'Sir Duke' - The MUST KNOW Bass Unison Line

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  • Опубліковано 2 чер 2024
  • Lesson Material available here: bit.ly/2R13zox
    This week we're looking at one of the most popular unison bass lines in the shape of the instrumental section from Sir Duke by Stevie Wonder (played by Nate Watts)
    I learned this line many, many years ago but recently realised the original line is quite different from how I played it. So in this lesson I'll give you some tips on how to learn long unison lines and sound a little more like the original Nate version.
    #talkingbass #steviewonder #basslines
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КОМЕНТАРІ • 198

  • @talkingbasslessons
    @talkingbasslessons  5 років тому +26

    Here's the isolated bass track for anyone wondering where I heard it ua-cam.com/video/VSw0hPwhAck/v-deo.html

    • @rijazaidi8045
      @rijazaidi8045 5 років тому +2

      it says the video is unavailable :(

    • @TommyGBassChannel
      @TommyGBassChannel 4 роки тому +2

      @@rijazaidi8045 here a back track (without bass) ua-cam.com/video/U4kk0pAGhjo/v-deo.html

    • @alessandrorigobello7551
      @alessandrorigobello7551 4 роки тому

      Not available

    • @RitchieRosson
      @RitchieRosson 4 роки тому

      Gone! : ( There is this version without bass.

    • @skrankle66
      @skrankle66 3 роки тому

      Nice work and cool accent 👌

  • @kahwigulum
    @kahwigulum 5 років тому +104

    1st Section 2:03
    2nd Section 7:56
    3rd A Section 10:09 | 3rd B Section 12:50
    4th Section 14:38
    80bpm backing track 17:19
    90bpm backing track 18:04
    107 bpm backing track 19:01

  • @9thchild358
    @9thchild358 5 років тому +94

    I got the line down pretty good, but I wouldn't be surprised if it took me years if not the rest of my life to get it as fast as it is in the recording.

    • @cx.ohnokiiii7501
      @cx.ohnokiiii7501 Рік тому

      Sorry to ask but how old are you? Not meant to be rude

    • @ColtondLewis
      @ColtondLewis 11 місяців тому +1

      Thinking too much practice everyday and you’ll get there quicker than you thought

    • @cx.ohnokiiii7501
      @cx.ohnokiiii7501 10 місяців тому

      @@hinglemckringleberry7372 okay mckringleberry

    • @bobbypadilla4641
      @bobbypadilla4641 2 місяці тому

      You can do it!

  • @DrGregC
    @DrGregC 4 роки тому +52

    Simply a great bass lesson. Perfect amount of information and delivered in an easy to understand manner. I didn't know where to begin and now I can play this classic riff. Thanks!

    • @scottpustilnick5887
      @scottpustilnick5887 2 роки тому +2

      Agreed. I never sat down and tried this until today. This video was perfect. Killer line and super fun. Thanks

  • @cezaralopes
    @cezaralopes 2 дні тому

    I’ve watched your lesson a couple of months ago and I didn’t know how to start doing this. Coming back now and feeling comfortable to try it after huge help from you and other generous bass players.
    Thanks for sharing

  • @woofy548
    @woofy548 Рік тому +3

    Learning this song now. Just started playing with my son. Never played an instrument in my life, but we've both signed up for lessons, and he's playing guitar and Im on the bass. So much fun.

    • @onezerosevensix
      @onezerosevensix Рік тому +1

      Any updates? This comment is heartwarming and im glad you and your son have such a great way to connect

    • @omg_wtf
      @omg_wtf Рік тому +1

      Beautiful man! Stick with it, life is better with bass

  • @sylart57
    @sylart57 4 роки тому +5

    OMGGGEEEEEEEEE!!!!! I've been waiting for someone to post this lesson!!! I've been wanting it since forever!!!! I can hardly wait to get started on it!!!! KUDOS TO YOU FOR THIS POST!!!!!!

  • @davidzedner4286
    @davidzedner4286 4 роки тому +5

    Thanks to this fantastic lesson I was able to learn this today! I loved how you broke it down with frets, notes and played it much slower. Well done!

  • @amusicveteran
    @amusicveteran Рік тому +4

    Excellent lesson. Your explanation was concise, clear and coherent! Your suggestion for a swing feel opened up the lines for me as I always knew I was not playing it precisely like the recordings. Thank you.

  • @mfsbrz
    @mfsbrz 5 років тому +5

    Whoa! It took me almost a month to learn this line from a transcription I've found on a bass magazine. The fingering was diferent and omitted the swung sixtheenths. This fingering makes more sense and feels great to play. Great lesson, Mark! Thank you!

  • @TGBassTutor
    @TGBassTutor 5 років тому +3

    Been playing bass for over 15 years and never gone round to learning this unless this week, thanks to one of my students - your lesson is fantastic!

  • @kevincharlton5236
    @kevincharlton5236 3 роки тому +1

    I'd like to thank you for breaking this down , I've overplayed it for years and I was doing the same thing you were doing that you pointed out , loving your videos , thanks again

  • @RobTebaldi
    @RobTebaldi 5 років тому

    Mark- Thanks for breaking this down properly. I’m kind of stubborn and had been really trying to learn it old school straight off the record but my ears kept playing with me. (Adding those ghost notes and missing notes etc) so I finally gave in and came to UA-cam and yours was the second or third video I clicked and the only one who truly breaks it down thoroughly. So again THANK YOU!!!

  • @fredjansohn8888
    @fredjansohn8888 3 роки тому +5

    Hi Mark, this is probably the most challenging piece (for me given my technical level) I have yet tackled. But your lesson was a tremendous guide, and incentive, to give it a go, and I'm getting there with thanks to your step-by-step approach. I am getting closer and closer to playing it at speed. Thanks so much for the lesson and the incentive. Cheers, Fred Jansohn

  • @richardbuckner8779
    @richardbuckner8779 4 роки тому

    Once again, such a pedagogue. I had 20 minutes+ to spend, decided for practising bass, and -Osanna !- found your video. I enjoy spending time with you. Thank you very much.

  • @edwinengelbrecht3377
    @edwinengelbrecht3377 5 років тому

    Thanks Mark. This opened this riff to me. I played this years ago (way before U tube) learnt on 4 track cassette. Now I have the CORRECT way to play this Classic bass riff. Great stuff !!!

  • @viddev1442
    @viddev1442 5 років тому +2

    Super awesome lick!
    I've been practicing this for a long time and only recently have I gotten it up to speed! I always felt frustrated and didn't know why I wasn't able to improve the speed until I started practicing more right hand technique. I realized that it was my right hand that couldn't play the notes fast enough - in particular the string skipping. So after I started with some right hand technique exercises I slowed the BPM down and practiced it slowly, forcing myself to play all the notes with my right hand (no hammer-ons) and sure eough I was slowly able to bring it up to full speed!
    I also spent quite some time figuring out what fingering worked best for me, especially in bars 4-6. There are a lot of different possibilities of where you can change strings or continue decsending on the same string and it was very satisfying when I finally found decided what woked best for me.
    And funny: I, too, have always also put in those extra notes in the beginning. And bar 2 I've always played in the lower octave instead of in the higher one.
    Anyway, thanks a lot for going through this so thoroughly. I look forward to your next lesson. P.S. Are you using flatwound strings?

  • @luvtogroove
    @luvtogroove 4 місяці тому

    Went through a few of the online tutorials.that last little section stumped me.Until I found your tutorial.Informative,and precisely the right amount of info.Done in the right way...especially breaking down that last tricky section.Your a life saver.It was giving me no end
    of frustration.Thx again m8, from a new subscriber .

  • @Ryteeo
    @Ryteeo 11 місяців тому

    God Bless You for posting this lesson. I picked up a gig (this coming Sunday) with a Horn Band and this was one I've NEVER played. Glad you made it understandable with the 4 parts to the break riff. I learned I Wish when it came out (1976), but Sir Duke looked tedious for a young Bass player and UA-cam wasn't invented yet! Thank You Again.

  • @juliosilvacordova2500
    @juliosilvacordova2500 2 роки тому +1

    Man, WHAT A LESSON!!!! Not only because of the line, also for the method you used. Thank you!!!!

  • @philgee5220
    @philgee5220 5 років тому +3

    Another master class to a classic bass line, thanks Mark

  • @STgA97
    @STgA97 5 років тому +2

    Mark you're the absolute best! I've been watching your lessons since I started playing bass and you have no idea how thankful I am for this content. Keep it up!

  • @serggusak
    @serggusak Рік тому

    Great lesson, Mark. You are the only person on UA-cam that I found so far who plays it correctly. Everyone else plays it straight.

  • @vlobster7660
    @vlobster7660 4 роки тому

    I like the detail that you go in to and the information you impart.Always very interesting.

  • @uschickens1
    @uschickens1 4 роки тому +4

    Fantastic! You break it down perfectly, sections to practice, frets and strings, great pace to the video. Honestly, I heard this and as a novice I was intimidated, but you made it easy and my family actually recognized it when I played it!

  • @AkashiXI
    @AkashiXI Рік тому +2

    Started bass about 5 months ago, covered a few songs so far and I just picked this one up last week... man what a doozy. The ghost notes are so hard for me to be consistent on

  • @kingslaphappy1533
    @kingslaphappy1533 5 років тому +2

    Another great lesson, thank you.

  • @stevephilips4324
    @stevephilips4324 4 роки тому

    Thanks a lot for this. It's sounding better every time I play it thanks to you tips.

  • @bassdaze
    @bassdaze 4 роки тому

    so glad i found your channel this is inspiration to get back into playing...One thing I wish people didnt do is call out what string its on, call out the frets and let the student train by ear to figure what string..

  • @jeffpeters5297
    @jeffpeters5297 8 місяців тому

    BEST lesson ever for Sir Duke. Thank you so much.

  • @charliebass38
    @charliebass38 2 роки тому +1

    Mark you are a Great Master and Bass Player!!!. The difficult you make it very simple. Thanks Mark !

  • @chrispolo02
    @chrispolo02 5 років тому

    Amazing video. Was very confused by this bass line but your explanation made it a breeze!

  • @russellburnham298
    @russellburnham298 5 років тому +10

    Excellent timing Mark. I was practicing this literally half an hour ago.

  • @thevivettes
    @thevivettes 24 дні тому

    Excellent video tutorial! Very helpful thanks

  • @jazzwithmaz
    @jazzwithmaz 3 роки тому

    Thanks Mark for breaking this great track down and making it easy for me to learn I feel like a session musician (I wished) many thanks 🙏

  • @pauljacques2278
    @pauljacques2278 5 років тому +1

    Great lesson. Thanks for making something that sounds super tricky really easy to play.

  • @geneciccone4196
    @geneciccone4196 2 роки тому

    Excellently laid out instruction! TY!

  • @marcgauvreau2663
    @marcgauvreau2663 3 роки тому

    Thank you very much...you are a great 'patient' teacher; methodical; encouraging and fun!

  • @rgaino
    @rgaino 3 роки тому

    I am finally learning this song and that's thanks to you, thank you so much for this video.

  • @r1reign
    @r1reign 4 роки тому

    Thanks for the awesome lesson!

  • @grizelda4526
    @grizelda4526 5 років тому

    This was so much fun to work on this weekend. Ty

  • @tutorialboleros7579
    @tutorialboleros7579 4 роки тому

    Gracias man, excelente tutorial 🎸🎶

  • @jamesleonard322
    @jamesleonard322 Рік тому

    This is very helpful. Thank You.

  • @vittorio5062
    @vittorio5062 3 роки тому

    Thank you for this video: so well done and helpfully!

  • @lemuelcrump7747
    @lemuelcrump7747 4 роки тому +2

    Mark you are awesome; one of my good friends tried to teach me how to play that bridge from Sir Duke in 1979. He nailed it; but, I didn't think I could do it. I was wrong to think so negative of myself. You broke it down nice; and, you made it easy for me to learn. Now I just have to keep rehearsing it so I can get to 107 bom. Thank you much Mark.

    • @carltongregory3556
      @carltongregory3556 4 роки тому +1

      Hi Lemuel I was intimated by this bass line until this lesson, whilst I am not perfect yet, I must tell you once you have learnt it through like you you can begin to call yourselves a Bass player.

  • @MyNameIsRich
    @MyNameIsRich 3 роки тому

    A great lesson, many thanks!

  • @theodorekorbos2804
    @theodorekorbos2804 4 роки тому

    Good morning sir I just really wanted to say thank you very much for the sheet music. I'm learning how to transcribe and what you doing for me is is helping me out a great deal so thank you again Teddy korbos

  • @byronhedghill2570
    @byronhedghill2570 10 місяців тому

    Mr mark i love the way teach u really work it for our understanding .im fr jamaica

  • @simonwhitmorebass
    @simonwhitmorebass 4 роки тому

    Nice clem and clear. Also liked the tip about sliding on the A from 4 to 11 in the first section. I was plying it the way you used to play it also.

  • @matthewroberts7986
    @matthewroberts7986 4 роки тому

    This is my favourite song and I entrusted this guy to help me learn it, best decision of my life rn

  • @adrianchineaamoros3230
    @adrianchineaamoros3230 Рік тому

    great video Sr. Thank you so much

  • @markbass354
    @markbass354 4 роки тому

    great bass line Mark , much thanks

  • @69goldi
    @69goldi 5 років тому

    Nice..I'm a guitarist who dabbles in bass a bit.. love lessons like this .. good job

  • @jorgeavelar3205
    @jorgeavelar3205 5 років тому

    Fantastic!
    As always.

  • @grady9752
    @grady9752 3 роки тому +7

    And now we know why Nate Watts has been Stevie's band leader for all these years! Look at the rest of us trying to sound funky. Nathan Watts IS funky!

  • @jodyhendrix5876
    @jodyhendrix5876 5 років тому +1

    Great video, thanks!

  • @gillesw8953
    @gillesw8953 2 роки тому

    Professional tutorial. serious work. like it. thanks

  • @Musicman914
    @Musicman914 Рік тому

    Another fantastic tutorial thank you.

  • @jesseperez9160
    @jesseperez9160 5 років тому

    Thank you great breakdown.

  • @tonyd8454
    @tonyd8454 5 років тому

    GREAT DESCRIPTION AND HELP.

  • @dougtyrer626
    @dougtyrer626 5 років тому

    Awesome thanks Mark

  • @gavinhobbs3831
    @gavinhobbs3831 4 роки тому

    Nailed it , finely. Great tutorial thank you.

  • @colinbright
    @colinbright 5 років тому

    Thanks man! Great tutorial

  • @MalephicBass
    @MalephicBass 5 років тому +1

    Great video!

  • @anthonythompson4639
    @anthonythompson4639 2 роки тому

    VERY WELL DONE!

  • @Nugmania1
    @Nugmania1 7 місяців тому

    Wicked lesson, anytime you have to follow a horn line, it’s always tough.
    If you starting out, I would recommend that tackle the matching horn line in the tune Superstition, not to dissuade any one from diving into this. Again great tutorial

  • @StevenEspaniola
    @StevenEspaniola 3 роки тому

    Best tutorial yet!!

  • @johnhelgason7838
    @johnhelgason7838 4 роки тому

    Great lesson. I've been struggling for two weeks to learn this. This is a big help. I like how you break it into sections and give both the notes and frets. Thanks.

  • @wilsonmillerjr9817
    @wilsonmillerjr9817 2 роки тому

    Excellent Teaching Fam ✌🏿

  • @pauloftarsus8145
    @pauloftarsus8145 3 роки тому +1

    oh, cant wait to learn this.

  • @paultraynorbsc627
    @paultraynorbsc627 5 років тому

    Thanks for posting

  • @violetgumibear
    @violetgumibear 2 роки тому

    I was getting so ready to take an hour or two out of my day for the last section of the song, after having practiced the first 3 parts for a while.The pain I felt when I realized how easy it was, was something else.

  • @Musicman914
    @Musicman914 5 років тому

    Wow ▪▪ mind melting stuff for sure the tabs were a great help thank you. ..

  • @mortennecrolust7148
    @mortennecrolust7148 7 місяців тому

    Mark, thank you so much for this. I will definetely go to talkingbass and sign up for a course or two. So much great content for free already. So throwing a bit of cash your way seems fair.

  • @Diispaceyone
    @Diispaceyone 5 років тому

    good shit dude that was so clean

  • @badpixels_
    @badpixels_ 5 років тому +1

    sounds great

  • @bobwright663
    @bobwright663 5 років тому

    Eh Mark been working on this but it's been a real challenge just got to get it all together properly....but as you say been working it out in bite size bits getting there a work in progress...great lesson by the way

  • @alexr7856
    @alexr7856 5 років тому +1

    Can we see your hole entire bass collection!? :) great vid

  • @dr.crypto6891
    @dr.crypto6891 3 роки тому

    The best breakdown of this "must know" bassline I have found!
    Cheers and Thanks!

  • @CalebMaSmith
    @CalebMaSmith 2 роки тому +1

    Learned this riff in two hours. Nonstop practice for five years can take you far

  • @0711RC
    @0711RC Рік тому

    Thanks Mark.

  • @n000n
    @n000n 4 роки тому

    The best bass teacher. You turned something that looked impossible (for my amateur fingers) into something I can now play! Thank you!

  • @dorianmenchanclas4487
    @dorianmenchanclas4487 Рік тому

    My favorite bass line of all time

  • @Azobassify
    @Azobassify 11 місяців тому

    Thank YOU!

  • @high5ranch
    @high5ranch 3 роки тому

    Thank you Sooo much!

  • @SrTubular
    @SrTubular 5 років тому

    Mark just gave me homework. Good!

  • @bredluvr6925
    @bredluvr6925 Рік тому

    thanks, great vid. took an hour but worth it

  • @steviedebarge77
    @steviedebarge77 2 роки тому

    I always come straight to "talk bass" if I seriously have to learn something quick and in detail. This is the best teacher period! I remember when he taught me how to double thumb & he said it was going to be approx. 2 years before I'm actually able to use it in gig and fluent situations. He was right. Anyway if there is any way I can contribute back through means of donation please email me back I would be more than happy to give back. Thank you so much 🙏🏼

  • @alexshipley8975
    @alexshipley8975 4 роки тому

    He tunes down a semi tone and plays it C maj positioning therefor in B maj. Means that the high note on top fret has to be bent up semi tone.

  • @bionian7
    @bionian7 Рік тому

    Thanks for the lesson. I would realy like to see a breakdown of the bass line in Mystery by Anita Baker. Thanks!

  • @emmanuelk.severeek7869
    @emmanuelk.severeek7869 4 роки тому

    Si thank You Mark!!!

  • @ramonurchipia
    @ramonurchipia 3 роки тому

    Thanks!

  • @richardkrainak2106
    @richardkrainak2106 2 роки тому

    THANK YOU!!!!!

  • @MaviNK
    @MaviNK 2 роки тому

    Great SIR!

  • @En-of5oh
    @En-of5oh 8 місяців тому

    I think, it's a very useful song to learn, because it covers all the frets board, it's a big lesson.

  • @georgeharrington4434
    @georgeharrington4434 4 роки тому +1

    Woahhh those strings sound great, what are they?

  • @pretty040193
    @pretty040193 Рік тому

    Thank you.

  • @neilmoran9988
    @neilmoran9988 Рік тому

    THX!!!

  • @Charlie-hp2oh
    @Charlie-hp2oh 3 роки тому

    thank you

  • @michaelanthony9068
    @michaelanthony9068 Рік тому

    Thank you. That bass is gorgeous. White block inlays and white binding. Subscriber here. Is that a vintage Fender ?

    • @talkingbasslessons
      @talkingbasslessons  Рік тому +1

      Hi Michael. It's a Fender Jazz Marcus Miller Signature Edition I bought in the early 2000s