Gene Simmons Reveals His Less is More Approach to Bass Playing, Says Most Players are Not “Memorable”

For Gene Simmons of KISS, less bass is more. The legendary artist recently shared his opinions on his fellow bass players, highlighting the style he likes best and his approach to his own playing. According to Simmons, he has a less is more approach and prefers bass licks that are “memorable.”

Simmons discussed many different topics surrounding bass playing with Guitar World recently. He revealed that he doesn’t even consider himself a virtuoso of the bass guitar, and that he appreciates memorability over virtuosity. Notably, he doesn’t like “show-offs in music.”

“I don’t consider myself – and was never really interested in being – a bass virtuoso,” he said. “I don’t like show-offs in music. I’m much more attracted to things that are memorable. It’s part of the joy of music for me.”

He added, “You can be a jazz player and be respected by musicians, but the rest of the world doesn’t care.” Simmons continued by naming a jazz musician—in this case John McLaughlin—and positing if any of his solo melodies were memorable. “All due respect,” Simmons said, “but that music is intended to show off how well you play – but I don’t care about that. The hardest thing to do is write a good simple song or riff. That’s really hard.”

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Gene Simmons Posits That Simplicity is the Hardest Part of Music to Get Right

Gene Simmons then mentioned some amazing bass players, “like Jaco Pastorius and the jazz guys. Or guys like Flea [of Red Hot Chili Peppers] who is really good on his instrument, but I can’t remember anything he plays – and I also do not like the sound of a bass being slapped.”

Simmons is firm in his opinions on memorable bass playing, expressing that less is more when it comes to bass solos. For him, the struggle is in writing something simple as opposed to a complicated groove. He then quoted Eric Clapton.

“Clapton, before he went pop, and when he was considered ‘God,’ he was interviewed, and he said something very profound: ‘The hardest thing to do is to know what notes to put in a solo, and what notes not to put in a solo,’” said Simmons.

He added, “Sometimes, if it’s shockingly simple, and barely moving at all, but I can hum it, that’s what matters because it’s memorable.”

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