Top 5 Steely Dan Bass Lines | Chuck Rainey | Julia Hofer | Thomann

Today Julia plays her favorite Steely Dan Bass Lines!
Most of them masterfully recorded by the one and only Chuck Rainey!
What's your favorite Steely Dan Bass Line or Song?
Gear used: www.thomann.de...
Recorded in Presonus Studio One: bit.ly/S1Pro6
Recorded and mixed with Universal Audio: tho.mn/uadx1
Monitors optimised through Sonarworks: tho.mn/sonar
Webshop: www.thomann.de
Facebook: / thomanninternational
Twitter: @thomann / thomann
Instagram: @thomann.music / thomann.music
Pinterest: / thomannde
Visit our blogs:
GER: www.thomann.de...
ENG: www.thomann.de...
FRA: www.thomann.de...
ESP: www.thomann.de...
ITA: www.thomann.de...
NED: www.thomann.de...
FIN: www.thomann.de...

[@michaelanthony9068]

I’ve loved Steely Dan my whole life (I’m 65 now) as a guitarist, but bass has become my primary instrument for 4 yrs now, and I need to listen to all the Steely Dan albums again for the bass parts. How incredibly clever these bass parts are ! Thank you Julia, brilliant playing !

[@kingkrimson8771]

Who are you trying to fool Michael Anthony you played bass in Van Halen for a lot of years 😆

[@oleran4569]

Julia has such great taste in music!

[@Mark-db1ok]

Welcome to the bass! Man there are so many intricacies to Chuck's playing you'll have a blast with it.

[@Barry101er]

Here is a good resource (for newish and oldish) bass players: Real Bass Lesson, Jim Stinnet. www.youtube.com/@realbasslessons9356

[@Mark-db1ok]

@@Barry101er This is awesome, thanks for sharing!

[@davidofpiano423]

Wow... it's so rare that you hear people playing over a recording who can capture the feel and nuance of the performance as well as this. You're right in the pocket! Fantastic.

[@PonchoGreg]

Jesus, you absolutely KILLED the Peg lines. Incredible groove, so in the pocket. Great stuff.

[@danmorrison8194]

The older I get the more impressed I get with players like Chuck Rainey and Steve Gadd. It’s not the number of notes; it’s all about the right notes and feel.

[@TXLogic]

💯

[@mr.steinhaus6014]

And that *click*

[@Snarkapotamus]

@@mr.steinhaus6014 - Obscure, but I know what you're talking about!

[@mr.steinhaus6014]

@@Snarkapotamus Aja!

[@BobG127]

Julia, that was wonderful. You obviously "get" Steely Dan. There's a feel to their music that set them apart from others. I know that you were feeling it, too, when you closed your eyes, swayed your head, and smiled as you caressed all the right notes in just the right way out of your instruments. That's what music is all about. Thanks for sharing.

[@gaspowertoys]

The slap section on Peg is the iconic part and the hardest to do authentically. Showcase that! “They never knew it went down” is my favorite Chuck Rainey quote.

[@tokingreens]

Yes! He had been instructed to not do any slap and pop style. I remember reading that he just turn his chair and cheated that part. One of the best.

[@Barry101er]

My fave, not an album track, just released as a single at the time; "FM (No Static at All)” , with Walter Becker on bass. From the soundtrack for the film “FM”, 1977.

[@joelemerou3487]

Groovest song ever!

[@Twobarpsi]

Yes!

[@jh4freedom2]

Among my favorites too, can't just limit myself to one Steely Dan favorite tune!

[@Barry101er]

@@jh4freedom2 Also, lots of good bass on Fagen’s 1st solo LP, "The Nightfly", from 1982. All the usual suspects!

[@ZonkerRoberts]

Yeah! Walter Becker was an actual bass player as well as a guitar player. That's NOT the same thing as a guitar player who sometimes plays bass. If you know what i mean you know what I mean ;-)

[@ronny-2112]

Steely Dan was a very versatile band that literally plays in between Rock, Jazz, Funk, Soul and Rhythm & Blues. Wonderful band, great musicians. Sad that there are no more bands like them.

[@billsherrington5996]

Check out the band Monkey House. Very Dan like👍🏽

[@ronny-2112]

@@billsherrington5996 ok thanks I will

[@thomasreuter1968]

@@ronny-2112 So will I. Thanks a lot, Bill! Haven't heard of them before.🤔

[@tenthletter2678]

@@billsherrington5996 aside from cringey vocals and sappy-arse lyrics.....tight band though

[@tazmankb26]

Check out Tedeschi Trucks Band. When Derek Trucks was interviewed and ask what genre of music he plays he simple said 'all'

[@michaelmagee6538]

Steely Dan music is just so inexplicable! Some of the most funky and smooth lines ever recorded . Richly complex using simple chord changes and progressions. I never get tired of these songs ! And nice job dissecting the bass lines !

[@drothberg3]

Steely Dan chord changes and progressions are not at all simple!

[@michaelstusiak5902]

Fantastic job. You are exceptional. My favorite Steely Dan song is My Old School.

[@MacXpert74]

@@drothberg3 Haha, I was going to say the same thing. I agree with Michael on the 'funky and smooth lines' but simple chord progressions? Not really. Just listen to the intro of a track like Deacon Blues. Or the rich and complex chords in a song like Babylon sisters. Nothing simple about it.

[@ElSantoLuchador]

Simple chord changes? I don't think so. As an average musician I can say with confidence that almost everything they do is intricate and complicated. These are jazz progressions, not four chord rock progressions.

[@weshard1]

I love Steely Dan, and I love Julia. She’s an amazing player, and looks like she feels every note she plays.

[@chemicaltwin]

Always a great day when a new video from Julia shows up!

[@badxxxmonkey5541]

Yes

[@djinnmagik]

I agree! I LOVE JULIA

[@numerouno4168]

Yeah she had to get her stank face on to lay out those Rainey riffs!

[@chemicaltwin]

@@numerouno4168 😂 If you don’t have bass face… are you really playing the bass?

[@marcom8658]

As long as you don't have resting bass face. Or is that a good thing?

[@bazgolin1036]

Julia ‘Rainey’- you’ve got a lot of Chuck in those fingers! Great songs, great touch. Superb!🎶🎶🎶

[@szrnkabela]

Chuck Rainey + Bernard Purdie = huge massive basis for Vulfpeck rhythm pairings.

[@patriciabrooks6715]

My favorite is Hey 19

[@aaronhoffmeyer]

Rainey + Purdie = OMG

[@DoctorWho8]

"He's on the record!" Jack Stratton on Purdie when Bernard played with Vulfpeck for 4 nights in New York City & Brooklyn in 2016.

[@betodaval]

YES!

[@KCVini]

Fo SHO! 🔥

[@BrooksSmith]

Julia, I love everything you play, but that rendition of Peg is outstanding! It's like the spirit of Chuck Rainey jumped inside your body and just started playing.

[@brunobornat2353]

hi Julia, a nice bass part and a nice title, hey nineteen '' on the album ''gaucho'', steely dan, being my favorite band, I could have put 300 titles Congratulations to you for your channel, kisses from France

[@PeteCarlton]

Such great tunes, so well played by Julia. My favourite Steely Dan track though is on Donald Fagen's classic "solo" album, The Nightfly, and it's the track "New Frontier", bass by Abe Laboriel (worth a Julia "Top 5 Lines video in his own right?) - Chuck Rainey plays on one of my other favourite songs, "Green Flower Street", both wonderful tracks and highly recommended.

[@szrnkabela]

Nightfly had Abe Laboriel, Rainey, Marcus Miller, the dream team for the time. Some tracks featured multiple basslines. It's absolutely unique and I know a very good playthrough/analysis video about those 9 tracks.

[@garymalins8730]

Hey Julia, let's have a go at Aja, the title track of the album....

[@jerryhorton5708]

What a terrific video! Steely Dan and Stevie Wonder always had the most intricate and beautiful rhythm sections, which you’ve showcased wonderfully!

[@Al69BfR]

Steely Dan is a must hear for all musicians wether they are playing Bass, drums, keys or guitar. Kid Charlemagne for instance has one of the greatest guitar solos of all time played by Larry Carlton. 😊

[@alexandremello6913]

The truth is that any musician you can pick from a Steely Dan session or concert will be a master. I am a drummer and this band has always been a huge inspiration and influence (well... Colaiuta, Purdie, Carlock, Marottta, Porcaro... how not to be inspired?). I was lucky to see Tom Barney with SD live in 2008 and he just killed it. Thanks for a great video.

[@mandelagindo]

All great bass lines! I also like the bass line from "The Fez".

[@robertwheeler4068]

DITTO!!! Solid in the pocket bass and drum groove!!

[@StuartdeHaro]

My favorites are probably FM and Dirty Work. There are so many great Steely Dan songs to choose from though.

[@knarf_]

Great play by Julia. I have to say that I subscribed to this Thomann KZbin because of Julia... 😍 All the best knarf from France 🎸 🇨🇵

[@davegarski1548]

Chuck Rainey (Steely Dan - Aja) was one of the very first albums I starting practicing bass to, way back in 1978. Had no idea back then that that album would be such a monster. I just practiced the music because I loved it. Excellent covers on these song, Julia.

[@szrnkabela]

That's not an easy start at all! Respect

[@coyreliford730]

I love the way you play its fantastic and a complete joy to watch,Thank you and keep on grooving.

[@szrnkabela]

My Favourites: Do It Again by Walter Becker from Can't Buy a Thrill, and those same 3 from Aja.

[@BrentOlsen]

Thanks so much Julia, I love your videos. I think my favorite CR bass line was the one on "Woody and Dutch on the Slow Train to Peking" by Rickie Lee Jones from her album "Pirates." These SD examples really were great though.

[@eggy1962]

my favourite steely dan song was the first record i bought of theirs.....Haitian Divorce, i did later pick up other singles ...reeling in the years , do it again, FM

[@michaellupu2080]

Lovely! Now you must cover Donald Fagen's Nightfly! A bass player's heaven and hell!

[@alparkerjr5048]

Jack of speed. The baseline is out of this world can't remember who played the base on this song but they are phenomenal.

[@zabarisquest9508]

Yesss, killer bass line

[@ianslater5550]

Walter Becker.

[@alparkerjr5048]

Well that explains it. Totally flawless. I think I'll write a movie screen play based on the song. Anyone want to collaborate with me? just drop me a reply. Long lives the "Dan"

[@dugaldhutchings404]

Walter played all bass parts on the whole album.

[@who9900]

He played bass on the majority of the album, but Tom Barney played on three tracks.

[@BG-eq5mt]

Julia you amazing, my best song is Gaucho.

[@WimRijksen]

Danke Julia! I've been a fan of Steely Dan for years and that 'Peg' bassline has been my favourite for years. Well done!

[@strat0871]

I learned all these basslines decades ago, still love them ! Steely Dan is still my preferred band today ! I saw them live in Paris few years ago, it was fantastic. RIP Walter Becker.

[@xray7908]

The Fez. Hand down, it's the bass line that makes me want to walk like an Egyptian waggling my head from side to side. It might be a bit simpler than some of the other bass lines, but it is irresistible.

[@Oscaraha]

I just discovered Steely Dan the last year, what a goldmine! Would have been really cool to see you do a top5 dedicated to fivestring and one to synthbass, or just keep up the good work. You are about as perfect as a bassplayer and youtuber can be, thanks a lot!

[@Rasscasse]

I envy you, you have so much to look forward to in discovering Steely Dan’s work. There is just so much good stuff to listen to. I can’t choose a favourite but I do really love Kid Charlemagne and Haitian divorce.

[@elchiquifru]

So many wonderful Dan songs but that bass in in Gaucho’s Glamour Profession is fantastic! Enjoyed your video!

[@mangroovya]

I think these videos could be uploaded as podcasts too and you could also create a super spotify playlist where you add all Julia's choices 🤩

[@Thorsten_Kueppers]

Oh yes that'll be great!!

[@szrnkabela]

Bin dafür

[@kimhebert9905]

Thx Julia,another great video 🎶🎶👍

[@GioSinatraFan]

Gotta tell you, Julia never disappoints. Nailed it again.

[@Peter_S_]

Julia & Steely Dan? What an excellent way to start the day!

[@Bassman1999]

Excellent......Chuck R is amazing. You have really done these lines justice...great job ! The bass line for Peg never fails to make me smile...brilliance !

[@philliplarson8005]

Steely Dan has been one of my all time favorite groups since their first release in 1972. Most of their songs are my favorites, but Babylon Sisters and Deacon Blues are some of their best.

[@brettdrought6181]

I always thought that the Steely Dan tune that showcased the sound of the time was their title cut from the movie "FM". It presented everything in the music of the time straight at you with no denying any of the instruments.

[@loiseaunoir1021]

Julia it's a lot of fun watching you play those, very instructive

[@jackv2244]

Aja was their best album, tight bass playing Julia, Chuck was a beast, and Peg was my song

[@mhlevy]

There's a really fantastic documentary on the recording of Aja, where they reassembled the musician who performed on the album for interviews and then they played some of the tracks live as well. When they interviewed Chuck about the song "Peg," he said that Donald and Walter didn't want him to play slap bass on the song, so while laying down the track, he sort of hid himself, with his back to the control room and got down behind an acoustic panel so they couldn't see what he was doing. Chuck's quote, "it's about the music" was a great example of that. He knew that the limited, tasteful slapping in that song not only worked, but was perfect for the song.

[@gdj6298]

...and he said "They never knew"....knowing Becker and Fagen, I don't believe that for a moment . But they must have realised it worked !

[@dwm1156]

Great doc, can confirm!

[@ChrisFrancis-dr6ob]

Absolutely one of my favourite bits of Dan trivia 😂 Chuck Rainey invents the "funk partition"!

[@vincegotera]

I'm in a band where we play some Steely Dan, such as "Josie," "Pretzel Logic" and "Don't Take Me Alive." I love playing those bass parts and was glad to see "Josie" represented here. Great bass playing, Julia!

[@donvape336]

This is great. Maybe I can get away from Rush for a while. I just can't seem to stop playing it. Thank you so much.

[@jamesbaskin8616]

Josie not only one of SD favs, It's one of my all time fav rock bass lines. Right up there with Jaco on Hissing of Summer Lawns.

[@markdaniels7174]

Jaco wasn’t on Hissing of Summer Lawns, the album or the song. Are you thinking of the live version of “In France They Kiss on Main Street,” which was *originally* on Summer Lawns? If so, I’m totally with you. That live version with Jaco is one of my absolute favorite Jaco lines.

[@TheDanVault]

Love it! Glad you included a bassline from their later stuff!

[@like2view]

I'm not even a bass player, but I enjoy listening to you! Thank you Julia, brilliant playing !

[@xpatsteve]

Great list and great playing (as always!). My personal favorite Steely Dan bass line to play is Bodhisattva. That said, there isn't a single one I don't like.

[@JulesStoop]

Fabulous! One of the few bands/artists I have been listening to for all my life.

[@deeberdave8190]

Great playing Julia! Great choice of songs also. I love Steely Dan, I grew up listening to them, they're somewhat lost now, but well worth a listen, phenomenal guitar and keyboard work as well!

[@mrbassman7184]

You managed to nail my favorite SD songs too! Funny you picked Negative Girl, when you’re literally the opposite of that. 😜 Keep on the good work and never loose that smile, love watching your videos although I’ll never be as good a bassist as you. Very inspiring nevertheless.

[@margaretbehler4935]

Love me some Steely Dan! I love watching you play. You look like enjoy being the zone. My favorite are Deacon Blues and Do It Again. I remember loving Deacon Blues as a 10 year old. Little did I know that 13 years later i would become an Alabama fan!

[@aarlee96]

Steely Dan is the best band bedsides Pantera hands down

[@adamodimattia]

😂

[@paulgatton1785]

Great job!! I have played bass for 50 years now and really enjoy these timeless lines!

[@cskeise]

Love peg, you got me dancing. You know I love your playlist...💙👊😎

[@badsneakers917]

The groove built by Chuck Rainey and Rick Marotta on "Peg" is one of the most beautiful things I've ever heard. Chuck Rainey might be my favorite bassist, definitely always in my top 3. Stand up guy, too.

[@toddh4491]

This is the gold! So nice to hear these amazing lines better isolated. Great video.

[@WilliamTheMovieFan]

I had the honor of meeting and chatting with Bernard Purdie in October. A friend of mine is a musician and singer, and he met Mr Purdie through a mutual friend. Mr Purdie and his wife moved to the small town where my friend lives and Mr Purdie agreed to help my friend with his new jazz club. Mr Purdie is in his 80’s, but is so effervescent! What do you think of the 70’s funk band, the Average White Band? They have some good bass in their songs. The best known hit is their instrumental song, Pick Up the Pieces, but they have a lot of great funk/r&b songs too. Check out School Boy Crush, Cut the Cake(from their live Person to Person album), Queen of My Soul, The Jugglers, Let’s Go ‘Round Again.

[@daviddesmond2143]

Great work! Love that fat 5 string!

[@casparnielsen7653]

Many of the basslines of Steely Dan where actually composed by Walter Becker, though recorded by Rainey.

[@dinohuss9054]

You nailed it.

[@Rasscasse]

I was watching some Steely Dan stuff on KZbin, I watched the one from Rick Beato about what makes the track Kid Charlemagne so great, and then your video popped up. I enjoyed your presentation, I like your skills and I like your enthusiasm. Thanks 👌

[@sonicart1808]

Masters of their craft..... You picked some gems for sure, I also love "Glamour Profession" from the "Gaucho" album.... you're killing it here Julia, bravo!

[@Rasscasse]

Nice comment. Fine point to make, if it’s a man you say Bravo if it’s a girl you say Brava 👌

[@sonicart1808]

@@Rasscasse I didn't know that! Thanks for the info Chris....

[@masterbluesrockguitar4966]

I'm not sure but I think Walter Becker came up with these parts. There's an Aja documentary where Chuck Rainy says so. Also, while your playing is excellent as ever, I think a "wider" pocket is required for these songs. Respectfully, always a fan

[@KCVini]

❤️ Negative Girl. The ambiance, the use of space, and a fascinating lyrical story.

[@jerseymoonshine]

Really nice job! Chuck Rainey would be proud. He once said his favorite Steely Dan song was Glamour Profession, on which he doesn’t even play. That would be the great Anthony Jackson and I think that’s my favorite Dan baseline. Would love to hear you take a crack at it.

[@lpwwindley]

The bass line in Green Earrings is one of my faves. Would love to see Julia do her top 5 Bruce Thomas of the Attractions bass lines.

[@dwm1156]

One of my favourite bass players too, very tasteful.

[@GuillermoCarrasco]

Hi. Check again the history of the group. At the beginning there were more that those two famous people... :) You also need to know who made those charts and those arrangements. Larry Carlton was among them.

[@Gibson_ES-330TDC]

Steely Dan had so many great bass lines, I could never pick only 5 to be the top. I don't think this one was mentioned but Deacon Blues is one that's up there for me.

[@diamonddog13]

Yes. I believe WB himself played bass on that one.

[@Richardtv1968]

No bass channel is complete if you are not mentioning Mr. Thunderfingers himself, The Ox …… John Entwistle

[@SombraDeLaMosca]

Very nice bass playing, decent but great, not overdoing it. My fav here was Song 4. Your positivity is contagious =) Have a nice weekend, Julia, you're amazing!

[@tabbycat8511]

“I hope you liked this video.” We did. 😺 Only favorite SD bass part you left out was FM.

[@johnsausage]

Man hört bei diesen Beispiele wirklich, wo Julia "zuhause" ist! :) Auf KZbin gibt es jede Menge fantastische Live-Aufzeichnungen (die teilweise besser klingen als offizielle Live-Releases!)

[@gunproofgrandad4381]

Another great Chuck Rainey bassline is Green Flower Street from Fagen's The Nightfly. Really enjoyed this video; it's inspired me to pick the bass up and learn some of these.

[@totalrobot]

YESSSS!!! Steely Dan bass video I'm in heaven!!!

[@masbass1011]

Chuck Rainey excellent. I'm curious about Tom Barney. What else is he playing on?

[@philoneill9399]

I was a teenager playing in a band when the royal scam came out, our bass player loved playing kid Charlemagne and I have loved Dan’s music ever since. At the time we thought the musicians playing on steely dan albums were good but as the years rolled by you realise what giants of the music scene these guys really were. Thank you for playing these classic songs and I have subscribed to catch more of your playing 👍

[@unforgettablejazzfusion5546]

Amazing video. I truly missed the bass part from Glamour Profession!

[@WalterDiamond]

Nice to see/hear some love for Tom Barney! Well done! (Chuck is obviously a GOAT)

[@charlesmoore456]

While not technically a Steely Dan album Kamakiriad's Tomorrow's Girls has an excellent bass line played by Walter himself. A great tuning as well.

[@xiansamurai774]

I'm not even a bass player, but I enjoy every one of your videos. Danke! macht jedesmal richtig Spaß

[@teajaydc4484]

I always thought the Tomorrow’s Girls from Kamakiriad was an example of how bass and drums could push the funk.

[@Fuff63]

Bravo Julia! Excellent. Enjoyed this.

[@haulyv]

Rikki don't loose that number

[@joemartucci4786]

Always loved his bass playing. Great tone, busy but not to busy. Bass playing on their albums are among my favorites besides mid era Beatles.

[@PaulDavis-qm7to]

Great video, thanks, Julia. When you set the stage with Aja, I thought 'Black Cow' 😊

[@dm4728]

A huge Dan fan, such an awese band and yes fantastic basslines. So glad you covered them. I love the bass line from Peg. Top 5 is not nearly enough for a band like steely Dan lol

[@doozerace]

You started off with my all-time favorite bassline! And played the s$&t out of it! Girl, I love you like a BABY!!!! Lol

[@robertreynolds9607]

I like so many Steely Dan songs that I can't name a favorite, but I could listen to your bass playing all day long. You really are a great musician!

[@BobBlackBass]

Great music and great playing. I noticed that the pickup on the Sandberg vs is not the stock one with the big pole pieces. Can you say what it is?

[@meloysmusicstudio]

Awesome! I saw Chuck Rainey play at a music store in Texas nearly 30 years ago - great musician and a cool guy

[@tazmankb26]

Loved this! My two favorite Steely Dan tunes and the bass grove are Black Cow and Green Earrings.

[@ltakallen]

This is One of My ALL TIME Favorite Bands!!! Thank You for this Julia 😊. Love what You Do!

[@robertwheeler4068]

How about "The Fez"!? Super in the pocket rythem and bass groove!!

[@srtcsb]

So good Julia! Absolutely love these. Thanks so much. 😎👍

[@TehDFC]

Thanks for the vid Julia-greatly enjoyed as usual. Peg is my favorite Steely Dan Bassline.

[@nathanminert3119]

I think Kid Charlemagne has my favorite Steely Dan bassline, but it's a really hard choice with so many great ones.

[@grooveattitude06]

My favorite is Babylon sisters