Tony Senatore: Shapla

Tony Senatore is a 12-string bass expert, which is why he released his DVD, A 12-string Bass X-ploration several years ago. Diving into lessons on how to utilize the instrument in bass and melodic functions, the footage also includes three music videos. Senatore recently released one of the music videos for “Shapla,” and it’s a beast.

The song is a nine-minute Beatles medley that Senatore calls the highlight of the DVD. “I lay down a bed track of fretted 12-string bass that is the focal point, followed by a track of fretless 12-string bass which duplicates various string and melody lines, followed by a track of four string bass that ties together all the loose ends,” he explains.

Behold the mighty 12-string bass:

[edit: A previous version of this article mistakenly credited Percy Jones. He is featured on the other two songs on Senatore’s DVD, but not “Shapla.”]