Spirit's In The Material World - Sting Is An AWESOME Bass Player!!

Today we're looking at Spirit's In The Material World by The Police. The bass line is obviously played by rock legend and superstar Sting.
Sting is a VERY underrated bass player and this line is an example of a tricky bass line made even tougher by the odd intro and timing of the drum part, played by Stewart Copeland.
So today, I'm going to breakdown the bass line and give some tips on how to count the opening drum intro and play that great line.
Lesson Material: www.talkingbass.net/stings-cr...
Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
0:51 Verse Riff Demo
1:07 Counting The Intro
3:57 Verse Riff Breakdown
4:59 Tips
8:16 Chorus Breakdown
9:52 Middle 8 Breakdown
#thepolice #sting #basslessons

[@talkingbasslessons]

30% discount on all courses this week at Talkingbass: members.talkingbass.net/shop/

[@BlackIceTheory]

The bass was always slick but the drumming is what really drives the "material world"❣️ ✌🏽😎🎶

[@Riccardo_Silva]

That's how self taught musicians like me were able to hone their skills back in those days through play along! I'm (just a bit) older now but i owe a lot to Sting!

[@OlettaLiano]

So true. I cut my bass teeth leaning Black Sabbath songs back in 1975 because I wanted to be Geezer. LOL. Years later I fell in love with the Police, and Sting's playing. The best way I can describe his playing is complexity wrapped in simplicity which I adore.

[@ultramet]

Great video. I’ve been playing this song on bass now for like 4 decades. The real challenge has not been playing this. It’s actually singing against this bassline. Even Sting has, at times, simplified the bassline when playing live. BTW, Stewart Copeland has admitted that this is his most difficult song to play. Love your teaching style 👍

[@talkingbasslessons]

Yes I forgotten to mention he totally simplifies it live. He even stops playing on the original video.

[@0goaway0]

Props to anyone who can play and sing this at the same time. What a madman

[@gibaseis]

STING IS A GENIUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@leth9320]

Lets not forget Stewart Copeland on the drums and Andy Summers on the guitar. All incredible musicians.

[@adrianch2527]

Exactly what I said yesterday 2 my friend

[@markheywood5626]

@@leth9320The Police sounded like no other band and no other band have sounded like The Police.

[@oceanside8401]

This is a very good lesson. It’s quick and to the point… LOVE the drum and beat explanation. Thank you!

[@giovanniscardetta333]

You re the best bass teacher in YT ,by far

[@bluarcher5941]

great breakdown...I think it deserves to be mentioned that besides playing the bass line, Sting is singing the song also...that may not difficult in the chorus but that bass line during the verse lyric is a handfull. Great video.

[@mrbungle7586]

Great lesson. There's so many of Sting's bass lines to choose from and timing is the key. Masoko Tanga, Peanuts, Bombs Away, Canary in a coal mine, King of Pain. Just to name a few. 👍 11:41

[@Friedsan]

Zenyata Mondatta Fan? ❤

[@mrbungle7586]

@@Friedsan Definitely 👍

[@LennyG-TPFL]

Looking forward to this as I've been playing this (or attempting to play this) in recent days. This is one in which you cannot improvise, and I just can't get my head and fingers around that 2 bar rhythm in the verses. I agree very underated bassist. See you at 3pm from Florida!

[@SrTubular]

Rhythmically, this song is quite a challenge, particularly that intro. When I played it, I was so stressed during the verse part that it felt as a relief the second it got to the rock beat chorus part. Thanks for the lesson and the tips. Every Little Thing She Does is Magic, from the same album, also has a nice bass part.

[@stephenstetler3324]

Love this lesson! What a surprisingly challenging bass riff thanks to the rhythm.

[@nylesfrench3568]

Cool Sobg, Dope Bassline, classic reggae influence and riff. Outstanding breakdown, from the drum intro onward

[@kimhebert9905]

Great Lesson 🎶🎶

[@SO-ym3zs]

I know I've never underrated him! Classic lines in classic tunes--certainly some of the best rock of the 80's--and the fact that he sings over lines that are so often syncopated is really impressive.

[@radiozelaza]

I like the basslines from Copeland's songs - Miss Gradenko or Bombs Away. They are quite syncopated, interesting stuff. I wonder if it was Copeland who came up with them

[@RickHardcore]

Very well played and great bass sound my friend!!🎸 like 38

[@JNeedels]

Brilliant intro Explanation and song choice.

[@radiozelaza]

I love this bassline, been obsessed with it for years and I still sometimes cannot lock it in until I hum it to myself lol

[@anthonyelectric6045]

Great example Mark. It’s all in the details of timing 👍

[@jules153]

Man in a suitcase and Canary in a Coalmine are my other favourites Mark 😊😊

[@luismayol3145]

Great job !! many thanks !!!

[@StevenDoyleLuke]

GREAT LESSON!

[@maxponsetis1948]

it makes all sense when you see it written thanks Doc

[@Likeaforest]

וואו ממש תודה על השיעור הזה ❤

[@glennallenbobo8131]

On another note, I love that Enfield. Great tone and it’s beautiful, especially in that purple.

[@mocmanvegas]

Love the blue background Mark

[@photopro100]

I heard of Mr. Sting! The intro was throwing me off. Thanks Mark for covering the details.

[@mattfoley6082]

👍 Excellent explanation of the timing. This may be the hardest song for me to find the 1 beat. There's a Sting demo that for some reason is much easier to hear where 1 is. The keyboard is on the "and" and it has a clear reggae feel. But the Police version always throws me off.

[@evankeal]

This one came easy to me, but one thing I always think is that the verse after the middle part is different. If you A/B them ( or play it) it feels different.

[@halo20763]

Great bass tone throught the album. I've seen him using an ibenez roadster mebbe in some of the early gigs from that period, but when recording in the studio, did he use a fender pbass? Cracking lesson as usual 😎 TY!

[@Iguatemy70]

"Canary in a Coalamine" is also a great bassline!!

[@jules153]

Yes, do this one next Mark please!!!

[@Keepmelevel]

Hey Mark how about Stings “Love is stronger than justice” off Ten Sumners Tales” great bass line and drumming!🤘🏽😎

[@paulsayer426]

Great video ! How about Bring on The Night ?

[@brianmiller1077]

This song is what got me thinking about bass and age 11. I tried to transcribe it using dits and doots and doos

[@glennallenbobo8131]

I always thought I heard another ghost note in there. Ta tik a tika ta da dadi da da. I hope that makes sense.

[@LennyG-TPFL]

The Bed's Too Big Without You....

[@atomkraft69]

Nice tan Mark 😀😀

[@hervetiron2419]

The song I prefer is Contact. It’s not a difficult line bass but when I played it, I think I’m a great player. 😂😂

[@danielhajjar6712]

Thank you for your analysis here. Might I suggest “Peanuts” from the first album Outlandos D’Amour?

[@mattfoley6082]

Bring On The Night is also tricky.

[@Nugmania1]

Always clear and concise, slick sounding bass, looks good as well, what is it?

[@talkingbasslessons]

Enfield Lionheart. Done videos all about it and used it on a few hundred videos on here, although I still do use my Fender’s more. It’s a cool bass.

[@victotronics]

As a beginning bass player I was so proud to have the same Ibanez Musician bass as Sting. Ok, his was fretless, mine not. Still. Hey, just wondering, that song might be older than mr TB. Do people still write bass lines like this?

[@badbrain7163]

❤

[@KevXMusic]

But you didn’t discuss how to transition from verses to chorus! How to count on the on/off beat. That would’ve been helpful!

[@albertschaf6985]

The opening reminds of Low Rider

[@OneFingerSnap]

Plus singing on top of this...

[@ezekielgskeen8607]

FRAGILE By Sting is beautiful, Please T.B Listen to the 60th birthday version with Stevie Wonder and Sting Beautiful, awesome lessons today sir, Stay amazing 🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@mattfoley6082]

No apostrophe in Spirits.

[@johnharvey5381]

The line by itself doesn't impress me much. The fact that he plays that line and sings at the same time impresses me quite a bit.

[@franktreppiedi2208]

I saw them in 1983 in Phila. He simplified it when he sang it.

[@asherskerrett5979]

There’s a different rhythm line played after the Dm section lat the start of the instrumental part.

[@ArcanoiseProgRock]

Bed's Too Big Without You

[@Friedsan]

Born in the fifties

[@EdwardNakagawa]

HE ALSO, USED THE STAND UP, BASS *

[@hardtohandleweddingbandent8653]

Great video, but it's "Spirits", not "Spirit's".

[@cskeise]

🩵👊😎

[@donutcookiepie]

It’s Spirits, not Spirit’s. We were all taught this at age 5.

[@Dnell-tb1yd]

Most of us were also taught not a condescending a-hole at 5 years old too. Seems like someone may have missed that lesson

[@ormark1]

*Spirits

[@shanenorman7262]

Trying to play bass and sing The Beds too big without you is brain wracking

[@shadowki1647]

What kind of strap locks are those? Is he playing the bass or are the strap locks jamming the groove? 😂

[@poliziagrammaticale9430]

Spirit's? Really? SPIRIT'S?