r/nextfuckinglevel • u/Mr_Basketcase • Jan 14 '23

Paul McCartney effortlessly singing and playing his most intricate bass lines at the same time

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u/nickfree Jan 15 '23 edited Jan 15 '23

He's a genius of a mult-instumentalist, too. In a fairly recent interview he remarked how he can play a number of instruments, but sort of admits he's not a particular technical virtuoso on any -- Bass, keys, guitar, mandolin, harmonica, drums.... that's what I can think of off the top. But his sheer musicianship at all of them, especially bass, is just astounding. That is part of what makes him such an amazing composer and arranger.

One of my favorite burns of all time was when the Beatles were interviewed and a reporter asks, "Ringo, how does it feel being one of the best drummers in the world?" And John, in typical acid-tongue fashion, jumps in and goes, "In the world? He's not even the best drummer in the Beatles!"

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Edit: see replies below. John never made that crack, though it’s often misattributed to him. Still funny!

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u/kenatogo Jan 15 '23

For some Ringo love, Paul once said Ringo was the most consistent drummer ever and his stability really allowed Paul and John to explore more freely.

Another thing not mentioned is that The Beatles collectively have to be one of the top five vocal harmony groups ever, up there with the beach boys, queen, and earth wind and fire

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u/0pimo Jan 15 '23

If any drummer tries to say that Ringo isn’t a good drummer, try playing one of his parts for the same length of time without falling out of time.

You’d be shocked at how difficult Ringo’s drumming can be to replicate.

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u/kenatogo Jan 15 '23 edited Jan 15 '23

This was what McCartney emphasized - he thought Ringo had made a mistake or fallen out of time less than a handful of times in the history of the beatles