Quiet Life - Japan /Mick Karn Full Bass Tutorial by Mindhead

[@yaelshmueli-goetz146]

Fantastic resource. Thank you. I have been a big fan of Japan and fell in love with the bass listening to Mik Karn's playing. Recently took up the bass, in my 50's. It's slow progress but there is no turning back!!

[@mindhead2005]

Thank you so much! Back doesn’t contain the joy of getting this stuff under your fingers! :) Glad to have you on this journey

[@louiskaralis4954]

Same here, late 50's and picked up the Bass to work on the Karn sound. Here we go...Day 1 today - Quiet Life

[@AlexandarShmex]

Thank you so much for these dissections of Mick's unique playing. He was one of a kind, I bought my fretless because of him and Forest Lapointe.

[@mindhead2005]

Thanks for the comment, I appreciate it. Mick was truly unique

[@tombillings01]

I have had this vid in my watch later list as I've been slowly learning it over the weeks and I'm so happy to say I've finally got it down. Such a satisfying piece to play when you get it right. Mick Karn was a genius. Thankyou for helping me learn this bassline! :)))

[@mindhead2005]

Brilliant, Thomas! Glad you got there, and thanks for the kind comments

[@Ursabomb]

i love that you sing the bass line... being a singer first and a keyboard player now learning the bass, i always have to sing the bass lines if i'm trying to learn a song from ear!!! Awesome!

[@mindhead2005]

Thank you! I’m a singer too, and I think if you haven’t got the tune in your head, you won’t get it under your fingers!

[@ArtbyJoeH]

Great analysis.👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 Apparently mick Karn had not idea of which notes he was playing ! However he had a wonderful , unique approach that made him stand out and undeniably dictate the direction of Japan's songs.

[@mindhead2005]

Correct! He tells a story in his book about how David Torn tells him to “move up one fret” and he moves his hand toward the headstock, which is PHYSICALLY up, but musically down! :) But remember long before people wrote music down or theorised about it, people just MADE it Karn was one of them. So VERY innate and natural, so truly unique and talented! :)

[@nicennice]

He was some kind of genius or at least very unique. Definitely one of my favourite bass players. Landed here trying to find a tutorial on the synth riff🙄but glad I did.

[@mindhead2005]

Glad you did, too! Thanks for watching He was a genius I think. We forget he played all sax parts too, sometimes

[@nicennice]

@@mindhead2005Oh and Happy St. Paddy’s Day!

[@neilbatey3795]

Hey, man! Loving these Karn tutorials. Thanks for taking the time. I've always been a Pino guy, but decided to learn some Mick stuff too just for a change. Some of his lines and note choices are so left field! I'd never have thought to play like that in a million years. I guess that's what makes him a true original 🙌

[@mindhead2005]

Thanks Neil. I appreciate the encouragement. Mick was really a one-off!

[@kungfuheaven1927]

Fantastic - love the way you break down Mick Karn's bass work. Epic!

[@mindhead2005]

Thank you kindly!!

[@bargeanimal]

Ah so lovely to see you doing so much with old bluey / purple Octavia :) Pal. Isn't she just such a lovely beast

[@mindhead2005]

She’s a great girl!

[@PeteWade]

Thanks. This is a brilliant tutorial. Mick got me into bass (although I could never do his brilliance justice 😅) and has been sharing a throne with Jaco and Kev Hopper as Bass Gods. (Mick gets top step. Lol). Im now in my 50's and have convinced my mates to let me gig a Karn bassline. (One thing off the bucket list/poor unsuspecting punters 😂). It was between Cantonese Boy and this and I think this is the winner. Now to see if I can pull it off. Fingers crossed. Thank you for making it possible.

[@mindhead2005]

Of course you can pull it off! It’s super enjoyable to play too Thanks so much for the encouragement, I really appreciate it!

[@jeanmarienoe]

Probably going to start This thanks For tutorial , lovely 😊

[@mindhead2005]

Cheers Jean

[@kennethwondin1298]

Would love to see you do a video on Fabio Pignatelli.

[@leszek8460]

I remember playing this by ear same week I got my fretless, using open a, g and d for the first part because it was so easy :D Thanks for the proper version

[@mindhead2005]

Glad you popped by to watch :) Thank you!

[@DougTingvall]

Have you done a tutorial for the bass part in The Other Side of Life?

[@mindhead2005]

It’s on my list, Doug.

[@DougTingvall]

@@mindhead2005 Great! I look forward to it!

[@bertbosman2710]

Mindhead, in the original, for Mick's third note (after the two open A's) I keep hearing a C instead of a D flat (so the third 'fret' on the A-string instead of the fourth fret. To my ears and heart, it sounds better and more logical.

[@mindhead2005]

Hi Bert It had me fooled for a long time and in the first version of this tutorial, ten years ago, I missed the C# The first note after the two open As is a C. The second half of that line it’s a C# That is, the walk up going A,, Db ( c#), D To hear it for yourself, go into audacity and isolate the centre. Then export the track and put it into a program like Best Practice You can loop that phrase and slow it down to 50% You can clearly hear those two notes are different when you do that. To be sure I cross referenced it against all the live versions I have using the same method. Mick didn’t always do what was logical or what fit on with the correct notes for a given key etc Thanks for commenting!

[@bertbosman1955]

@@mindhead2005 Thanks a million for your thorough explanation. Now, I appreciate Mick even more (if possible).

[@mindhead2005]

@@bertbosman1955 every tune I dissect, it deepens my appreciation of his unique talent. There’s nobody, but NOBODY like him

[@onlyjoetee]

Fantastic sound on your bass….

[@mindhead2005]

Hey! Thanks for that. It's just a Mexican Jazz, nothing fancy! :)

[@stephenbanga3254]

Great work and nice to see you back on line again and posting the breakdown of my most influential bass player when I was in my early 20s. Btw, what effects are you using for the nice sound?

[@mindhead2005]

Hi Stephen. Thank you for the kind words, and for remembering me! :) It's nice to be back! I'm using a little compression and a touch of either flanger or chorus. Actually I think I started this video with chorus and realised it should have been flange and switched halfway. I'm using a Line 6 POD Go here.

[@jasonrushton5991]

Supa Stuff Bruv!!!

[@mindhead2005]

Thanks J ❤️

[@robmack6347]

Thank you thank you. I'm going to order the Harley Benton and focus on finally learning these amazing bass lines. What's your favorite mick/Japan bass line?

[@mindhead2005]

Oh it changes all the time. I love the whole Quiet Life album, basswise. Maybe alien or Methods Of Dance from GTP. Or She's Got Claws... Thank you for asking The HB really is great for the money, you'll get great use out of it :) Any requests just let me know :)

[@robmack6347]

Methods of Dance is my favorite Japan track, love the tension in it. Can I humbly request that you do a lesson when you've got time. Thanks.

[@mindhead2005]

Absolutely Remember you can learn all these lines on fretted and just transfer over when you get your fretless :)

[@mindhead2005]

@@robmack6347 methods of dance is on the way. What a tough one to reverse engineer. One of his cleverest

[@robmack6347]

@@mindhead2005 look forward to seeing how to play it after 40 years. Mick was such a genius yet so humble about his talent.

[@ishuxushi]

Could you share the bass Tab for this songs

[@mindhead2005]

I don’t do tabs, mate. Can’t read ‘em, can’t write ‘em! 😀 It’s all explained note for note in the video, though.

[@DesSherwoodGuitarTuition]

Nice one! Thanks!;-))

[@mindhead2005]

Cheers Des

[@jean-luc4738]

C sharp note are you sure ?

[@mindhead2005]

100% It’s been addressed in the comments above how I get the bass clear enough to hear it, and it was a surprise to me when I got into it But I’m in absolutely no doubt

[@gOnzodoOm]

Спасибо

[@mindhead2005]

Thank you

[@glenl8395]

Cheers Mick you’ve just cost me 42 quid for th quiet life box set :) Great work again and really appreciated,any chance of She’s got claws?

[@mindhead2005]

Thanks Glen :) Don't expect too much from the Live In Budokan cd. Its for posterity only "Shes Got Claws" might be put of ny reach, but I'm working towards it :)

[@ZambeziKid]

It seems u love this song. so do i. :)

[@mindhead2005]

I sure do

[@DavidJNann]

Is this a fretless Bass?

[@mindhead2005]

Yes.

[@DavidJNann]

@@mindhead2005 Sounds Great , occasionally I play an Aria Fretless which is also Headless!! I could see Fret markers on yours, I have the same almost like Fret wire Buried below Board, really enjoyed the Video, Mick Karn was to David Sylvian and Japan Like Mick Ronson was to David Bowie ...a musical wizard 🎶👍

[@mindhead2005]

@@DavidJNann great comparison!

[@britlips]

can you add the tabs to this please

[@mindhead2005]

I don’t read or do tabs, buddy, sorry! I explain it note for note though

[@britlips]

@@mindhead2005 that's ok thanks, I have got through most of it now, thank you.

[@GlennPreston66]

I'm offended that you've shown me how to play this. It's fine though, carry on ;)

[@mindhead2005]

Lol. How very DARE I? :)

[@madontherun]

Probably need a fretless bass to sound like Japan tbh

[@mindhead2005]

Wouldn’t be any harm yes