What people oftenly forget to mention is that les plays this while doing the extremely fast tommy the cat vocal line on top of it. Guy is an absolute unit.
@DaveTaste Жыл бұрын
Who forgets? Every video I've seen him play it he's playing it and singing it.
@albo3music Жыл бұрын
@@DaveTastehey dont forget about it, they just forget to mention it :)
@HiroDavid Жыл бұрын
I saw him do this live and he was also dancing. Legend.
@monsieurb.6733 Жыл бұрын
Live it is Les but in the album the Tommy part is Tom Waits.
@cloerjohn11 ай бұрын
Doing the crabwalk at the same time too..
@limitless_ak76283 жыл бұрын
I love how les claypool incorporates so many techniques one after the other and makes it looks so easy.
@fireemblemistrash753 жыл бұрын
Its funny too as he isnt very keen on perfect technique or music theory but he is so damn good at his own way he can do it perfectly
@bungalowfeuhler15412 жыл бұрын
Bass skill is in direct ratio to genital size. There’s a mild gravitational shift localized around every stage Les occupies.
@jasonjuneau29482 жыл бұрын
AND does vocals on top of it
@tomaslesay12724 жыл бұрын
He plays the hardest Primus riff ever and he is just like: “OK?” 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
@tmdickey19893 жыл бұрын
Dude it's Mark we're talking about here. He always says "okay " after a ridiculously difficult piece like we're just supposed to absorb that into our brains a felangies on the spot? it's hilarious to me, he always says ...."OKAY?"......lol
@Themosthumblest3 жыл бұрын
hahah would be hilarious if the video just ended right after the “Okay?”
@truegoblin34762 жыл бұрын
@@tmdickey1989 9th ui88i888i88⁸⁸88
@Adam-dh3jc2 жыл бұрын
Honestly this song is very easy once you’ve played it a few months. It’s all in the Technique if you’re having a hard time with this song practice higher ground by Stevie or chilli peppers great practice for slap and pop technique
@jamesday12959 ай бұрын
What happened exactly matched my head vision after reading your comment.
@mqbitsko254 жыл бұрын
Country music: "Guitar is too hard, so I'll play bass." Claypool: "Guitar is too easy, so I'll play bass."
@kaydgaming4 жыл бұрын
Jacob Flores - Country Music: “they’re the same person”
@kadensmith88514 жыл бұрын
Pretty sure Claypool said "regular bass is too easy, I'll play the 6-string fretless bass"
@gingerjam21924 жыл бұрын
No he said bass is too hard I’ll play a short scale one with floppy thin strings on it. But I like him nonetheless.
@SpinoRexzillaEN253 жыл бұрын
@@kadensmith8851 I'm pretty sure Claypool said "Existence is too easy, I'll just ascend."
@summit6077 Жыл бұрын
@@gingerjam2192hes played more 5 and 6 strings than shortscales his entire career…..
@tmdickey19894 жыл бұрын
Les Claypool actually describes Tommy the cat as the hardest song for him to play, and he himself cannot play it anywhere near the way he does on the album. however I feel "hamburger train" off of "pork soda " or is it luck" from" sailing the Seas of cheese" have to be one of the hardest songs. If I had to choose which one to learn it would be hamburger train... thank you for this tutorial I myself have also changed the way I play "Tommy the Cat". over the last 10 to 15 years I've changed it numerous times getting little bits of info here and there well thanks again. Keep It Low!
@louisz88174 жыл бұрын
I second this.
@robvegas93544 жыл бұрын
Hamburger Train for sure
@kevfullo4 жыл бұрын
American Life, it's not the fastest but I find it impossible.
@bunstie52084 жыл бұрын
@@kevfullo American life is pretty hard but you just need to maintain a strumming pattern, in my opinion, its nowhere near as hard as tommy the cat or hamburger train.
@thaddeusfromsonar4 жыл бұрын
I can personally play Tommy and Hamburger train, they’re not too bad if you get in the groove and practice slowly and shit, and i have to say Is it luck is the hardest for sure
@vlobster76604 жыл бұрын
You missed something out Mark....the Claypool dance routine!!!.This is gonna help my lockdown cabin fever!!Cheers for this!
@LordSesshomaru5844 жыл бұрын
Right on .. life seems so pointless. Wonder what I'd do without my beloved bass..
@Se7enDsinSGaming4 жыл бұрын
@@LordSesshomaru584 i just picked up a bass before quarantine
@cursedcliff75624 жыл бұрын
@@Se7enDsinSGaming same
@CouchEconomyTX4 жыл бұрын
Se7enDsinS Gaming same kinda
@sspygamer73964 жыл бұрын
This guy is the number one best Bass Teacher ever!!! I just wanna say thanks for the free step by step Bass lessons man👍
@gaasts4 жыл бұрын
I second that
@yodawg454 жыл бұрын
I third that, he is insanely good at what he does and the fact that it’s free, is nothing short of astonishing.
@sspygamer73964 жыл бұрын
Yeah, some famous bassist in the future might be one of his students... And that's epic
@Izaghast4 жыл бұрын
can’t wait to see how im playing this wrong lmao
@Jihadbearzwithgunz4 жыл бұрын
I dont do the palm slap.. I just slap two ghost notes my first mistake many more too follow for me lol
@rafaelsoares82824 жыл бұрын
Good comment
@surfsquatch53 жыл бұрын
Me 2
@GrantFunkyFrabe2 жыл бұрын
Facts this is why I came here 🤣
@GiveSic4 жыл бұрын
"Well I remember as it were a meal ago" SAIDTOMMYTHECATASHEREELEDBACKTOCLEARWHATEVERFOREIGNMATTERMAYHAVENESTLEDITSWAYINTOHISMIGHTYTHROAT
@javierschiefelbein40844 жыл бұрын
i feel like a baby learning to speak when trying to say those bars, damn
@vladv51264 жыл бұрын
Damn, his playing was so clean it killed the remaining 0.001% germs.
@hdufort3 жыл бұрын
Doctor: "How many fingers do you see?" Me: "I... I don't know anymore"
@brianandreasen22002 жыл бұрын
By far one of the hardest songs for a bass player to learn but when you break it down into parts and then it melds together. It's an amazing accomplishment :).
@sebastiandiaz294 жыл бұрын
This is mindblowing, I even have the official transcription book and I like this version much better, I never really liked how it sounded in the official tab, and he is right, Les has changed the way he plays it live through the years
@bloglivrada4 жыл бұрын
You are a great teacher, thanks for this lesson from a big primus fan:)
@_Only_Zuul4 жыл бұрын
it would be cool if les did a bass video to show exactly how he plays his bass lines. i don't think he's ever done anything like that ever in his career. we've seen bass lesson videos in the past from the likes of jaco, flea, billy sheenan etc but not les claypool..
@Joetime904 жыл бұрын
Wish Geddy Lee would do the same.
@tadas79854 жыл бұрын
It's like a secret recipe, magicians never reveal their secrets lmao
@carlogarneri78733 жыл бұрын
I'm an old Primus fan, I quit with pro attitude in 2008 and can play 80% of they discography and consider Laquer Head o DMV a piece of cake to play. If now i can play this correctly (with slower bpm and workin on it) is just because of this tutorial. You are an amazing teacher ❤️
@dmikelepage724 жыл бұрын
I think that one of the best attributes you have as a teacher is that you are always learning yourself through self evaluation. I went back and listened to your previous version of Tommy and your updated version is much better in my opinion, especially the left hand palm mute you figured out. When an instructor is willing to continue to evolve themselves, students always benefit. Good on you and keep up the great work!
@duncdonut4 жыл бұрын
Say b-b-b-b-b-b-b-baby are a gonna sing the line and the same time??
@talkingbasslessons4 жыл бұрын
Believe it or not, singing it and playing it at the same time isn't as hard as you'd think. It's continuous 16th notes so there's no rhythm to think of. If you can play it fine then singing over the top is easy. Sounds silly but Lovely Day by Bill Withers is waaaay harder to sing over. See you at the Premiere!
@apheradevear51304 жыл бұрын
Damien Darcell SAY BABY SAY BABY
@shaunsheffield97433 жыл бұрын
spent the last hour re-watching this video, trying to get everything right and finally did it. this guy is a great teacher!
@milocl5294 жыл бұрын
I think this is the best youtube channel to learn songs. Departing fron chile!!!
@nuke974 жыл бұрын
My hats off to you. As a fellow bassist that has been doing the same by slowing down various live recordings of this song, referencing "Official notation books", and endless hours feeling out what variation sounds closer I have been driven mad by what is accurate for the main riff. The legato part for the high fretted G note, the left hand slap mute ( amazing capture there) and the surprising lack of ghost notes had me stunned. Bravo for getting this accurate. Subbed.
@xBUMSKIx4 жыл бұрын
You’re an incredible teacher. I’m always amazed at how les claypool makes everything he plays sound like Primus. He’s always on brand.
@JRocco20214 жыл бұрын
Yes omg you did it right! I saw your original video and wanted to say something but it's so hard to convey what is incorrect about they way most people play this, there's a lot of little things that are easily missed. It took me years to get it down right and I still had to see the man himself play it live in front of my face to do it correctly. Bravo sir just figuring out what is happening in a Primus tune is half the battle. This is now one of the few, if not only, correct explanation of how to play this song online.
@rubberjonnyfive4 жыл бұрын
The song "buckethead" by colonel claypool's bucket of bernie brains has a pretty bad ass bass riff
@housearrestgaming6853 жыл бұрын
That was a mouthful
@winstonmarlowe52542 жыл бұрын
@@housearrestgaming685 C2B3
@tomtomthebear4 жыл бұрын
Golden boy is my favourite primus riff....so stoked when I finally got it
@goodearthrecordings1989 Жыл бұрын
This is the 1st video I've watched on KZbin that shows how to play the main bass riff in "Tommy the Cat" that sounds right to me. Now I have it down and thank you very much for the video!
@killmeorikillyou14 жыл бұрын
Wow, I played it wrong too apparently. Thanks, man! This version is actually easier than most of what other people play. That explains how Claypool dances all around the stage while playing this riff. lol
@noneofthemknew894 жыл бұрын
This comment is absolutely acurrate hahaha
@jeremyrushing96594 жыл бұрын
me too! I learned it by ear with a cassette tape years ago. Made it way hard on my self..
@Daywalker786 ай бұрын
Amazing, exactly what I needed! Thanks so much for this phenomenal breakdown 🙏🏿
@pabloortega58723 жыл бұрын
Thank you!! I was playing the descending part wrong for years!! Great break down! 🙌
@jeremyredd4232 Жыл бұрын
Man, your voicing is GREAT! That G comes right out and talks to you!
@jeffreysmith8789 Жыл бұрын
Les is a damn anomaly. Guys like him, jaco, Victor Wooten, and others run so far with their own style and make it undeniably theirs
@Veryfastslowcar664 жыл бұрын
saw this ages ago and loved it thought id never have a chance untill I actually tried it, thanks so much!
@leonardodonadel484 жыл бұрын
"Is It luck" may be tougher
@rainbowrotcod4 жыл бұрын
yes
@adesignersperspective4 жыл бұрын
i'd agree. if you actually play that song at les' speed it's something around 11 notes a second. it's insane.
@maddog39024 жыл бұрын
I had a rendition of it that I'm sure wasn't perfectly accurate but sounded right or close to it. It was carpel tunnel town to play but not actually as stretchy and demanding as Tommy for me. I played tommy a lot more though because it is a really good warmup
@rhabdob38954 жыл бұрын
Just faster.
@aiacusenaduschasames4 жыл бұрын
correction, is tougher.
@davidofpiano4234 жыл бұрын
Absolutely fantastic lesson. Wonderful detail.
@PocketManic4 жыл бұрын
First Tommy The Cat tutorial that actually makes sense. Thank you so much!
@juancamilomedinasierra52404 жыл бұрын
It would be amazing if you do a tutorial of the awakening
@chriszablocki24604 жыл бұрын
I actually don't know why I'm watching this. I don't play bass guitar.
@nick-dm3if4 жыл бұрын
You legally have to now
@chriszablocki24604 жыл бұрын
It's the top 4 strings of a standard 6 string, right? But thicker.
@chriszablocki24604 жыл бұрын
If I had any control over my media content, I wouldn't have to give random nonsensical comments to them.
@ssimms89954 жыл бұрын
Chris Zablocki if by “standard 6 string” you mean guitar, then no. It is the bottom 4 strings
@cursedcliff75624 жыл бұрын
@@chriszablocki2460 how dare you insult bass like that
@markcarson18444 жыл бұрын
Super great transcript bro, thanks your a amazing player!!
@LosBastardostributeband4 жыл бұрын
I think the descending part can also be played with ghost notes. Awesome tutorial, many thanks!!
@Krogrosen3 жыл бұрын
Les does it ocassionally
@TopShelfMontana9 ай бұрын
i think you are the first person I've ever seen online play it, what sounds like, correctly. Props
@BassticklerBoi4 жыл бұрын
"Lee Van Cleef" is amazing. It's not very difficult technically but it's a great example of feel. I always enjoy using slap to get a nice laid back feel and I don't tend to see tutorials/lessons on that approach.
@a2swebber11 ай бұрын
YES! This has to be the most informative and extremely concise bass video on KZbin
@a2swebber11 ай бұрын
I played bass from 2001-13 and could never really slap I dunno. I’m looking for a 6 string.
@a2swebber11 ай бұрын
Ibanez Eda-900
@antoniopizarro76704 жыл бұрын
Masterfully done. I've been [poorly] toying around with this since 1993 and you have it better than any previous interpretation! Thx.
@GfnWiz2 жыл бұрын
Picked up my bass again after a 17-18 year real about a year and a half ago…just now revisiting this and I can finally follow this at a slow tempo…clean. I used to cheat and do up and down stroke with my thumb instead of bouncing it. Like life, everything is a work in progress.
@GfnWiz2 жыл бұрын
Playing it clean at a tempo of 108…moving up slowly.
@chrisclark432 Жыл бұрын
So, one thing that was messing me up that isn’t addressed here is the moment the riff cycles over. He on does it once REALLY slow but the key is when you pop that open D string it goes immediately into the down strum which is how it is taught here to be the very beginning. But if you think about that D pop as the beginning my head understood it much better as a cycling riff. Of coarse he does this because it is the way Les begins the riff. Awesome instruction here. This is a very elusive Primus bass line. It’s killer!
@loulu71644 жыл бұрын
I love this song SO much, especially the Bonneroo recording. Your lesson is totally awesome! I will never be able to play this, but your explanations and tutorial are outstanding. Thanks, Mark, for the delicious brain food. 😉😍
@pawelkoscielski19 ай бұрын
Wooow! This lesson is the gold standard of teaching a song
@chriscuthbertson4 жыл бұрын
I would love to hear Marcus Miller cover Tommy The Cat
@leegibbs53174 жыл бұрын
Or Andrew Gouche!
@LageYouTube4 жыл бұрын
or Stanley Clark
@chriscuthbertson Жыл бұрын
Or Mark King
@fiveseven764 жыл бұрын
That video, "Tommy the cat" made me want to get a 6 string fretless in the 90s. I ended up with a cheap fretless 4 string and traded almost instantly. Bastard makes it look so easy!
@qphive4 жыл бұрын
Yes!!!!!!! Now.... next step, trying to sing over that sick line. Thanks for the tutorial!
@michellehager55887 ай бұрын
Ok ok.. . You're a bad ass! Excellent teacher as well! Thank you bunches!!
@katscurry3 жыл бұрын
Incredibly helpful! Nice breakdown!
@comax44804 жыл бұрын
Can't wait to see it, i'd like to see more primus on this channel!
@noneofthemknew894 жыл бұрын
OMG THIS IS AWESOME. Thanks Mark! I seriously believe that you, and your well known friend, Scott, totally saved my bass playing and encourage me to keep learning
@HandsomePuggg4 жыл бұрын
This is awesome! I've always been aware I've not been playing the first half of the riff quite right but haven't managed to properly figure it out. The backing tracks on your site are really useful too, thanks!
@jshepherdbass4 жыл бұрын
Excellent tutorial Mark 👍
@kristofwynants4 жыл бұрын
Excellent lesson, thanks for clearing those hurdles out! You're a great bass teacher
@juancamilomedinasierra52404 жыл бұрын
Wow!! Thanks for all Mark, you've helped me to improve a lot
@TristanJCumpole4 жыл бұрын
Lacquerhead is another excellent example of how Les brings in left hand ghost notes to flesh out rhythms. It's simpler and great for new slappers!
@Sadisticator4 жыл бұрын
Awesome! Been waiting for this. My favorite bass riff of all time :)
@Megamare1 Жыл бұрын
This guy makes me want to put down the six string for a while and start learning Primus on bass👌🏻💯
@starcrysis238 ай бұрын
Les uses a fretless 6 string for this song
@stephencochrane6686 Жыл бұрын
Brilliant video! I remember trying to learn this years ago and couldn't play it. Got back into bass playing this year after nearly a decade break and set my sights on Tommy the Cat. This video was invaluable in helping me finally play it. Only problem I have now is stamina. My fret hand get's tired very quickly playing this. Any tips for improving stamina?
@ikigai473 жыл бұрын
Top instructor! Thanks for the lesson
@bassninja87704 жыл бұрын
Great Claypool tutorial!!! Yet I think the bass lines for the lesser known song "poetry and prose" are really hard to get the patterns down! Sounds/feels really hard to accent the pops and deaden the slaps!! I love that song. Harder than it sounds for me!
@labgnat4 жыл бұрын
Good call, that slap part is really tough, so fast. Gotta love that Beavis and Butthead soundtrack
@billlee6908 Жыл бұрын
Great lesson, Mark!
@skeeter1971404 жыл бұрын
Dude! This sounds right to me! For years I've tried to learn this part, but EVERY video I've seen swore they were right, and they never sounded right to me. This sounds spot on to me. And that's important. I've seen people say "It's like this, but it's open to personal variations", or some such BS. No! There's the way it is or the way it's not, so thank you.
@huilton4 жыл бұрын
Congratulations, was amazing.
@louiscadieux-menard96864 жыл бұрын
Great lesson! Thank you!
@marcocorsini40544 жыл бұрын
Funnily enough, this was the first song I played that included more serious slapping. Of course, I did some exercises, but the main thing I did to get good at slapping was playing this song at low bpms and going progressively faster as I got more comfortable. Pros: I got better pretty quickly and I learnt one of the songs I had as a challenge. Cons: I probably spent some good 15 or more hours learning it. Worth it Edit: The Awakening or Jerry Was A Racecar Driver are both way harder
@vlobster76604 жыл бұрын
Les is on record as saying this is the hardest.....i know who i'll believe
@LuthieriadeBanheiro4 жыл бұрын
Nice lesson. Glorious bass.
@Wave_Duck15 күн бұрын
perfect riff to start with
@andybunn57804 жыл бұрын
I'm no pro, but learning this song is on my bucket-list. Video saved!
@vinnyshock77332 жыл бұрын
thank you so much this has been my dream bass line since i started playing and now that i got the hang of slapping i felt it was finally time. i still have to get it up to tempo but i understand the part a lot better
@waynemichaelbanks Жыл бұрын
Thanks for this. Like many comments…I’ve been trying many versions of this since back in the day. I reckon you’ve nailed it. It’s about time Les did a tutorial for us all! 👍🤞
@bassismath91184 жыл бұрын
Now we want ryan marine's dig or an insight into his techniques..........great lesson .....lots of love n respect from India.....a big fan of u.....
@michaelproctor87774 жыл бұрын
Top choice Mark. Les was also known for some bizarre tuning as well. But to jump about on stage, play this tune as well as sing, the man is a legend.
@WaxWolf2 жыл бұрын
According to Primus Road Crew Main Man, Tim "Soya", neither Les nor Ler have ever used any alternate tunings on any Primus tracks.
@J-C1543 Жыл бұрын
I read somewhere that his main 4 ct has/had two G-strings and two A-strings, tuned to standard tuning. I tried it myself along time ago and didn't really like it.
@alexandredartagnan12274 жыл бұрын
excellent your teaching, congratulations won a new subscriber on the channel!
@davidbarreracanon34464 жыл бұрын
Fantastic lesson. Thank you, Mark.
@mariovomhof27754 жыл бұрын
Amazing lesson. I shouldn't have wasted my time by just looking at other tabs. But now I feel some progress. Thx
@rudusblue70582 жыл бұрын
Sounds great! Definitely trying this
@Braveliltoaster154 жыл бұрын
excited for this one Mark !
@hanskorn8454Ай бұрын
Thank you soooo much. I loved it, it helped me a lto. great explanation.
@WakizashiSabre13 күн бұрын
Eery dude who can play this must be great dude. Subscribed.
@KalakutaShow19762 жыл бұрын
Excellent tutorial!:)
@Dudewhostartsargumentsandloses10 ай бұрын
It is insane how easy it looks when it's Full speed. Then you break it down and it hurts your head. Crazy talent out there.
@antoniopizarro7670 Жыл бұрын
Great video. "Is it luck" is soooo tough, too.
@talkingbasslessons Жыл бұрын
Have you seen my video lesson of it yet?
@Abaramotorai3 жыл бұрын
It had to be you. You just saved me my position in the band! Thank you!
@diegomayfield47518 ай бұрын
This is the one legendary bass line I thought I could never figure out. Been waiting for this video since cheese album came out . Over 30 years ?
@batman1824 жыл бұрын
Awesome Video! Thank you!
@davimedeiros47254 жыл бұрын
Best teacher on youtube! Thank you!
@jahnperez50604 жыл бұрын
I second that comment. You're obviously a very good player, and a great teacher. Cheers for your help, and for free mate!!!
@topiasteirikko623815 күн бұрын
Awesome! Been struggling with this since the last millenium! Thanks!
@jeremyrushing96594 жыл бұрын
There are a few Primus songs that are great to learn in order to build up to Tommy. For example, "Here They Come" is a great song for the fingernail strumming technique. Any thoughts on the easiest to hardest songs for the Claypool chapter of Bass Greatness?
@issuu80504 жыл бұрын
Cool video I'm always waiting for you to post new content love it!
@kyle27782 жыл бұрын
For anyone looking to practice strumming I recommend learning school days by Stanley Clark. I still play it all the time to warm up.
@ATthemusician4 жыл бұрын
I found a tutorial a couple years ago by BassTheWorld.com and it took me about 2 months to learn to play it at full speed(I originally couldn't even play it at 60bpm, it's a very challenging riff). Glad I learned it, it will make you a monster on bass.
@ljgarrison69104 жыл бұрын
I'm so happy this is up here, terrific! This video is needed by me especially lol!
@ahmedcoskun98424 жыл бұрын
Awesome as always sir! thanks a lot.
@nathanielitter4 жыл бұрын
Awesome tutorial and presentation! You clearly put a lot of work into nailing down the details of the riff, and this version is very trustworthy! (and might I say, relievingly more intuitive the many I've seen) My input isn't necessarily the "hardest" Claypool riff -- in fact it's one of the simplest of the more famous ones, from what I've seen -- but the riff of My Name Is Mud has done a great job of helping me exercise my thumb slap/left hand muting technique while playing a simple, badass riff. Of course the original is on a 6-string fretless, which I don't have, but having a 5-string does a decent enough job for getting the technique down for me personally! (or even a 4-string I suppose, if technique is the primary focus)
@josephsandstrom30344 жыл бұрын
Really nice one! Primus is my nr1 band and I really appreciate you making this video. How about making one showing how to play To defy the laws of tradition next?
@dangerkeith30004 жыл бұрын
I don't know if it's harder than Tommy The Cat, but "Is It Luck?" is incredibly difficult. I've never seen them play that one live either.
@gleventhal3 жыл бұрын
During Is it luck he is slapping while holding the whammy bar.