This is one of the best breakdowns of a Louis Johnson bass groove. Most people play it wrong… Louis Johnson creates his baselines from his soul first then works in scales, modes, and cord changes. That’s why his thumb is so busy. Its because that’s what he’s feeling at the time...
This bass line is changing my life. Check out the Spike Lee film on M.J. and Off the Wall if you haven't already. Great video. I will be putting this in my practice routine from now on.
+fipzee Thank you for saying so! I always like to break things down and make my lessons as informative and helpful as possible. Just slowing down cover, as most do, is not really teaching people anything :)
Stanley Clarke once stated that playing in Return To Forever was "very challenging" because Chick Corea was a dedicated Jazz musician-composer and most of his compositions were in "tricky keys" like Bflat minor, F# etc and Clarke usually wanted to just thumb slap in A or E.
Louis Johnson which is one half The BROTHERS JOHNSON played this line for MICHAEL JACKSON for his first solo album OFF THE WALL. I believe the bass line was all JOHNSON but, Quincy Jones did produce the album. Look up Johnson here on youtube.
This is an all timer for sure and Louis Johnson is a Pioneer of bass, I won't dispute that at all, but greatest baseline ever has to be Wojtek Pilichowski's Bass Dance. Kind of a Jazz-Funk fusion thing going on there but he just MURDERS the bass.
You can thump the F to G slides as octaves if you point your thumb down at right angles to the strings, relaxed and slightly curved, base of the thumb striking the E string with tip striking the octave note simultaneously on the D string. Sounds waay heavier!
This just happen to land in my RUclips Channel as I loved Louis Johnson & watch the rare footage that we have of home with " The Brothers Johnson " & doing solo or session work & this bass line is one of the reason this song was such a huge hit & legend tells me that they had recorded everything but the bass guitar line & Louis was called in & the rest is history but what I wanted to say thar once Louis Johnson had finished & they recorded his bass line for this song it goes Michael Jackson was asked into the studio room to hear the bass line for the first time & it goes that loved it that much than half way he had to leave the studio room but with the studio door still open for him to hear it & he was asked where are going & he said outside the studio room to dance as like I said he loved it so much... There was a similar situation with soul singer Paul Young & his debut album of " No Parlez " was his last chance or throw of the dice if you will but they only had 1 bass line recorded & both Paul & the Producer needed someone & something special to complete that album & cometh the hour & cometh the man & Pino Palladino was asked in to record the bass line on his Fender MusicMan Stingray Fretless Bass Guitar Line & both Paul Young & the Producer always state that though Paul was an amazing soul rock singer it was Pino Palladino's Bass Lines that launch that album & Paul Young into having a very long time as a top soul singer but it just hoes to show us that 1 individual person & whatever instrument they played made songs hit just as Eddie Van Halen's Guitar Solo blew people's minds & new legendary lead guitarist was also shot into super star status as a musician... Just one question & that is: Why is the gentleman playing " Get Off The Wall " at what sounds like half tempo!.. I can understand it being played at the proper speed & then as each part builds up then so you can nail that bass line it's best to play it at a slower pace but this guy already knows the bass line yrg he doesn't play it & the right tempo at the start & k can only assume it was not to frighten bass players off of learning it as to be a great bassist you should always learn & play your parts slowly so your tight & locked in the pocket & then speed it at the speed you feel happy with until you finally play it at the correct tempo & ots also great to play it with song playing in the background as it was a great song... In light of this still ongoing coronavirus and it's variants stay safe and healthy wherever you are in this world... .....
no man, it's all about your bass being set up properly (action relatively low) and having the right type of bass i.e. jazz bass, not only because of the pick ups, but also very importantly because of the frets and the way the bass is designed
Marc this sounded really good , what do you have under your E string at the nut. My bass is similar and I can't get my strings that low without fret buzz , its MIM. The Marcus Miller Sire basses look great but the Fender sounds better. I almost ordered one till I heard the two played together and the Fender sounds best. You get what you pay for , now everyone with a Sire bass is going to chew me out. The Sire bass is nice but it's for new bass players so they can get away from video games and cell phones. I didn't need that cr+p when younger , just my Fender bass and Stingray bike and worn out tennis shoes. My bass needs a facelift.
+Mark S Beretta Looks like the hole was too big for the E string, so he stuck a piece of paper in there to stop any buzzing. This is a pretty uncommon issue though. If you're getting string buzzing figure out where it's buzzing at first. Most buzzing issues can be fixed with proper neck relief, saddle height, and a shim if needed. It's rarely a nut, angle break, or elevated fret issue. Nut issues are really only from breaks, manufacturing issues, someone widening the holes, or decades worth of wear.
I know what all this is but shim , I need my strings a little lower, my truss has my neck dead straight and saddle height is okay anymore adjustments will cause fret buzz . Seems the nut height could be lowered but am afraid to mess with it , this Fender is only 3 years old and sounds great. If I can just get my strings a little lower. I see some guys that have a bass and the strings look like they're touching the neck. That's what I need my fretting hand gets stressed. Thanks ,
Great video and great bassline, i've been always playing this song with the poping and been always feeling that there is something missing. Thanks for pointing out that he uses the thumb instead of pop :D
Whites Have A Bad Habit Of Taking Beautiful Music And Lyrics Written And Truly Felt Deep Inside By The Black Artists That Wrote Them In The First Place; And Changes The Whole Mood From Mellow To Trashy. And Most Of The Time The Leave Musical Progressions Out And Don't Know The Real Lyrics; So They Put Just Anything In It's Place!
If you want to really master slap bass, check out my Slap Bass Mastery Course: www.TheBassWizard.com/Slap-Bass-Mastery-Course
Just bought it last week. It's very good. No bullshit. Just hard work
This is one of the best breakdowns of a Louis Johnson bass groove. Most people play it wrong… Louis Johnson creates his baselines from his soul first then works in scales, modes, and cord changes. That’s why his thumb is so busy. Its because that’s what he’s feeling at the time...
I really like your slap lessons dude, such clean effortless playing.
This bass line is changing my life. Check out the Spike Lee film on M.J. and Off the Wall if you haven't already. Great video. I will be putting this in my practice routine from now on.
Do you know the name of that film?
@@RitchieRosson Michael Jackson’s Journey From Motown to Off the Wall
Great teaching! This is an actual lesson versus just slowing down a cover.
Makes me want to get serious about learning slap :)
+fipzee Thank you for saying so! I always like to break things down and make my lessons as informative and helpful as possible. Just slowing down cover, as most do, is not really teaching people anything :)
Your tone is amazing. How can I get my bass to have this much depth?
This video was so helpful and amazing, thank you!!!
Stanley Clarke once stated that playing in Return To Forever was "very challenging" because Chick Corea was a dedicated Jazz musician-composer and most of his compositions were in "tricky keys" like Bflat minor, F# etc and Clarke usually wanted to just thumb slap in A or E.
This is just an amazing channel. Thank you for all that you do to help us learn
Clear teaching. Thanks!
This is the best bassline in the modern history. Who invented this ?
Louis Johnson which is one half The BROTHERS JOHNSON played this line for MICHAEL JACKSON for his first solo album OFF THE WALL. I believe the bass line was all JOHNSON but, Quincy Jones did produce the album. Look up Johnson here on youtube.
@@Greedynessnish Now I know why it sounded like a Brothers Johnson jam!
I have to say Chris Squire holds that title with Roundabout, but you know, opinions!
@@Greedynessnish I would say Larry Graham (Drake’s uncle) from Sly and the Family Stone
This is an all timer for sure and Louis Johnson is a Pioneer of bass, I won't dispute that at all, but greatest baseline ever has to be Wojtek Pilichowski's Bass Dance.
Kind of a Jazz-Funk fusion thing going on there but he just MURDERS the bass.
You are such a brilliant teacher!!!
First good instructional video I've seen covering this song. Thanks man!
The best lesson for this bass line. Thank you for explaining it. I have to convert it for my 5 string bass with muting.
You are a great teacher and a baaaaaaaaad ads bass player. Keep up the great work that you are doing.
Best bassline !
thank you Marc you are very very cool, thanks for helping us players out...
+heggy bassman Thank you for saying so and for watching my videos!
Excellent attention to detail here!!
This is very useful! Thank you!
+Willem Kossen Glad you found it helpful!
i've watched some videos and they just don't have that funk but I think you got it bro. for real
Nice lesson and nice teaching. Best regards from Brazil!
+João Paulo Locately Thank you!
Your very smooth brother.
Thanks for this video. Really enjoyed learning this...great lesson.
Thank you for this video. I was looking on how to learn this song!
Wrap around the thumb! Brilliant to change keys 🎶👍🏻
Beautiful bass. Thankd
Thanks Mark, another great lesson.
+STENCHOVDETH Thank you!
Great lesson, thanks so much.
Funky great sound! Love it! 🤗
You can thump the F to G slides as octaves if you point your thumb down at right angles to the strings, relaxed and slightly curved, base of the thumb striking the E string with tip striking the octave note simultaneously on the D string. Sounds waay heavier!
This just happen to land in my RUclips Channel as I loved Louis Johnson & watch the rare footage that we have of home with " The Brothers Johnson " & doing solo or session work & this bass line is one of the reason this song was such a huge hit & legend tells me that they had recorded everything but the bass guitar line & Louis was called in & the rest is history but what I wanted to say thar once Louis Johnson had finished & they recorded his bass line for this song it goes Michael Jackson was asked into the studio room to hear the bass line for the first time & it goes that loved it that much than half way he had to leave the studio room but with the studio door still open for him to hear it & he was asked where are going & he said outside the studio room to dance as like I said he loved it so much...
There was a similar situation with soul singer Paul Young & his debut album of " No Parlez " was his last chance or throw of the dice if you will but they only had 1 bass line recorded & both Paul & the Producer needed someone & something special to complete that album & cometh the hour & cometh the man & Pino Palladino was asked in to record the bass line on his Fender MusicMan Stingray Fretless Bass Guitar Line & both Paul Young & the Producer always state that though Paul was an amazing soul rock singer it was Pino Palladino's Bass Lines that launch that album & Paul Young into having a very long time as a top soul singer but it just hoes to show us that 1 individual person & whatever instrument they played made songs hit just as Eddie Van Halen's Guitar Solo blew people's minds & new legendary lead guitarist was also shot into super star status as a musician...
Just one question & that is:
Why is the gentleman playing " Get Off The Wall " at what sounds like half tempo!..
I can understand it being played at the proper speed & then as each part builds up then so you can nail that bass line it's best to play it at a slower pace but this guy already knows the bass line yrg he doesn't play it & the right tempo at the start & k can only assume it was not to frighten bass players off of learning it as to be a great bassist you should always learn & play your parts slowly so your tight & locked in the pocket & then speed it at the speed you feel happy with until you finally play it at the correct tempo & ots also great to play it with song playing in the background as it was a great song...
In light of this still ongoing coronavirus and it's variants stay safe and healthy wherever you are in this world...
.....
Dude is smooth.
really helpful lesson! thanks a lot!
Great,instructive video!keep on keeping on!
Great lesson, Marc!
+RoccoSoundTube Thank you!
I love this.
Louis johnsons fretting hand makes the bass neck look like a yardstick!Very unorthadox fretting style. Seldom uses his pinky even when playingoctaves.
Greatness dude!
@Marcelo Feldman What is your equipment setup? I love the tone....
Great Lesson but an amazing Riff !
Appreciate you for this one
favorite bass line for me to, thanks for explaining, I bought a bass just to play that song, lol
Can't forget Wah Wah Washington played guitar on that record also.
And David Williams.
Amazing video!
great lesson man! subscribing
Cool! Can you play "Let's Get Serious" by Jermaine Jackson?
memyself4ever1 Good request! I'll second that.
Hi bro! What DI or Preamp and AD/DA do you used to record this particular video? Sounds amazing! Excellent playing too.
Marcelo, is your dad Paul Stanley from KISS? Brilliant lesson.
perfect !!!!
Thanks!
Great!!!
Nice tutorial!
Suas lições são incríveis!!!!!Abraços do Brasil.
+Vagner Roberto Andrade Obrigado Vagner!
otimo vídeo, grande lição. Not speak english, i'm from Brazil.
+Tadeu Leonardo Obrigado!
Are ghost notes more audible on an active bass?
no man, it's all about your bass being set up properly (action relatively low) and having the right type of bass i.e. jazz bass, not only because of the pick ups, but also very importantly because of the frets and the way the bass is designed
Oh, cheers dude. I have a lot to learn.
Marc this sounded really good , what do you have under your E string at the nut.
My bass is similar and I can't get my strings that low without fret buzz , its MIM.
The Marcus Miller Sire basses look great but the Fender sounds better.
I almost ordered one till I heard the two played together and the Fender sounds best.
You get what you pay for , now everyone with a Sire bass is going to chew me out.
The Sire bass is nice but it's for new bass players so they can get away from video games and cell phones. I didn't need that cr+p when younger , just my Fender bass and Stingray bike and worn out tennis shoes. My bass needs a facelift.
+Mark S Beretta Looks like the hole was too big for the E string, so he stuck a piece of paper in there to stop any buzzing. This is a pretty uncommon issue though. If you're getting string buzzing figure out where it's buzzing at first. Most buzzing issues can be fixed with proper neck relief, saddle height, and a shim if needed. It's rarely a nut, angle break, or elevated fret issue. Nut issues are really only from breaks, manufacturing issues, someone widening the holes, or decades worth of wear.
I know what all this is but shim , I need my strings a little lower, my truss has my neck dead straight and saddle height is okay anymore adjustments will cause fret buzz .
Seems the nut height could be lowered but am afraid to mess with it , this Fender is only 3 years old and sounds great. If I can just get my strings a little lower. I see some guys that have a bass and the strings look like they're touching the neck. That's what I need my fretting hand gets stressed.
Thanks ,
It seems like your strings are really close to the fretboard. Is there an advantage to this?
There's every advantage to having lowered strings, especially for slapping techniques, It's essential.
The disadvantage of having a 5 stringed bass is that i can’t fret the notes on the E string with my thumb :,(
I flicked my wrist to try and attempt
That bass sounds so sweet could give someone diabetes!!!
best bass player on you tube IMO. yeah I said it lol
Thanks helped alot dude!!(:
+A bunch of Baby Ducks Awesome! :)
Is that blue tacc in the nut
Great video and great bassline, i've been always playing this song with the poping and been always feeling that there is something missing.
Thanks for pointing out that he uses the thumb instead of pop :D
+Kenshex AnV Glad it was helpful! Most people don't know that it's thumbing instead of popping, it really makes a noticeable difference :)
nice still looking for a decent beginner bass
hi are you playing on Gm7 scale? thanks
8:40
Thanks for rattling the fillings out of my neighbor's teeth across the street. Jeeezus, now that is BASS! If you sneak a D in there, it's BADASS!
Hey! Just sent you a message here on RUclips! Hoping to hear back from you. :)
A million likes
Oh thank god you taught the way for small hands I weigh like 100 lbs
I like to play this by pulling off from the B to open G string...
U should’ve used ur stingray
Thumb thing is hard
Love that old MJ stuff. Great video
Check mine out
Very good lesson but I'm way too shit to play it damn
Nice. So many play it wrong
Whites Have A Bad Habit Of Taking Beautiful Music And Lyrics Written And Truly Felt
Deep Inside By The Black Artists That Wrote Them In The First Place; And Changes
The Whole Mood From Mellow To Trashy. And Most Of The Time The Leave Musical
Progressions Out And Don't Know The Real Lyrics; So They Put Just Anything In It's Place!
You have forgotten all the ghost notes