How Flea Plays Bass
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- Опубліковано 2 лип 2024
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00:00 Intro
00:34 Title Card
00:41 Flea
00:51 Funk
01:47 Punk
02:21 Counterpoint
02:37 Mellowship Slinky in B Major
03:37 Californication
04:17 Aeroplane
05:05 Versatility and Examples
06:50 Conclusion
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Thanks,
Polyphonic
Nope cause I taught my self how to make them and I don’t want learn how to properly do it for £800
$800 dollars is too much I don’t think anyone would buy that
Bruh u muted aeroplane
Really AO .RHCP video n we hear you talk throughout.
for your next video can you please do how Rock artists inspire and influence by Bob Marley.
How Flea plays bass? Shirtless.
And sometimes pant less
MANIAC :-)
Underwear
Naked*
SLAP LIKE NOW
Funk and Punk combined, making Punk.
Or Funk.
Ramsey Hildebrand nah, Phunk
@@Dyeddark i usually call it fpunk
Unkunk
Fpunk?
@@Dyeddark Fockn took the word right out of my mouth
Is it just me or did Aeroplane get muted?
same here ;(
To avoid copyright claims
Yup
The thing so stupid about record companies doing this blocking stuff on educational videos like this is:
I’ve known about RHCP for years, but watching this was an unintentional PR for the band. I never really listened to them, but now, I wanna get all their albums.
Same here. :/
4:40 that was so funky that youtube said: no, you cant lissen to that.
Legit, was 😤
Bass is the onion of music. No-one wants it alone, but everyone knows when it's missing.
Flea's like a Walla Walla Sweet Onion, can eat those by themselves like an apple.
The exact same metaphor I used for my band :D
"No one wants it alone" who are you lmao
Anesthesia (pulling teeth)
And all bass solos can make you cry there so cool
“That makes this track so damn funk-“
*Silence*
Thanks Warner Bros. 😑
I really wanted to hear it😥
I thought my headphones randomly stopped working lmao
I thought it went to my other earbud for whatever reason, unfortunately not
Copyright protection by UA-cam caused them to cut the song
Pretty sure RHCP are the ones who actually made the bassist not invisible part of the band instead he's almost at the front.
Primus is the only other band i can think of where the bass leads.
@@littleguy6753 lemmy can also play bass
Rush also did it. Different spectrum of music, but equally forefront and legendary on the sweet, sweet bass.
Ok lemme just slip band maid here
So you never heard of Rush, then?
I interviewed Flea for a documentary, recently. He attended USC school of music at the time. He talked about his love of music. He is a scholar of music and composition. He said "I love notes, I love the spaces in-between the notes, I just love every aspect of music".
How many rock stars continue their quest for musical prowess past the peak of their career.
Neil Peart comes to mind. May he rest in peace.
To me, this has always been one of the most impressive things about Flea: he was already a rock star, and then he signed up for school to learn more... Better yet, his new formal education shows in RHCP's later albums.
Imagine being Flea's teacher, knowing that he pushed bass to where it is today and has been around the world and played for millions
@@zackm2138 175 people did. Hater.
@@unreborn haha yeah that is fun to imagine, I can see it in front of me: The teacher is all insecure and stuff and Flea, the nice and humble guy he is is like "I'm just a guy here to learn" and encourages the teacher in the teaching.
Flea is not over rated. He’s perfectly rated in his bass playing. Don’t confuse people over rating his skills with praising him as a person or band member.
Underrated by a small amount. Overrated by noone.
666th like I’m sorry.
@@gj4312 Many people see him as an uncontested bass god, which is just not true. He's good, but nowhere near as good as people make him out to be. It's the Cliff Burton situation all over again
@LRed13 but he is one of the greatest bass players. I don't agree with the norm of musicians being idolized to the level of God or such but he is on par with John entwistle
@@rishavjain3115 My point was that "overrated by no one" is a huge lie.
Flea may slap the bass, but he also slaps our hearts.
Deep
Pajodcast Media i thought you were gonna say "but he also slaps ass".
He slaps his balls on our hearts.
Pajodcast Media ouch flea! Stop it! Jesus that's hurt! Stop it... and wear a shirt god damnit, you're 50!
Flea: actually 54
He slaps and pulls our heart strings
When just the guitar to californication was playing, my mind was just automatically putting in the bass. it shows how different he is to most other bassists; as in, a large amount of rock bassists don't add much to many tracks, while flea make up a large majority of most tracks
Sorry to inform you, but it’s actually there. The tracks can’t be fully isolated.
@@tea-stomach-cycle6385 Yeah it's already there, but my brain felt so lost without the riff at the end.
John Deacon, Paul MCcartnet
I disagree... In every 3 piece the bassist plays a large role
@@louisnu1306 *McCartney
He was slapping a bass fast and loose like some kind of delirious, funky priest.
The mighty booosh
Yes sir, thank you sir
You mean funky monk
But can he crack open a fresh Bailey's?
Aw SHIT this ball producin' some sweet cream
"They way that Flea works with his band is different than the way most bassists do"
That's because your average bassist isn't a goddamn legend, sir.
You see, it may be the other way around. Of course Flea is a great player and it wouldn't happen to any random dude there, but the fact that he has his "space" on the band's songs is really important. Put Flea at a crowded band like Iron Maiden with their 3 guitars, and he won't have anywhere to be that awesome.
I'm not saying that Steve Harris is better than him or the opposite, I'just trying to make a point that Flea being a legend and Red Hot's way to use the bassline are correlated.
Fernando Mecca If you start talking about Iron Maiden, there's no point of comparison. Steve Harris IS IRON MAIDEN. Geeeeeeeeeezzz...
I tried to use a random example of bassist relevant to the band, but in a different way. You can take someone like Glenn Hughes at Deep Purple/Black Country Communion as another instance. Hughes is an amazing bass player, but (most of) the songs of these bands use the bass as a background. If the bands allowed Hughes' bass to be at the "front" of their sound, he could be as recognised as Flea.
Again, I'm using just one example. That aplies to any good bass player. And again, I don't intend to underrate Flea with this; I just think it's interesting to think how the bands make the players and vice-versa.
Fernando Mecca Of course, it depends on the kind of music/style of the band, way of playing, etc. If the bass player is going to have the opportunity to show off his skills, maybe a little example would be Jason Newsted, when Metallica didn't let him be (on purpose), he couldn't show how a magnificent bass player he was, as the kind of band he was playing on and the space he had to do his music. I guess.
@@launder0 I agree 100% with the point you're making, but like the video stated, what really made Flea stand out was how he brought the Funk to the rock world. There was always rock in funk but for the most part, rock never seemed to embrace funk. He brought those worlds together while still having his individual style so as to not sound like if he was just copying funk bass legends like Bootsy Collins or Larry Graham. It's one of the reasons I love RHCP and respect them.
We need a video on how effectively Flea plays off Will Ferrell's drumming
Lol twins
If you know what I know, then you know that's really Will Ferrell.
Dat Ginger Asshole from the Back To The Future films.
They're great band mates
Oh christ i thought i was the only one who thought that
JOHN IS COMING BACK
JOHN IS COMING BACK
JOHN IS COMING BACK
@Duribethin what?
@Duribethin yeah but he's with them for now, y'know. worry about the future later...
His guitar play was best matching with the rest of the RHCP sound. Hopefully they have a kind of a comeback.
Soooooooooooooooo excited i cried
Jake Adair john is back
As a bass player myself, Flea boggles my mind. He's badass.
You should see how les claypool plays his bass and get more mind blown
Same here. Him and Cliff Burton.
So long story short, he goes slap a dee dap ba slap slap be dap
Close... it’s “slap a dee POP dap ba slap slap be dap poop” !!! : )
Im a scatman
No its dee dap slap pap ba dee dee dee dee dap
@@rafitohornero3850 yes!!!!! I love that guy
Flea and john put together is an instant eargasm
which john?
John Frusciante
@@daeizd how many Johns are there? Edit: In RHCP history I mean
@@micahman10001 oh i donno
@@micahman10001 quite sure frusciante's the only one
Flea is the reason I’m so into music, and the reason I play bass and guitar.. but this has a big disadvantage tho.. it took me too much time to finally understand what is the real role of bass in a band. As people are saying here in the comments, the ‘space’ flea has always had to play bass in RhCP is not common at all.
@@UCABrSfFxOw_91MsYSwPABqQ Lots of metal bands (definitely got some distortion there) still have prominent bass guitarists - Möterhead the most infamous ofc, but Metallica (especially the Burton years) is also a good example of how to get basslines that stand out in a sound with lot's of distorted guitars. But in case you're in a more modern sounding band, with downtuned/8 string guitars, perhaps going the Korn route might work. Or focus more on your higher frets, those can cut through those heavily distorted, downtuned guitars with a lot of character, since those guitars will never have the deep/warm sound a bass guitar has in that range
Flea has his musical soulmate again, JOHN IS BACK!!
Anthony: "Someone better slap me"
Flea: "No problem"
@Duribethinan decomposition proof
Ning ning nong nong ning ning nong nong neng neng
@@kadekyudhistiras california
But not heroin proof :)
@@noahpwsc9505 oof
how flea plays bass
he removes everything he's wearing
done
Just read your Tubefilter interview, exciting to see a fellow Ontario creator going full-time on here! Congrats!
Magik Mike ayyy magik Mike the mahyn
Sammy Swamp is that you?
hi mark, im travis
Flea's bass playing on By The Way made me want to throw away my television.
I guess This Is The Place for puns?
C****n
@@joe8124 Well universally speaking, this entire thread is.
This made me shed a Tear
am i *Right On Time* or am i late for these puns
Funny
You say that Anthony, John and Flea create three different melodies...
I guess you could say it's pretty...
Polyphonic.
Calvin M. Dicks chad smith doesnt exist
More like PLEAphonic
WOULD YOU LOOK AT THAT?!
Aditya Roy you can't create Melody on drums.
Calvin M. Dicks you son of a bitch
With his fingers
mhoward16 Wish I saw this comment before wasting 7 minutes of my life.
That's what I was expecting the video to say! 😆😆😆
With his di- wait is this a Christian channel?
I mean, you’re not wrong
Well, he did play with a pick on a few songs.
I love RHCP. Even if you aren’t a fan, you can recognize it’s them instantly
I'll have you know, flea doesn't play bass
*Flea is the bass*
The bass is flea
@@AjayGupta-tr7vz fax..
Ayo, nice pfp
Abel Alba ayo nice pfp
John, I am the bass
Soul to Squeeze is one of my favorite Flea songs. Such a good bass line, it's like I'm listening to both two melodies
As a die hard chilis fan, I can say I was impressed by this video. You can tell it wasn't just thrown together using their greatest radio hits it included a variety of lesser known songs (even some pre BSSM work!)
Yea not bad. Was really hoping for a black eyed blond reference. Love Flea on that track.
You can easily tell that Flea is the one playing the bass because of his style. He's my favorite bassist.
Flea: "You know pac-man?"
Kiedis: "I know of him”
Flea: "he was almost called punk-man but they realized you could scratch out that p and turn it into an f"
Yooooooooooooooo
Ya'll know the code
We have a *Flea Problem*
Lmao this is what I tell people when they complain that I'm playing RHCP too loud
Flea is the best showman...the best musician that has created his own style...i love his work on dark necessities so much...i dance to it a lot and never tire of him...i just put him on a loop and watch him over and over. My favorite always.
REX ! Lmao!
Flea kicks ASS! How many people know that every RHCP album is actually two different records?
Try this: listen to the album as you normally do, then turn up the bass and play it again - that's when you get to experience the Flea version!
....that's not two different records
you are weird man
So true 😂
Flea version, so true hahaha
@@nuberiffic ikr, it's called equalizing...
youre in the club and this guy slaps ur girls bass
what do u do
Slap his bass
bASS*
You get a new girlfriend, Flea owns her now.
@@denisborzov3603 you cant flee from flea
Ask him to play give it away on her
Stadium Arcadium is one of those albums I'll never take out of my vehicle.
I'm a bass player and flea is my God. I am a devoud fleaist
Flea got me addicted to music...
yeah me too bro he really is our god
Yeah he's the reason I started playing bass
Fleaism: the new religion
Look up some Les Claypool. Flea is good, but he isn't Les Claypool
*impressive but can you- oops wrong channel*
I don't like dave
septianto arief neither does dave
Davey!
@@firma_quia_verum kenapa cukkk
Freeman Diaz Davie*
Flea is in my opinion the reason the chilli peppers have lasted. He is the man
I love Flea´s bassplaying so much! He is one of a kind.
“Goodbye Angels” in the Getaway album is by far my favorite rhcp song. In the last minute or so flea goes fucking nuts with the best bass riff to have ever been written. And then Klinghoffer takes over on guitar takes over for a few seconds. Then both klinghoffer and flea start jamming out together to make possibly my favorite minute of music ever.
so simple yet so funky!
@@lerynnrynn2249 something I've noticed in music is, the more simple and freeform it is the more complicated yet amazing it becomes.
Simplicity is quite possibly the most complicated and genius part of playing, and I love it each time
Do a video on homer Simpson
His style is my biggest inspiration to play
hahahahahaha yes
Yyeess
The ass of bass
Dohhhhhhh
The way he plucked the g string when he was at that guitar episode in that one episode.
JESUS dude almost gave me an orgasm
F for aeroplane
can we just appreciate how beautiful this video essay is? Amazing work dude, you gave me new found appreciation for flea and red hot chili peppers in whole
Stadium Arcadium is tied into some of the best and most pure memories of my life. Legendary album !
The best album ever!!!
That album got me through a tour in Iraq broseph..
Dark necessities?
No thanks.
Bear necessities.
Dolphinboi dude that song was bangin
Dolphinboi bum babum. bum bum badumbum. Babum
I love this song...and dosed
Star platinum za warudo
That song sucks.
He plays like his personality. Energetic and WAAYYY ahead of the beat.
i love his bass work on "By The Way". how he links up with with Chad's jungle beat and the muted 16ths on guitar while still maintaining the lead, it makes a really driving piece
It kind of annoys me how every "alternative" music critic likes to shit on the chili peppers nowadays.
Just look at their freaking body of work, flea and frusciante are simply part of the best when it comes to their specific instrument, it's nearly inarguable.
I would say neither of them are the best alone
But combined they do things that are mind blowing
Stadium Arcadium is wayyyyyyyy underrated.
Jacob Hiller 😩
Jacob Hiller youre gayyyyyyyy
Definitely their best album.
but this album won the grammy's for the best rock album of 2006.
🤦🏼♂️
the actual bass lines from their recorded songs, as a bassist its really easy to learn and copy. but when they are playing live? his adlibs, the way he put all those scales and how perfect it was, his moves. no one can copy those. he is my bass god
Thank you for making these videos.
i know it's a lot of work.
i love your channel, man.
Performing naked with 🐓sox... Pretty unforgettable. Lol
Psi Sculptress
Cock socks!
Go watch Woodstock-fire.
Not for them.
Sox on Cox
saw them in Amsterdam around 1990 with.... socks only. :-)
Great band. Flea rocks.
Man this channel has so much potential, why is the government not funding this?
emilio
Because.
I hope you were joking you welfare collecting shit head fuck Bernie fan
Trump's trying to get Mexico to fund this channel.
This guy's videos are empty calories. Honestly wish this channel didn't exist... this guy tells you nothing for 10 fucking minutes.
Americans are very touchy about this, huh
Realistically this is one of the most well put together videos I’ve ever watched... amazing job
I'm absolutely blessed to be a member of the Silverlake Conservatory of Music, which he helped found along with Anthony. He shows up at our recitals and events. A really awesome dude.
The guitar interplay in bands like The Strokes, Sonic Youth and Pavement can makea good topic for a video
David Muñoz only early Strokes though
Later Strokes tracks also have killer guitar interplay. Take Under cover of Darkness, for example.
David Muñoz yup
FUGAZI!!!
Television would be great too.
With the amount of crap that finds its way onto UA-cam nowadays, this is refreshing to see.
It's easy to tell that you actually care about producing quality videos, and that results in something that's educational, entertaining and fun to watch. Subbed. Keep up the great work!
3:42 did anyone else hear the bass even though it wasn’t there?
It has to do with how the different tracks are isolated. Can’t fully get rid of it.
Because the bass is there, is not a mental effect lol
Didn’t expect you to enjoy this western music
Comrade Stalin is a fan of Flea :D
Lol yes
Nearly every song from Californication was a hit, it has to be top 10 albums of all time, maybe not sales numbers but seriously.
I'm actually more impressed in how much effort was put in this video. Way to go, guys.
"How Flea plays bass" the short answer is with his hands
Nah man, plays with his soul
He doesn't use his head to play the bass, he uses his heart!
And drugs
Lots and lots of drugs. Especially heroin.
He apparently did do some drugs though. Anthony Keides was the real heroin guy of course. Then there's their first guitarist...
Flea iz one of my favorite bassists. Homie is just so funky and versatile on any track or collab. Man is tha shit!!
Steve Harris, Flea, and Cliff Burton are my favorite bassist out of the 80s. Easily! All three a divergent geniuses in their own way. Awesome video. Thanks for posting.
Chad and flea are amazing. Chad is so underrated! He is an amazing percussionist.
I found the song "she's only 18" pretty late. Man it blowed my mind away!
I’m a simple man
I see Flea: I SLAP
yes yes yes yes! YES!
Yes yes yes
A great analysis of Flea's playing... along with how it compliments John's... I so can't wait to hear them together again... !- Caesar.
The best flea bass lines you didnt even talk about, soul to squeeze
Fun Fact: the slapping/popping style of bass guitar was developed completely by accident by Larry Graham of the band Graham Central Station. He was in a church band with his mother. For whatever reason one day she fired the drummer. Graham, reacting to the lack of a drummer in the band, decided to use the bass as percussive instrument. The slap mimicking the kick drum and the pop expressing the snare. It opened up a completely new dimension to the bass guitar. Fascinating how some things in music come about in very unconventional ways. Grand Wizard Theodore accidentally creating what's known today as scratching and Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath, who lost the tips of his middle and ring fingers in an accident in a factory as teenager. This impacted his playing and led him to develop the guitar style gave birth to Heavy Metal.
Pretty good video. I forgot and have not heard some of those songs in a long time. I will have to revisit a few of them. Thanks for sharing.
never been a huge fan of that band but got to admit that bass player knows what he's doing. one of the best out there
"the bass provides counterpoint to the guitar" these videos are very insightful if you've never heard music before
Yea, that comment made me think "... Yes??".
But can he play Seinfeld?
max ellenbogen nice
not played on a bass! look it up....
true, but i still play it on bass all the time as a neat little trick.
Darkterror the Faceless Void who tf r u
Seinfeld is on a keyboard homie.
Glad you brought up Dark Necessities. Every time I hear that song all I can focus on is the brilliant bass and the flawless switching from walking to slap.
I went their concert in either 98 or 99, and my 13 year old daughter in 2020 says they are one of the 3 bands she wants to see in concert. I'm so proud of her (and me for teaching her good music).
Flea is undeniably the best bass player to ever play for the exact reasons this narrator mentioned. He's able to sync is sound with the guitar player and the drummer, but the way he does it is... It's simply phenomenal sounds, pops, licks and grooves coming from the bass of God himself. No one has ever done what he does and it will be hard to find someone after he leaves... which is never cause he's a God lol
Talks about Flea and how great a bassist he is, never mentioned “Otherside”.
Haha. Nice. You got my favorite bass solo in there at the end. Great video.
Man, thanks to translated all I can't never wouldn't. This video explan so much of my feelings about this Band!! God bless you!
Glad I discovered this channel
Should do a video on the genius of Kevin Parker of Tame Impala
yeeees!
I have a feeling the video might be too long for him though!
Melomania Yes sir!
Was just about to comment this
Melomania musical genius
Awesome video,,I remember when Higher Ground came out,I was 14 and living in Seattle and at the time learning drums and a friend from Canada that played bass just came over and we played it,,and we jammed for about four hours until my mother kicked us out of the garage lol.
Good times.
Blood sugar was so damned good. I can't think of a better album from any band.
That bass line is so crispy in RHCP!! Been hooked to RHCP since 1993.
Do something with king crimson!
... or Yes! (get it?) i see you everywhere :D
Owen Hu KINGU CURIMSONU
They already did, but when you watched it, time did the one thing that nobody can explain.
Right 🍺
JOJO
Subscribed. I love your explanation and how you state your opinion, easy to understand and interesting.
All of the songs that came to mind with flea sticking out with his unique playing got named and this video just makes me wish I was good enough at my bass to jam along to their songs because flea makes the bass line so fun and energetic.
How Frusciante plays guitar
Carlos Sicajá Aka how Jesus turns water into wine
That would be amazing.
usually on heroin
Hahaha it used be because of heroin... But now he's on another level!!!
Angaar Vyas It's a pity that he's moved away from guitar these days, he was truly a legend.
One can’t forget the influence of the late great Jaco pistorious
Marc Scordato *Pastorius. Agreed.
With respect to Flea, Jaco was a god and no one has ever even come close.
@@brianh9529 Agree!!
@@matthewlawton9241 Oughta listen to Don Juan's Reckless Daughter; his playing serves the music on that album so well.
great work on this!
Tell me baby is so damn awesome, that bass line...my god
Frusciante is another interesting part of their sound. He fits in that argument where a guitar player can pick up any guitar and amp and sound like themselves no matter what. Frusciantes whole body is thrown into his playing and attack which seems to come through the way the strings vibrate. He sounds unique on everything he does, simple, complex, not necessarily precise or technical, but full of feeling. He’s not just playing the guitar, he’s crafting a sonic space and not afraid to experiment with sound. Guitar is just the vehicle he rode in on.
Of of all the iterations of all the iterations of the Chili Peppers, to me nothing beats the blending of Flea, John, Anthony, and Chad and their interplay of Melodies that is totally seamless. The beauty part is they make it sound so easy
Very nice and to the point. Thank you.
I rewatch this video every so often because it’s such a good video
*"What'th the matter McFlaai!?! CHIKN!?!?!?!"*
Please do something about one of the players in TOOL
Or les Claypool
Vasari O Danny would be cool.
NuclearBunny970 i agree, but Danny Carey's drumming is out of this world!
DANNY CAREY
the whole band please
I am really enjoying this.
Thank you for making it.