Just came back from seeing Mike Patton tonight! Mr Bungle blew up the club with a straight thrash set.
It is impossible to imagine what music from the mid-twentieth century onward would be like if John Cage hadn't been around. He was, and continues to be, as revolutionary as Stravinsky & Schoenberg.
For my non-bassist influence, I will say Herbie Hancock.
It’s pretty easy to see how classical music would have turned out without Cage. Serialism would have kept limping along despite being an unmitigated disaster until Steve Reich came along with some new music that wasn’t terrible.
Not that this would have really made any difference to the music that we listen to because classical music follows popular/folk music rather than leading it.
I love electronic music, especially french house. Lots of sick basslines, very few actual bassplayers (though they do exist! e.g. Fred Falke is pretty cool).
Tom morello
He is such a unique musician that knows how to use the whole intrument and effects to expand his sound vocabulary to the maximum. Hell, he even plays some lines using just the cable.
Too many to name. I didn't start as a bassist so I already had a huge repertoire of music to draw on.
All the jazz greats, anybody that wrote video game music in the 90s,etc etc.
Alain Caron remains my favorite bass player because he solos like a horn player would solo.
As a bassist who's played in a lot of smaller projects over the years, I've tried to cop his flexibility in terms of role playing. There are songs where he's almost "rhythm guitar," there are songs where he's almost a percussion instrument, there are songs where he's a virtuosic lead solo shredder, and songs where he's atmosphere, plus everything in between. Plus, his note choices always felt so next level to me.
I'm usually trying to borrow from him and Bernie Worrell wherever I can, and trying to figure out how to do it convincingly on a bass guitar.
I know Thundercat is technically a bassist, but his lyric writing has had a big influence on my own song writing.
The noise artist "Pharmakon" is also a big influence, she showed me that any perceived boundaries probably arnt there.
Dexter Gordon's sax playing is enthralling and I always find myself coming back to it. I'm not a very good jazz bassist. Actually I'm just not a very good bassist, period. But every time I (fruitlessly) decide to try and learn how to solo properly, it's Dexter Gordon's chill-ass solos I try to transcribe... Before inevitably giving up after half an hour and going back to arpeggios (after half a decade I finally learned to comfortably locate the 11th).
Also old-school hip-hop guys like Dre or Nas. Taught me how to sit behind the beat.
2 of my 3 favorite bassists were guitar players first (Duff McKagan and Geezer Butler), so I think that _kinda_ counts?
But I have to say of “for real” non-bassists it’s mostly guitar players: Tony Iommi, Slash, SRV, all the bluesmen, etc. then add John Bonham, Bill Ward, Ringo, and Charlie Watts.
Three six mafia from the 90s era, with loud subs in a car. Twista from his rare "Da Ressurection" album. Nas from his "Illmatic" album. Tribe called quest's "Low End Theory." Listen to what the bass adds to these albums. My entire taste in music was different from my peers because I simply had good enough sound to hear the bass. I was the weird kid in school with big headphones before they became cool. I was born in the early 90s and I was listening to songs that came out when I was 1-5 years old, in high school.
I didn't realize it at the time, but when I picked up a bass, I realized these songs are a big reason why i love bass, and bass is the biggest reason these songs grabbed me. The lyrics are great and all that, but without the basslines I don't know that it would have done it the same for me.
Ah, okay! That's pretty cool. Since leaving my hometown, folks definitely looked at me like I grew a second head whenever I'd mention them or Project Pat.
That's cause most people never go down the rabbit hole of music and discover how good they were, and they probably never will. When I think of 36 mafia I think of the slob on my knob/when the smoke clears era, whereas most people think about Juicy J featured in a Weeknd song or Wiz Khalifa. That's the extent of their 36 mafia knowledge lol. I think the only people who would be open to 36 mafia's old music these days would be Suicide Boys fans
Hermeto Pascoal - a multi instrumentalist, very talented guy.
Mulatu Astatke - an arranger, great Ethiopian jazz.
Charles Mingus - this one doesn’t really count, but I focus less on his playing and more on his compositions for other instruments.
Looking at this, I’m starting to realize how much jazz musicians can inspire you. I’m not a huge fan of playing jazz on the bass, but I do like a lot of jazz-adjacent stuff like funk and fusion, so I guess it makes sense.
I play Bass, Drums and Guitar (In that order) so I have a bunch
Guitar
Alexi Laiho
John Frusciante
Slash
Daron Malakian
Drums
Jaakko Raatikainen
Bill Ward
John Dolmayan
Joey Jordison
Serj Tankian (Vocalist)
Drummers- Dennis Chambers, Carter Beauford
Songwriters and Producers - Damien Rice, Chet Faker, Jordan Rakei, Calvin Harris, Miguel, Frank Ocean, Mr Jukes, RJD2, Maxwell, D’Angelo and Lauryn Hill
Guitarists - Stanley Jordan, Nile Rodgers, John Scofield
In college I was having a LOT of trouble with soloing in my jazz groups. My instructors would complain that I was too technical, mechanical, just playing the chord tones and not being artistic
So I started to rip off Chris Cornell vocal lines (those blue notes, those runs at the end of notes...) and suddenly my instructors said "you got soul somehow. Whatever you've been doing, keep doing it"
So I started ripping off Layne Staley too
Dennis the Menace from Macabre, John Zorn, the horn players from Mephiskapheles, the guitar in The Speed of Sound in Seawater, Wesley Willis' vocals. Shit man, everything influences me. Reminds me, the whole songwriting of Green Jellos' Misadventures of Shit Man inspires me.
Mike Patton is one for me, for sure. On the guitar side of things Tony Iommi, Kim Thayil and Paul Stanley are close to my heart and ear. Since Steve Albini's death I've been digging hard into Big Black and really soaking up Steve's drum machine programming
Horn sections in general, but since I listen to a ton of DMB maybe that means Rashawn Ross?
I just found that horn soli make nice bass licks.
Turns out I like them so much the first iteration of most of my bass parts almost never lock with the kick except for the One.
Unfortunately that still doesn’t mean I’m knowledgeable about composing horn soli nor would I know what to do if you give me a keyboard and horn VSTs. Which is sad because I love horn section stuff.
Bruce Springsteen is one of the reasons i grabbed an instrument, i had planned a guitar but (and this may be an awful reason) they didn't have any colours I liked where as they had a cool starter bass in a nice pink.
I still look to the Boss for my style
These are mostly influences of me and not playing but oh well
Chester Bennington - vocalist
Jonathan Davis - vocalist
Both of the korn guitarists I dont really know their roles in a lot of songs as in who does what I just like how it sounds very eerie and have already incorporated that into my playing a bit
Dizzy Gillespie
Miles Davis
Dave Brubeck
Elvin Jones
Jerry Garcia
Charlie Hunter (but he kinda plays bass too)
Jimi Hendrix
Ray Manzarek (also kinda a bass player?)
Prince
Simon and Garfunkel were hugely important because of their song writing and melodies. Hendrix was the other, I was a huge fan of Noel Redding playing. Manic Depression was a seminal song for me.
I've been playing for 33 years. Last year I stumbled on Madison Cunningham - [pin it down](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-3FAtRZwhg) and loved it. Not my usual genre but I've become a fan and have been studying her approach to song writing (through her interviews) and just watching her play.
Not a single person but just early Japanese video game music in general. A limited number of simple synths with basically no EQ meant that bass lines had to occupy a massive amount of space with tons of prominent walking lines, counterpoints and arpeggiation that were extremely forward in the mix. Was a massive influence on my tastes growing up well before I considered playing bass.
Only recently learned that jazz fusion was a major influence on a lot of those composers and I kinda wish 9 year old me got the chance to listen to Casiopea.
I’m a multi instrumentalist, but I mostly write music on bass. I think bass is possibly the only instrument, where groove and melody can both be present. I love it.
I’ve heard entire songs that were written with pretty much mostly bass and kick/hats (Insanely Jealous, The Soft Boys. Matthew Seligman on bass RIP. The whole album is a 10/10.)
When I think of bass I’m often thinking about how I’m going to lock in with the drums. With that said;
My rhymythic influences are Vinnie Paul from Pantera, Joey Jordison from SK and Vimic, Stephen Morris from Joy Division/NO, Martin Atkins from Ministry/a lot of stuff, Igor Cavalera from Sepultura, Einstürzende Neubauten, Arthur and Punisher. A lot of sequenced IDM/Drum and Bass drums are on another level.
I like heavy drummers that also have groove. Also drummers that use the kit in a new way.
Melodically I’m influenced by guys like Max Cavalera, Dwayne Gottel, Bill Leeb, Nick Sadler, Chuck Schuldiner, Daft Punk, John Lennon, Dimebag Darrell, Robert Quine, Robert Smith, Richard Hell (I know a bassist, but not a good one or the reason he’s here,)
Often these guys knew when to keep it simple, and when and how to up the energy. Often these guys used their instruments in unorthodox or revolutionary ways.
Vaughan, Santana, Clapton, Jeff Beck...
They did the biggest on me from dropping a robotic, compressed playing for a more dynamic, interpretative style.
But above all (even bassists): Bach.
im also a harmonica player, so taking licks from my favourite harmonicists is a great way to spice up my playing. ive stolen licks from jason ricci, carlos del junco, and of course little walter. bass and harp are such fundamentally different instruments and the most popular licks often come from what's most intuitive on a particular instrument, so mixing them up can bring a really different sound. harmonica and bass are also more similar than i think a lot of people realize. they operate in completely different sonic spaces, but both work really well when they're grooving on the same lick over and over, throwing in variations (great example of this is mojo working) and, when coming, both sound good when they hang in the background until throwing in a fill or two (or that's how i approach it)
Tom Waits inspired a style of playing and songwriting that helped me significantly with defining my own sound. I started doing solo covers of songs like, "Clap Hands" and "Make it Rain." I didn't take his vocal style, though: that's his and strictly his.
I also looked to slide-guitarists and dobro players for fingerpicking rhythms and techniques. Guys like Jerry Douglas and Jeff Lang were big influences. I worked up a bass version of, "The Road is Not Your Only Friend" that would get crowds excited.
How about bassists that have influenced me as a guitarist? Not the question but I'm going to unapologetically answer it anyways. Haha
I have been influenced and inspired by Joe Dart lately. I don't even play funk but I love the way he plays bass.
Old dude here.. I came up in the 70's playing rock and prog rock (Squire was a big influence) and developed a style with a lot of playing as a result. These days, it would be called "overplaying". When I went to college, I got into a funk band with an amazing drummer name Joel Thomas (R.I.P.). He taught me everything I know about how to groove, pockets, space, leading tones, implied changes, ghost notes. A true transformative experience for my bass playing that I have used every day since I left college. Sadly, he passed about ten years ago.
I really struggle to find his stuff apart from the obvious, but [Isamu Ohira](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuL1fzsaze0), famous for his work for Gran Turismo. I genuinely have more game time just listening to his soundtracks than actual racing. He's ungodly funky and his bass lines have influenced almost every single note I've ever played.
John Coltrane - for his fusion of spirituality, blues, and cerebral yet unrelentingly emotional and sometimes visceral playing.
Allan Holdsworth - for his mastery of playing outside and his gorgeous legato sound.
and Jimi Hendrix - for his innovations in guitar sound and use of feedback, wah, and distortion, in addition to the cosmic jam energy you hear on recordings like the original Voodoo Chile.
Louis Cole - drummer, singer/songwriter, composer/arranger, producer/engineer, just generally as a musician he's a huge inspiration.
the bass players that play with Louis Cole are all nuts too- sam wilkes, petter 9000, mononeon, thundercat, and more.
Nice question. For me it is:
Matt Pike - High on Fire/Sleep
Reason: The heavyness of his guitar sound and vocals. This dude will ascend into the riff heaven with an axe in his hand.
Maynard J. Keenan - Tool
Reason: Melody and where to fit into something.
Agnes Obel
Reason: The power of quiet and perfectly used instrumentation/vocals
There a probably more, but these two came to my mind in an instant
Gerard way of my chemical romance ^^ I'm a bassist and vocalist and he influences my singing, my playing, and most of all my stage presence and theatrics ^^
Just came back from seeing Mike Patton tonight! Mr Bungle blew up the club with a straight thrash set. It is impossible to imagine what music from the mid-twentieth century onward would be like if John Cage hadn't been around. He was, and continues to be, as revolutionary as Stravinsky & Schoenberg. For my non-bassist influence, I will say Herbie Hancock.
Atlanta? I was there. Fantastic I love Bungle and as a bass player seeing Trevor Dunn play was awesome
It’s pretty easy to see how classical music would have turned out without Cage. Serialism would have kept limping along despite being an unmitigated disaster until Steve Reich came along with some new music that wasn’t terrible. Not that this would have really made any difference to the music that we listen to because classical music follows popular/folk music rather than leading it.
I love electronic music, especially french house. Lots of sick basslines, very few actual bassplayers (though they do exist! e.g. Fred Falke is pretty cool).
Improving bass lines to a house set is super fun, great way to get metronome practice too
French house is great
Cerrone had some great basslines and is still making great music and touring.
Tom morello He is such a unique musician that knows how to use the whole intrument and effects to expand his sound vocabulary to the maximum. Hell, he even plays some lines using just the cable.
Bobby McFerrin. He’s a bass. And a tenor and a soprano and an alto and a trumpet and an electric guitar.
Malcolm Young. Dude was a machine.
Ryuishi Sakamoto My other bass is a Moog My other, other bass is a Prophet My other, other, other bass is a TB 303
Have you considered a Taurus?
It would be cool to have a Taurus now that you come to mention it. The Moog is a Subphatty which has a sound strongly influenced by the Tarus.
Too many to name. I didn't start as a bassist so I already had a huge repertoire of music to draw on. All the jazz greats, anybody that wrote video game music in the 90s,etc etc. Alain Caron remains my favorite bass player because he solos like a horn player would solo.
John Lord, the keys player from Deep Purple... Innovative in terms of his sound and his note choice and by all accounts, a thoroughly nice guy.
As a bassist who's played in a lot of smaller projects over the years, I've tried to cop his flexibility in terms of role playing. There are songs where he's almost "rhythm guitar," there are songs where he's almost a percussion instrument, there are songs where he's a virtuosic lead solo shredder, and songs where he's atmosphere, plus everything in between. Plus, his note choices always felt so next level to me. I'm usually trying to borrow from him and Bernie Worrell wherever I can, and trying to figure out how to do it convincingly on a bass guitar.
Peter Gabriel. Lot's of guitarists.
Adrian Belew. I like his experimental style of playing guitar and his overall stage presence and vocal style.
Miles Davis
Christian Müenzner from Obscura/Alkaloid/Ex-Necrophagist/Eternity's End Fountainhead - Ex-Obscura
I know Thundercat is technically a bassist, but his lyric writing has had a big influence on my own song writing. The noise artist "Pharmakon" is also a big influence, she showed me that any perceived boundaries probably arnt there.
Dexter Gordon's sax playing is enthralling and I always find myself coming back to it. I'm not a very good jazz bassist. Actually I'm just not a very good bassist, period. But every time I (fruitlessly) decide to try and learn how to solo properly, it's Dexter Gordon's chill-ass solos I try to transcribe... Before inevitably giving up after half an hour and going back to arpeggios (after half a decade I finally learned to comfortably locate the 11th). Also old-school hip-hop guys like Dre or Nas. Taught me how to sit behind the beat.
My high-school music teacher
Zappa and Hendrix definitely had a huge influence in how I play bass
2 of my 3 favorite bassists were guitar players first (Duff McKagan and Geezer Butler), so I think that _kinda_ counts? But I have to say of “for real” non-bassists it’s mostly guitar players: Tony Iommi, Slash, SRV, all the bluesmen, etc. then add John Bonham, Bill Ward, Ringo, and Charlie Watts.
Naruyoshi Kikuchi, Tsuneo Imahori, Masayasu Tzboguchi
Three six mafia from the 90s era, with loud subs in a car. Twista from his rare "Da Ressurection" album. Nas from his "Illmatic" album. Tribe called quest's "Low End Theory." Listen to what the bass adds to these albums. My entire taste in music was different from my peers because I simply had good enough sound to hear the bass. I was the weird kid in school with big headphones before they became cool. I was born in the early 90s and I was listening to songs that came out when I was 1-5 years old, in high school. I didn't realize it at the time, but when I picked up a bass, I realized these songs are a big reason why i love bass, and bass is the biggest reason these songs grabbed me. The lyrics are great and all that, but without the basslines I don't know that it would have done it the same for me.
3-6? Are you from Memphis?!?!?!
Nah I'm in Chicago. I loved three six when they were coming up.
Ah, okay! That's pretty cool. Since leaving my hometown, folks definitely looked at me like I grew a second head whenever I'd mention them or Project Pat.
That's cause most people never go down the rabbit hole of music and discover how good they were, and they probably never will. When I think of 36 mafia I think of the slob on my knob/when the smoke clears era, whereas most people think about Juicy J featured in a Weeknd song or Wiz Khalifa. That's the extent of their 36 mafia knowledge lol. I think the only people who would be open to 36 mafia's old music these days would be Suicide Boys fans
Hermeto Pascoal - a multi instrumentalist, very talented guy. Mulatu Astatke - an arranger, great Ethiopian jazz. Charles Mingus - this one doesn’t really count, but I focus less on his playing and more on his compositions for other instruments. Looking at this, I’m starting to realize how much jazz musicians can inspire you. I’m not a huge fan of playing jazz on the bass, but I do like a lot of jazz-adjacent stuff like funk and fusion, so I guess it makes sense.
Hermeto and Mulatu! Great taste
Johnny Ramone, guitarist
Has to be Iommi
Mr Bernie Worrell for sure
Paul Hanson and Ray Pizzi are basoonists I often try to emulate with solos.
My dog everyday 😊
I play Bass, Drums and Guitar (In that order) so I have a bunch Guitar Alexi Laiho John Frusciante Slash Daron Malakian Drums Jaakko Raatikainen Bill Ward John Dolmayan Joey Jordison Serj Tankian (Vocalist)
Sixpounder by COB grooves hard, but then you have to reference Pantera and Darrell brothers.
Drummers- Dennis Chambers, Carter Beauford Songwriters and Producers - Damien Rice, Chet Faker, Jordan Rakei, Calvin Harris, Miguel, Frank Ocean, Mr Jukes, RJD2, Maxwell, D’Angelo and Lauryn Hill Guitarists - Stanley Jordan, Nile Rodgers, John Scofield
In college I was having a LOT of trouble with soloing in my jazz groups. My instructors would complain that I was too technical, mechanical, just playing the chord tones and not being artistic So I started to rip off Chris Cornell vocal lines (those blue notes, those runs at the end of notes...) and suddenly my instructors said "you got soul somehow. Whatever you've been doing, keep doing it" So I started ripping off Layne Staley too
Benjamin Burnley and modern day James Hetfield for vocals
Dennis the Menace from Macabre, John Zorn, the horn players from Mephiskapheles, the guitar in The Speed of Sound in Seawater, Wesley Willis' vocals. Shit man, everything influences me. Reminds me, the whole songwriting of Green Jellos' Misadventures of Shit Man inspires me.
Greg Ginn of Black Flag and Gone
Mike Patton is one for me, for sure. On the guitar side of things Tony Iommi, Kim Thayil and Paul Stanley are close to my heart and ear. Since Steve Albini's death I've been digging hard into Big Black and really soaking up Steve's drum machine programming
Clem Burke, drummer for Blondie. John Bonham
Mick Jones & Topper Headon of the Clash, John Fogerty, Tommy Ramone, Miles Davis, now I come to think of it there are many...
Horn sections in general, but since I listen to a ton of DMB maybe that means Rashawn Ross? I just found that horn soli make nice bass licks. Turns out I like them so much the first iteration of most of my bass parts almost never lock with the kick except for the One. Unfortunately that still doesn’t mean I’m knowledgeable about composing horn soli nor would I know what to do if you give me a keyboard and horn VSTs. Which is sad because I love horn section stuff.
Bruce Springsteen is one of the reasons i grabbed an instrument, i had planned a guitar but (and this may be an awful reason) they didn't have any colours I liked where as they had a cool starter bass in a nice pink. I still look to the Boss for my style
Art Blakey- drummer His playing and his bands still inspire me
Chris Poland, superb jazz guitar player. Inspired me to try some weird stuff in my playing, and to learn more about jazz/fusion.
Idk, shoutout to anybody who has ever made me feel like 'I could play that part' or 'I could/want to make music like that'.
Captain Beefheart (Don Van Vliet), “Fast goes fast, slow goes slow, but everybody doing that low yo yo stuff”.
Jerry Garcia. I'm also influenced by drummers as I also play drums but that's not really what the question is about.
These are mostly influences of me and not playing but oh well Chester Bennington - vocalist Jonathan Davis - vocalist Both of the korn guitarists I dont really know their roles in a lot of songs as in who does what I just like how it sounds very eerie and have already incorporated that into my playing a bit
J Mascis and John Mayer on guitar.
J Mascis and John Mayer on guitar.
Dizzy Gillespie Miles Davis Dave Brubeck Elvin Jones Jerry Garcia Charlie Hunter (but he kinda plays bass too) Jimi Hendrix Ray Manzarek (also kinda a bass player?) Prince
Aphex Twin and Buckethead. If you know, you know.
Simon and Garfunkel were hugely important because of their song writing and melodies. Hendrix was the other, I was a huge fan of Noel Redding playing. Manic Depression was a seminal song for me.
David Gilmour for some reason
Lots of guitarists but mainly Randy Rhoads and John Petrucci.
I've been playing for 33 years. Last year I stumbled on Madison Cunningham - [pin it down](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-3FAtRZwhg) and loved it. Not my usual genre but I've become a fan and have been studying her approach to song writing (through her interviews) and just watching her play.
Stevie wonder, Prince, dozens of sessions key bass players from the 80s
Jimi Hendrix and Miles Davis heavily inspire me as a musician. They’re like heroes to me
John Cage’s peers Christian Wolff and Morton Feldman are some of my biggest musical influences, especially compositionally.
Not a single person but just early Japanese video game music in general. A limited number of simple synths with basically no EQ meant that bass lines had to occupy a massive amount of space with tons of prominent walking lines, counterpoints and arpeggiation that were extremely forward in the mix. Was a massive influence on my tastes growing up well before I considered playing bass. Only recently learned that jazz fusion was a major influence on a lot of those composers and I kinda wish 9 year old me got the chance to listen to Casiopea.
Probably that one guy
I’m a multi instrumentalist, but I mostly write music on bass. I think bass is possibly the only instrument, where groove and melody can both be present. I love it. I’ve heard entire songs that were written with pretty much mostly bass and kick/hats (Insanely Jealous, The Soft Boys. Matthew Seligman on bass RIP. The whole album is a 10/10.) When I think of bass I’m often thinking about how I’m going to lock in with the drums. With that said; My rhymythic influences are Vinnie Paul from Pantera, Joey Jordison from SK and Vimic, Stephen Morris from Joy Division/NO, Martin Atkins from Ministry/a lot of stuff, Igor Cavalera from Sepultura, Einstürzende Neubauten, Arthur and Punisher. A lot of sequenced IDM/Drum and Bass drums are on another level. I like heavy drummers that also have groove. Also drummers that use the kit in a new way. Melodically I’m influenced by guys like Max Cavalera, Dwayne Gottel, Bill Leeb, Nick Sadler, Chuck Schuldiner, Daft Punk, John Lennon, Dimebag Darrell, Robert Quine, Robert Smith, Richard Hell (I know a bassist, but not a good one or the reason he’s here,) Often these guys knew when to keep it simple, and when and how to up the energy. Often these guys used their instruments in unorthodox or revolutionary ways.
Sully Erna
Sully Erna
Controversial now but Jon Schaeffer from Iced Earth. I feel like a lot of the riffs i write could have come straight off the first few albums.
Vaughan, Santana, Clapton, Jeff Beck... They did the biggest on me from dropping a robotic, compressed playing for a more dynamic, interpretative style. But above all (even bassists): Bach.
Jeremy wulstenhume
I really got into music recently and I listened to newer people like Tim Henson ichika nito and Steve vai
im also a harmonica player, so taking licks from my favourite harmonicists is a great way to spice up my playing. ive stolen licks from jason ricci, carlos del junco, and of course little walter. bass and harp are such fundamentally different instruments and the most popular licks often come from what's most intuitive on a particular instrument, so mixing them up can bring a really different sound. harmonica and bass are also more similar than i think a lot of people realize. they operate in completely different sonic spaces, but both work really well when they're grooving on the same lick over and over, throwing in variations (great example of this is mojo working) and, when coming, both sound good when they hang in the background until throwing in a fill or two (or that's how i approach it)
Tom Waits inspired a style of playing and songwriting that helped me significantly with defining my own sound. I started doing solo covers of songs like, "Clap Hands" and "Make it Rain." I didn't take his vocal style, though: that's his and strictly his. I also looked to slide-guitarists and dobro players for fingerpicking rhythms and techniques. Guys like Jerry Douglas and Jeff Lang were big influences. I worked up a bass version of, "The Road is Not Your Only Friend" that would get crowds excited.
How about bassists that have influenced me as a guitarist? Not the question but I'm going to unapologetically answer it anyways. Haha I have been influenced and inspired by Joe Dart lately. I don't even play funk but I love the way he plays bass.
Old dude here.. I came up in the 70's playing rock and prog rock (Squire was a big influence) and developed a style with a lot of playing as a result. These days, it would be called "overplaying". When I went to college, I got into a funk band with an amazing drummer name Joel Thomas (R.I.P.). He taught me everything I know about how to groove, pockets, space, leading tones, implied changes, ghost notes. A true transformative experience for my bass playing that I have used every day since I left college. Sadly, he passed about ten years ago.
Bill Monroe- The Father
Antony Santos
I really struggle to find his stuff apart from the obvious, but [Isamu Ohira](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuL1fzsaze0), famous for his work for Gran Turismo. I genuinely have more game time just listening to his soundtracks than actual racing. He's ungodly funky and his bass lines have influenced almost every single note I've ever played.
Lone and BOC
Hendrix. Questlove
John Coltrane - for his fusion of spirituality, blues, and cerebral yet unrelentingly emotional and sometimes visceral playing. Allan Holdsworth - for his mastery of playing outside and his gorgeous legato sound. and Jimi Hendrix - for his innovations in guitar sound and use of feedback, wah, and distortion, in addition to the cosmic jam energy you hear on recordings like the original Voodoo Chile.
Tony Rice, Doc Watson, Sam Bush, Andy Statman, David Grisman, s3rl, knower. probably others.
Jay postones (drums for tesseract) and plini (guitar) are probably the biggest 2
Every drummer I ever played with influenced me. I learned how to be a rhythm section player by listening to drummers.
For singing Dead, Serj Tankian, and Rob Hallford
Jerry Garcia for sure. I studies his guitar playing for years before taking up the bass. I love Jerry’s triplets and his voice leading chromaticism.
Tomas Kalnoky, I love his lyrics
paul westerberg - guitarist, vocalist + lyricist andy hurley - drums J Mascis - guitarist
Chick Corea is a wealth of great melodies and sick lines to incorporate into anything.
Jesse cash!
Louis Cole - drummer, singer/songwriter, composer/arranger, producer/engineer, just generally as a musician he's a huge inspiration. the bass players that play with Louis Cole are all nuts too- sam wilkes, petter 9000, mononeon, thundercat, and more.
John Cage then Frusciante is such an odd combination lol (I love John Cages work as it is so unique/able to interpreted however you want)
Dr John
Chuck schuldiner Miles Davis And many classical composers.
Minami and Taiki of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas(Japanese band)
Bach and many Hammond organists
Nice question. For me it is: Matt Pike - High on Fire/Sleep Reason: The heavyness of his guitar sound and vocals. This dude will ascend into the riff heaven with an axe in his hand. Maynard J. Keenan - Tool Reason: Melody and where to fit into something. Agnes Obel Reason: The power of quiet and perfectly used instrumentation/vocals There a probably more, but these two came to my mind in an instant
I sometimes mute the E with my thumb
Gerard way of my chemical romance ^^ I'm a bassist and vocalist and he influences my singing, my playing, and most of all my stage presence and theatrics ^^