The STRANGEST bass intro of all time? (You're So Vain)

[@thorwulfx1]

All the Sharon and Ian videos are gold. So much fun!

[@nicksm7980]

They are not. She is trying too much. Can't stand videos with her. Stupid move by SBL.

[@SamuelWebster]

@@nicksm7980 horses for courses.

[@bassfiddlesteve]

Thanks for featuring my video at 7:20! I knew my version wasn't the way Klaus played it, but I thought it was a reasonable facsimile. I'm glad Ian digs my '72 P-Bass 😎 BTW I included a link to the Klaus Voormann video in the description of my video. I could have saved you some time 😁

[@eranzilber1]

Klaus was more than a bass player. He was a rocknroll game changer. Living in Hamburg in the very early 60s he strolled the ReeperBahn one night looking for action after a quarl with his girlfriend when he heard an amazing sound coming out one of the clubs. Being a classically trained guitarist and a graphic artist he went in to find the best band in the world jamming there. the night after he came again with his friends and they became regulars at the Beatles early shows in Hamburg. Klaus' girlfriend Astrid soon left him for that band's handsome bass player Stu who was also an artist. Stu stayed in Hamburg to study art while Klaus pleaded the Beatles to hire him as their bass player. Of course that was not meant to be as sir Paul took over bass duties, but Klaus stayed close friend with the beatles encouraging them to go moptop after his own hair style and even designed their "Revolver" album cover !!! He was the one gifting George Harrison the nylon string guitar he played on "And I Love Her'". Later he became a member of Manfred Mann and a sought after session player for the greats. He played on all Beatles solo albums but Paul"s and was considered a justified replacement for sir P. when the other three considered a reunion. No wonder his intro for Your So Vain is geeked about here. He was one of the most creative persons in rocknroll history and maybe the first to recognize the Beatles greatness hence the first Beatle-Manic! I love this guy and I even got his book autographed. Lucky me.

[@Bob-of-Zoid]

It's "Reeperbahn", and has nothing at all to do with Jack the ripper or slitting throats, it's German for "Rope walk" where walking on a rope AKA "Tightrope" in English being a more specific version, because of the dangers of the area for it being where sailors, traders, visitors... from all over the world run into each other where there is also sanctioned and legal prostitution in spades.

[@Timberwolf69]

@@Bob-of-Zoid "Reeperbahn" is the name for a place where ropes were made.

[@eranzilber1]

@@Bob-of-Zoid fixed

[@eranzilber1]

@@Timberwolf69 fixed

[@Bob-of-Zoid]

@@eranzilber1 I just edited my own after reading it again: I said "Legal sex trafficking", but that would imply sexual slavery, children... it's "legal prostitution" that is legal all over Germany, but very concentrated there. With it being legal they do have good regulations too, like they have to pay taxes, medical monitoring for STD's and then some. I knew a few sex workers and they made a crap load more money than I did as an electrician, and "Cheep skanks" are pretty rare.

[@tommayo3212]

Joyful! Ian & Sharon are having a blast, and Klaus Voorman smiles somewhere knowing he created this confounding lick.

[@devinebass]

🧡🧡🧡

[@benwilkinson815]

Once you realise Mick Jagger is singing the backing vocals in the 2nd chorus. You’ll never unhear it

[@kingdeedee]

Sharon's right hand technique is GODLY like she killed that line better than anyone else

[@devinebass]

She is awesome!

[@Tracer9GTRider8]

Glad you guys are finally learning about Voorman - he's an interesting dude!

[@wazzee]

Bless your souls.. every time i see the smiles on learning something new .. it makes me do the same and i thank god i found you folks..

[@Ben_Mdws]

Klaus is such a solid bassist. His playing on John’s solo albums is absolutely perfect.

[@drbassface]

Whatever get’s you through the night has some awesome bass.

[@sebg2086]

not really

[@sebastianwicht5883]

I‘m so surprised that you never know Klaus Voormann. He made the cover of Revolver. My favorite Bassline is from Jealous Guy from the Imagine Album. I think he played the most Bass Part of the album. It’s one of my favorites ballads. Hear it! Greetings from Germany Sebastian

[@stevem-h3562]

All You Need Is Klaus. one of the greatest bass players that no one has ever heard of it.

[@glowco.717]

THANK YOU!!! You mention the situation of “hey can you sit in on this tune and we’re gonna do it like the record”. THAT HAPPENED TO ME LAST YEAR. It wasn’t short notice, I had a good amount of time to learn it, but I scoured the internet also and couldn’t find anything. I settled for getting close doing what that first bass cover you looked at did, but I never figured out what it was. I could get kinda close to original with tapping though, but I’m not good enough at tapping to know if that’s the true answer. I did left hand doing the two As in the E and D strings, and right hand tapping above 12th fret for the E and C on the A and G strings. This intro was the bane of my existence for that gig and I’m glad someone on bass KZbin FINALLY ACKNOWLEDGES MY SUFFERING

[@bobcole612]

Voorman as said it was a finger exercise he was warming up with, producer Richard Perry heard it and loved it.

[@vancemcneil9716]

It reminds me of a flamenco picado run.

[@rome8180]

I first learned about Klaus Voorman from seeing a video of John Lennon, George Harrison, and Klaus playing "How Do You Sleep?" in the studio. I highly recommend checking it out. John's singing and George's guitar are awesome, but Klaus caught my attention for his awesome in-the-pocket playing as he slumped back in his chair like he was about to fall asleep. Just the definition of cool.

[@ulash12344321]

Hi Sharon, hi Ian ;) You guys are like family to me these days. Thanks for the contents... I have another idea about this intro. Klaus Voormann was playing a different invention on that time, I believe. The thing is called "vootar" which has 4 bass strings and 4 guitar strings. So Sharon did a close job by playing the line with a small bass. I'm not sure about the scale length of the "vootar" (even not sure he was playing that one) but I think it wasn't a 34" scale bass.

[@seanburns2669]

Klaus is on every one of my favorite solo Beatles songs. He's an unheralded genius!

[@hal-nm1rz]

usually i don't comment but the videos with the two of you are so interesting and entertaining!

[@krdjis]

This content is so completely next level! You two are breaking the bass internet!

[@devinebass]

Cheers!!

[@druc4]

This is one of the more entertaining bass videos I have seen this year, thanks guys! A little bit of a rabbit hole, and there's a documentary about Klaus I have to see.

[@smashogre4766]

yes yes... 1000 times yes! More Sharon and Ian!

[@devinebass]

More to come from both!

[@auslanderbassmusic]

Although I knew it from beginning (because you hear it), this was the most mysterious video I've watched in last, maybe, decade! Nice! Now to the Klaus's video 😁

[@luketaylor2965]

Love it. This is the content I’m here for lol ❤

[@MyJojomon]

KLAUS VOORMAN IS THE MAN! Underrated bass player

[@WilliamKovalsky]

I think the trick is while you’re raking with the right hand, you have to kind of roll the tension of your left hand fingers to get an even sounding mute per string. I think a lot of the extra clacking in there is when the strings hit each fret from the left hand while almost simultaneously hearing the right hand finger pluck.

[@YellowJello57]

Word is, this bassline was played on a Vootar, a combination bass/guitar instrument developed by Voorman. I learned this recently in a Danny Sapko video. This might explain why it was easier to play on that small bass

[@WutWutWhaat]

I remember reading about this in Bass Player Magazine 20 years ago. It was a small blurb with notation.

[@1loveMusic2003]

I'm shocked you haven't heard of Klaus! He played bass on almost all of Lennon' solo stuff after Beatles. His GF ended up with Stuart Sutcliff. She took all of the early Beatles Photos when they were in leather jackets and sitting on the old cars. Gretchen I think.

[@andrewpappas9311]

As soon as I saw the drill I immediately thought it was going to be “Daddy, Brother, Lover, Little Boy” by Mr. Big because that’s always the first song I think of when I hear a drill being used on a bass, like how Billy Sheehan does that I will never know but it sounds awesome (plus the song is also literally called “The Electric Drill Song”, which just makes it all the more badass imo)

[@terrylongthorne]

Fascinating video. Thanks guys! I don’t play any instruments but was thinking the only way I could attempt this was with two hands while someone else held the top of the neck. 😀

[@MrTfuzz]

you guys have me obsessed with this now lol..pretty clean results muting hard with my palm and picking low to high and back again..going thumb pointer middle ring middle pointer thumb repeatedly ..very tricky but sounds close after practicing it for 8 hrs straight lol..also tried just using my thumb by itself like I was rake picking but still heavily muted with my whole damn palm..awesome bass line...definitely much harder than you would think...awesome video..

[@bluecrueful]

Did he ( Klaus) not do the art on the cover of the Revolver album?

[@iFunktion]

You know what, just cos of the way I learned to play, I've been able to do this for years, I never knew it was hard, I find the other stuff you guys do tough, keep doing what your doing

[@iFunktion]

Also, just found out that Klaus Voorman actually designed the beatles revolver cover!!!!

[@mgr_1138]

Love the energy of these two. And Jeri

[@metalmaggot]

See Klaus in The concert for Bangladesh movie.

[@andrewsmith4105]

That was fantastic. Love the enthusiasm.the bass line itself sounds like the odd rakes/rolls I do to check that everything is working....probably made it into the final mix...

[@The-Stuff-I-Do]

There is a Carli documentary where she talks about him playing that part as a warm up exercise. On the record she whispers son of a gun was her actual response when hearing. He demonstrates in the documentary.

[@NotThatOneThisOne]

Hope Ian takes note of TJH3113's channel. Source of the best Rush bass covers.

[@Cronquist]

He's a beast! Followed for years, he's something els.

[@caioferreira117]

I actually credit him for my love for Rush, since I found his channel looking for bass covers some 13, 14 years ago.

[@pmdinaz]

Agree, Troy is fantastic to watch and listen to.

[@sergiobarros6102]

You guys make awesome content. Thanks very much!

[@devinebass]

Cheers, glad you're enjoying it!

[@demian8439]

I love solving puzzles like this. That said, it seems like they were hamming it up a bit. It's a basic "Fredrick Noad" right hand technique. But hey! I watched to the end so... great job! You did it!!

[@naufaladen2401]

Damn I love this channel❤

[@devinebass]

🧡🧡🧡

[@johndescy7904]

So much fun to watch this. And interesting, too. :-)

[@AndyA1234]

If remember correctly it was Klaus Voormann on bass and he describes how he plays it on a BBC Classic Albums (No Secrets) documentary.

[@craigsi16]

Billy sheehan mentions this track when talking about his three finger technique in the interview he did with Scott a while ago!

[@joergl562]

His technique is awesomwe too..."three to four"...that is simply genius!

[@FullumMusic]

So, before i got to the end of the video and saw you got actual footage of Klaus Voormann finger picking it, i dropped the song in Ableton and played it 1/2 speed and could hear it was 3 up starting on the A and 3 down starting on the C, like Sharon was hearing it and playing it raked with thumb & index finger, except sounded finger-picked or raked with a pick. I took a video of the 1/2 speed playback and sent it to Ian on IG. Then i got to the end of the video where youse found footage of Voormann playing it, rendering my research moot and premature, and unsent the video on IG. 🤷‍♂😆

[@greybeardbass]

Yeah, this was a very similar process to what I went through when assigned to play this for my local SoR. I landed on the down rake. I saw that video of Klaus and went, "nope."

[@UnmistakableSoundOf]

I'm sure I saw an interview with him once on a program about the album. I seem to remember he said it's a roll with thumb and 3 fingers. I think he also played classical guitar so it's kind of a classical guitar technique. So he's just that good.

[@thefieldgeneral17]

Please more of this content!

[@KKMcK1]

He did the album artwork for Revolver!!! That you two do not know who Klaus is blows my mind!!!! You're pulling our legs!!!

[@richardmudge4420]

Great video, thank you.

[@Crash2001]

The video at rhe end isnt in the description.

[@devinebass]

You're right - fixing now! Thanks for catching that!

[@andrewpinner3181]

Thanks guys, really fun & informative & well covered ! - A track I would love to learn is Stu Hamm's bass slap line from 'The Bells of Lal pt.2' (JS : Flying in a Blue Dream) ...

[@TheJeffbarrett]

Wasn't there an experimental Vox with 8 strings used for this?

[@BlameItOnGreg]

I also play plectrum banjo (4 strings, full scale length), so the rolling method is easiest for me. I do want to note that this would not be directly comparable to a 5-string Scruggs style banjo roll (which is what most people mean when they just say “banjo roll”), because that style only uses the thumb, index, and middle fingers for plucking, and not the ring finger - you could potentially get the thumb playing both the high (on the shorter string) and low note of this sort of arpeggio though, depending on where you’re playing on the fretboard.

[@gazfunk]

Vox custom built an 8 string bass for Voormann in the 60's called the Vootar.

[@drbassface]

Checkout the portrayal of Klaus in the Movie “Backbeat” about when Klaus and Astrid met the Beatles in Hamburg.

[@Desertsniper15]

When I saw you with that Drill on the strings I was like WHAT IS HE DOING TO THAT BASS ? THATS ABUSE! NOOOO! haha He can't do that! But what an innovative Intro that's awesome. Thanks for the Video Ian. Good Stuff

[@corontsurara3862]

Check out some solos by Billy Sheehan. He's used a drill.

[@freddiesoverbite6162]

So awesome Troy ( tjh3113) was featured on here. He is a phenomenal bassist.

[@bobblake7109]

It sounds like something that Les Claypool would play in his sleep. Super fast crazy playing.

[@rcjr.7725]

I really enjoyed this video it made me laugh that is a very intriguing intro I'm a guitar player but I messed with my bass player thanks to you guys I did that intro and he turned his head and looked at me like wtf do you know that?...I said do I know what and gave him his bass back and laughed my ass off I subscribed to your page love it

[@cykratzer3463]

The simplest bass line that took me months to learn is on Martha and the Vandelas, Mickeys Monkey (Jamerson.) I spent two weeks working on a 4 or 5 8th or 16th note rund. Somwher around "and 3 and 4 and"

[@DannyRayMilligan66]

Have you thought about tapping. Guitar players, particularly in Night Ranger, have mastered an 8 note tap, using 4 fingers on both hands. Using a lighter hammering on the string would induce the muted effect, I think...

[@JaimeAndrade]

Sharon and Ian: you’re the best!

[@devinebass]

🧡🧡🧡

[@ImpactoJonathan]

An interesting and simple line I've seen every KZbin cover version get wrong is Gorillaz November Has Come. The bass line during the chorus is fairly simple though but very cool and effective, and I think I understand why it's misinterpreted- since the bass is a bit hidden in the mix.

[@michaelanthony9068]

Sharon is the official BASS DETECTIVE !

[@devinebass]

🧡🧡🧡

[@aquabot]

Wasn't it a Vootar, though? This weird mix between a bass and a guitar?

[@sebolon]

Masami Tsuchiya - Forbidden Flowers (bass by Mick Karn)

[@shunshi34]

What a surprise that those folks didn't know who Klaus is.😮😮😮 He's a megalegend.

[@OlavSchneider]

I got one for you to figure out, its from Rammstein and the song is Seemann.

[@daevien]

Poor Spencer had chills run up and down his spine a while back when you recorded this and has no idea why until the video released lol

[@devinebass]

🤣🤣🤣

[@Noodle-Segootal]

This is a really cool series idea where you, with little to know knowledge of the song, go in and try to figure it out by sound alone!

[@paulie6446]

For years the only way I could do it was with EVH influenced hammer-ons, a la "hot for teacher" intro!

[@martinheath5947]

5th fret on the G string 7th fret on the D string Open A Use thumb to play the A string and go from there

[@MusicLand53]

How about the intro to Too Rolling Stoned by Robin Trower. The bass player is James Dewar who was the lead vocalist, as well. It's not especially difficult, but whenever I play it. It never sounds right.

[@MusicLand53]

You two don't know who Klaus Voorman is. He drew the picture for the Revolver album for The Beatles. Played bass on John Lennon's first solo and the Imagine album, amongst other credits.

[@tom_mc802]

@tjh3113 is the best bass channel on youtube! Troy is the man.

[@NotThatOneThisOne]

Absolutely

[@sampowellmusic]

i always played this as an OPEN A hammering on to E on the 7th fret of the A string as my first 2 notes (and 7th and 8th) that seemed to help with the speed. never played the A on the E string.

[@WhereTheBASShasNoName]

Thanks guys, I'm gonna practice this intro. I got a couple ideas of what it could be. Maybe that opened A minor shape where you don't play the full bar chord shape??? Maybe, piccolo bass strings?

[@bluepaladin9630]

''100 Proof'' by 88 Fingers Louie is a pretty brutal one for me, dunno if its because Im unskilled though lol

[@perrymann6807]

I guessed the banjo roll. Many of our favorite 60’s and 70’s players were influenced by skiffle which had rapid banjo and guitar finger picking. McCartney, Harrison, Page, Beck, Townsend began as skiffle players. Betting Klaus was as well.

[@Bob-of-Zoid]

Am I the only one who was almost sure that bass line was always assumed to be Jaco? I mean if he isn't credited for the song, and he only played on it but not the whole album it may just be that since only Jaco is credited, that it's because he played almost everything else. I mean this Klaus Voorman guy seems to have been very flexible, and a jack of all trades so to speak, so he may have been in the sessions in a whole different capacity, like production, but was just filling in until Jaco showed up, or when Jaco couldn't make it... and the rest is history. I can only imagine that Jaco didn't have to take as long as you guy's to figure it out with Klaus showing him, and be playing it right on fifteen minutes later. Any which way the emotional effect and impact of that tiny raking of just four notes is massive, and I used to rewind the song just to have it get me in that state of suspense one gets when one knows something creepy is lurking even approaching, and you are dying to know who or what it is for curiosity, but also in fear you may find out to your detriment, all at the same time.

[@samstinkeringaround8961]

Ian big question what's the big deal with Labella low tension flats ? Are they better for the neck not pulling as much or what please explain , I know you know. LOL

[@QuirinHagl]

Thought you are doing Black Wind Fire and Steel

[@GhostKitchenBand]

What if you use the open A string too?

[@Mat_Gomez23]

Klaus Voormann used a Fender Precision Bass with heavy labella flatwound strings. That might make finger picking the intro easier

[@elrafa782]

I want more guys ! 🙏

[@devinebass]

More to come!

[@1234drums]

Awesome ❤❤❤❤

[@corontsurara3862]

I watched a guy playing this, he used a bridge mute, barred the chord and did a controlled rake across the strings, hitting the E string, then sweeping up GDAE, GDAE, GDAE. The song is on Rocksmith, I can send a pic to SBL. heh

[@dubmoth76]

Could it be overdubbed? Two tracks of bass?

[@burtreynolds2969]

Klaus is underrated. Check out his line on "What ever gets you through the night"

[@BubbleWrapPerson]

Muted both sides with hammer ons?

[@KyleS.1987]

Somewhere, Paul Gilbert is smiling.

[@srsbassman]

I have a suggestion for another video, just because it's not something we normally see. Yes we love these videos showing all these mind blowing things that can be done on a bass. But how about a video highlighting players who are masters of simple, but effective and perfect for the song playing. Rodger Waters, Cliff Williams, and Michael Anthony are a few names the come to mind off the top of my head.

[@Vocisbd]

For me it would be foam at the bridge, then tapping the Am arp form up and down.

[@steverolfeca]

I don't hear it as a full arpeggio going up and down the chord shape- it's mostly down-only. I always played it as an index finger rake from the G string, and bands were happy with it.

[@dstarling61]

Troy, TJH3113, does amazing covers. He’s taught me a lot of Rush tunes😀

[@nextabe1]

Ian, I have to correct you. That chord is now known as the Drake chord. (Am)

[@ghostbass_alex]

Love you Ian! Alex from Norway

[@BankloftBass]

Here's Carly explaining how it came to be and Klaus himself playing it kzbin.info/www/bejne/iYGvZZaHqK2mlbM

[@willemniehorster9836]

this was great!

[@devinebass]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Jim_S.]

I'm not sure if it applies to this song, but I feel like I've seen this multiple times. My theory...an incorrect tab gets posted on the internet, people upload cover versions on KZbin playing the incorrectly tabbed version, new people learn the incorrect version from the KZbin videos, then the original correct version gets forgotten about and everybody accepts the incorrect version as correct... I'm sure there's a clever name to be given to this phenomenon, but I'm not clever enough to think of it.