Best of 2017: The Top 10 Reader Favorite Bass Videos

1. Yes with Geddy Lee: Roundabout, Live

There were rumors flying for the past month that Rush bassist Geddy Lee would be filling in for the late Chris Squire at Yes’s induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Luckily, the rumors were true. Though this fan-shot clip is a little muddy, it captures the historic moment and its excitement…

2. Nine Inch Nails, featuring Pino Palladino: Sanctified

One thing that never ceases to amaze me is Pino Palladino’s insane versatility. He’s played with The Who, John Mayer, D’Angelo, Paul Simon, Oleta Adams and more. Here’s a great clip of the bassist bringing his slick fretless chops to Nine Inch Nails on the song “Sanctified.” It’s the perfect groove for the industrial-tinged song…

3. The Other Brothers: Joe Dart’s Isolated Bass on “Boogie On Reggae Woman”

The Other Brothers guitarist John Morrison shared this clip with us after having Vulfpeck’s Joe Dart sit in with them on a performance of Stevie Wonder’s “Boogie On Reggae Woman.” They recorded the performance and isolated Dart’s bass from the rest of the band…

4. Marcus Miller: How To Improvise a Solo

After getting the ability to groove under their fingers, many bassists struggle to learn how to take a solo. Luckily one of the greatest bassists ever is here to give you some tips. Marcus Miller sat down to make this video lesson for the Montreux Jazz Academy, which is affiliated with the annual jazz festival….

5. Les Paul with Carol Kaye: Live at The Iridium

Chris Lentz shared this gem of a video, which features a live performance of Les Paul, Lou Pallo, Paul Nowinski, Dave Haywood, and Carol Kaye performing at the Iridium on January 31st, 2000. Dig Carol’s sweet solo!

6. Black Sabbath: Sweet Leaf (Geezer Butler’s Isolated Bass)

Bass legend Geezer Butler turned 68 years old in July, and we celebrated with a killer isolated bass track from one of my favorite Black Sabbath songs: “Sweet Leaf.” It’s the opening track from 1971 album, Master of Reality, and besides being a heavy song, it’s a great example of Butler’s style…

7. Jeff Berlin: Shenandoah

Jeff Berlin recently shared this video on Facebook, and it knocked me out. “While filming some lesson videos, I decided to improvise a rendition of the American classic, ‘Shenandoah,’” he shared. “Recently, I’ve been improvising tunes on the bass that I know in my head but haven’t worked out…”

8. Justin Chancellor: How to Play Tool’s “Aenima”

Tool’s music has lots of great qualities, but we all know the bass lines are always the best. Luckily, bassist Justin Chancellor sat down with France’s Bassiste Magazine to show how to play the classic track “Aenima.” He also talks about how the beat works to help you feel it out. Time to practice!

9. Frank Zappa: Black Napkins (Live, 1977)

Frank Zappa’s 1977 performance at the Palladium Theater offered up some incredible concert footage. This remastered video of “Black Napkins” shows the band in top form. The line up included Patrick O’Hearn on bass, Terry Bozzio on drums, Adrian Belew on guitar, Ed Mann on percussion, and Tommy Mars and Peter Wolf on keys…

10. Ron Blair: Recording The Bass on Tom Petty’s “American Girl”

Ever since Tom Petty passed away, I’ve been watching tons of his videos on YouTube. There are tons of great performances, but this Reverb.com interview with Heartbreakers bassist Ron Blair stuck out. Blair talks about how they figured out the melodic bass line to “American Girl” from the band’s self-titled debut…