Argumentative Essay: Geddy Lee Is the Best Bass Player Ever

The bass is an instrument that typically takes a back seat in most bands. Despite this there have been many bassists whose skills as a bass player make them stand out even among the flashiness of the guitar. Some of those bassist include Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Paul McCartney from the Beatles, and Krist Novaselic from the band Nirvana. Among these great bassists one stands above the rest of them. Geddy Lee of the prog rock band Rush is the best bassist of all time due to his Musicianship, his tone, and the Lasting impact and influence he has had on the instrument and music.

The first reason Geddy Lee is the best bassist in the world is because of his musicianship. Geddy Lee isn´t just a bassist he also plays the keyboard and is lead vocalist for Rush. On top of him juggling multiple different instruments while singing he also plays incredibly difficult songs while singing. In the song ¨Limelight¨ you can hear the incredibly complex rhythms Lee has to play all while singing. Another reason geddy Lee´s musicianship is unmatched is his difficult style of picking known as flamenco picking. Flamenco picking is commonly used on classical guitar but can be used on bass ¨ I understand that making a guitar sounding flamenco takes a lot of practice, and I dare to say that making the bass sound flamenco takes even more time!¨(Flamenco – SlowBass, n.d.-b). This statement proves that playing bass flamenco style is difficult and that geddy lee has outstanding musicianship.

Tone

My second reason why Geddy Lee is the best bass player ever is his tone. Tone is more or less subjective but many bassist agree that geddy lee has amazing tone. This is supported by the ocean of articles that explain how to get Geddy Lee´s tone. Bassists consider a tone that has an aggressive grow or bite but, still has a clean tone. If you listen to any isolated bass track you can hear that the exact tone that is considered ¨good¨ is exactly what geddy lee has. The gear Geddy Lee uses also helps contribute to his outstanding tone. The Fender Jazz bass is what Geddy Lee used to record Moving Pictures, Rush's most popular album. This bass is considered a fantastic instrument by many who have used it.

Lasting Influence

My last Reason why Geddy Lee is such an amazing bass player is because of his influence on rock and roll.  Geddy Lee and Rush as a whole has influenced bands and musicians from the Foo Fighters all the way to bands such as Dream Theater. Dave Grohl the former drummer of Nirvana and frontman of the Foo Fighters mentioned how geddy lee influenced him in the early days of the Foo Fighters. ¨He has also stated in the past that some of the distinct sounds that he has created, including his famously creative guitar layering, was directly as result of Geddy Lee and crew’s guitar-laden influence.¨(Hail Rush! These 5 Bands Cite Rush As A Major Musical Influence :: Rush Web For over 40 years progressive rock group Rush has motivated a myriad of fans into becoming artists. To truly understand their work is to delve deeply into, 2015) this statement was said by Billy Corgan guitarist for the 90´s band Smashing Pumpkins. This shows that Without Geddy Lee that some songs by the Smashing Pumpkins would not be as we know them today. Geddy Lee has also managed to make a deal with Fender to have them produce his signature bass 1998. The bass he uses is still sold in guitar stores today.

There have been many bassists throughout history who have had lasting influences on the instrument and the people who have listened to them play. However all of these great musicians pale in comparison to the greatest bassist of all time, Geddy Lee of Rush. musicianship, Tone and his lasting influence has truly cemented him as the best bassist to ever play.