In a recent chat with Bass Player magazine, Billy Sheehan shared the easy way to learn bass guitar.
While discussing how he begins a new project, Sheehan talked about the key aspect that makes up ’99 percent’ of bass playing:
“The drummer. My very first teacher taught me that regardless of what else goes on, you’ve got to play a bass note at the same time as the kick drum, which is 99 percent of how bass playing works.”
He added:
“Eventually, I started incorporating fills and accents, but I only got away with an aggressive style because it was locked to the drummer from the beginning.”
Sheehan Speaks About His Own Style
In a 2023 interview with Music Radar, Sheehan reflected on his own bass-playing style, explaining:
“I play very hard. My action isn’t all that low – many people are surprised by that when they pick up my bass. My strings are Rotosounds that tear you up, and I love them for that. My low E is a 0.110, extra big and heavy. Sometimes I’ll use a 0.115 or 0.120 for tons of mass. Playing hard on one of those will add to the sound right there. The way my fingers pluck over the pickup is an essential aspect of my playing.”
The musician enjoys playing fast on the bass:
“My playing can get real fast because once you get accurate and strong, it’s like running… you won’t always jog, sometimes you’ll sprint! It’s nice to pick it up a bit and see how quick you can get to the end of the corner there. Why not? Speed is just one of many tools you can use to create music.”
In his Bass Player magazine chat, Billy also mentioned that Dennis Chambers has had a big impact on him. Chambers’ flawless sense of rhythm taught Billy to rely on his own internal sense of timing rather than depending solely on the drummer.