John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin)

As bass links rythm with melody, cooridnating with your drummer is critical, which no one better exemplified than Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones . In contrast to their iconic front men, Jones perched next to drummer John Bonham (1948-1980) from whom he appeared to take all cues. The verse to What is and What Should Never Be, finds 2 chords repitition (A 13 and E 9) and lounge lizard vocals, while Jones "walks"(sometimes jumping, sometimes hopping) through the entire rythmic and chromatic spectrum in seamless deference to the rules of Western music theory. Riding in on an impossible drum roll, the chorus crashes upon us and the roles are switched as screaming vocals and overdriven guitar "double" on the notorius choral riff ("catch the wind see us spin" etc). As any decent bass instructor insists that we practice with a metronome (always hearing every beat) your blogger upon joining other musicians found it natural to follow Jones' example from a parking spot next to the drums. Wanna be the chick magnet frontman? Play not the bass, but grow out your wavy locks, and repeat after me, "you need coolin, baby I aint foolin."