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“Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent” - Victor Hugo
Whether it’s rock, jazz, soul, punk, blues, or folk, every genre of music has its legends. While we often remember the great guitarists like Jimi Hendrix, Keith Richards, Eric Clapton, and Jimmy Page, we can’t forget the great bassists. The bass guitar is both rhythm and melody and the foundation of every song. Bassists are often excellent musicians and composers. Would you like to learn how to play the bass? What about learning your favourite musicians’ basslines? Here are our top 10 bassists of all time.
Cliff Burton
Born 10th February 1962 in Vastro Valley, California, and died aged 24 on 27 September 1986, Cliff Burton was Metallica’s second bassist. 
Michael Balzara aka Flea, The Red Hot Chili Peppers
Flea (real name Michael Balzary) is an Australian-American a bassist, pianist, trumpet player, and actor. Born 16 October 1962 in Melbourne, Australia, he’s one of the founding members of Red Hot Chili Peppers along with Anthony Kiedis. According to Rolling Stone, he’s the second-best bassist of all time. His basslines are enchanting and he’s on every RHCP album including Freaky Styley, Mother’s Milk, Blood Sugar Sex Magic, One Hot Minute, Californication, and By the Way. He’s nicknamed Flea due to how small he is and how often he jumps about on stage. He was heavily influenced by jazz as a child and later discovered rock music through Jimi Hendrix, Kiss, and Led Zeppelin. He met Anthony Kiedis, Hillel Slovak, and Jack Irons and created the band Red Hot Chili Peppers in 1983. His playing style is influenced by jazz and bassists like Jaco Pastorius. Learn more about the role of the bass guitar.
Paul McCartney, The Beatles
Who hasn’t heard of The Beatles? Born in 1942 in Liverpool, Paul McCartney is an author, composer, and performer. 
John Paul Jones, Led Zeppelin
It takes a great bassist to play alongside amazing guitarists like Robert Plant and Jimmy Page. Born 3 January 1946 in London, John Baldwin aka John Paul Jones was the bassist for Led Zeppelin from its creation in 1968 until its breakup in 1980. He learnt the piano from a young age and started playing bass as a teenager. With Led Zeppelin, he became one of the most famous rock and performed on some particularly famous songs: Stairway to Heaven, Immigrant Song, Whole Lotta Love, Black Dog, All My Love, Good Times Bad Times, Your Time is Gonna Come, and Dazed and Confused.
Roger Waters, Pink Floyd
How can we talk about the best bassists in the world without mentioning Roger Waters from Pink Floyd? Born 6 September 1943 in Surrey, Roger Waters is the bassist and a founding member of Pink Floyd. 
Jaco Pastorius
Born 1 December 1951 and died 1987, John Francis Anthony Pastorius III aka Jaco Pastorius was a jazz and jazz-rock bassist. He’s largely known for playing the electric bass as both an accompaniment to other instruments and as a soloist. He’s famous for playing a fretless bass and was the last 20th-century jazz musician to have influenced subsequent generations according to guitarist Pat Metheny. In the 1980s, he played with great musicians such as Brian Melvin, Mike Stern, and Biréli Lagrène.
Rex Brown, Pantera
Born in Texas 27 July 1964, Rex Robert Brown is the bassist of the heavy metal band Kill Devil Hill. However, he’s most famous for being the bassist of Pantera from their founding in 1982 until their breakup in 2003. Rex Brown may only be known amongst metalheads, but here’s your chance (if you’re not one) to appreciate his bass playing, especially on songs like Five Minutes Alone. You’ve got to appreciate his playing even if you’re not a fan of the music. If you’re learning to play the bass, it’s a good idea to observe his technique and bass riffs in the song. Five Minutes Alone is proof that metal music requires excellent musicians. Find good guitar lessons London here on Superprof.
Tom Hamilton, Aerosmith
Born 31 December 1951 in Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA, Thomas Hamilton is the bassist for the band Aerosmith. He composed three masterpieces for the group, the basslines for Sweet Emotion, Janie’s Got a Gun, and Jaded. Influenced by Paul McCartney and John Paul Jones, he formed Aerosmith in 1970. The rock group sold 150 million albums across the world and 97 million in the US and is one of the most successful rock groups of all time. Check for online guitar lessons here on Superprof.
Duff McKagan, Guns N’ Roses
Born 5 February 1964 in Seattle and part of the same generation as Kurt Cobain (1967-1994) and Chris Novoselic (1965- ), Michael Andrew McKagan aka Duff McKagan is a guitarist, singer, and bassist. Find guitar tuition on Superprof. 
Marcus Miller
A little bonus for you here. Marcus Miller, born 14 June 1959 is another bass virtuoso. He was a jazz fusion, jazz, and funk bassist. Born into a family of musicians, he learnt to play the guitar around the age of 12. He worked with Miles Davis in the 1980s, which gained him global notoriety, as well as with Claude Nougaro and Aretha Franklin. No doubt that he deserves his place amongst the best bassists. Looking for more bassists? If you'd like to learn more, consider getting tutorials from one of the many talented bass tutors on Superprof. They can offer you one of the three main types of bass tutorials. Face-to-face tutorials are your traditional private tutorials between the student and a tutor. They're great if there's something specific you'd like to learn as the lessons will be tailored to you and your learning style. However, this bespoke service comes at a cost, meaning that this type of tutorial is usually the most costly. Online tutorials are also just between a single student and their tutor but their tutor won't be there in the room with them. Instead, they'll provide their tutorial over webcam. While this isn't always ideal for hands-on subjects, if you have a decent mic, a talented tutor can teach you how to play bass without even being in the room with you. Finally, you can also get group tutorials. With several paying students attending the tutorial, this type of tutorial tends to be the cheapest per person per hour. Of course, the tutor's attention is also divided amongst the students and they won't be able to tailor the lessons to a single student. Check out these guides for bassists.
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