# Guitarists, Bassists: The Best Fretting Hand in the Business **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 15, 2011, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitarists-bassists-the-best-fretting-hand-in-the-business/578485 "2011-04-15T14:33:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2011, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitarists-bassists-the-best-fretting-hand-in-the-business/578485/21 "2011-04-16T00:52:27Z")
> [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](#): > > Julio Sagreras, Book 6, # 17, [Study for the left hand alone](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRpxwZIJZAU&feature=related), here played by the sublime Cacho Tirao. > > Just to prove classical guys work on this kind of stuff, too. I really like how he uses his pinkie to strum as he fingers the notes and chords. That was very cool. But that’s not a bass, man! 😃 > [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > [“The major rager on the four string motherfucker”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cK2hruTkUVA) I like heavy metal and Cliff’s playing, but lets be honest: his overdriven, washed out wah-infused hot-rails-to-hell bass playing isn’t really a technical achievement. Its more of a technological one. My favorite bass players are Flea and Les Claypool, and not so much for slap and technique but for feel. The bass riff that permeates _Winona’s Big Brown Beaver_ is fucking amazing. And the video is one of my favorites of all time. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/aYDfwUJzYQg/maxresdefault.jpg "Primus - Wynonna's Big Brown Beaver") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYDfwUJzYQg) Flea is just a fucking monster. Aside from his slapping and technical prowess, if you really listen to his playing underpinning the Chili’s songs (and I don’t like much of their newer stuff anymore), his bouncing bass lines are just incredibly tasty. His playing in “Scar Tissue” is a perfect example, listen to his playing underlying the entire song. It doesn’t get much better in mainstream rock and roll. It just fits the song. You can’t ask for much more. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/TGObF2q63Ew/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AH-BIAC4AKKAgwIABABGEkgXChlMA8=&rs=AOn4CLC7ZUkc2O2IqtnJp_KeTEdW8uVlYQ "Red Hot Chili Peppers - Scar tissue") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGObF2q63Ew) Or how about their version of _Aeroplane?_ Nice bass playing there too. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/khfv_5Dyb1k/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AH-CYAC0AWKAgwIABABGH8gNyglMA8=&rs=AOn4CLDo2gwanaeeI4HfZVheDWR-tTTk_A "Aeroplane - Red Hot Chili Peppers") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khfv_5Dyb1k) And don’t get me started on Frusciante, one of the most underrated guitarists in rock. Dude is a beast. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2011, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitarists-bassists-the-best-fretting-hand-in-the-business/578485/22 "2011-04-16T00:59:22Z")
On second thought, Primus’ John The Fisherman is an AWESOME song with great playing from all three guys on drums, bass and guitar. They really are a talented band, to me its too bad they didn’t record less quirky music. Warning: cheesy early 1990’s video ahoy: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-vBodP89FE](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-vBodP89FE) ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2011, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitarists-bassists-the-best-fretting-hand-in-the-business/578485/23 "2011-04-16T01:16:54Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > On second thought, Primus’ John The Fisherman is an AWESOME song with great playing from all three guys on drums, bass and guitar. Claypool is awesome, but I always thought Tim Alexander didn’t get enough credit for being a great drummer. He played it as a lead instrument the same way Claypool played lead bass, and the music they made without him was a lot less interesting than what they did with him. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2011, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitarists-bassists-the-best-fretting-hand-in-the-business/578485/24 "2011-04-16T01:43:17Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Claypool is awesome, but I always thought Tim Alexander didn’t get enough credit for being a great drummer. He played it as a lead instrument the same way Claypool played lead bass, and the music they made without him was a lot less interesting than what they did with him. I agree, that’s why I threw the drummer reference in my post because he’s damn good. The whole band is really talented, but they don’t put out much in the way of commercially viable music. Because they _suck_, you understand. Primus fucking _ **SUCKS** _. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2011, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitarists-bassists-the-best-fretting-hand-in-the-business/578485/25 "2011-04-16T03:10:02Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > Does that make up for my thread about the band Cage the Elephant? 😉 LMFAO I had completely forgotten about that thread, but now that you brought it up… aye, you’re forgiven! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Enter\_the\_Flagon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Enter\_the\_Flagon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enter_the_Flagon)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2011, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitarists-bassists-the-best-fretting-hand-in-the-business/578485/26 "2011-04-16T04:14:12Z")
Wow, lotsa great playing in this thread. but now, if you’ll excuse me a moment, I’ll show you noobs that which truly IS (oh, wait, WAS) the best left hand in the business. Consider yourselves bested 😃 [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Skk9Q0Qd\_k](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Skk9Q0Qd_k) ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2011, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitarists-bassists-the-best-fretting-hand-in-the-business/578485/27 "2011-04-16T04:51:56Z")
Shane was very fast and very good, but I prefer to listen to [the guy who inspired him](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3COq4fElfRA). ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2011, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitarists-bassists-the-best-fretting-hand-in-the-business/578485/28 "2011-04-16T11:30:14Z")
Poor quality video of[Lenny Breau with Chet Atkins and Liona Boyd.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSCUiRXFUgE&feature=BFa&list=PLE072DB88F7BABDF1&index=6) Interesting because it features Lenny talking about the three years he spent playing bass, and doing pinky pull-offs on the bass (!) developed his fourth finger strength. 'nother [video](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwNKyI8se5k&feature=BFa&list=PLE072DB88F7BABDF1&index=3#t=45) from the documentary The Genius of Lenny Breau, showing how well Lenny could use his left hand. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2011, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitarists-bassists-the-best-fretting-hand-in-the-business/578485/29 "2011-04-16T14:57:13Z")
> [@Enter\_the\_Flagon](#): > > Wow, lotsa great playing in this thread. > > but now, if you’ll excuse me a moment, I’ll show you noobs that which truly IS (oh, wait, WAS) the best left hand in the business. > > Consider yourselves bested 😃 > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Skk9Q0Qd\_k](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Skk9Q0Qd_k) Yep - that’s a classical/shredder left hand. Not what I am talking about - great for speed and reach but not for groove and feel (to be clear: some great groove players use that position; there is no “rule”). Burbridge’s hand is more angled. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2011, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitarists-bassists-the-best-fretting-hand-in-the-business/578485/30 "2011-04-16T15:55:34Z")
Bernard Allison, son of blues great Luther Allison, has a bass player in his band named **Jassen Wilber** who just blew me away both times I’ve seen Allison’s band play. I’ll see if I can find some decent video links later. All the video clips I’ve been able to find so far are either very grainy or taken from so far back that it’s hard to see his playing technique. ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2011, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitarists-bassists-the-best-fretting-hand-in-the-business/578485/31 "2011-04-16T16:00:40Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > Yep - that’s a classical/shredder left hand. Not what I am talking about - great for speed and reach but not for groove and feel (to be clear: some great groove players use that position; there is no “rule”). Burbridge’s hand is more angled. I was going to say ‘Look at the position of the guitar - neck up, fretboard angled back, straight wrist, thumb on the back of the neck. Why, if he weren’t stretched out over 5 frets most of the time, I’d reckon he was a classical player.’ ---
**Author:** ![Enter\_the\_Flagon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Enter\_the\_Flagon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enter_the_Flagon)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2011, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitarists-bassists-the-best-fretting-hand-in-the-business/578485/32 "2011-04-16T16:06:28Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Shane was very fast and very good, but I prefer to listen to [the guy who inspired him](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3COq4fElfRA). Oh, well, I guess that we’ll just have to agree to agree on this. 🙂 For as much as I respect Shawn Lane’s supernatural powers, I sometimes think that what ultimately saves him from straying to the dark side of pure technical wankery is only an anusual melodic sophistication along with a good-natured musical exuberance that’s almost childlike in it’s innocence. And by all accounts, he was a real sweetheart of a guy. For regular listening, though, Holdsworth avoids the ruts in the road of killer technique much better for me as well. [QUOTE=Le Ministre de l’au-delà] 'nother video from the documentary The Genius of Lenny Breau, showing how well Lenny could use his left hand. [/quote] Beautiful. Here’s a clip of the late, great [Danny Gatton](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcDzFBupEMw) (“He is the fastest player alive. So how come nobody knows his name?” - Rolling Stone magazine). Danny once made a pilgrimmage to Lenny’s Breau’s house in Nashville, and found his hero living in squalor. “and the way he died, it was a sin and a shame.” He sure could play, though. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Enter\_the\_Flagon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Enter\_the\_Flagon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enter_the_Flagon)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2011, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitarists-bassists-the-best-fretting-hand-in-the-business/578485/33 "2011-04-16T16:13:25Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > Yep - that’s a classical/shredder left hand. Not what I am talking about - great for speed and reach but not for groove and feel (to be clear: some great groove players use that position; there is no “rule”). Burbridge’s hand is more angled. Oh! Apologies for _only_ missing the entire point of the thread! :eek: (Scampers off to search for some redeeming footage of a great player with an angled left hand). ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2011, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitarists-bassists-the-best-fretting-hand-in-the-business/578485/34 "2011-04-16T16:14:44Z")
> [@Enter\_the\_Flagon](#): > > Oh! Apologies for _only_ missing the entire point of the thread! :eek: > > (Scampers off to search for some redeeming footage of a great player with an angled left hand). No worries 😉 showing a clip like yours points out the difference: his technique is excellent _to achieve what he is trying to achieve_… ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2011, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitarists-bassists-the-best-fretting-hand-in-the-business/578485/35 "2011-04-16T16:33:43Z")
He’s a friend of mine and I shot this, but seriously, [this is some of the most amazing left hand work I’ve ever seen](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jwrQPzSRe8#t=1m50s). ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2011, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitarists-bassists-the-best-fretting-hand-in-the-business/578485/36 "2011-04-16T16:45:02Z")
I knew that was going to be Rev. Peyton even as I clicked! And you’re right - why isn’t that man all over the radio? Am I just listening to the wrong station or what? ---
**Author:** ![Bumbershoot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbershoot/32/3428_2.png) [@Bumbershoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbershoot)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2011, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitarists-bassists-the-best-fretting-hand-in-the-business/578485/37 "2011-04-16T17:04:26Z")
I was at the Beacon Theater in NYC last December to see Hot Tuna celebrating Jorma Kaukonen’s 70th birthday with lots of guests. Great show, and Oteil Burbridge played on several songs. He did a dueling bass thing with Jack Casady at one point; he really can play with great style and taste. And now, [the ultimate bass guitar wank-fest](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mE2sFUG5lTE)! 10 other bass players join Stanley Clarke on _School Days_, including Flea, Billy Sheehan and Wayman Tisdale. It’s mostly an excuse for the guys to show off, but there is some impressive playing and a huge variety of techniques on display. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2011, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitarists-bassists-the-best-fretting-hand-in-the-business/578485/38 "2011-04-16T17:35:58Z")
> [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](#): > > I knew that was going to be Rev. Peyton even as I clicked! > > And you’re right - why isn’t that man all over the radio? Am I just listening to the wrong station or what? Radio? Do they still do that? Nah, the way you build a fan base these days is by touring relentlessly. They spent the summer of 2010 on the Van’s Warped Tour, playing 1930s-style Country Blues to an audience of 15 year olds, making them _love it_ and getting voted favorite band by the other bands. Later this summer, they are playing [Bonaroo](http://www.bonnaroo.com/) and [five days at the Full Throttle Saloon at Sturgus](http://www.fullthrottlesaloon.com/). My wife and I have known these folks since before they were doing music full-time. They work harder than any other band I know, touring relentlessly. Radio would be nice, but frankly is irrelevant to success _on their own terms_. Early on, they were offered a record contract by a blues label. They checked _Cashbox_ and discovered they had managed to sell more copies of their first CD via the merch table at their shows then the label had managed to sell of their top artist’s latest via stores. Eventually, they got the deal they wanted from a tiny label. The next step is to get on a late night TV show. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2011, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitarists-bassists-the-best-fretting-hand-in-the-business/578485/39 "2011-04-16T17:37:53Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > He’s a friend of mine and I shot this, but seriously, [this is some of the most amazing left hand work I’ve ever seen](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jwrQPzSRe8#t=1m50s). That’s the kind of guy that makes me never want to get near a damn guitar again. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2011, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitarists-bassists-the-best-fretting-hand-in-the-business/578485/40 "2011-04-16T17:53:28Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > That’s the kind of guy that makes me never want to get near a damn guitar again. See them in concert, and hang around after - Rev loves to talk guitar technique with other players. Pretty much every moment he’s sitting down and not doing something like driving or eating, he has a guitar in his hands. Back to the OP, one of the Big Damn Band’s first gigs out of their home state of Indiana was [opening for Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi](http://www.bigdamnband.com/axl-rose-blog) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitarists-bassists-the-best-fretting-hand-in-the-business/578485.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitarists-bassists-the-best-fretting-hand-in-the-business/578485.md?page=3)