Tommy The Cat (Primus) – Les Claypool’s Toughest Riff (Bass Tab & Tutorial)
Tommy The Cat by Primus features one bad ass slap bass riff from the master of weird ass bass: Les Claypool!!
In this bass lesson you’ll learn how to play the main slap bass riff and we’ll look at some aspects of the riff you might not see in most online bass tab transcriptions.
I’ll also work through some of the hurdles we all run into when learning Tommy The Cat. The chord strums, the thumb slaps and the left hand slaps.
So sit down, relax and get ready for some insane slap, pop, strumming action from the legendary Les Claypool!
Tab and Tracks Here: https://www.talkingbass.net/tommy-the-cat-primus-les-claypool-tab/
Visit Talkingbass for step by step courses on all aspects of bass playing as well as hundreds of free bass lessons and practice resources! https://www.talkingbass.net/
Other Links:
Muted Palm Slap Lesson: https://youtu.be/ivbTIW4GE7w
Strumming Lesson: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jf7jV52x6tQ
Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
1:30 Riff Performance
1:54 The Notes
5:48 Technique
6:25 Hurdle 1 – Strumming
8:28 Hurdle 2 – Left Hand Slap
11:00 Hurdle 3 – Slap Descent
14:41 Track Demos
#talkingbass #lesclaypool #primus
=====================================================
Bass Gear:
► Enfield Lionheart Bass Guitar
► SIMS Super Quad Pickups
► DR bass strings
► Levy Leathers Bass Strap
► Aguilar Tone Hammer Amp Head
► Schroeder Bass Cabinets
=====================================================
Follow Talkingbass:
► Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkingbasslessons/
► Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/talkingbassnet/
► Twitter: https://twitter.com/markjsmithbass
======================================================
These Free Online Bass Lessons from Mark J Smith are released weekly so subscribe for updates and visit www.talkingbass.net for a complete lesson map and all the downloadable lesson material.
#Tommy #Cat #Primus #Les #Claypools #Toughest #Riff #Bass #Tab #Tutorial
Originally posted by UCDfStxwji-22A_bvY280UIg at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yW2CHBT6rMs
I have a way of playing this that is a good cheat, but not exactly right, though it sounds more right than the "correct" way when I play it. You just do alternating thumb and pluck on the D and G strings (thumb on D, pluck on G) and the only sounded, non ghost-notes are double stop on E A (D, G respectively, both 2nd fret) hammer on to B (4th fret of G string) while still holding the chord, and then 4 ghost notes (thumb pluck 2X) and finally the F to G hammer on (D string, 3rd to 5th fret) and then ghost note thumb pluck for the rest of the measure ( thumb pluck 4 times).
I also have an in-between the "real" and cheat bass line which I do here, where it's about as close as I can get to the "right" way (as far as I can tell) but I don't play the descending A, G#, G, I just play ghost notes: https://youtu.be/HGBtQIvnWkU?si=o11TF0d1yKj-GFBv
I am exactly the same way, I've learned it several different ways. I am not sure if Les actually plays the descending A, G#, G that is often shown. I see he often leaves his middle finger on the G#, so he's either not playing the A or getting it from the open A based on what I saw his right hand doing.
les is a freak.. self taught madness..
for some reason this song is easier to play for me than a song like american life or is it luck which causes the side of my hand to get really hot and cramp every time
you rip! thanks for the help!
Excelente gracias
Smooooke on the water…!
Amazing!!!
you should check out the awakening by les claypool and the holy mackarel, whole song is a bass solo lol it's awesome
It is the only tutorial that explains well how to play, and the techniques you use, you are incredible, greetings from Mexico
The Awakening! Is far more difficult!
that was so obviously not real time i hope people are not dumb
What do you use to draw on them eyebrows?
Eery dude who can play this must be great dude. Subscribed.
perfect riff to start with
Awesome! Been struggling with this since the last millenium! Thanks!
I have spent WEEKS and WEEKS learning this (bloody) riff! I've studied all the live footage I can get my grubby little hands on, in quarter speed; I've purchased Transcribe and created loops where it's further slowed down to a snail's pace (on Quaaludes); and I've practiced and practiced it at embarrassingly slow BPMs; and you know what? After all this ridiculously-painstaking work, I've discovered that…
YOUR VERSION IS *EXACTLY* CORRECT!!!!
I mean, I'm good…but you're better. I PROSTATE myself before you, Master – or do I PROSTRATE myself before you, MISTER? No matter, I think you – in your infinite bass-stuff wisdom – get my drift.
So if anyone out there has read this far: DO AS I SAY, NOT AS I DO!! Learn this song EXACTLY as Mark describes it here, and follow his sage wisdom and practice it SLOWLY. I you will, as I have done, get this friggin riff under your fingers! Good luck. And Godsp- wait, no God-SLOW to you, mams and sirs! Yours Truly (Insane) – JD, Montréal
this is not the hardest riff of claypools. maybe in primus, but some of his other projects are massively more complex in bass rifs and arrangement. this is actually quite easy to play and sing with a weeks worth of practice if you have the fundamentals down.
try playing claypools version of the redding brothers banger "the awakening" found on "les claypool and the holy mackarel present high ball with the devil."
harder riff is when Les is playing with you
5:20
Thank you soooo much. I loved it, it helped me a lto. great explanation.
natural joe
This is boring
Your watching this because Les Claypool is a bad ass
are those 2 lane poor pickups in your bass here?
theres a lot missing here