Steve Harris

nattiep · Post by **nattiep** » Tue Dec 27, 2005 8:34 pm

Yeah, I know, he's a P bass player, but he's damn good!

I finally got my Iron Maiden collection.. 3 disks of MP3's... and I still have two disks left. But anyway, I've started learning some of Steve's early stuff. Very challenging. I've had to change my style. I usually play over the neck pickup for slower parts and chords.. the bridge pickup for faster parts. Well Steve is so fast I've had to anchor my hand over the bridge pickup full time.. it's a pain. His two finger triplets are insane. I've had to cheat and use three. When I try with just two I get tired within 10 seconds and my hand locks up. His style is a bit repetitive, but if ya learn one move, you learn a lot. Also if he gets too fast I have to switch to the Geddy one finger "flamenco" style.

He also plays with Roto flats. Makes me want to try them and *gulp* get a P bass.

Should I keep working at the two finger trips, or stick with three fingers? His style is plenty different than Geddy's... but I have read he was influenced by Geddy, and I can pick out a couple moves that Steve uses that are completely Geddy.

joev4001 · Post by **joev4001** » Tue Dec 27, 2005 8:43 pm

he actually does the three finger triplet teqnique. ring middle pointer. he talked about it in a bass player article awhile back.

sabbath_of_bass · Post by **sabbath_of_bass** » Tue Dec 27, 2005 8:51 pm

Haha Nate. You made me get out some of my Maiden stuff from way back when. Okay not that way back when. I use to be a big fan of their stuff. Still am. I just kind of strayed away from it. It doesnt sound like hes really doing anything crazy. I could see where keeping that up would suck tho. I tell you what helped my stamina (sp) was playing in that punk band.

Hows the pick thing coming along by the way? I know you were thinking about picking it up awhile back. I did it and its actually fun to play with one every now and then. I use it more then I thought I ever would. But still a finger player

.

Nate wants a Pbass... Haha... Is hell frozen over dude? Cause now im just scared.

Oh and if you havent heard it pick up the album Dance of Death. I think it came out only a few years ago. And most people I know never even knew about it. Good album. I love it.

nattiep · Post by **nattiep** » Tue Dec 27, 2005 11:34 pm

I have up to "Live at Donington". You get "Death on the Road" yet? 2005 live album from the "Dance of Death" tour.

If I get a P bass it'll be a P/J. No one pickup bass for me. Hehe. BUT the big change for me would be stringin it with Steve's signature flats.

Nothing with a pick yet. I have no really fast entertaining pick music yet. Waiting on the Yes stuff. Most (all) of my playing is with my fingers.

Stamina was spelled right.

You sure he uses three? I thought it was three, but have had several people say it was two. When I did "Run To The Hills" with my uncle's band their sound guy nitpicked my three fingers after I was done. He said Steve uses two.

http://www.ironmaiden.org/showthread.php?t=76129

Any bass player that bothers actually playing, not sticking to the root note of chords, get a + in my book. Steve usually plays more than Dave, Adrian or Janick do. I love the harmonizing guitars. Steve may not sound overly complex, but it sure is a ***** to play. Some that come to mind are "The Phantom of the Opera" and "Two Minutes To Midnight". Both very challenging songs. Of course with "minutes" I just improvise at the end.

sabbath_of_bass · Post by **sabbath_of_bass** » Tue Dec 27, 2005 11:57 pm

Yeah. I see what you mean. I can see where it be pretty hard man. Kind of fast... to say the least. And he throws in alot of extra licks all over the place on some of these. I want to learn number of the beast now. Iv always loved the song. Might as well learn it.

I like that Dance of Death album. Its awesome.
You could always get one like mine Nate. It comes in any color you want as long as its black.

Which we all know you dont have a problem with black haha.

phlemmy · Post by **phlemmy** » Wed Dec 28, 2005 1:59 am

ahhh...Iron Maiden is my favorite band of all time. Steve is great. If you get a P-bass, stay away from the signature model. It feels so cheap.

ilan · Post by **ilan** » Wed Dec 28, 2005 2:45 am

OK now you all got me listening to Iron Maiden... I Kazaa'ed a few things... I haven't noticed before how good he is.

phlemmy · Post by **phlemmy** » Wed Dec 28, 2005 3:27 am

personally his best playing is on Killers although Powerslave is my favorite album. He went balls out on Killers. Piece of Mind has some great work on it as well. I used to be able to play a lot of his stuff with my fingers but now I have to use a pick.

loendmaestro · Post by **loendmaestro** » Wed Dec 28, 2005 4:01 am

I was always curious about his signature model, it had such a short run...

Was it that bad?

phlemmy · Post by **phlemmy** » Wed Dec 28, 2005 4:19 am

i didn't like it in the least. it looked and felt too campy.

green_us90 · Post by **green_us90** » Wed Dec 28, 2005 4:24 am

Nate, there's nothing wrong whatsoever with a P-Bass. Now a Jazz bass on the other hand- IMO Fender does not have a good two pickup bass, for my needs anyway.

My '74 Precision, after researching it a little bit is set up quite like Harris' P was without my intending to do so. SD 1/4 Pup, Badass II bridge but I have TI flats on it. It really barks, the neck is nice and large etc etc.

If you really want a nice P Bass sound try and seek out one of the Made In Japan Single coil reissues, even the Sting is real nice, those single coil pickups are very hot in stock form. With TI flats (on my '51 RI) or with Rotosound 66 rounds (on my Blue Flower) they have a well rounded tone good for any occasion.

incubus2432 · Post by **incubus2432** » Wed Dec 28, 2005 8:54 am

I prefer the playing of Steve Harris over any of the other "bass idols" normally mentioned on this Forum. I find his lines far more challenging to pull off. We only play a few Maiden songs in my band but I know (or used to know) just about everything through "Powerslave".....plenty of sleepless nights getting some of those tunes down. The only way I can play triplets as clean as his is to use the three finger method.

I have no problem playing "Phantom of the Opera".....but it is a whole other issue getting it nailed as a band. I don't even attempt to nail his tone....I kill the overdrive and run a clean signal though.

sloop_john_b · Post by **sloop_john_b** » Wed Dec 28, 2005 9:06 am

Steve is one of my bass heroes. I spent my formative years playing in his style, and I think i've really got it nailed. I can pull off many of those triplets without the use of a third finger. I also love the way he attacks the strings and gets that really percussive sound - when I learned he used flats I was floored!

I liked the Steve Harris bass. They don't pop up very often but i'm always tempted when I see 'em.

sabbath_of_bass · Post by **sabbath_of_bass** » Wed Dec 28, 2005 10:56 am

I never really noticed his playing much either. But I havent listned to him much in a really long time. And when i did it was normally background music. Not me sitting down and jamming with it or really paying attention. I have killers im gonna have to check that out. But from what I actually listned to last night he sounds good. Seems like it would be pretty hard too. I may try some of it. Im still playing rush and practicing slap and pick too. Gees... I gotta learn to take on less at one time.

atomic_punk · Post by **atomic_punk** » Wed Dec 28, 2005 11:33 am

Steve is a helluva player, I have seen them many times in concert and he is not just a great player, but he plays those parts while running around or standing on the monitors...he doesn't just stand still and play that!

My favorite period is Number of the Beast thru Powerslave, although Somewhere in Time is one of my favorites as well.