The guitar harmony section in Fight Fire With Fire, which was written by Cliff, is one of the most inspired moments in popular music in my book. He was absolutely a genius. Not to mention NOBODY was doing stuff like Orion back then, absolutely nobody -- which was a Cliff-led composition btw.

@jorgecaicedo1982

7 ай бұрын

It's actually the title track he wrote the harmony part for but yeah, he was an innovator for sure..He also did the acoustic opening to Fight Fire with Fire...little known fact

@citizeny3795

7 ай бұрын

Didnt Hetfield write that?

@jorgecaicedo1982

7 ай бұрын

@@citizeny3795 I thought he did but Kirk said it was Cliff...wouldn't doubt it, he basically schooled those dudes

@korhansoydan

6 ай бұрын

There was stuff like that before; to me the song “Ides of March” is an inspiration for Orion. 1981 Killers album, composed by S. Harris.

@jasperdevries1726

6 ай бұрын

@@korhansoydan Harris certainly has the sole writing credit for that recording, but it shares an interesting history with Thunderburst by Samson.

Cliff wasn’t just a bass player but an arranger. The band had noted many times how much input he had and they learned from him. He had alot of music theory knowledge that the rest of the band didn’t have at the time and they gained alot of knowledge from him.

@joeylodes

7 ай бұрын

Bingo 👍

@sponkmyers7478

7 ай бұрын

Yep he tought james and kirk about harmonies and james looked up to him and respected him. He also didn't give crap what people think and Lars had no control over cliff.. He even carried a hammer in his pocket 😅

@margaretsisler6795

7 ай бұрын

​@@sponkmyers7478..... Lars didn't try to control him...

@sponkmyers7478

7 ай бұрын

@@margaretsisler6795 🤣🤣🤣 lars and james have full control of the band and he tried when cliff said "shut up or gonna a punch in the mouth". Cliff was so good for the band lars had no choice to shut up or loose a good bassist and get punch in mouth with it.

@dexterjankaren

7 ай бұрын

True, but did he arrange and write music for his band as much as Steve Harris or Lemmy did for their bands? Not even close.

The cassette of Primus, "suck on this" was a great example of the bass leading the way in a band🙂

@stambo1983

7 ай бұрын

Primus sucks!

@remote7793

7 ай бұрын

why?@@stambo1983

@Cruizer2021

6 ай бұрын

Les is the greatest brother

@remote7793

6 ай бұрын

😂@@stambo1983

Cliff was the "checks and balances" guy between Lars and Hetfield..He wrote all the parts in a way. Plus, he had more technical/theory/and ears, than both.

I've had Cliff tattooed on me for 3 decades, such an inspiration as a composer and player. Even better these days we have studio recordings with his bass turned up, brings whole new feelings to the songs.

I've said it time and again: you are a true treasure of a human. Your skill is unparalleled and yet we never see you boast about it in any way shape or form, even though you must know how good you are. Aside from that, being so objective about things and so respectful towards opinions that do not align with your thoughts really only adds to that. Don't ever change man, you are an example for many of us. Much love for you as a person and as a musician.

@wohlhabendermanager

7 ай бұрын

I agree. If I were to look up "humble" in a dictionary, I am sure a pic of Charles would be right next to it. Awesome guy.

Cliff Burton is a huge reason why master of puppets and ride the lightning are the awesome albums they are. Cliff was classically trained, before Cliff everything they did was just simple pentatonic, hard rock influenced stuff like in seek and destroy. Cliff was the one who taught them about the Phrygian mode, different scales, classical harmonies, classical progressions and ornamentation. Listen to Orion(preferably a bass amplified version) and you’ll hear Cliff’s genius.

Cliff was one of the main reasons I started playing bass. As for modern metal bassists check out Jared Smith from Archspire.

@Steve-xo5pq

8 ай бұрын

Yo, my friend told me about archspire, and their bassist is one of the main reasons I love them so much!

@ZacMetal7

7 ай бұрын

Jared SHREDS, but he is a guitarist turned bassist.

What's make a musician standout is not solely his virtuosity. It's all the satisfaction you're getting with his playing or his style. My favorite top tier bass player is Phil Lynott from Thin Lizzy. Not necessarily 'metal' but still.

@Zareh_Abrahamian

8 ай бұрын

Thin Lizzy is pretty metal for what existed as metal at the time.

@geraldfriend256

8 ай бұрын

Phil was bass player by default because he was pressured into being more than just lead singer, and ends up being quite unique. Unreal string of great albums in a short span.That is the most impressive feat of any band or bandleader.

@paulhabrelewicz7749

8 ай бұрын

Nice to hear someone mention Phil from thin lizzy!!

@jaredwilliams1031

8 ай бұрын

Love Phil and Thin Lizzy

@jhutt8002

8 ай бұрын

Megadeth covered Thin Lizzys Cold Sweat in 2012 and really the original from 1982 sounds more metal!

I remember talking about Cliffs' greatness in the 80s as a kid. 35 years later I stand by that 8 yr olds' opinion.

After a decade without playing, your channel inspired to get back to my Bass, and Beato inspired me to take musical lessons. Both of you are pushing peoples lives for the better. You would never understand the positivity and happiness you bring to the world. Please never underestimate yourself, never focus on the hate of the comments. I would love to see you goofing around with wooten someday.

I saw Cliff live at Lamoures in Brooklyn in around 1985, during Ride the Lightening tour

@raymondo1021

8 ай бұрын

My first time seeing metallica was on the same tour at the Lyceum . Great times 😼

@user-su1se1kn6b

18 күн бұрын

i was 17 when I saw cliff Burton @ Grand Odeon Theatre Montpellier South of France. It was the November 3 1984 during the Ride The lighting tour. We were 1000. It was great

My favorite bassist is Jason Newsted. I love his solos and energy on stage

@mattgreen7692

7 ай бұрын

Jason is so underrated for his backing vocals. Easy example: Creeping Death at Monsters of Rock Moscow.

@faustomadebr

7 ай бұрын

​@@mattgreen7692I wouldnt say he is underrated, because many Metallica fans miss him for this exact reason.

@SuziQ.

7 ай бұрын

@@faustomadebr, He was underrated, from the beginning, by the rest of the band who were abusive to him, and by Metallica fans who were grieving Cliff’s death. Most called him “NewKid” and just tolerated his presence in the band. Even music based media was unfair to Jason.

@faustomadebr

7 ай бұрын

@@SuziQ. He said underrated as a bass player, not that he was mistreated and I denied that.

@SuziQ.

7 ай бұрын

@@faustomadebr , He said underrated for his backing vocals. I was just transported back to 1988, when everyone was mean to him for not being Cliff.

Cliff will never be forgotten (R.I.P we love u Cliff)

Cliff Burton's contribution to Metallica and Metal Bass overall made Metallica stand out. He was a Bass Player who could play his instrument and not just rattle off a string of root notes. (guilty as charged, m'lud!) He inspired a legion of Bass Players who picked up the instrument because of him.

@maynardburger

6 ай бұрын

To be fair, I would say that Cliff played the bass a lot like a guitarist. That's one area I'd fault him for in a way, cuz as much as he inspired many bassists to come, his main contribution to Metallica wasn't killer basslines as much as just as his heavy focus on melody and dynamics as a songwriting contributor that was completely lacking in basically all metal at the time. This changed Metallica and changed the course of metal history as a result.

Cliff Burton inspires me a lot, I always like watching his videos and every detail I notice moves me, I think the love he had for his music shined through, something very authentic and unique to him. His work on Metallica's first 3 albums was exquisite, as he had more study in musical theory and harmony in Metallica and makes us imagine what would happen to Metallica if Cliff were still alive. But I prefer to think that he fulfilled his role on Earth and through it all Cliff became the legendary bassist.

I know a bassist who did a lot of leads. Cliff Burton. He was just SO ahead of his time and the recording engineers pushed him into obscurity in levels. There are remastering of Metallica where they used a more modern volume levels and you can hear the bass in them. OMG he had so much stuff going on in those songs. There was a ton of bass soloing that got clipped out by old 80's mixing. Had I not heard those songs remixed I would have picked Steve Harris or Lemmy. But his stuff was so intricately woven into the songs. So many times you first think it's a guitar and then you realize its the bass. Amazing writer, visionary and player. It's a shame he died so young. It's a shame what everyone heard of his work has him with the volume practically off, when you can absolutely tell with the new remixes that is how it was supposed to sound. He still might not be your favorite, but I think it would be a lot harder for people to say he was over rated if they heard those remasters.

cliff wrote most of the harmonies in rtl, he wrote one riff on master of puppets, Orion and the Damage Inc intro

Your opinion is correct. You’re my favourite bassist, but not because of your insane technical prowess. It’s because of how creative and musical you are (like Cliff was)

@geraldfriend256

8 ай бұрын

Truth. The compositions.

Music is about emotions and feelings, we study an instrument and improves oneself to have more possibilities of expression... the problem is that many people confuse being better technically than being able to transmit and leave a legacy of emotion through songs... when the purpose of being technically good is to transmit better.

I've always thought cliff played a similar role as randy Rhoades did. Classical background and very good at implementing it into metal.

Thanks Charles, for never selling out, and keeping it honest, passionate and human. ❤

@danparker8254

7 ай бұрын

Technique is served by experience.

Charles, what would be fun would be for you to repeat this kind of poll but with musicians from different times- in my case, the late 60s- I would select Jack Casady, John Entwistle, Jack Bruce and maybe Phil Lesh. Of these, who would you pick? and I think it might be time for you to collab with El Estepario Siberiano- the mind reels! Or with Mohini Dey or Federico Malaman.

Thank you Charles, also everyone for voting for Cliff. He was one of my favorite bassists and at the time was my favorite. I saw him in 84-85 and had my tickets to see them in Dec 86 in Vancouver but then getting the news of Cliff's death. I was 17 at the time and felt gutted. Master of puppets was and is my favorite Metallica album. It was their heaviest as well as best produced album. I often wonder what great songs we missed out on by losing him. I too believe the bus driver fell asleep at the wheel.

Cliff was an amazing composer. Lots of folks can play bass, but how many of them could write a metal symphony?

Growing up Jaco and James Jamerson were my favorites.. I just loved the way they both played with soo much groove. But now I’d say Charles Berthoud is by far my favorite your technique and groove is amazing and I’d say your the best I’ve ever heard at least for my ears you are number one by far!! I recently started playing again because I went through some serious depression issues and few S attempts and listening to you play inspired me to play again and it seriously has been helping me stay focused and it has helped me have something Ican enjoy unfortunately I’m disabled and can’t afford a real rig I managed to get a really terrible bass but at least I have something to play I had some really bad luck and can only afford my rent and food so I’m totally jealous of all your awesome bass’s 😅I’m not trying to be all jealous though lol😂 I just really want you to know you helped me climb out of a really dark point in my life both with your amazing bass play and your funny videos if I had money or if I ever have a little I’ll be donating I promised deaa a

Do you think you could do another bass challenge video? They're always really fun to watch and I would love to participate!

From that list, Steve Harris is the best. A unique sound and unparalleled songwriting ability in the 'metal' world.

@kmoecub

6 ай бұрын

Triplets, triplets, triplets.....good, but after 3 decades of hearing the same-same it got boring.

@jkcrawl

6 ай бұрын

​​@@kmoecubthat statement is hilariously wrong for a few reasons. One, what you're refering to aren't triplets, they're gallops. Two, that's just what they're known for because it's people's favorite riffs, but it's not remotely close of all their music. Aces High, Two minutes to midnight, Number of the Beast, Innocent exile. Moat of their songs don't use triplets or gallops. It's a reductive, ignorant statement. It's like those idiots that say Martin Scorsese only makes gangster movies even though only 4 of his 26 films were gangster movies.

@LoweCommotionStudio

6 ай бұрын

@@jkcrawl They are very repetitive though. Once you've heard 4-5 Iron Maiden songs, you've pretty much heard them all.

@klombernzx

6 ай бұрын

​@@LoweCommotionStudioBlame McBrain, dude has been same-y on the drums for as long as he's been in the band.

@yaguaraza

6 ай бұрын

Ignorance should be painful. You've been playing Maiden wrong your entire career apparently ​@kmoecub

7:30 this is how I practice Bach pieces on guitar. Some of his arpeggios and chords are extremely challenging within 1 bar itself, let alone as a piece of a broader composition. Though I do not practice with enough discipline, I try to take a measured approach when learning something new. When I was a teenager, however, I played and practiced more, but with a scattershot method. I would learn songs realtively easily, but I wouldn't understand the interconnected weave of melody, chord, timing, rhythm, etc.

Steve Harris would be my choice all day, man is a machine

Cliff Burton was not overrated. He was overQUALIFIED to be in Metallica lol

@jeffd.3290

8 ай бұрын

Hetfield’s rhythm playing and vocals in the early days were top notch. Lars and Kirk have always been meh IMO. If Hetfield and Mustaine would have gotten along, plus cliff on bass and a real drummer…that would have been even more epic.

@TroySavary

8 ай бұрын

Newsted was also overqualified fir Metallica.

@Rob_Cary

6 ай бұрын

@@jeffd.3290 I'm not even much of a Metallica fan...a bit too corporate for me..but yea James is talented.

I think they are all top bassist in the field of metal, and favorite out of a list like that is very much an emotional thing. Maiden is my all time favorite band of all time, so Harris is my favorite because of that. It’s not like one of those fluff lists where they add musicians that clearly aren’t near the level (influential/proficient) of the top tier. Also everything has to be connected to a time period. Someone like Hendrix innovated what a guitar could do (and what a rhythm section!) but today people can play circles around what he did. But he did it first. I’d love to see a list of bassists that changed the instrument. I’ve become more interested due to the great KZread bass channels that have popped up. It’s great to see positive ambassadors for it and get people excited!

@raymondo1021

8 ай бұрын

Having seen maiden many times at the marquee and music machine back in the day , Steve Harris is jaw droppingly good and still one of the best bass players of all time. Lucky to see him as a 16 year old .Great songwriter too as we know 😼

For the guy who was asking if he should be better after 5 years of playing bass- 1 reason Charles is such a good bassist is because he's an excellent musician in general. He started at age 7 playing classical piano so you can imagine the experience and knowledge he's gained over the years about music in general has been extensive- and you can hear that in his playing and writing. Just playing bass is great and it's what most bass players do but- my advice is to do some ear training, learn to read music, learn to count timing, learn to build harmonies, to build chords, learn your scales- every position- and know exactly what note you're playing at any given time. In other words- learn as much theory as you can get in your head. You do all that and you'll be shocked how much it improves your bass playing even though it has nothing to do with technical execution.

Cliff Burton was the Jimi Hendrix of metal bass players.

@MichaelMaxwell747

8 ай бұрын

I second that statement and I have often said the same

@ghoulthebraineater

8 ай бұрын

Exactly. Neither one are greats purely for technical ability. There are plenty of more technically skilled musicians since. SRV is better than Hendrix on a purely technical level. There'd simply be no SRV without Hendrix setting the template. Creating something unique is just far harder than mastering something that has already been done.

@calebfrazier7762

8 ай бұрын

@@ghoulthebraineaterboth of their careers in the bands that made them famous (Hendrix- solo, Burton- Metallica) lasted only 4 years. Both were very innovative, both left an incredible legacy, both are imitated to this day, and there hasn’t been a rock guitarist or metal bassist with the combination of creativity, innovation, talent, songwriting skills, and showmanship since.

@ghoulthebraineater

8 ай бұрын

@@calebfrazier7762 the fact they made such a mark in so little time just reinforces their greatness.

@AussieCleetus

8 ай бұрын

You mean terrible? Because that's what Hendrix was

Thanks for answering my question. I like the "simplicity" of the Schecter bass. As a long time subscriber, I don't recall you covered "fiku miku" from Bartek Krolik ? I'd love to hear your version of it... Cheers m8

I really like the classic inspired style you have. I'm not so interested in metal, but your fusion of things and combination of technics keeps my attention captured.

The guy that actually made me want to choose the bass was Mark Mendoza from Twisted Sister. I would watch their videos on MTV with a metalhead cousin of mine, who was very patient with me and explained that those deep cool notes came from an instrument called the bass. I was then amazed by Steve Harris with Iron Maiden. Then my cousin had me listen to Metallica and when I listened to Orion, I knew I was a bass player for life. Sadly, that metalhead cousin passed away a few weeks ago, he was a big influence on me becoming a bass player and metalhead. RIP and thanks for everything, man.

Ironicly, your reasons for naming Cliff the best are the reasons I name Steve Harris the best. His body of work - and lets remember he is the main songwriter in Iron Maiden - is astounding. His playing is what made ME want to pick up a Bass. Songs like 'The Trooper", "Phantom of the Opera", "The Clairvoyant", "Wrathchild"... just bkew me away. I wish we could have seen what Cliff would have done if he'd lived, but his untimely passing keeps him off the top for me. Unfair, but that's life. "Orion" is still my favorite track to jam.

@Sheepleton

7 ай бұрын

Fair and accurate statement.

@hellbenderdesign

7 ай бұрын

@@Sheepleton Burton and Harris are the only choices, both amazing, just a mater of preference.

@conormcqregor4393

7 ай бұрын

Orion interlude easily the best riff to play

@princeofbabylon4399

7 ай бұрын

Me put Steve Harris on 1st. Cliff Burton on 2nd..

@tommygalusha

7 ай бұрын

The only reading I disagree is that steves writing is SO monochromatic. Like the same fills, same lines, he’s fast sure but his musical writing is just the same on SO MANY songs

Love the bass! Thanks for giving me more reasons to buy it... When I can afford it.

Overrated? Music is about FEELING and not technical ability. Cliff wrote the guitar intro to Fight Fire With Fire and of course Orion breakdown takes us into another universe. Smoke a big fat blunt, play Orion and stare at the Orion constellation on a clear night, it will blow your mind 🤯

@TroySavary

8 ай бұрын

So you are saying to believe that Burton is best, you need to be high? Can't argue wuth tgat.

Being technically proficient is certainly something to aspire to and to respect but it's also not the only thing that makes a musician really good. How the music inspires and connects with people is super important.

Does anyone know if the Schecter website delivers to the UK? Would you have to pay any import tax?

Nightwish's live performances are a great example of having the bass as sharp and clear as the rest of the instruments but not overpowering them. I really miss Marko.

@Mercman1010

7 ай бұрын

Damn and i just commented Geddy lee as my fave bassist and I forget the best singer in nightwish lol (my favorite band)

@metalboy5150

7 ай бұрын

Excellent example, and ditto on missing Marko. The man is inimitable, a gargantuan talent. Plus he has great hair. 😂

@hazardeur

6 ай бұрын

Meshuggah - Best Example

Man, I recently just got a very nice markbass JP bass that I love and plays amazingly, but your signature bass is super tempting to order and switch out mine for (or... maybe I can just have 5 basses)

Awesome video man! I am a drummer and consequently the bass is my favorite instrument. There’s nothing like locking in with a good bass player.

Never heard brilliant piece like Orion, the bass there is crazy good and very prominent. Cliff is definitely the best one for me as well but not far after him is Harris.

I always thought when I was younger that faster music was harder. It really wasn't for me. Picking up faster songs was easier to me. It was when I started paying slower music with space is when music became more of a challenge to me.

A rock/metal bassist that doesn't get nearly enough attention is Brian Gibson of Lightning Bolt. The band is just him and Brian Chippendale on drums (and barely intelligible vocals), so he basically carries the whole melodic and harmonic components of the sound by himself, and his bass is tuned in fifths with two banjo strings on it. Probably the most creative use of the bass I've ever heard in music.

@CharlesBerthoud I want to see you doing a modern version of Yngwie Malsteen's Blue, I know he did that on guitar, but take it to the next level on Bass, please and thanks.

Well Said!!!!! Cliff was ahead of his time IMO

Wow! Video-wise you have come such a long way. I found you when you were doing meme stuff with Davie 504 and although that was amusing I stayed for the music. You have since then switched to more educational content which I really like. It takes a lot to attract an audience but even more to make them stay. Keep evolving. I am here for the ride 👍

Cheers Charles! Some great insights during this one.

What's your opinion of Ryan Martinie's style of playing with Mudvayne? Before I came across your videos, he was one of the more mind blowing players I'd ever seen.

Love your content man keep going

Cliff was an amazing musician, and also he really loved music, Orion is a huge masterpiece and people often forget what it takes to be one of the greats until you try to write music and then notice that the things the greats did aren't so easy after all, also pointing the fact that creating something new is way harder than just playing a piece that someone already created, he wasn't afraid of trying something new and confronting the people who opposed his beliefs and dreams, really a great example and inspiration, i feel like the people that say that Cliff is overrated are the same that say that Jimi was... Btw Cliff wrote the harmony section on fade to black which is just a mindblowing track, i wish i could hear it for the first time again ahah

Best bass player in metal is such a huge scope, I could never have an answer for that. There are names which come to mind though, like Al Cisneros from Sleep and Om, I absolutely adore his playing style.

I used to think Cliff was the best bassist for few years until I got into Les Claypools music, and it stays this way for many years and wont change probably. He didnt get carried by playing popular music genre at the time and I m impressed to this day how much creativity and innovation he brought into music. Some would say that his music isnt really metal... But at least for me neither Iron Maiden nor Motorhead were. My second pick would be Jared Smith from Archspire. This dude is just s beast when it comes to metal bass.

Can you make a video about strings height? The best height that allows to play every style and stuff. U rock, king!

I'm a big fan of Justin Chancellor of Tool, some of the most technical, but more importantly GROOVE, he locks into these groovy riffs that just allow 7-15 minute long songs to feel like 5 minutes because of how well it flows and locks you into the groove as well.... also have some recency bias because I just saw them two weeks ago haha would probably still be top 3 regardless

What do you think of the mudvayne bassist? This is an odd question for this video but the thought came to me when you mentioned bassist typically not being the lead.

I think lead bass is an excellent concept, and when done right, works perfectly. Think Bruford,; 5G and Joe Frazier, some of my all time favorite music.

Thank you Charles for your art and music. Keep on groovin!

Charles, I play the guitar, but I love watching your videos, man. You're awesome!

Ryan Martinie of Mudvayne and Soften the Glare is an amazing bass player and was the lead player in Mudvayne.

agree in that cliff was incredible and excellent, as a song writer, Steve Harris was and still is one of the best in metal history, he probable can be considered one of the best that ever was... idk if the best... but to me, definitely Harris is waaaay up there much more than people gave him credit.

@CharlesBerthoud

8 ай бұрын

Steve is awesome 🔥

@Alexbuildsstuffyt

8 ай бұрын

Doesn’t he do the gallop bassline

@BrainWasherAttendent

8 ай бұрын

Yeah Steve Harris would be my pick as actual greatest metal bassist, but Cliff is obviously a legend.

@geraldfriend256

8 ай бұрын

Steve is a humble monster, main writing force of Maiden. Deserves a medal for using fresh flatwounds every gig and destroying them.

I was at the memory stone the other day here in Sweden and as usual i teared up like a baby. Been there over 20 times and its the same every time 😢😢😢

Cliff Burton was already super inventive and would definitely of kept improving if he had lived. Not to mention he would if been even more appreciated if he could be heard in the mix more.

I was absolutely flabbergasted that anyone said he was overrated... if anything he's underrated and continues to be. Everything that made Metallica what it was up to the Black album was mostly written by Cliff.

@Magneticlaw

8 ай бұрын

I've read comments by a few of these delusional types - quite silly, really.

I wish you’d do a video on David Ellefson’s technique and if Hangar 18 was the hardest song ever.

Mike Flores of Origin is one of the best bassist in metal. Unlucky he's not much mentioned outside the "underground" scene.

He was the driving force behind them going from kill em all to RTL. He studied classical music.

I love your videos. John Wetton was doing Cliff Burton in 1973 in King Crimson.

personally the 1st melody I learned was sanitarium, It quickly became my warm up peace, the effect of playing the main melody over and over created an inner peace and calm, still play it like every time i pick up a bass. Cliff Burton in my opinion was untapped genius of sound but like many legends he went way too early! much love to his friends and fans who imortalise him. I wish there was more. As abassist ive nevewr really found anything like this. that sound is a terraformer of the imagination. just close yr eyes and listen!

Harris voter myself. Mainly for his songwriting skills.

I picked Cliff for metal but Lemmy always described his music as rock and roll Would like a series of you talking about bassists like you did Cliff if that's something you'd want to do 😊

One of the hardest one to play on bass is by Billy Sheehan “addicted to that rush” ( Mr Big )

Cliff has been gone for a really long time but even so, looking back he makes you really want to listen to the music he's participating in. I can't really say that about other famous bassists. Cliff was a great solo performer but also a great part of the band. He did both equally well.

@TheHighway420n

7 ай бұрын

First of all im a great bacist..not a bassist.Thats actually the bacis of this comment!So base your comments on this bacis not just being a bassist!

i no longer listen to metal or rock music but cliff had a huge impact on me when i started bass and as a bassist i still think he is one of the greatest bassists ever. he changed how bass was played and he was an amazing composer

My top 4 bass players for metal. 1. Cliff 2. Steve DiGeorgio(Death/Testament) 3. Rex Brown 4. Geezer Butler

Geezer!

This video gives me a lot of thoughts about what defines a great bassist, or maybe I should say what bassists do that makes me feel like I'm hearing great music. The only thing I can come up with to answer that question in every case is that great bass perfectly expresses its part of the music being played. I think about Michael Anthony, the original bassist in one of the greatest hard rock bands ever, Van Halen. On most of their songs most of the time, Michael played simple, throbbing root notes, and was perfect for what the band was doing. I think about Les Claypool, the bandleader, frontman, and principle songwriter of Primus. Primus is a power trio. Les Plays crazy stuff on the bass that no one else would think to play. And Primus songs always have a wild guitar solo and some great moments on the drums. That's because Primus isn't only Les Claypool. I think about a couple of lesser-known bands fronted by bassists that I've seen live. Both were two-piece bands: just a drummer and a singer/bassist. One played jazz. Their standout song was Caravan. Their sound was rather stripped down, simple, powerful, with mostly repeating rhythm figures on the bass. Hypnotic grooves made the perfect platform for lovely, soaring vocal melodies. The other 2-piece outfit I'm thinking of was definite hardcore metal, get this *without guitar*. I saw them play at an underground party, and they rocked SO HARD. Fast fingers, doing interesting things with a bass line, bass solos, technical perfection, etc. are all great things. But I'm not objective about music. I just like what I like. AHEM. Bobby Trujillo is great for Metallica. He very dependably and passionately plays what the band needs to accompany the greatness of the other 3 members of the band. Cliff Burton was perhaps a much more skillful bassist. Those who say Cliff is the best metal bassist ever have made a very fair assessment of his talent. But Metallica isn't a metal band. They play Thrash. Great songs, high speed, and extreme tightness are the key elements. If you're a great bassist, you make your band sound great. That's the Bottom Line. Now go play!

I do really think I agree: especially considering the skills from competitors More so if coming from jazz/funk/fusion and black music in general… and even more so back then when he was playin too

Great opinions man, love your channel!

I'd love to see your 'if-it-was-the-most-difficult-song-in-the-world'-take on Rock&Roll Hoochie Coo by Rick Derringer, the bass line in that song is dope

Cliff is my all time favorite, but i started playing guitar in 1988, after seeing steve vai in the david Lee roth band, so i got heavily into him and the bass players that i began to like from his influence was Billy Sheehan and stu (stuart) Ham, what do you think of these bassist (at least for there time)

Great advice on breaking things down into small chunks to learn.

Dan Briggs from Between the Buried and Me, and Joe Lester from Intronaut

Charles thank you for motivation

There is a noticeable and distinct difference in the way Metallica wrote their songs after Cliff died. Especially after And Justice for all. The song "One" was the last song Metalica wrote that was in that style. Many of their early music told epic stories. Much like Classical music. Those days are now long gone.

@js9446

7 ай бұрын

yes !

Those first viewings of Cliff em All on VHS changed me forever. Got a bass the very next Christmas.

Fascinating experiencing listening to you work that bass.

I DEMAND YOU BATTLE DANNY SAPKO! FINGER BASS VS SLAP!

I'd have to say my favorite right now is Les Claypool. He just does stuff no one else does and is very innovative and entertaining.

@theJohnGaltLine

8 ай бұрын

Les is my all-time favorite bassist without question. However, this was for best (or as Charles indicates in this video) favorite metal bassist. Les/Primus is not in the metal genre. He's in the Les Claypool genre.

@BlizzAz

8 ай бұрын

@@theJohnGaltLine He IS in a league all his own, for sure.

So many great bassist. I'd have to say my top 2 would be Justin chancellor and nolly getgood.

I think my favorite as far as influence in metal would be Steve DiGirgio. He brought fretless bass into extreme metal

Fan of yours and admire your channel . Keep it up.. Now, been a metal fan all of my life. Actually met cliff and metallica in shades records in 1985 getting his autograph( and rest of band ). They were late . I asked cliff any tips for bass" get a phaser" With cliff, his sound seems to be from standard guitar effects as bass effects weren't as common back then. Anyway, ultimate metal bass player imho is Billy Sheehan . However, his bass sound at the mr big gig at hammy o was awful. He does have his unique 'sound' 😼

Why does your t shirt bass have 4 tuning knobs but only 3 pegs?

@christopherharris3229

8 ай бұрын

Magic

Im not a bassist and also didn't see the poll. I don't actually understand what makes a good bassist. But there is something about "Ryan Martinie" (mudvayne bassist) playing that I enjoy so much. It's just..... Heavy! Maybe i can say, heavy and beautiful. It may not be technically (I can't tell what is), but i just like the sound. Maybe it's the tone? The technique maybe?

while talking about Cliff, he was playing a Rickenbacker in the vid behind you. i've never seen you play a rick. do you have one?

That Remastered Kill ‘Em All is a real Bass treat to hear, I listen to it often ❤️❤️❤️