Do You Consider Duff as One of the Best Bass Players?

[MyPrettyTiedUpMichelle]

24 minutes ago, soon said:

Id like to think that theres a reverence for Duff and thats why its the Tommy thread that was quickly derailed about peripheral stuff, making it longer.

Duffs baselines are so well crafted and executed that they seem basic.  Not so: his playing on Guns albums is the perfection of rock n roll bass.  His style embraces the earliest rock forms right through newer forms, up to the date he recorded his last lines with Guns.  He anchors groove and boogie while also being the most melodic of rock bassists. That plus his signature bass intros to many of the tunes are absolutely exquisite and properly communicate "you think this is awesome so far? You have no idea whats about to happen to you!"

Duff says that he really has to concentrate on the intro to SCOM.  He said it's actually the song that, if he doesn't concentrate, he's mostly likely to fuck up.  When I listen to that song, I don't hear anything complicated?  Do you know what he means?

[Towelie]

Let's face it, the bass is hardly a difficult instrument to play. A chimp could learn most bass parts in the GNR catalogue. Unless you're Larry Graham, Flea or Bootsy Collins, then I wouldn't say any bass player is underrated.

[Nicklord]

Not about Duff but just wanted to say that I always loved Krist Novoselic from Nirvana. His basslines were usually simple but they had so much punch in them

[MyPrettyTiedUpMichelle]

7 minutes ago, Towelie said:

Let's face it, the bass is hardly a difficult instrument to play. A chimp could learn most bass parts in the GNR catalogue. Unless you're Larry Graham, Flea or Bootsy Collins, then I wouldn't say any bass player is underrated.

No dolphin for you mate.  No dolphin.

[Sosso]

11 minutes ago, Towelie said:

Let's face it, the bass is hardly a difficult instrument to play. A chimp could learn most bass parts in the GNR catalogue. Unless you're Larry Graham, Flea or Bootsy Collins, then I wouldn't say any bass player is underrated.

Have you had a bass guitar in your hand? I'm a bassist and I disagree with everything you said.

Edited November 3, 2017 by Sosso

[DieselDaisy]

10 minutes ago, Towelie said:

Let's face it, the bass is hardly a difficult instrument to play. A chimp could learn most bass parts in the GNR catalogue. Unless you're Larry Graham, Flea or Bootsy Collins, then I wouldn't say any bass player is underrated.

When you're forming a band at school or later it is always the non-musical mate who has been drafted in to fill the vacancy? You know, the one friend who doesn't play an instrument. Singers and guitarists get all the attention while drummers get to bash things, but the bassist is always the nerd in the corner. 

Edited November 3, 2017 by DieselDaisy

[soon]

29 minutes ago, MyPrettyTiedUpMichelle said:

Duff says that he really has to concentrate on the intro to SCOM.  He said it's actually the song that, if he doesn't concentrate, he's mostly likely to fuck up.  When I listen to that song, I don't hear anything complicated?  Do you know what he means?

Did he say that once sober - because he used to screw that one up all the time on UYI tours?  Its nothing too challenging for a professional player, but it is a nice and (for rock) intricate part.  It's basically a lead guitar type melody that would be different than what he plays for most of a show.  Requires a different type of finesse.  I think most of us would play the the notes if we practiced hard, but that Duff does manage to put in a really nice musicality to it.  In the second bar (and a variation in the 3rd bar) of his intro theres a really tasty descending line (echoed on Fall to Pieces a bit by guitar during the riff), thats a bit tricky in the way it quickly moves between positions but needs to be smoothy delivered as one flowing line.  For a rock bassist thats not a commonly required skill.  Plus having to juggle focus on that with smiling and dancing for audience and remembering where and when pyro happens must make it difficult too.

(sometimes I think you must be an expert musician but just like to hear other p.o.v's, haha.  But maybe you're a really gifted listener. )

Edited November 3, 2017 by soon

[MyPrettyTiedUpMichelle]

36 minutes ago, soon said:

Did he say that once sober - because he used to screw that one up all the time on UYI tours?  Its nothing too challenging for a professional player, but it is a nice and (for rock) intricate part.  It's basically a lead guitar type melody that would be different than what he plays for most of a show.  Requires a different type of finesse.  I think most of us would play the the notes if we practiced hard, but that Duff does manage to put in a really nice musicality to it.  In the second bar of his intro theres a really tasty descending line (echoed on Fall to Pieces a bit by guitar during the riff), thats a bit tricky in the way it quickly moves between positions but needs to be smoothy delivered as one flowing line.  For a rock bassist thats not a commonly required skill.  Plus having to juggle focus on that with smiling and dancing for audience and remembering where and when pyro happens must make it difficult too.

(sometimes I think you must be an expert musician but just like to hear other p.o.v's, haha.  But maybe you're a really gifted listener. )

Thanks for the explanation!  I guarantee you I am not a muso of any description.  Only musical instrument I ever got near was the recorder and even as a child I couldn't stand the sound of the wretched thing.  

Duff said it on one of the podcasts earlier in the tour so most definitely sober! LOL  Now that you mention it, he was referencing the smiling/dancing/giraffing about (he didn't say giraffing, that's what WT calls what he does) in relation to that, so I guess that's what he meant by having to focus on that intro.

[triad]

This guy   also plays bass.  

He goes crazy at about 2:15.  It's like the video is sped up; his fingers are flying!

[soon]

9 minutes ago, MyPrettyTiedUpMichelle said:

Thanks for the explanation!  I guarantee you I am not a muso of any description.  Only musical instrument I ever got near was the recorder and even as a child I couldn't stand the sound of the wretched thing.  

Duff said it on one of the podcasts earlier in the tour so most definitely sober! LOL  Now that you mention it, he was referencing the smiling/dancing/giraffing about (he didn't say giraffing, that's what WT calls what he does) in relation to that, so I guess that's what he meant by having to focus on that intro.

Giraffing - I love it!  My fav is the backwards shin kick 

Uh oh, sounds like he was being cliche bassist, basically: "thats the one part where I have to pay attention as much as the rest of the players do all night"

[Gackt]

Claiming Duff is a top bass player when people like Les Claypool, Geddy Lee, Bootsy Collins exist?  While we're on the subject of slap bass..

 

Edited November 4, 2017 by Gackt

[soon]

15 minutes ago, Gackt said:

Claiming Duff is a top bass player when people like Les Claypool, Geddy Lee, Bootsy Collins exist?  

 

I think we, but certainly for myself, are speaking about rock in the sense of rock n roll?  Funk, fusion and prog are kinda understood in their own right, no?

Brain was playing in Primus with Les Claypool prior to Guns.  When invited to join GNR he mused 'I don't know if I want to play rock'

"Then Bucket [called to say], 'Hey, Josh is leaving. Do you want to come and play?' I was like, 'Ah, I don't know. That sounds kinda cool, I guess...  [But,] in my mind, I was like, 'I don't know if I want to play rock'." (Brain, I'd Hit That, 02/15)

From Chinese Whisper under the Brain Shreds section: http://www.gnrevolution.com/viewtopic.php?pid=55597#p55597

[Gackt]

3 minutes ago, soon said:

I think we, but certainly for myself, are speaking about rock in the sense of rock n roll?  Funk, fusion and prog are kinda understood in their own right, no?

Brain was playing in Primus with Les Claypool prior to Guns.  When invited to join GNR he mused 'I don't know if I want to play rock'

"Then Bucket [called to say], 'Hey, Josh is leaving. Do you want to come and play?' I was like, 'Ah, I don't know. That sounds kinda cool, I guess...  [But,] in my mind, I was like, 'I don't know if I want to play rock'." (Brain, I'd Hit That, 02/15)

From Chinese Whisper under the Brain Shreds section: http://www.gnrevolution.com/viewtopic.php?pid=55597#p55597

If we're going for strictly "rawk" bassists, players like John Paul Jones, Colin Greenwood, even Paul McCartney have to top the conversation for not only being good but also being innovative in their performances

[Pishy]

1 hour ago, Towelie said:

Let's face it, the bass is hardly a difficult instrument to play. A chimp could learn most bass parts in the GNR catalogue. Unless you're Larry Graham, Flea or Bootsy Collins, then I wouldn't say any bass player is underrated.

Agree with your list but would add John Paul Jones and John Deacon. Deacon was an outstanding writer as well.

[soon]

5 minutes ago, Gackt said:

If we're going for strictly "rawk" bassists, players like John Paul Jones, Colin Greenwood, even Paul McCartney have to top the conversation for not only being good but also being innovative in their performances

Nice choices!  I hate the Beatles, but still gotta hand it to the guy.  Great call with Greenwood - I love his playing but tend to forget him in a list like this.

After I posted I realized that the thread title does indeed just say "best bassist" and I guess the conversation just tended to go with... 'in rock', or maybe that was just me? So I wanted to acknowledge that.

I'll go with Tal Wilkenfield, Victor Wooten, Steve Swallow and this jazz creep I used to book but whose name escapes me 

[Chunder Monkey]

It's sort of like Izzy.

Does Izzy have Steve Vai chops? No. But was what Izzy played really important for the GNR sound and a key part of the whole process of those albums? Yep.

Duff doesn't have virtuoso chops by a long way, but he does have a particular sound and brings set of influences to GNR that has been a key part of the music.

He's important to the band.

Personally I miss Duff's chemistry with Matt. I think in UYI GNR and even more in VR (because they were sober) they made a formidable rhythm unit.

[Pishy]

Never, compare Duff to Izzy

yes, duff is a great fit for GnR, it took all 5. But let's not get carried away here, Izzy is a great writer and player and made Guns. 

[bigpoop]

Not one of the very best but better than he gets credit for. As has been said,  he is solid, has great tone and comes up with memorable parts. And really, what else is he supposed to to besides that? That's the gig.

 

[Mendez]

10 hours ago, MyPrettyTiedUpMichelle said:

Duff says that he really has to concentrate on the intro to SCOM.  He said it's actually the song that, if he doesn't concentrate, he's mostly likely to fuck up.  When I listen to that song, I don't hear anything complicated?  Do you know what he means?

I think he meant that he absolutely cannot fuck that bassline intro up because it is completely audible at that momeny in the song and its melody is by now someething engrained in everyones head. Its a spotlight moment that everyone knows 

[MyPrettyTiedUpMichelle]

1 hour ago, bigpoop said:

Not one of the very best but better than he gets credit for. As has been said,  he is solid, has great tone and comes up with memorable parts. And really, what else is he supposed to to besides that? That's the gig.

 

Exactly.  He gets overlooked all the time, yet it's Duff's bass lines that help make so many GNR songs memorable and if you took them away, the songs wouldn't sound the same at all.  The role of bass in general gets overlooked, probably because people don't 'have an ear' for bass.  People quite often aren't even aware of it; all they listen out for is guitar.  

I must admit, I can't tell a good drummer from a bad drummer.   They all sound the same to me.  I can't hear the 'swing' that Adler adds to GNR.  Sometimes what I hear from Frank doesn't come over well but I can't identify why.  

[MyPrettyTiedUpMichelle]

1 hour ago, Mendez said:

I think he meant that he absolutely cannot fuck that bassline intro up because it is completely audible at that momeny in the song and its melody is by now someething engrained in everyones head. Its a spotlight moment that everyone knows 

Good point, yeah, that's probably what he was alluding to...all ears are on that intro and even if people don't pay attention to the bass they'd probably notice if he didn't get it right.

[SoundOfAGun]

Duff has laid down some great bass parts for GN'R, he is nowhere near the technical level of some of bass players mentioned in this thread, but Guns has never really needed that IMO. I would agree he is the best bass player in GN'R and his bass TONE is fucking killer! 

[soon]

Its all about the chorus pedal and lots of treble 

[ludurigan]

i had a lot of respect for Duff Dough until the day he joined Guns n Roses Axl's band for the NITL Poor and Roses tour and accepted taking part in this glorious disgusting fake reunion that left Izzy and Steven out

[Guitto]

I love Duff, very good on playing and a great guy. He really fits nicely on GNR, and i think Chinese Democracy songs are better with him! His tone is absolutely awesome on that songs! Also, I think it's his stage presence is great! I've watched them here in Brazil, on November 8 and Duff has a great presence and charisma on stage.