The Bass Player from AC/DC was a Genius
Summary
TLDRIn this insightful video, Daniel explores the often-overlooked contributions of AC/DC's bass player, Cliff Williams, particularly during the 'Highway to Hell' and 'Back in Black' era. He highlights how Williams' innovative approach to playing bass, such as incorporating major thirds and staying on certain notes while the guitar changes chords, adds depth and a unique grit to AC/DC's sound. Through comparative demonstrations, Daniel illustrates the subtle yet significant impact of Williams' techniques, shedding light on the bassist's crucial role in shaping the band's iconic rock music.
Takeaways
- 🎶 The bass player in AC/DC, particularly Cliff Williams, plays a significant role in shaping the band's unique sound.
- 🤔 In rock music, bass players often play the root note of the chord, but Cliff Williams adds depth by occasionally playing the major third.
- 🎵 AC/DC's guitar players Angus and Malcolm Young typically avoid playing the major third to maintain a powerful sound, leaving room for the bass to add that element.
- 👍 Cliff Williams' innovative bass lines in songs like 'Back in Black' and 'Highway to Hell' contribute to the band's distinctive gritty tone.
- 🎸 In 'Back in Black', Williams plays a C-sharp instead of an A on the last chord, which is the major third of an A major chord, adding a unique character to the song.
- 🎧 The bass line in 'Back in Black' sometimes deliberately plays a different note than the guitar to create an interesting harmonic effect.
- 🎵 In 'Shoot to Thrill', Williams plays the major third of a G chord (B) instead of the root note (G), which uplifts the listener when it resolves.
- 🚫 AC/DC's bass lines often avoid following the guitar to the root of the chord when it changes, staying on a note to create a different effect.
- 🎶 In 'Highway to Hell', Williams stays on the A note even when the guitar changes to a D chord, which adds a cool effect to the music.
- 🎵 Cliff Williams' choice to play the same note or an octave higher can significantly impact the feel of the music, as demonstrated in 'Shake Me All Night Long'.
Q & A
What is the main argument of Daniel's video about AC/DC's bass player?
-Daniel argues that the bass player of AC/DC, particularly Cliff Williams during the 'Highway to Hell' and 'Back in Black' era, deserves more credit for his contributions to the band's music, which often involved playing around the chords and adding unique effects.
Why does Daniel believe bass players in rock music are often overlooked?
-Daniel believes bass players are overlooked because their role in a band is typically to play the root notes of chords, which can be seen as a simple and less noticeable part of the music compared to lead guitar or vocals.
How does Cliff Williams' bass playing in AC/DC differ from the typical rock bass player?
-Cliff Williams often played the major third of chords and sometimes stayed on a note while the guitar changed, creating a unique and gritty effect that added character to AC/DC's music.
What is the significance of the bass line in the song 'Back in Black'?
-In 'Back in Black', Cliff Williams plays the major third (C-sharp) of an A chord instead of the root note (A), which adds a distinctive and powerful character to the music.
How does the bass playing in AC/DC's 'Shoot to Thrill' affect the listener's experience?
-In 'Shoot to Thrill', Cliff Williams plays the major third of a G chord (B) instead of the root note (G), which uplifts the listener and adds an exciting element to the song.
What is the role of the bass in the song 'Highway to Hell' according to Daniel's analysis?
-In 'Highway to Hell', Cliff Williams plays a continuous A note while the guitar switches to a D chord, creating a subtle but impactful effect on the song's sound.
Why does Daniel emphasize the importance of the bass part in 'Shook Me All Night Long'?
-Daniel highlights that Cliff Williams plays the G note an octave higher when the song transitions to the chorus, which makes a significant difference in the song's energy and feel.
What is the common misconception about bass playing in rock music that Daniel addresses?
-The common misconception is that bass players simply follow the root notes of the chords, but Daniel shows that in AC/DC, Cliff Williams often plays around this to create a more dynamic and interesting bass line.
How does Daniel demonstrate the impact of Cliff Williams' bass playing on AC/DC's music?
-Daniel demonstrates the impact by playing the bass lines both the 'incorrect' way (following the root notes strictly) and the 'correct' way as played by Cliff Williams, showing the difference in sound and effect.
What is the key takeaway from Daniel's video for aspiring bass players?
-The key takeaway is that bass players can significantly influence a song's character by playing around the chords and not just sticking to the root notes, as demonstrated by Cliff Williams in AC/DC.
Outlines
🎸 The Role of Bass in AC/DC's Sound
Daniel discusses the often-underappreciated role of the bass player in rock bands, specifically focusing on Cliff Williams of AC/DC. He explains that while bassists typically play the root notes of chords, great ones, like Williams, add complexity by playing around the chords. AC/DC is noted for not playing major third notes in their chords, which gives their music a powerful, less happy sound. Williams, however, would sometimes play these major thirds, adding a unique grit to the band's music. Daniel provides examples from songs like 'Back in Black' and 'Highway to Hell' to illustrate how Williams's bass lines contribute to the band's distinctive sound.
🎵 The Impact of Bass Notes on AC/DC's Music
This paragraph delves deeper into the specific bass lines played by Cliff Williams in AC/DC songs. Daniel analyzes how Williams's choice of notes, such as playing the major third of a chord or staying on a particular note while the guitar changes, creates a contrasting and compelling effect. He uses 'Shoot to Thrill' as an example to show how Williams's bass line uplifts the song. The discussion continues with 'Highway to Hell,' where Williams's decision to stay on a note while the guitar plays a different chord adds a subtle but significant impact to the music. The paragraph concludes with 'Shake Me All Night Long,' where Williams plays the same note but an octave higher, demonstrating the power of even small changes in bass playing.
👏 Appreciating Cliff Williams' Bass Work
In the final paragraph, Daniel wraps up by emphasizing the brilliance of Cliff Williams's bass playing and its significant impact on AC/DC's music. He acknowledges that Williams may not be a household name in bass playing, but his contributions are substantial and deserve recognition. The video aims to shed light on the subtle yet crucial role bassists play in shaping a band's sound, using Williams's work as a prime example. Daniel encourages viewers to appreciate the nuances in bass lines and to explore more about the artistry of bass playing, inviting them to subscribe to his YouTube channel for more such content.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Bass Player
💡Root Notes
💡Major Third
💡Power Chords
💡Cliff Williams
💡Music Theory
💡AC/DC
💡Back in Black
💡Highway to Hell
💡Shoot to Thrill
💡Shook Me All Night Long
Highlights
Bass players in rock music often play the low root note of a chord, but some also play around the chords to add a nice effect.
AC/DC is known for not playing major third notes in their chords, which gives their music a powerful sound.
Cliff Williams, AC/DC's bass player during the 'Highway to Hell' and 'Back in Black' era, played major thirds at times, adding a unique character to the music.
In 'Back in Black', Cliff Williams played C-sharp instead of A on the last chord, demonstrating his innovative approach to bass playing.
Bass players often follow the root notes of chords, but Cliff Williams would sometimes play off of these, creating a distinct effect.
In 'Shoot to Thrill', Cliff Williams played the major third of a G chord (B) instead of the root G, which uplifts the listener.
AC/DC's guitar players often play power chords without the major third, and Cliff Williams would complement this with his bass lines.
In 'Highway to Hell', Cliff Williams stayed on the A note while the guitar played a D chord, creating a cool effect.
Cliff Williams' decision to play the same note or octave higher at times made a significant difference in the music's feel.
In 'Shake Me All Night Long', Cliff Williams played the G an octave higher, which made the music sound more dynamic.
Cliff Williams' bass playing in AC/DC had a huge impact on their music, despite not being a household name in bass playing.
The video aims to shed light on the brilliance of Cliff Williams' bass playing and its subtle yet significant effects on AC/DC's music.
The video includes a comparison of playing styles, demonstrating the difference Cliff Williams' choices made in the music.
Cliff Williams' innovative bass lines contributed to the distinctive sound of AC/DC's rock music.
The video encourages viewers to appreciate the often overlooked role of bass players in shaping a band's sound.
By analyzing specific songs, the video highlights how bass lines can enhance the emotional impact of music.
The video concludes by emphasizing the importance of paying attention to bass parts to fully appreciate a song's composition.
Transcripts
hi I'm Daniel I'm a and today we're
gonna show you why the bass player of
ac/dc deserves more credit for what he
did buy any bass player deserves more
credit for what they do before we get
going
two things just the generalized idea for
what a bass player will play
yeah there's bass players that go crazy
and they play all around but usually in
rock music if the chords are like for
example if you play like an E chord like
an e power chord the bass player most of
the time will play the low E along with
it and you can play some other notes in
there a little bit yeah yeah exactly
but some great bass players in rock
music they tend to play around the
chords even though they hit the root
notes here and there they play around it
and it will just have a nice effect to
the music ac/dc they're one of the best
fans ever but whenever they play chords
they never played like a full chord with
the major third like so if they play a
major chord they never played the happy
note in the major third of it so for
example back in black community
[Music]
[Applause]
everybody's heard that but they don't
play the major third in those chords so
it's an e a D and an egg but they don't
go it sounds way too happy so they never
played their chords like that it was
always like a powerful
so the cool thing about ac/dc even
though Angus and Malcolm always did they
played the chords like that they
sometimes left it up to the bass player
and the era that I'm talking about it's
cliff Williams the highway to hell back
in black era late 70s early 80s they
would leave it up to clip to play some
of the major thirds in there and it had
a cool effect on the music that most
people are probably unaware of so for
example with back and black most of the
time a bass player you would think he's
gonna go but the thing is in this case
instead of playing the a on the last
chord the bass player actually played a
c-sharp we moving and it's like well
that's not the same as the a well
actually the c-sharp is the major third
of an a major chord so we're going to do
both ways now we're gonna try it the
incorrect way and then we're going to
play it the way that the bass player
[Music]
so now we're going to play it the
correct way with the cash playing the C
sharp in the root of the a chord
[Music]
so you can probably hear the difference
when you place that c-sharp in the root
of the a chord it just gives it that
character to it that's hard to explain
it's simple music theory but cliff
Williams by doing that it just had a
great effect malcolm and angus not
playing that like i said that happy note
they leave it up to the bass player to
play and it actually sounds gritty so
the next example is gonna be slightly
different this is in the pre-chorus
chorus part of back in black it's the
part worse
[Music]
and like I was saying before the
generalized assumption or idea is okay
you're playing an a so the bass players
run away an a and then you're playing me
and then me a B so your bass player is
just gonna follow that and it's gonna be
cool but a lot of these bands including
ac/dc the bass player will play off of
that sometimes and it creates an awesome
effect so I'm not gonna break down
exactly what he's playing but for the
most part when I'm playing an a he's
actually on a beat and then when I'm
playing a G he's actually on a and most
people be like well that's not the same
well with the vocals on top of it and of
course it resolves it goes he actually
follows that at some point
[Music]
but for a second the bass player is
actually on a different note than the
guitar player and then it matches up and
then when he goes to the next part he's
on a different note and then it matches
that so we're going to start with the
incorrect version of it
[Music]
so now we're going to do it the correct
way with the cosh doing the part that
cliff Williams did
[Music]
the next track we're gonna analyze is
from the song shoot to throw so what
happens is it's very simple it's just a
yeah so like I said before they don't
play their chords like it sounds too
happy they play the power chord versions
so it's just like they take away the
third of it
so the example that we're gonna use is
the course before the guitar solo so the
bass player you have follows the AME and
then he kind of throws in these little
you know extra notes here and there the
cool part about it is after does the a
and it goes to the gene cliff Williams
plays the major third of a G chord which
would be B so instead of playing the G
in the room he plays a beginner even
when I was a little kid before I knew a
little bit of theory and all that when
they got to that particular measure of
the music when the bass player hit the
bean Savannah gene it kind of uplift she
was a listener when it gets to that spot
just sounds awesome and I like it when
it happens so what we're gonna do is
we're just gonna vamp the chorus a few
times and then we're just going to add
that be in the root and instead of
putting the gene the root
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
so the next example we're gonna do is
from highway to hell and I actually saw
a band recently play it this way what in
the course of it it's like
[Music]
it's a and then D and then G and then D
with an f-sharp and usually okay it's a
quarter a
bass player might hit that f-sharp in
the group
but in this example how ac/dc does it
and how cliff Williams does it on the
bass instead of going too deep
he stays on the egg so that actually
makes sense three wise because there is
an A and even in the deep you know v of
a deep our chord is a so he just stays
on so I actually saw a band do this
recently where the bass player actually
went to the D and the root when they
went to the D chord but he should have
stayed on the a and it has a cool effect
it's so subtle so we're gonna try it the
incorrect way first with a coughs going
to the D when I move to the D power
chord
[Music]
so now we're gonna play it the way cliff
Williams played it he's gonna stay on
the egg while the guitar players go to
the D chord
[Music]
[Music]
when the bass player stays on the a s
the guitar players go to the D chord it
has a really nice effect on their music
yeah it's simple theory and everything
like that but the common thing is like
okay so when I go to a D chord where
have the bass player go with it but they
decided to stay on that a and it sounds
sweet so for our final example we're
going to use the song shook me all night
long so the guitar part
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
the chords are very simple just CC G C
and then GG bass player doesn't do
anything crazy fancy in the steak or
anything like that but what he does do
when it goes to the most people would
just go okay let's go but Williams does
is it plays the G and the D but he takes
that G up an octave
you're probably like okay big deal what
difference could that possibly make well
we're gonna a be the two of them okay so
Acosta's gonna play that low G and then
he's gonna try it with the hi gene
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
so now we're gonna play it the correct
way with the cash playing the G an
octave above
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
so it's pretty cool to me at least that
even though he's playing the same note
before we've been doing different notes
playing the major third he's staying on
a note or whatever what's happening is
he's playing the same note and
everything he just doesn't and it makes
such a huge difference in the music so
we hope you guys enjoyed this video and
hopefully it sort of shed some light on
really the brilliance of cliff Williams
as a bass player in that particular area
cliff Williams I don't think is a
household name and bass playing but what
he did in the music and if you really
zero in I mean his bass playing made a
huge huge impact in their music if you
guys liked this video make sure you give
it a thumbs-up if you want to see more
videos like this and different covers
and different lessons you can subscribe
to my youtube channel and if you guys
liked any of my bass playing you can
subscribe to my youtube channel
Frostbite see ya okay
[Music]
so the next what else we have to reshoot
all of it Oh
Samsonite did the holes going on
so like I said when I was a little kid
when it got to that part it was always
like oh oh yeah you know like it has
such an effect dammit oh yeah ha so by
playing the major so okay okay Oh
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