Wham! - If you were there - bass lesson

[expressflyer]

Awesome playing



[jemappellejonathan]

awesome dude!

please upload more bass lessons from Wham!

[zumazmusic]

@jemappellejonathan - Wham! basslines rock but they are quite difficult to learn properly!

[gobassgo1]

sounds great !

is that a SB1000 ?

[BOULDERDP]

@gobassgo1 Yes it is and I got to get me one someday. They are for sale on ebay but you may have to get one from Japan (originals) or get a reissue locally which will be extremely good also.

[zumazmusic]

@BOULDERDP - What he said.

[zumazmusic]

@gobassgo1 - Yes, that is my SB1000.

[kenndiamond]

WOW !!! NIce work :)

[constantine2112]

Simply outstanding. I really enjoyed your cover. Really well done.

Thanks for posting.

Constantine

[sprintbass]

a song ive been playing alot is whams edge of heaven bass line..its fun and fast...

[knt2000]

That's really good. Do you know any other Wham! or George Michael songs you can playback? Keep up the good work!

[zumazmusic]

@knt2000 - I know MANY songs I could play but my time is so limited nowadays. I am sure I will do one more Wham! or George Michael song one day.

[herran1984]

Very Nice playing ... One of the greatest bass played by Deon Estus was in George Michael's album listen without prejudice, the song Cowboys and Angels ....That would be really nice to hear ....good job anyway

[zumazmusic]

herran...I love that song but it always sounded like keyboard bass to me. I'm not sure Deon played that one. Anyone have the liner notes handy?

[samueleuk]

Deon Estus was a great bass player. Well done!

[dmichael1986]

very nice to see someone giving love to deon, kudos my friend! where are you finding sheet music, or tablature for wham!? its impossible for me to find.

[crlnssainvil]

I really like the video and how you show how to play the music notes by notes... You should add a few more videos like dat and show people more bout some more music solos....

[leef266]

Awesome playing, my friend. Learn how to play, "Where did your heart go" If you watch that video (i'm sure you have) see the beautiful expression he has (as well as funky) while playing. The best Bass Player i ever saw live. So melodic his melody and how he gets down wit' it. Cheers!

[zumazmusic]

That's a great line as well. Deon is the best.

[zepequeno73]

Very good!!, I want to learn to play well,

aprendistes your own or went to class?

[owenhunt]

I'm glad you appreciate the Wham basslines as I do D: Good work with the bass playing too mate.

[jemseed]

Hi mate i brought a bass guitar 8 months ago and am getting on quite well but my guitar dont sound like yours urs has a very clean sound and the tone is awsome what make is ur guitar? is that cleaness in ur playing to do with the guitar or the way you play or both. because it sounds sick lol

peace

[zumazmusic]

Jemseen - Thanks for the compliment, as they say (and it's true) the tone is in the fingers but for the record I am playing an Aria SB1000.

[bassatnight]

Excellent my friend - as usual. Did deon use a Jazz?

[zumazmusic]

I don't know about that. He was playing a Wal early on with Wham but I don't know about this particular track.

[sprintbass]

he has always been an P bass player...all that wham stuff was done on a P bass...if you look at old wham vids he has the pick uyp covers on it and all..deons teacher was james jamerson who was also a P bass player..

[zumazmusic]

Ahhh sprintbass, Deon has fooled you!

Look at 2:05 of the video "Wham! - Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go"

It's clearly a Jazz bass with a neck pickup cover.

Now look at 2:45 in the video "Wham - Wham rap (High Quality)" To my surprise it's not a Wal bass at all but a late 70's Ibanez Musician. Awesome!

I learned something as well!

[zumazmusic]

Ignore the "links" YouTube makes on the times above. They just link back to my own video. My intention is for you to search for those other video titles.

[supremeobliterator]

Just showed a freind of mine your video. He's impressed with what you do.

He wants to know if your actual skill with bass will transelate in the game "Rockband"

[zumazmusic]

That's an excellent question! The answer is a resounding "NO!" In fact, I am terrible at the advanced levels. That game only slightly resembles a "real" guitar to me. I believe it would be easier to play for someone who doesn't know any guitar at all.

[garyrjb]

Zumazmusic if the kids spent as much time practising a real bass as they do on the playstation we would be awash with brilliant bass players!! They are dedicated!

[zumazmusic]

Yeah, that's for sure. It baffles me why they didn't just model GuitarHero on real setups. Must have been some focus group B.S.

[rongravy]

that bassline PWNS.

[teeveetee69]

excellent, very impressive. thank you posting and helping me appreciate the great bassline of a very happy upbeat wham classic

[sprintbass]

i just re-listend to this and my god that bass almost has a piano like tone to it...ieven though the video was not aimed at this, the tone is very disticnt...the bass and tone is amazing..if an aria has a sound this is it.

[Tre404]

Man I was actually clapping, applauding you throughout this, going "yes! He's got this!" Very, very good indeed!

[zumazmusic]

Thanks Tre404! I really appreciate that.

[Tre404]

Deon's awesome, for real. Have you seen the long interview segments here? I'd been looking for literally two decades for anything on him, and it was so good to finally hear him speak about what he does!

[zumazmusic]

Yes, I've seen at least one of them. He seems like a really nice guy on top of it all.

[JDSexY94]

I love george michael and this song toooooo wiii ! XD

[sprintbass]

hey its damian, so nice to see you do a wham song and wondefully done as usual. deon had a hit with heaven help me he has a wonderful emotional voice...george did the backing for him for "heaven help me" i guess as a return favor which was cool...i love deon estus and i loved wham as a kid..have to say my fave deon was club tropicana..id love to see that played..i know deon used a 1962 fender im pretty sure..i know i saw it in a few wham photos..wonder what he's doing now.

d

[zumazmusic]

I think he played a Wal early on as well but yeah, mostly a Jazz from then on.

[zumazmusic]

I sure did! The show was great. His current bass player is a great player as well. My only complaint is that the band sounds so tight that at times it was like George was singing Karaoke! Oh yeah, and some a-hole was farting near me! How do you like that?!

[Allmanfan456]

You should do some more Wham! They have fantastic basslines.

[supremeobliterator]

Thye do, Club Tropicana, Battlestations, I'm Your Man, The Edge of Heaven. If Wham gets back together, Deon Estus needs to be there.

[Allmanfan456]

definatly man.

[Scorzagov]

massiccio! :D

[Babylovesyog]

You r right, Deon is very talented and not only as bassist but as an singer too! That is one of the most brilliant Wham song was great to hear that adding with ur music! wow thank you! Cheers!

[yogeros]

Amazing work dude...5 stars!!

[supremeobliterator]

You know, when I want to hear If You Were There on YouTube now, more often then not I listen to your version rather then the slide show version.

[zumazmusic]

That's because listening to music with the BASS turned up is the only way to fly! ;+)

Thanks for the wonderful comment!

[supremeobliterator]

Just a question. What do you think of Wham's cover of "Where did your heart go ?" I think it may be their top five best songs. Deon does a good job on the Bass and Andy Hamilton definatly makes the song timeless with his Saxaphone playing.

Are you familiar with the song ?

[zumazmusic]

I love that song...had no idea it was a cover. Great chord changes in that song. I didn't know that was Andy either. Thanks!

[supremeobliterator]

No problum.

Did you ever hear the Was Not Was version ? It's totally different.

If you don't have it I can probably send it to you.

[canvoodoo]

nice stuff man

[supremeobliterator]

I am also a big Wham fan. I remember when Deon came out with his album "Spell"

It would mean the world to me if Wham got back together.

[plekzy]

good job man!!!!

[floodland99]

Wow. Another bass player that sees the genius of WHAM! and proudly so. :-) The Aria tone really works on this track. An interesting cover of a cover.

[dspptlx]

Brilliant job, both here and in the DD covers!

Your work is a true benchmark from wich to evaluate all other bass works that pop-up around here.

I send you my compliments.

[ajittffcure]

It is really nice of you to play this song and also comment on Deon Estes. Yes, he is an amazing bassist and definitely the backbone of most of the Wham! songs. Songs such as Wham! Rap, Young Guns, A Ray of Sunshine, Club Tropicana, Nothing Looks the Same in the Light... actually all the songs have really splendid bass lines! By the way, did you know that "If You Were There" is not an original track by Wham! It was a cover of a track originally performed by The Isley Brothers.

Very good demo!

[zumazmusic]

Yeah! I heard the Isley Brothers version here on YouTube. It's a bit slower and more "haunting." Not as happy and upbeat as the boys' version. Thanks for pointing that out.

[artdrtr]

Nice work as usual. Your sound is great -- Could you please do Ray of Sunshine....?

[guikapi]

nice to have you back !

another perfect job , not that easy as it seems , but well done again , spec. this "picky" touch....

nice to have you back again.

[scheczudio]

You make that bass sound so sweet... Nicely done as per usual :D

[bulleye]

Nice Job Zuma. First Wham song Love it, How about Edge Of Heaven? Young Guns have some nice slap bass line, would love to see u do that one day.

can i request some spandau ballet song like

Windy Town, Be Free With Your love, Crashed Into Love, Gold and True.

keep on Rockin

[mharclerode]

Zuma- Love what you do as a fellow bass player and JT enthusiast. This is a nice Motown type line I haven't ever heard.

Got a request for your next one- Of Crime and Passion by DD. Man is that a great tune I have worked on learning for awhile- JT is playing a very cool counterpoint heavy line throughout.

[zumazmusic]

You really know how to pick the easy ones don't you?!

[mharclerode]

What's amazing to me is how JT plays around with the guitar line at times he almost doubles it but then on the verse he simplifies the line... neat line.

[edgarallanpoet]

Well if you're going to Wham, you might as well start doing Culture Club bass lines. They have some pretty good ones as well.

[zumazmusic]

I've come close to doing "Do you really want to hurt me." There's even cool slapping in that one. I'll do it eventually.

[subschool5]

Hey Zuma, been awhile. How ya been ?

That's a cool line, never got hip to it til just now. I can hear a heavy gospel influence, unexpected. Important to have good touch for this song which you do. Well done.

[zumazmusic]

Yeah man! It was nearly 3 mos since I posted. You've been kicking my ass!

Deon was born in Detroit so I am sure the man knows his soul and gospel! I'll try to nick what I can!

Thanks!