997]

Proud to say hes the one who got me to play bass! Another cool bass riff is the wizard

[@davidetheridge5123]

Ian, it's still Bill Ward on the Heaven & Hell album, Vinnie Appice took over half way through the tour!

[@deztroyah]

SOOO OVERDUE! Thank you! Geezer is why I chose bass

[@devinebass]

🧡🧡🧡

[@zebulondudora]

I'm glad you brought Junior's eyes killer bass riff!! The most groovy one from Butler! Almost jazzy, as this whole album was.

[@ZappaSheik]

Brings me back to 11 year old me learning the ozzy era albums by heart. Still today, 27 years later, I can play all of these exactly like Geezer

[@devinebass]

🔥🔥🔥

[@Sean_thompson_bass]

Gotta listen to Geezer's riffs on the 13 album, and his solo G/Z/R material is killer too.

[@davemedley3224]

Love this. Spent months getting “War Pigs” down. Lots of box shapes and very quick. Sounds awesome 🤘

[@joeysocks5718]

Wow that brings back. Great memories. I used to play that with my buddies in high school.

[@pataylward1578]

Recommending the very underrated and under the radar Steve digiorgio. The unique thing about him is he uses fretless basses with over 50 albums ranging from death metal to jazz.

[@toonvank6165]

This was a lot fun watching! Geezer's had a big impact on my playing (and I'm not even playing heavy metal or hard rock stuff in particular). It's hard to choose a handful of riffs from a catalogue like that and not miss out on so many other good riffs. Anyway, if we're talking Heaven and Hell... the song Wishing Well has some of my favourite Geezer lines of all time.

[@devinebass]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Keychain-]

Coincidentally ive been listening to and revisiting Black Sabbath stuff to truly appreciate Geezer. Great to hear his playing was still amazing in the Dio era!

[@PowerboyBass]

Thank you for including Junior’s Eyes! While most of the classics are familiar, someone gave me their old water damaged vinyl collection in the 90’s and Never Say Die side A was on constant repeat for me along with Sly Family Stone’s Small Talk. Never Say Die is when I got turned onto Geezer Butler.

[@zephead64]

Warms the cockles of my heart to see younger musicians recognize the great Terence 'Geezer' Butler and RJD

[@Myndi78]

Black Sabbath Paranoid was the first vinyl I stole from my mother. Later came Iron Maiden, Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Uriah Heep, Nazareth etc - but Black Sabbath started it all! I now have ALL her vinyls 😈 I brought out my P with flats and EMG Geezer pups for this video, and my neighbours are getting introduced to my new Ampeg tubeamp 🤘

[@devinebass]

🔥🔥🔥

[@maximgulyaev1635]

Never clicked on a video faster🔥🔥🔥

[@devinebass]

🔥🔥🔥

[@jeffgamble8957]

INTO THE VOID! You're going to have to do Black Sabbath part 2.

[@mattslater167]

More Sabbath, please. My favorite jazz ensemble, that.

[@dionnpeterson]

"E ish", love it Sharron you and Ian are superstars together. love these vids

[@308Repins]

"Children of the Grave" has such a thundering gallop of a base line right front the start. Great song!

[@dekemiller5265]

Wow, you picked up those bass lines in seconds... Sharon, I am so impressed with you! Very cool.

[@kengollan3024]

Geezer, Geddy and Alan Spenner (JC Superstar). My youth. My inspiration. I loved this SBL session so much!

[@devinebass]

Glad you enjoyed this one!

[@vittusossi]

Geezer was the reason I started bass... this was fun to see ! 😀

[@devinebass]

🔥🔥🔥

[@Jose-zm1wt]

YEEESSSS!!!I asked for this months ago and they did It. Amazing Channel, they put a lot of work on their videos

[@devinebass]

🧡🧡🧡

[@markmeyer2351]

It's one thing to play the riff at home but it's another to play on stage with power and conviction and also to full the holes in a three band.

[@Longy_b]

Fun fact about war pigs…. If you listen closely you can hear the bass is double tracked. It’s most noticeable in the solo sections as, similar to Tony Iomi’s solos, the two tracks play slightly different parts.

[@Victor-em3nu]

Geezer is such an icon. For me when I improvise its very easy for me to turn into a Geezer copycat because it just sounds so GOOD with those pentatonic things.

[@RichardHoogstad]

Loved every riff on this on this one. Excellent work!

[@ErikStone1]

Many don't know that Ronnie James Dio was a BASS player before getting famous as a singer. Check out the first self titled album by his band ELF. That's all Ronnie on bass!

[@tpavan]

Saw Geezer, clicked faster than the speed of light! I'd love to see an episode about Electric Wizard bass lines, tuning and gear!😁

[@davidferguson4327]

Please please please can you do a video on the genius bass line "Hit me with your rhythm stick" by Ian Dury and the Blockheads. It's by far my favourite bass line and would love to hear what you guys think of it.

[@JeffSmithbureau13]

Way back in high school we started a band, and Paranoid and War Pigs were two of the first songs we played (I had War Pigs all wrong, as I've come to learn). Some music writer referred to Geezer's basslines as "globular." That's stuck with me, I love that description.

[@garyhanna9334]

geezer is the goat. got my flats. got my EMG Geezer PUs.

[@devinebass]

🔥🔥🔥

[@eklypse69]

Geezer actually has his own signature wah. It's a Dunlop Crybaby bass wah, but the sweep has been specifically contoured to Geezer's specs. It's also active switched, so motion engages it.

[@ethelvermin2224]

Check in to the Tycobrahe Parapedal for the origin of his weird wah sweep preference.

[@andrewpinner3181]

Thanks Shaz & lan for another great video ! This one had me cackling at points !

[@bradami1234]

Need to do STP.. you wont regret it..

[@kingsecho3351]

Oh hell yeah! Robert DeLeo is such an underrated bass player. Incredible band.

[@micumatrix]

Cool hearing these things fresh. I jumped the albums after Ozzy and missed that they still made great music

[@sombra1111]

His playing during the solo sections is great. Learn that.

[@acledfloyd]

I’d love some Sleep and Om riffage on this channel

[@davidgriffith1552]

I’d be down with that for sure, got a totally different (and more extreme) vibe to the things they usually do. Some of the great sludge bands (early Mastodon, Thou, early Melvins, early ISIS, etc.) would be another good place to mine some extreme bass goodness…

[@Tabascoisprettycool3448]

PLEEAAASEE I NEED THIS

[@stevengray4496]

Glad you went deep into the discography and got to the Dehumanizer album ("Master of Insanity"). Geezer is COOKING the entire album, even when Tony is soloing, Geezer is matching his energy. Ronnie was breathing fire on this one, too. In hindsight, a very underrated Sabbath album.

[@feumachado3116]

When I saw it was Geezer I had to see it, but when you guys came up with Junior’s Eyes and Master of Insanity... it was just goosebumps. They’re amongst my favourite Sabbath songs. Thanks a lot! I’ll probably fail miserably, but I’ll try’em out 😅

[@devinebass]

Enjoy!

[@lurecas]

The video is awesome, and watching Sharon learn these songs is absolutely mind boggling, but I'm just giggling myself thinking about Ozzy shouting out "Shaaaaaarrroooooon' 😂

[@devinebass]

🤣🤣🤣

[@idolbass]

Geezer started it all for me in the 70s, live here in Sydney with ACDC as support.

[@stevenbrooks498]

Been playing "Basically" on my guitar(6 string) I'm not a bassist, and I don't have a band. Just play for my own pleasure. For years I've ignored that bass solo which I believe is called Basically, and just played NIB. But really love playing the full whole thing now.

[@johnsilver8059]

There is no Black Sabbath without Bill Ward. A tribute band.

[@SebPaez]

No Bill, no thrill

[@zprince4120]

🤔

[@jamesfetherston1190]

Yep. I always maintain that if Sabbath had a weak link it was Ozzy. Vinny is a fine enough drummer, but Ward has far more scope and imagination, and can swing.

[@admarhermans1]

Their drummer, Bill Ward, was a huge force like many a British drummer… For me, they’re an alternative blues and rock band. Geezer fueled. Doesn’t matter if you use Rotosound (Jazz) flats or any other strings: just play your P hard!! You’re your own compression pedal for this music! 😂

[@captainbeyond165]

Geezer butler. Amazing. My favorite rock/metal bassist. The godfather of metal bass.