Flea demonstrates how to pick on a Fleabass!

[IAMaRocker92]

Flea just throws the quarter and says: Fuck this shit!!! Back to slappin da bass!!!

[flymusicguy]

finishes the solo, throws the quarter like a boss!

[MrSasuke2222]

thats a real bass player

[lanci122]

"Chris Squire plays with a quarter and uh, hes a good bass player"

hahahaha

[nachogolfista]

It looks if he wants to demostrate that he can pick without having a pick XD

[NopeTheOtherOne]

the last note sounded like a fart

[lucasfalsett]

It's strange to see flea playing with a pick

[TheBassmastersmith]

chris squire, "he's a good bass player:..... lmao.

[KoalaEarKiller]

-How to slap on a Fleabass: More than 6 min.

-How to pick on a Fleabass: Less than one min.

Kinda revealing...

[VittuAitisiEmattim]

@KoalaEarKiller Slapping is much more difficult to build fluency and speed than picking, it also requires more explanation

[KoalaEarKiller]

@VittuAitisiEmattim I know, but just look how Flea don't give a fuck about picking: He don't bring any, and he throws his quarter at the end. He only uses a pick for Don't Forget Me, because it sounds better when muting the strings.

[VittuAitisiEmattim]

@KoalaEarKiller He doesn't mute the string for Don't Forget Me, its easier to ply chords consistantly on a bass when using a pick it also gives it a different tone.

[KoalaEarKiller]

@VittuAitisiEmattim Of course he is muting the strings. What I meant with my comment is that a lot of bassist, especially rock, jazz and funk bassist, uses their fingers, because that's how bass was supposed to be played. I didn't said that fingers were better than pick, but just look at all the great bassist in the world: they all uses their fingers. That's what I meant when i said "kinda revealing..."

[Anaximandro95]

@VittuAitisiEmattim I love Flea, and i think he is one of the best bass players alive, but about the speed and picking, just see the awesome Steve Harris. He plays really speed, and he never used a fucking pick. I know it's just about likes, but the finger gives a special sound, the pick is a simple shit

[VittuAitisiEmattim]

@Anaximandro95 It's all about preference and what sound fits what you're playing, I play bass in about 4 bands and during every show we play i switch between picking, slapping and finger picking. It has nothing to do with what is better.

[MattyPS]

hahaha I love the ending

[TheFuktastic]

Flea with shirt picking... FAKE!

[rebelgold1]

I don't think the sarcastic tone is dissing Chris Squire, I think It shows his contempt and "I don't give a flying fuck I'm Flea" towards picking in general. Yes?

[Perimanxxxxxx86]

picking a bass isnt bad. gives you a different sound. but a pick would get in fleas way....

[xngr]

I always love the mindless pick-hating by people who don't have any clue about music as a whole.

Learn all the techniques you can and learn to apply all of them tastefully. End of story.

Everyone who tells you that a certain style of playing is wrong or gay or whatever, has probably only been playing for 2 weeks, so they're not really in the place to give any advice yet.

[FleshStarvingBass]

@xngr After 5 years of playing bass, I can tell that pick is like having sex with a condom. Sometimes needed, but not that "good".

[xngr]

@FleshStarvingBass I could tell you again what my 8 years of playing bass taught me (if you really wanna go for the dick comparison thing), but I think I'll let Bobby Vega speak for me. Look him up.

[FleshStarvingBass]

@xngr I don't get your "again" there, but anyway, I guess I'll let speak Ryan Martinie for me then... Bobby Vega is very good, I knew him from MXR by Dunlop products, but I prefer bassists doing some super-crazy stuff with their fingers, sometimes they can imitate pick sound without using it and add some percussive things to it. Look 7sloth bassist, this guy shows how to play songs played w/ pick w/o it and how great it works. That's for my theory, I prefer to be with my instrument more in touch

[bbbkintofree11]

Of course Flea got picks, which he uses in for example parallel universe or Dont forget me, but its just not one of his favourite styles

[DanneTheManOfMusic]

''I don't actually have a pick with me here today''.

Hello! He's Flea, he don't have a pick at all!



[spjfrat]

It just seems too strange seeing him with a pick. He got rid of it pretty quick at the end, though.

[TheMcCrip]

Chris Squire hmmmmm yeah he's a good bass player *facepalm* Chris Squire is frickin amazing!

[MrSloppyman]

I don't have a pick with me today... because I don't.

*Because they are for little sissy bitches and I am Flea. I mean seriously, have you heard my music? FOOLS.

[TheTasmanianDutchmen]

I prefer to play with my fingers but listen to bunker hill's bass line 

[SleepingInTheFire]

Playing bass for dummies......dropping the pick is when you get real

[maidenrules13]

lmao he seems angry about using a pick

[Makksor]

I likes chris squire <3 YES

[AcexHawk]

even though flea doesn't play bass with a pick or like it, he seems to acknowledge the fact that people prefer it and thats what i like about him, to be a musician, you must be accepting of all forms and styles of music... unless it's shitty

[samuel8510]

the title should "flea demonstrates how to pick on a Fleabass whit a quarter"

[eltotoX]

hahahaha I loled!

[mikedrud]

Flea isn't just a good musician, he's a lover of music and instruction. Love him for it.

[polgardani]

yes, when flea wants to make a video of picking, he does not get a pick. xD

[S0NiCCCCC]

i used to dislike picking...but then slowly warmed up to it as i kept playing...still not as favored as fingering...but to be a good bassist...one must be familiar with different ways to play =)

[goldielockstherobot]

theres a down strum, then an up strum....GENIUS!!!!!

[vsftin]

actually he plays with the pick in some chili peppers' songs (parallel universe, fortune faded, zephyr song, don't forget me...)

[eekleefeld]

Paul McCartney has used a pick for almost everything over his whole career. That should pretty much settle the question for any fingerstyle-only purists.

[nightmareX1993]

@eekleefeld lots of bass players use picks. my theory is that good bass players have their left-hand technique down, but great bass players know all about right-hand technique and develop that.

[Prettyflyforabassman]

@nightmareX1993

that technically does sum up a good bass player.

a bass player needs to be versitile, be able to play any genre and any technique, thats what makes other bass players stand out

[nightmareX1993]

@Prettyflyforabassman yeah, exactly. i just found out that the late John Entwhistle used a pick in a few of the Who's songs, even though he had his own style going

[Prettyflyforabassman]

@nightmareX1993

rly? i didnt know that, i gotta listen to some more of the who then :P

[GraciousLizard]

ahhhhhhhhhhhhh I NEED A FLEABASS NOW!

[gnrcr]

Flea is just better than Squire, face it.

[sbromberg11]

...And he's a good player

[LIlowendNYC]

Am I really seeing this? Flea giving a lesson on picking? An who in their right mind would encourage a beginner to pick a modulous bass with a quarter? It would scratch it to shit an have a terrible tone

[365metal]

i bet you five seconds later after they turned the camera off, some jewish guy came and picked it up

[touretteEd2]

@365metal I would have picked it up...motherfucking flea just played bass with it

[SkyValleySpaceCadet]

haha, awsome

[M93RAFfIcca]

why are people fighting about if flea disrespected chris squire? flea didn't necessarily use sarcasm when he said chris squire was a good player. people can interpret what he said in different ways. i for one think that he's saying that even chris squire uses a pick. so he's probably saying that even a great player like chris squire uses a quarter as a pick. as i said , different people can interpret this in different ways.

[11Britter11]

Even in his old age, Squire kicks the shit out of Flea any day of the week.

[bbout19]

Wow, just wow.....I love the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Flea, but I love Yes and Chris Squire even more (they are one of my favorite bands)....To see Flea say something about a fellow great bass player with such disrespect and sarcasm really makes me disrespect him a little...I would like to see the person who says Chris Squire is not an amazing bass player...Chris Squire has been an influence to great modern bass players...Musicians who do not respect other great players lose respect, in my case

[wookiewhat]

@bbout19 He has respect. Just not for Chris Squire or Yes.

He loves Bootsy Collins, Larry Graham and a hell of a lot of other musicians.

Chris Squire never influenced him.

Oh, and to quote the bassist from the Clash, Paul Simonon, "I heard my brother one day listening to this music with chimes and stuff... I was like, what the fuck is this? And it was like Yes or something".

TL;DR You don't have to respect everyone, everyone has their favourite bass player and prog rock is somewhat overrated

[bbout19]

@wookiewhat I think you may be confusing the definitions of "respect" and "influence"...I really don't want to get into a fist fight here, so I mean, really? You don't have to say things like "prog is overrated", because I could say the same thing about the RHCP, or Flea for that matter, but I don't, because I realize that would be disrespectful....progressive music is music for a minority of listeners because it's too classical for rock-listeners and too rock for classical musicians....

[shokyu42]

You have up strokes.. and you have down strokes.. and that's playing with a pick! Awesome!

[HumpDeBump100]

Flea. using. a. pick. to. play. bass.....0_0 .. I better check outside for any flying pigs :P

[bjparhamguitars123]

@HumpDeBump100 hahahahahhahahahaha no just no! tryin to get a top rated comment

[HumpDeBump100]

@bjparhamguitars123 *looks at thumbs up on already top rated comments* ya.. that would be impossible lol

[global1995]

Thanks for the quarter now i can sell it ! :D

[bluedogofdark]

hahaha. flea's awesome

[jamastahhh92]

Great bassist bad teacher. He didnt even bring a pick haha

[vieri031]

@jamastahhh92 Hahaha ! :D He is Great teacher ! ; - )

[paulohklas]

voce eo baixita do Red Hot Chilli pepers ?

[FireTheMarshall]

i love flea, he's an amazing bassist, but chris squier is easily better than him. sorry if you disagree.

[TMRonin85]

Flea's a great Bassist, but what an attitude! There's nothing wrong with playing with a pick. It's personal preference. Lemmy Kilmister, Dave Ellefson, Jason Newsted, Paul McCartney, Tom Araya, John Paul Jones ('Black Dog'), Duff McKagan...all use a pick to make amazing music.

[365metal]

@TMRonin85 all metal guys except paul mcartney. most metal guys use a pick. flea plays funk, where you cant really use a pick. so shut up

[hugemangus]

Billy Gibbons plays with a Peso ! ! ! Pesos have a smooth shiny edge so that you don't get the buzz saw effect that you don't want if you're playing singing blues notes ! ! !

[FunkyFellaDaBassist]

He NEVER has a pick with him! :D If River Phoenix would be with him (rip) he would propably give him a pick like in 1993 dvd :D

[ashescantburn1]

His hand looks weird with a pic/quarter on it.

[Gsichler]

He really seams to hate picking.

[JPPraterCO08]

@Gsichler most bassists do...

[WaterBottlesAndCups]

@Gsichler picking dilutes the sound

[ParcourManiac]

@Gsichler he dislikes using picks as far as I know. A good few bassists are the same (well all the one's that I can think of any way). A few metal bassists do use picks I think

[MrTEBA9494]

his picking technique is still worst than his slap! ridiculous and ignorant.

[Wanderlei420]

matt freeman does fine with a pick ! its just different



[IThinkImAloneNow]

Picks are terrible on a bass but sting and roger waters manage to pull it off, pardon the pun.

[basicoptimalmouse]

i played guitar and migrated to bass after being stuck playing one once and i absolutely loved it so sold my les paul and bought a thunderbird. true story.

[PompeusMagnus]

This is awesome to show you all pick haters that it's ok to use it

[muzicbuff412]

He totally prefers finger playing obviously!!

[Jepson3000]

You can tell Flea HATES playing Bass with a pick.

[Boshunz]

@Jepson3000 ya he's like- why the hell would u need a pick. haha.. then he throws the quarter.

[clarikid]

Flea doesn't need a pick. He slaps fast then most people pick.

[TehAndyQt]

BECAUSE I DON'T NEED A PICK, I'M FLEA.

[junkayballs]

as simple as that last riff was...IT WAS FUKIN EPIIICCC!!!!!!!!!!!

[PoisonTester]

his face while playing at 0:46:

"god this is boring"

[93californication]

At the end.

Throws the quarter cuz flea just does NOT USE A PICK

Epic.

[oohhhyyeeaahhh]

@93californication I'm half sure he does on Don't forget Me.I could be wrong though,but it just sounds like he does.

[93californication]

@oohhhyyeeaahhh Yeah you might be right. Either that or he strums with his thumb. Idk

Not saying bass players shouldn't use picks, just that they shouldn't stick to only using picks. Variety

[AmnesiaStreet]

@93californication @oohhhyyeeaahhh Flea is using picks in several songs like dont forget me, snow, parallel universe, zephyr song..

[MrLogxan]

chris squire uses a quarter and uh...hes a good bass player so

[paulson322]

flee is such a great bass player but one thing just doesnt set right with me ..... the fact that he is a retard

[MrWilma93]

@paulson322 20 years of heroin abuse fucks you up....... probably

[paulson322]

@MrWilma93 very true wasent thinking of it that way

[Cheesenipp6]

@MrWilma93 And for you, he was never heavily into drugs as much as John and Anthony, or Hillel... He isn't fucked up in that sense. He's weird, but he's fine! :P

[Cheesenipp6]

@paulson322 I know you're just being a moron, but he's actually a very smart guy. haha

[med41293]

0:54 "FUCK THIS QUARTER"

[iskakoffS]

pick's useless!! love it!!!! juuust fingers!!!!))

[acatiksel]

9 people don't have a quarter.

[perjamesbond]

i cant play with pick

[xXlopoXx]

"Fuck this shit." *Tosses quarter*

[Cornbrosia]

He rarely uses a pick so It's not suprising he doesn't have one. I've found folding paper over until its firm or using the edge of a credit card works as well

[busislo01]

Actually he is no guy for picking right? LET ME HEAR SLAPING FLEA OMG this one is motherfucking fantastic!

[6787967879]

Seriously its like he really didn't wanna do this. It was sarcastic and he did faces the whole video lol. Even when he throws the quarter he has a face like saying "get that shit outta here" haha

[Troiasta]

It's been brought to my attention that Chris Squier uses and quarter and umm... he's a good bass player XD

[DylanDaBassist]

Did anyone else get a boner?

[DrBassShredder]

Retarded. Why should it be different picking on a flea bass than any other bass.

[Zeolot88]

yeah err... and he's a good bass player. lol

[blinkbody]

love how he finished the video :D

[cestoiber117]

Haha Flea didn't bring a pick on purpose. It would have been so simple to just ask somebody for one or spend a dime to buy one before this video. He didn't because Flea probably believes picking is for guitar and that using one on bass is inferior (if Justin Chancellor didn't exist, then it that would be true.)

[punchfloor]

@cestoiber117 dude, fingerstyle and picking are used for different genres and to obtain different tones.. its not about inferiority. get out of your immature "there's only fingerstyle bass" mindset.

[cestoiber117]

@punchfloor Did I say that? I use a pick in some songs. Get off your period.

[DavidTebbott]

"he's a good bassist"

lol sounds so sarcastic

[breakbomb1]

lol, suuuuuch an elitist!!!! well-deserved though!

[homerdalore]

He makes a funny face when he plays... He's relaxed and normal when he talks and as soon as he starts playing, he tenses up and makes the "funny" face! lol

[rubenstfu]

when he joined the band right before rhcp that band made him use a pick and it was majority of down strokes cuz in punk ur a pussy if u use upstrokes

[Coldsummer4Rs]

that quater would of been wort millions on ebay

[SpunkyMunky97]

"And uh..........he's a good bass player"

Sound so sarcastic when he says it :L

[Defiled007]

@SpunkyMunky97 Well... He is a good bass player.

[SpunkyMunky97]

@Defiled007 I know :L

[vlado0oo0o]

@SpunkyMunky97 I guess thats the idea...

[eatmeimsteak]

@SpunkyMunky97 he didn't sound sarcastic at all to me

[RabidCheese123]

Chuck Norris makes the speed of light wish it was faster,

flea makes Chuck Norris wish he was faster :P

[TheBubbadocious]

He usually plays with his fingers. lol. Its weird seeing him use a pick, but in this case, quarter.

[NiklausMetal]

Yikes

[TheShire26]

He's so awkward except when he plays. Then he becomes a different person.

[hamguy09]

really cool sounding...but i like him better when he uses slap picking

[huntstoneify]

ive never seen him use a pick, even im snow he just strums with his thumb finger

[GreenEggsNSam2]

LOVE IT!!!!

[NoName01071992]

he doesnt even have a pick haha, but he does use one in several songs people, parallel universe and the zypher song for instance

[MonkeyManPersonShow]

lmoa 0:01 & 0:15 lolololololol

[bip01]

You know, that he uses a pick in some songs, right?

[WolfyPaaaul]

Upstrokes and downstrokes....that's playin' with a pick!...

[carl0sssssss]

LMFAO holy shit, you can almost see the sarcasm when he says "And um....he's a good bass player...."

[CrazyNights14]

@carl0sssssss Chris Squire is one of the great bassists of all time. Hopefully Flea didn't used sarcasm in it because he's also a great bassist and it would be a shame that he didn't recognize another great bassist.

[rockomundo]

I personally prefer using a pick.

[Orangemongoose1]

@alphanoid13 Chris Squire look up the song "Roundabout" by Yes, he plays an awesome baseline in the beginning of that one.

[alphanoid13]

what's the name of that bass player that uses quarter?

[MrLuckybeast13]

@alphanoid13 you cant rewind the video?

[DiegoACM1899]

and.. ahmm... he's a good bass player u.u hahahahaha

[iAussieGuy]

hahah thats awesome, he didnt bring a pick. He threw the quarter at the end. ahaha chris squire uses a quarter lol. hes good

[FullContactDrummer]

Chris Squire uses a quarter...and he's a good bass player!  LMAO!

[TheDrowningpoolfan1]

ok he says "and um he's a good bass player" what he means "this guy sucks ass compaired to me"

[rocconrollo]

@TheDrowningpoolfan1 and you showed that you're an ignorant prick who doesn't know Yes,one of the most finest bands in progressive rock...and oh,did you ever heard Roundabout,that's a pretty difficult bass line...get your fact before talking,dick.

[TheDrowningpoolfan1]

@rocconrollo i know he is an amazing bassist it was a joke dumbass dont get your pussy lips in a knot

[donfully]

He's all grown up now:)

[LEFT4BASS]

Justin Chancellor uses a pick as well Chris Squire (who was mentioned in the video). See people using a pick doesn't make you a bad bass player. Personally, I do slap for some songs and pick the ones that slap doesn't work for.

[brianmadmaxsy]

Flea always buy strings everyday. Maybe... hahaha.

[nancyboy07]

"picking is uhhhh when you play with a pick" lol thats why flea is my favorite

[jldaniel0678]

thats too funny



[Jtrip2133]

"I don't actually have a pick with me here today because....I..just don't have one."

Lmao, epic.

[MrIlikecheetos]

@Jtrip2133 That always makes me laugh XD

[TheGreaterLionTurtle]

Lmaaooo this is so funny

[MPatz1000]

He's not very picky, get it haha... sigh...

[GHGod26]

Notice how this video is only a minute long, but the slap video is over 6 minutes long.

[krazykalash]

he throws the "pick" in the end, epic!

[OfficialTribe]

Needles!

[sampfankifla]

he really hates picks xD

now i dont have a pick today, i just dont have one xD

[Koolikoo]

ohhh.. so thats how I do it!! iI've always wondered how to use a pick

[suxdudemungus]

he seems so disgusted by using a pick just by like the way he says it! xD i love flea but man if there's anything this band member hates more than wearing a shirt its playing with a pick!

[Winterpretmetbore]

pick = Dick in dutch

[Miguelp1000]

who needs a pick, when you a can use a quater!!!!!!!!

[Alwayshappy74]

rich people light cigars with money to show off

rich people play the bass with money to show off

he really has to stop bragging about how much money he has :P

[quibb666]

@Alwayshappy74 I'm sure it'd cost more to actually buy a pick than play with a quarter :P

you suck