Flea SUCKS At Bass (Really?)

[@BassCampOfficial]

Go to bassmasters.co/ and get 60% off Mastering The Masters before midnight on July 31st!

[@generaljj71]

Flea sucks he's just not good...someone had to say it even if it's a ridiculously stupid comment😂

[@jakerandolph5053]

​@@generaljj71Horrible rage bait

[@CharlesBerthoud]

Thanks for making this video - I have to say I agree with you on every point!

[@eaptan]

LOL

[@ThoR52]

🤔

[@marktaylor3290]

Says the random dude who has probably never picked up a bass in his life. Rando. (I'm kidding you're a giant inspiration to me in real life)

[@jacobparker5042]

Charles when will you guys collab

[@czypauly07]

That bass is absolutely beautiful!

[@Typical.Anomaly]

Modern tech has spoiled humanity into expecting everything to be grid-aligned (boring.)

[@aronhellsten3372]

Agree

[@Enderblade18]

Facts

[@bassbuffricky]

Music is art, not AI.

[@williampacult9431]

Where would RZA or JDilla be if they quantized everything?

[@Enderblade18]

@@williampacult9431 Exactly

[@foljs5858]

People who think Flea can't play bass are less into music and more into gatekeeping pedantry

[@henryeowens]

Agreed. Dude is amazing, but plays mostly in his distinct style.

[@Sheehy223]

He is an absolutely fantastic creative writer, and even though I'm not the biggest RHCP fan in the world these days I can admit that he's written some absolutely amazing bass lines. That being said, as Charles himself pointed out in this video, it's obvious that his technique is far from perfect or even efficient, and that he cares more about style than precision or technicality. You put Flea up against guys like Marcus Miller or Les Claypool, and the shortcomings of his playing become obvious very quickly. He's still a great bass player, but his technique objectively sucks.

[@southpawjinx1]

@@Sheehy223agreed not great technically compared to some but you mention Marcus Miller there and although you’d struggle to find a cleaner slap player than MM his finger style playing technique is excruciating to watch with his bent wrist, I understand that he’s had wrist surgery in the past. In terms of Slap Flea is more like a Louis Johnson, loads of energy but sloppy. It is what it is and it suits his bands style. There are a ton of sloppy players seen as top tier players. Have you heard Jimmy Page’s lines isolated, or Steve Harris 😮

[@jonw8694]

I'm sure at least half of the nay-sayers are either jealous because they can't play his basslines, or have never played bass, yet think they can judge how good a bass player is solely by watching KZbin videos.

[@KindredBrujah]

@@Sheehy223 Sucks is a bit strong, but you are right that it's not a trained technique, it's a self-taught one. It hasn't really held him back much, but who knows what kind of cracking stuff he might have churned out if he'd picked up better technique early - then again, maybe that would have detracted from his really expressive performances and would have limited RHCP's reach in the early years.

[@ianbest3677]

Music is not a competitive sports.

[@southpawjinx1]

☝🏼yep

[@jvgauthier]

Ideally, this is true. But we have all had conversations with vocal insecure fanboys.

[@Ottophil]

The reason I picked up a guitar is because I actively hated the competition of sports. I always refused “battle of the bands” gigs, because whats the point of having a folk band vs a metal band vs an alternative band? Anybody who uses the term “best” for something without a scoreboard is annoying to me. Those are called different opinions.

[@finelerv]

It's not... but I wish it was!!! Would be so much more interesting to watch than literally any other sport.

[@alexl7265]

It is

[@Rikalonius]

It amazes me to read comments about professional musicians. I've concluded 90% of them have never picked up the instrument.

[@scarab944]

I think a lot of the whack commenters are intermediate or mediocre players who learned how to play "Higher Ground" and then got exposed to other incredible players like Victor, Jaco, Thundercat, etc. But yeah, probably plenty of gatekeepers who don't even play music as well.

[@yearginclarke]

I definitely think so also. Some of the comments you read online are just like, wow really? Not every single moment of a musician has to be some picture perfect spot on thing, especially if it's something like an improvised solo. That's one of the things musicians have been doing as routine parts of a live performance forever and ever, and it's not really supposed to be this precise perfectly orchestrated thing. It's about channeling feelings/emotions in the moment, and every time it comes out different. Some of the things I see people calling "horrible" really reveal what they know about things. Some live improvisations I've heard are truly magical and next level, like Hendrix for example. He was very well known for not playing songs the same way twice, except for retaining the key riffs/parts of a song. But of course that's a slightly different subject there. And of course sometimes fails/mistakes happen. That's just part of performing live. I think we've all heard tons of mistakes that were left in on lots of songs and albums as well.

[@slowandsafegaming4126]

I am here to peer review your hypothesis and can confirm from my finds that your statement is accurate 👍

[@robertnewquest656]

Facts! Posers running their uneducated and inexperienced mouths.

[@mantra_lab5578]

@@Rikalonius may i recommend you a duel between 2 random bass players in a random expomusic? yeah they are improvising everything 😀 it's fun, it's part of the fun of being a musician, when you find your mates at room practicing something and you just tag along for fun, is not a blessed trait, is just typical interaction among musicians kzbin.info/www/bejne/o5LHmY2Jrd98gaMsi=2B7sh95cOXXHjnAj

[@4unkb0y]

listen: Not that long ago, Herbie Hancock said: "I could be a better keyboard player, but I have no time to practice. I'm too busy writing & composing & working in the studio." The same could be said for Flea. He is so incredibly passionate about music & everything around it. It literally is his life. Show after show, night after night, he comes up with a unique solo, & pulls it off, & the crowd goes nuts. What you're looking at is just a tiny sample. He developed his own style of bass playing, & his own tone, & basically made slap bass a household word. I *really* like almost all of his earlier stuff (up through & including One Hot Minute). During RHCP's hiatus after that album, Flea went to music school. It's clear his style became more "polished" since then, as he spends a lot more time coming up with unique music in lieu of fiddling around with gizmos or unusual basses to produce a unique tone. Also don't forget who he is & how he came up. He doesn't pay much heed to critics, & he truly doesn't give a crap if you don't like his output. Millions of people do, & that's plenty enough for him to be happy with it.

[@RobotronSage]

It's funny that the haters are saying ''he has sloppy technique'' when he literally invented his own technique

[@honkytonkinson9787]

People who like to make top ten lists of best instrumentalists don’t ever seem to want to consider compositional ability along with their ability to weedley weedley on a solo People barely give Hendrix credit for what he wrote in 3 years while arguing whether he is or isn’t a good guitarist

[@MrNico8889]

Everyone using Herbie quote is right 😇

[@bobbysbits2575]

Totally agree with you here. Also his influence on other bass players has been massive.

[@enutrofdude]

Herbie Hancock is at a time & place in his life where no one should be questioning his keyboard skills. Much like the other musicians I love and respect the most, he's given himself to innovation and the quality-of-life for music lovers for several decades -- all while being a humble and kind man. He's a great and quiet hero.

[@rome8180]

It's not Flea's soloing that makes him great anyway. To me, it's his bass line composition skills. A bass line like "Soul to Squeeze" is 100 times more fun to play and listen to than any of these live clips. The live stuff is showmanship. Great writing is always more impressive than technical playing.

[@SO-ym3zs]

Agreed. He writes some gorgeously melodic lines and is a great showman. I don't much care about his slapping, and I really don't care about his solos, which are likely just the usual sort of mid-show filler that bands resort to to give the vocalist a break. At the end of the day, he's written great lines, contributed to great songs, sold millions of albums, and entertained stadiums full of people around the world, which is vastly more than any bedroom bass wanker can claim.

[@nathan87]

Agreed. I completely agree with these commenters, to be honest. Solos like this remind me of some kid in the school music room who is repeatedly applying one or two patterns, but has a limited repertoire and isn't really listening to whether what is coming out is actually good music. Honestly, showmanship without some degree of musical intelligence behind it is kind of empty and unimpressive to me. BUT Within a written context, and particularly within the context of the chili peppers, Flea can clearly make it work. And that's completely fine. (And by the way, Flea is most certainly not the only famous musicians in this camp lol)

[@fil4648]

Aeroplane has one of my favourite bass solos of all time. And Improvisation is anyways not my thing. I want to hear something pre arranged and well thought out.

[@shamusenright5387]

Back up vocals too.

[@nickorenzdala8709]

100%

[@elrafa782]

Whatever they can think about Flea , he’s playing live and hard. He’s an animal, you can’t compare with some studio composed bass lines. I’m not a rock guy, but respect Flea, he’s a bass legend for sure.

[@SamBrockmann]

Those spicy comments are just angry

[@BassCampOfficial]

👏🏻🥉

[@hoilst265]

@@BassCampOfficial Aye. If he can't play clean...then what's this? kzbin.info/www/bejne/jmarq6iMbrGmmbc Don't get much cleaner than unplugged electric bass...

[@onesong2001]

wow. You are really good at generalisation.

[@SamBrockmann]

@@onesong2001 , the best.

[@onesong2001]

@@SamBrockmann you are the 💩

[@marginalgains8477]

Blood sugar sex magic is one of the best albums ever made.

[@guitarzan2626]

In my top five for sure. Funky as all get out!

[@localbod]

Absolutely. 👍😎 If you aren't moved by 'Suck My Kiss' you're clinically dead. 😅

[@trashedbodomguy]

It’s a good album.hybrid theory is also up there with the best albums

[@sabotagefate69]

Lol no

[@JayRGewing]

That year... but still a great album. Fwiw my votes for top : The Doors, Dark Side of the Moon, The Beatles, Master of Puppets, Van Halen,, Physical Graffiti, Dirt, Legend, Pet Sounds, The Cars, The Wall, Who's Next, Damn the Torpedoes,, The Low End Theory, The Stranger, Songs in the Key of Life, Tapestries, Kind of Blue, Rubber Soul, Thriller, Earth Crisis, All Eyez on Me, The Joshua Tree, Synchronicity, London Calling, Saturday Night Fever, Stop Making Sense, Disintegration, Graceland, Lateralus, Rock For Light, The Miseducation of Lauren Hill, Paul's Boutique, Out of Step, Stankonia, Superunknown, Ready to Die, Reign in Blood, Blood Sugar Sex Magik, Jagged Little Pill, So, Nevermind. YMMV.

[@lowbassdude1987]

I play classical music and i was impressed by the first solo. Timing for classical musicians can be a form of expression and to me, his timing was very tasteful. It probably sounded a lot better live than trough a recording from a phone.

[@playinggames4u364]

I've seen him live and I can tell you it definitively does!

[@onesong2001]

@@playinggames4u364 how much alcohol did you drink before you got to the gig?

[@beatmasterbossy]

He's actually quite an accomplished bassist. He's not just a one slap pony, he's got a breadth of knowledge well beyond RHCP

[@milesbintz]

Thank you Charles for trying to keep the interwebs civil. All the haters wouldn't even have the balls to play live in front of a large audience let alone improv or taking risks while improvising.

[@ravnoz1]

I love how someone tried to talk smack on Flea and the goat went ahead and made several exercises based on Flea's bass lines and technique

[@jsgovind]

Flea is a very good bass player. And he plays what is needed for his band. Just because there are people who are more technical and virtuosic than Flea, it doesn't mean Flea sucks. My personal take is that Flea writes very good basslines for songs. His solos do not connect with me personally but I see nothing wrong with them. A lot of these guys who have negative comments about flea are probably from those who have leveled up technically and started playing some Victor Wooten, Marcus Miller and other fancier stuff. They think it gives them the right to bash Flea. It completely does not because these guys who bash Flea couldn't write basslines of the quality that Flea has been writing for Red Hot Chili Peppers for all these years. At the end of the day, if they don't like Flea, they shouldn't listen to him and RHCP. Why listen to it and write some crap in video comments to ruin it for someone else who does?

[@TheTransitmtl]

Exactly, like Tim Henson with guitar. I'm amazed by it on a YT video but will never gravitate to it when listening. I'll take Funkadelic's Maggot Brain over Polyphia's Playing God

[@dazxmedia]

Flea isn't in a competition with anyone. So music has to be super complex to be enjoyed? Must be why UZEB just raced to the top of the charts.

[@Cov3nKing]

Please… do not compare commercial music and real music… Thank you (I also love Flea but U just can’t compare him with Alain Caron)

[@gamesmaster1060]

​@@Cov3nKingno one cares

[@onesong2001]

But, surely it should sound good?

[@MaurizioMezzatesta]

I can't believe people actually think he's bad. He's such a damn perfect genius and I love him. If you don't get why then you're one of those annoying musicians/fans. Also one of the best, if not the best rhythm section in active rock bands today.

[@stoatystoat174]

Albums like, Mothers Milk (1989), Blood Suger Sex Magic (1991), and One Hot Minute (1995), show off Flea's bass work much more than later albums

[@yearginclarke]

Took the words out of my mouth.

[@DesertRainReads]

Agreed on all fronts. RHCP's older work is definitely way better than the current stuff. Plus, Anthony Keidis has gone full on weird too.

[@scarab944]

People often forget Flea's background comes from playing jazz trumpet, George Clinton / Bootsy's funkadelic stylings, and punk rock. If you expect the harmonic complexity of Jaco, you're barking up the wrong tree. He's about punk energy, funk grooves, and melodic hooks. It usually goes like this cycle (Flea-cosystem?): Beginners (and non players) are usually in awe of Flea, then people get exposure to other incredible players and think Flea is overrated. However, a lot of times (myself included), it comes full circle that Flea is indeed one of the greatest. Beyond all that, music isn't a ranked competition; there's room for plenty of amazing players on the top of the mountain.

[@bishopsopening]

i'd say it's far easier to hit all notes perfectly when it's done from the comfort of the bedroom sitting on a gaming chair, instead of playing standing up on a live show with crowd and lights shouting your way and speakers blasting your ears.. and you need to look cool while at it -- when i go to a live show i want to watch something raw, improvised if needed be, and couldn't care any less if the band effs up on stage or doesn't play all the notes perfectly, all i want is to be entertained and the more genuine the play, the better.. stay metal🤘

[@sofusgleditsch5562]

This!🤘

[@user-mt5lh9mj9b]

Yea that 1 take of 100 in our bedroom sounds amazing lol

[@idiocracy587]

The types of people who say this are jealous guitarists and jazz elitists.

[@pchykins6680]

exactly - they are just green with jealousy because no matter how "great" they are with the bass or the guitar or with the kazoo (lols) , they're just a bunch of nobodies...

[@bassbuffricky]

@@pchykins6680 I wouldn't call bass maestro Jeff Berlin a nobody though...

[@buckbreaker5185]

Lol cope

[@elrafa782]

Disagree, they are just mean and square minded

[@n-dog9325]

@@bassbuffricky when has Jeff criticized Flea?

[@kristofkubina4105]

Nobody asked for it, but here’s my take. Flea is not, and was never a solo artist. He’s one of the best when it comes to laying down a solid groove for a song in a band to make your head bob, and to make a crowd go wild. He’s very good at playing slap and finger style. And he’s got incredible showmanship. so in a way judging him based on a solo is like that quote about judging a fish based on its ability to climb a tree: pointless… There are people out there who play Incredibles solos, and that’s awesome, it’s quite possible though that those people are not as good at playing in a band as Flea. And that is fine. You need all kinds of bass players to make a world.

[@yota243]

"with your thumb parallel, you can play really cool double thumb"... Ok dude, you have way too much confidence in me, sir

[@ernestgarza4283]

On god , I can finally sorta consistently slap now compared to before, let me learn the basic stuff first lol

[@yogiblair22]

Flea is a legend and an innovator. If he threw the Bass on the ground and humped it for a Bass solo, how could anyone not get it and love the beautiful being he is, what he brought us and what he represents

[@robobass25]

All fleas and any of the Chili Peppers improv is literally that. Improvised. Everyone has their own style and way to play that’s comfy for them. I’m a huge fan of Flea and Marcus and Victor Wooten. I’m able to play more Flea style stuff cos of how he plays. I’ve been playing for over 30 years. Flea has always played really hard and puts all his energy into it. Really feel it when seeing it live

[@BalutSlayer]

Musicians nowadays are wanting too much of “cleanliness”. just play the god damn instrument with your soul.

[@spazmodicusrex6629]

Some bass players that are great in bands aren't all that great playing bass as a "stand-alone" instrument. Keeping the groove while having a few solo spots during a show is much different than being a bassist who is the show with no other instruments added.

[@Dyas777]

I wasn;t aware of bass existence before 2023. But loved Californication when I was a child. When I checked Flea's basslines in different songs I was amazed at how emotional bassline can be. I may not understand what a good technic is. But this guy make things that inspire me. Thank you for awesome tutorial! Also thumb down slap Power was hilarious

[@mulletoutdooradventures6286]

I've noticed now that you explain the thumb up/down difference how I personally have different songs I write using both techniques. I never noticed it till you mentioned it in a few videos and now trying to combine both into certain songs has been fun and added sounds to my music that have opened it up

[@MrBass233]

I thought that solo was pretty cool to be honest

[@PiePlayzBASS]

Those commenters are just jealous that they can't play as good as him. Don't hate the player, hate the game!

[@RobotronSage]

Unironically this

[@susername]

if you have long hands and you use finger picking it's really hard to wear your bass short. And when wearing your bass longer it's easier to slap with the thumb down technique and it's enough for most scenarios.

[@dustinclark8680]

Michael is a national treasure for crossover! Just like Geezer Butler for metal and Geddy Lee for Canadians

[@dystortia6626]

He's one of the most unique and stylistic bassists around. RHCP is known for its groovy funky basslines and also as being very prominent with bass.

[@2hardbackrub743]

3:58 the one guy, we all know him, determined as hell to never double-thumb.

[@user-jr3go5rz6w]

Angry musicians who never made an album are popular judges, the rest are just idiots that don't seem to realize you can turn stuff off that doesn't interest you.

[@stryfer1989]

Some of Flea's basslines are actually trickier to play with your thumb parallel to the strings. Certainly not impossible (like the other way around with Power), but your palm can get in the way of reaching Flea-level power and speed on some of his stuff (Nobody Weird Like Me, for example). It's that punk energy!

[@dang9766]

Le truc c'est que les gens sont maintenant tellement habitués aux chants parfaits parce que ajustés par autotune, aux quantifications réglées au poil près sur ordinateur et aux lignes de basse et batterie électronique qu'ils ne comprennent plus que le live ce n'est pas rejouer un morceau "comme sur le CD/stream". C'est faire le spectacle, enflammer le public, faire d'une soirée un moment spécial. Pas de remplacer des machines par des humains sur scène.

[@abracadabra769]

Flea était la raison pour laquelle j'ai acheté une basse en 1992. Je trouve que votre vidéo est pleine d' humilité et de respect pour un bassiste original.

[@W1NT3R_5P1R3]

People who are learning can sometimes get into a "can't see the forest through the trees" mindset - It's like saying Picasso was a bad artist because he couldn't paint a hyper realistic face.

[@onreality5583]

Exactly... Picasso was painting hyper realistic as a child (see his gallery in Barcelona for all his early work). He spent his adult life then trying to paint like a child. Similar applies to Flea, who mastered the trumpet when he was young and only took up bass when his friend hillel asked him to join his band. Haters gonna hate, but its usually because they dont know the full story. 👊

[@W1NT3R_5P1R3]

@@onreality5583 I'd caution against not differentiating between hyper-realism and realism. I wouldn't say Picasso ever painted "hyper-realistic" paintings, though he was well versed in realism (you wouldn't look at any Picasso and question if it was a painting or a photograph). As a fairly nascent technique, it makes sense that Picasso never really studied it. No virtuoso is going to have the same level of command over all techniques across all genres. Same as Picasso. Same as any master. Small qualm, but I'm glad we agree on the general sentiment.

[@onesong2001]

@@W1NT3R_5P1R3 are you suggesting that Flea is a virtuoso?

[@W1NT3R_5P1R3]

​@@onesong2001 lol a virtuoso bass player? Not really. A virtuoso musician? Probably. The dude can slappa da bass, and has some pretty awesome music.

[@outtowin75]

I was living in Los Angeles when they hit the radio. They definitely were different and before you know it, everyone was walking up and down Ventures Blvd shaking slapping the #%& out of there bass. I think Flea and RHCP have their place in music. I still listen to them for nostalgic reasons.... I don't know that i would call then great.... but music is art and is in the eye of the beholder. Charles was very polite in his description. I think it was fair and adequate.

[@SO-ym3zs]

It's sad how the Internet has amplified the misguided notion that playing an instrument is a competition. An instrument is a tool with which to make music and express yourself. It doesn't matter who's the "best" on technical grounds--that's juvenile nonsense.What matters is how much joy someone gets from playing and/or how much joy they bring to others. And bassists, of all people, should understand that being good doesn't mean being flashy or technically advanced. The bass is a support instrument. Very often, it's called on to play dead simple lines to serve the music. If you want to show off with a bunch of technically adanced stuff just for the heck of, give up bass and become the sort of egotistical lead guitarist everyone hates.

[@luchagain3424]

I would rather have an everyday dime a dozen bass player playing a smooth bass line rather than lead bass.

[@genegleckner2732]

I enjoy bass. I'll always love Flea sloppy or clean, it's the ferocious way he plays that made me love him so much

[@ahlija]

As a lead guitar, nothing is funnier then fkn around in scales and modes and stumbling upon some amazing riffs and solos. Even live. ✌️

[@SDesWriter]

I love how you give honest deconstruction of the performance without ever shitting on Flea and even explaining the difference in accuracy based on how low you play the bass live (most likely something he did originally to make it look cool and for running around on stage, not because he thought it was easier to play better like that). I also love how you don't point out how much better you are than him just purely based on technical playing.

[@Matt-is8qj]

Flea's fingerstyle is S tier: check the bassline for the chorus of 'If you have to ask' and the outro part of 'Funky monks'. Those are absolute gems, funky as f, fun to play and trickier than they seem (especially the outro one). But I'd say that his slap game is not as interesting, or least more limited. Apart from 'Aeroplane' his slap lines are rather basic. But his fingerstyle alone grants him God of Bass status nevertheless.

[@Funguspower2]

That solo was a callback to their Slane castle show. Goodbye Angels was such a good song from the Klinghoffer era

[@benmelich8220]

My favorite bass player is Stuart Hamm. He’s exceptional at structured , as well as improvised.

[@Jaspertine]

If Flea sucks at bass, the rest of us ought to invest in paper bags to cover our heads in shame.

[@Reldan]

And Jimi Hendrix played a right handed guitar left-handed, strung upside down, and wrapped his thumb around the fretboard. And he's still considered one of the legends of rock guitar even if a classical guitarist would look in horror at his technique. Sometimes it's about the output taken as a whole and whether it speaks to people.

[@beautifulmorningwithyou]

you should take a look at Hiromu Fukuda of Suspended 4th, he mostly slaps thumb down when not doing rotaries/double pulls etc. and has some of the most technical slap bass I've seen - the Stratocaster Seaside bass solo/intro for example

[@Bedrockbrendan]

People seem to have a hard time with rough improvisation these days on youtube (I see a lot of similar types of comments on guitar videos, even videos on people like Hendrix). There also seems to be a galvanizing consensus among people who have formed opinions on youtube, where they are just kind of out to tear down formerly lauded or respected players (and to be fair some people get acclaim and don't deserve it, but I found myself having to defend Hendrix's legacy in a youtube thread recently and that is just asinine).

[@off5125]

1:52 lick sounds like Dani California end jam or other RCHP song which I don't remember.

[@jaroswave]

oh no in 1:51 it wasn't cliff burton reference. It was still RHCP from "Me and my friends"

[@paulapplewhite6135]

Also, remember that a lot of the band's great recordings are pre-digital. No time alignment, no undo button...

[@spenceremmons6200]

Right hand thumb tendon severed from early work injury, I'm not that good or accurate at slap but I do what I can.

[@boomboom418]

I don't know if you take request but would you consider checking out MISA. She is the bassist for a Japanese all-girl rock group called Band-Maid. She plays a 5 string bass while barefoot and is like nothing I've heard before. Some tracks where she really shines is "Hate? (live)", "Dice" and "No God (LIVE)". I believe she may be worth your time.

[@modev4163]

Also slapping to me is the more you think the harder it gets, i just listen or think of a sound and make my hand do that, how it looks i find out later

[@scootaymildo1070]

Saw RHCP at Reading or Leeds Fest like 15y ago and despite being a fan of their pre-By the Way era they blew live quite honestly. Just constantly playing long, tedious solos. Genuinely think they played about 6 songs in a 1hr+ set. Wasnt the only one either, lots of people were complaining on leaving.

[@richardduiventil]

The whole Flea critisism is of course utterly ridiculous: he’ s on a limb out there playing with maximum expression ! To suggest he has no skills is sacrilege !!

[@thoughtsbeforesleep]

I think most people who make these kinds of criticisms don't understand the difference between creating a flawless Instagram clip, and performing a live, improvised solo in the middle of a long set, while moving around on stage.

[@rooney1155]

I have been meaning to ask this the last few videos. Why does the Stiletto 4 string hanging in the background only have 3 strings?

[@joseprado5215]

You're a gentleman. Well done, sir.

[@jplater9191]

I love people who just appreciate what musicians have to offer. Flea is an absolute giant defining the peppers’ music forever.

[@zedmelon]

Charles releases a video. KZbin detects a temporary 30,000% increase in searches for _Flea Coffee Shop solo_

[@kojam1]

I always just considered him a regular average bassist, and couldn't understand why ppl felt he was so good because of the slapping he did in a lot of the RHCP songs. I was listening to a local jazz station here one day and could not believe when the DJ said Flea the bassist on the song they just played. I WAS STUNNED!!! It was VERY GOOD jazz bass playing, with highly revered jazz veterans. HE WAS REALLY REALLY GOOD! Completely made me take notice of his abilities. Few months ago I saw a quick vid of Flea at home jamming to so Paco. Again, he blew my mind. Respect.

[@thatpuglovingidiot6705]

People only call him overrated because he’s the most famous bassist and non-musicians call him the best bassist ever. Sure his live solos can be sloppy but he’s improvising which is tough when you’re doing it every night on tour. Even he will tell you he’s nowhere near the best on the planet, but you’d be a fool to suggest he’s not one of the most influential and important. His bass lines showcase a great blend of virtuosity and songwriting skill, most players pick one or the other.

[@the-engneer]

I felt the same way when I realized there's a decent sized group of people who say the same thing's about Jimi Hendrix and almost seem to hate him. It goes to show no matter what you do in life there will be people who automatically just hate you, and probably hate a lot of other things including themselves

[@MikeHunt-n4u]

I watched Flea on a Bass Day video. He hung on stage with Victor and couple of other guys I can't remember. He held his own just fine. Actually better than I expected considering the guys he was on stage with.

[@callingchristiano]

He is a great songwriter and it's the most important. Music is not a race cars. Lots of new bass players are so boring...

[@boogaethje]

One of the licks mentioned being alike Burton sounded like a part from sir psycho

[@name1453]

If a musician... or person says someone sucks, most of the time its because they dislike that persons style or just dont understand the context. Chances are, that person is also not as good or doesnt know how to play the same instrument.

[@aaronrocs]

That's from Goodbye Angels btw

[@rthorofthehillppl]

Why do I get the feeling that those who said Flea's improvised solo sucks probably couldn't even play the RHCP song "Pea" or haven't even played the bass, or any instruments for that matter?

[@dmoore0079]

There may be more technically proficient bassists out there, but he's the one who really made me want to pick up the bass. I'm sure I'm not the only one.

[@ryanwarsh]

I’d say the worst part about that solo was whatever OD/Distortion he was using. He certainly isn’t a sloppy player. Never been a huge fan of RHCP, but I really appreciate Flea’s talent.

[@neaippehtuuppin]

Generally I don't put much stock or interest in what people think of anything. But I know at least Charles will give an informed viewpoint.

[@neaippehtuuppin]

He is incredibly positive almost to a fault. I mean if I saw, a comment referring to Flea, "whoever thinks this clown can play bass..." It has nothing to do with they don't like improvised bass, it is just not being informed at all. I would not even given that comment attention. Whoever wrote that probably didn't even listen to any other RHCP songs. Or know who he was.

[@blakemoore1905]

being a technical bassist and being a good bassist are 2 completely different things and there are plenty of bassists that can probably play crazy scales that wouldnt be able to write anything with emotion. hes one of the best bassists to be in a band and play tight songs live.

[@jjjohny_a5965]

flea for as many shows as he's done not all can be his best work.. but his record sales speak for themselfs him and claypool /lemmi where selling concerts before most could tune a bass..plus flea dosent do backing tracks like alot players do..the old boy still shreds

[@nandofer413]

hey charles, i higly recommend you to check out the bass technique of pedro aznar, take a look at eiti leda and grasa de las capitales most latin bassist are underrated most of the time

[@jeremykellar9024]

A groove is a groove is a groove and grooves are sweet. No matter who's playing It.

[@THEAMYGDALA]

If you do what Flea does on stage, studio, life - you can start a negotiation about his technique. And I didn’t mention his wonderful personality. I’m not listening RHCP anymore but what he done is marvelous in every way

[@ernestgarza4283]

Flea is a master of showmanship and letting his presence be known both in the studio and on the stage, saw them for the first time last year and the level of flow that he, John and Chad after playing for so long is honestly unmatched even if they aren’t playing dragon force levels of notes. No use having all that skill if you don’t sound good not just by yourself but in a band and honestly they are one of the biggest bands for a reason, you can’t please everyone, but hot damn flea is legendary for killing any status quo of what a bass can bring to a sound.

[@MP-db9sw]

Its the internet. Theres always people whose primary social strategy is to criticize.

[@sephiroth7818]

@3:03 Flea, Fieldy, and myself are the only ones that thump with our thumb pointed down instead of toward the neck.

[@ericalba5756]

I'm having trouble with the Flea exercise could you hum it for me slowly while I tear up and my lips start blubbering?

[@markr5787]

People also seem to get worked up when bassists use overdrive. It’s one of those divisive things, and probably contributed to people getting after Flea in that video

[@xylogreen]

Flea comes from jazz & then discovered punk. It's about the moment, the feel, the spirit. He's not in competition w/ anyone... especially random ppl in a comment section. Love or hate his playing... he's always been about the vibe, the human element.

[@mjt7231]

Flea is an actual revolutionary musician. Even if music evolves past him. His place is cemented in that he is key part of the evolution. It’s like going back I hating on eruption because two hand tapping is no big deal now. Flea is in that category of musician. Nobody was doing what he was doing in the late 80s/early 90s. Regardless of what his playing looks like now to people who weren’t alive then. Flea being hated on as not good bassist. The world is a wild place. It’s hard to explain how insane of a take this would’ve been 30 years ago.

[@LxAxNxCxExR]

He's not some virtuoso, but he's written some incredibly memorable basslines. He does his own thing, and he has a lot of fun doing it. I'm not sure why people have to diss on other players/artists and play the comparison game.

[@DoctorReto]

I find this video pretty funny and i love that even though at moments it seeem that you're actually questioning Flea's techniques ,you did it so tastefully 😁

[@toddegoldberg]

He can play teen town. That says enough for me.

[@anthonylakich1727]

as a singer song writer/Bass player of almost 30 years... i'll just say you should Sirve a song...as for SLAP BASS it will Cheese E....are like Drum Solo's if you what to be in those kinds of band more power to you... But slap bass to me is Obnockshuse...and is a Bass Staireo Type (i'm Dislex sorry for shit spelling) at Guitar Center that is to real Nation Wide in America.

[@thesean3194]

I agree Flea in the studio and Flea live on stage are two different Fleas. I appreciate both of them.

[@BerserkersBattle-816]

Uh im session guitarist and professional guitarist i assure you hes an absolutely incredible bassist.

[@paulfig7045]

This was such a creative way to do a review/reaction video. I learned, I slapped.

[@willco5431]

I can hear why people thought it was shit. I had to close my eyes and pretend I wasn’t listening to flee. Then yeah, improvised but no one continuous groove. Which is of putting. Difference between a great solo and just showing all your tricks. Flee can do great solos though hence why I said listen without the street credit he has.

[@nrich5127]

The fact that some famous bass players don't have the same skill level as some other players ignores the fact that some of the most influential and melodical music is relatively simple to play. I've seen many technically amazing players who cannot create an original melody nor evoke any emotional response to their playing. Often playing a lot of rapid notes gets boring over time because that is only one narrow area of music and there are many many different areas of expression.