2 Cents is a column that collects all the unsolicited questions and the ones that, as bass players, you hope you will never be asked.
In the ninth episode, I interviewed Freekbass — playin’ bass like a peacock wears feathers: colorful, funky, and impossible to ignore.
Clicca QUI per la versione in italiano
PARENTAL ADVISORY ⚠️ EXPLICIT CONTENT: All the information provided below is purely illustrative and reflects personal opinions. The reality you’re reading might simply be the result of an illusion. Red pill 🔴 or blue pill 🔵 ? What you think you know is a deception… the bass doesn’t really exist (or does it?).
Track 1. Introdutions
Hey bassplayer—who are you? Give us the rundown: bands, projects, side hustles. Got a podcast? A YouTube channel? Social content? Drop your links.
Hello! My name is Freekbass. I livestream every night at 9pm ET/6pm PT on TikTokLIVE and on Mondays, Wednesdays (Noon ET), and Fridays (Midnight ET) at YouTube. I do all original bass-centric grooves and create songs live which we release on all streaming platforms (all under Freekbass).
How did you get into electric bass?
I started off when I was a little kid as a drummer. One day when I was about 6 or 7 years old I was at a hardware store with my Dad. Someone walked outside of the store with a boombox playing “More Bounce To The Ounce” by Zapp. The sound of the bass hypnotized me and I knew I had to find out what was making that sound. A couple of years later a jazz band came to my school to perform. They sat me in front of the bass player and I knew that was the instrument I was destined to play.
Be honest—did you choose the bass, or did it choose you (on some higher, slightly mystical plane)?
The bass definitely chose me. The frequencies always felt like they were calling to me.
Is it ever really too late to pick up a bass and start playing?
Never! If you are getting a calling to do anything creative, you have to follow that desire.
Are you secretly a failed guitarist?
Ha! Bass was never second choice.
The bass is often treated like the invisible instrument—the guitar’s less attractive sibling. The one nobody notices… until it’s gone. A tired stereotype, but still alive. Fair or total nonsense?
Hmmm. I alway think of us as the glue between the rhythmic and melodic world. A lot of bass players (John Paul Jones, Marcus Miller, Bootsy, etc.) end up becoming producers because of this skill-set imo.
Which bassist made you want to pick it up in the first place?
Just like so many of us, I wanted to grow up to be Jaco.
From the low end, does the world look upside down? [Musically, philosophically—take it where you want.]
The Low End definitely feels like it comes depp within the earth’s core!
Track 2. Nightmare Fuel
Let’s get uncomfortable.
Can you actually hear the bass?
24/7
Ever played a live show where you couldn’t hear yourself at all?
I’m never loud enough! LOL.
Does your bass talk to you?
Oh yes…it provides the direction…I’m just driving.
Have you ever talked to your bass—and did it talk back? So… what did he said?
It said “Get Funky With Me!” (which is my next single by the way).
Do your basses have names?
Some…
Are they male, female, or non-binary? [For reference: I own a Jackson that identifies as a Rickenbacker.]
A-ha! definitely not of this reality…
4 or 5 strings?
I ove a 5 string bass for recording sometimes, but I’m definitely a 4 string person…mainly because of the spacing of a 4 versus a 5. The strings get just a bit closer on a 5, and I play so heavy, a 4 string feels the best. Plus all of my bass heroes are 4 string players.
Jaco only needed 4: discussion closed?
And there is that!
At what point does a bass stop being a bass and turn into a freeway? [Where’s the string limit, really?]
I do want to try one of the Hamer 12 string basses one day. Love the sound.
Technique or “feel”?
Feel dictates your technique imo.
Can technique AND feel coexist, or does combining them create some kind of musical “singularity”?
100%
Is the bassist the serial killer of the band? A little “American Psycho” energy?
Ha! how about The Batman of the band.
On that note: coldest bassist of all time?
Mr.Freeze.
And the hottest? [You can’t pick yourself.]
Heat Miser.
Basslines: less is more?
Yes! The space whn you are not playing is as much as part of the music as when you are pushing down on the fingerboard.
Pick or fingers?
Whatever the song or groove calls for.
Acoustic basses—underrated or unnecessary?
Love them!
Pure tone or pedalboard madness?
For me, pedalboard madness. One of my favorite bass players of all time, is not a bass guitar player. Bernie Worrell from Parliament-Funkadelic and Talking Heads. I was lucky enough to record and tour with him, and he ( and Bootsy of course) taught me so much about using pedals to enhance your sound.
Female bassists-extra gear, 4×4 all-wheel drive energy, or just two-wheel drive? [In Italian, there is a pun here: the expression “avere una marcia in più” means literally “to have an extra gear” and it is also commonly used in English in a similar sense (“to have an edge” or “to have something extra”). In this playful framing, I compare it to cars: a 4×4 or “four-wheel drive” (which suggests extra power and traction) versus a “two-wheel drive,” (implying a more standard setup). This question comes with this warning written: choose your answer wisely.]
I always think of myself more in a spaceship when playing.
Augmented 4th or major 3rd? [This is another slightly provocative Italian pun that I’ll try to translate. It asks whether you prefer an augmented or diminished interval, ironically referencing bra sizes. An “augmented fourth” is a musical interval (sharp 4 / #4) = full D cup. A “natural third” is roughly a “third” (3) or major third = C cup]
Flat 5 for me.
Do materials and components really matters—tonewoods, string alloys… or is all of that just mythology?
100%. Both in sound and comfort.
Speaking about strings: flatwound or roundwound? Pick a side. [Here again we have another Italian pun. It refers to ‘smooth’ or ‘ridged’ strings. We have SO many types of pasta in Italy, both in terms of shapes and varieties like spaghetti, penne, farfalle, ditalini… pasta can also be “ridged” or “smooth”, and this question playfully borrows that expression. The question is asking if you prefer flat (liscia) or round (rigata)]
Roundwound for me!
Favorite bass brand?
Ernie Ball / Music Man and Dingwall. Honored to work and represent both of them.
Which one you just can’t vibe with?
Haven’t met one yet I couldn’t have a conversation with.
Your dream setup? [no limits.]
My Dingwall and Music Man basses have them already!
What’s the one thing you absolutely can’t stand about the electric bass world? [Feel free to start a fight.]
I’m not a fan of the term “slap bass”… I like thumping & plucking better.
Track 3. The Future of Low End
Bass, and specifically electric bass is so young in the overall world of musical instruments. I feel like it is just getting started in what it can do…
We’ve spent years questioning the bassist’s role… so let’s say it out loud: is the bassist actually useful?
Is breathing actually useful? same answer.
With digital production, backing tracks, plugins, sequencers, loop stations—machines are doing more than ever. And yet, bassists are still here. Why? [I mean, for real]
There are now Waymos, but don’t see driving going away anytime soon,
How do you see the role evolving?
I think experimenting with sonics, feels, sounds, and new techniques will always keep pushing the bass forward.
AI [AI is very similar to the onomatopoeia “ahi,” used to indicate that someone has been hurt, and it is also used in comics. In this case, I’m making a joke for the reader by writing here “I didn’t hurt myself.” Of course, here we are talking about AI — artificial intelligence.] —yeah, not a typo. Tool or threat? Assistant or replacement?
Just like a drum machine never replaced drummers, AI is the same thing. So…a tool.
Between human groove and generative AI—who really owns the pocket?
Always humans…
Track 4. Last Words
Shout out your people, say goodbye to the readers, and leave a piece of advice for the next generation of bass players. Stay low. Or don’t.
Thank you for this very fun interview. Biggest advice I would say is always practice with some kind of time keeping device (metronome, drum machine, etc.), always be writing music no matter how long or short you have played, and remember there is only one YOU! So don’t get caught up in comparing yourself and your playing to others. Stay positive… peace & love.
Well done! If you’ve made it all the way to the end of this interview — that officially makes you a true bassist. Thanks for sticking with it… here’s your well-earned reward for the patience! 🏅