Guy Pratt: Pink Floyd, Madonna & the Truth About Making It as a Bass Player

<p>Guy Pratt has played bass with Pink Floyd, David Gilmour, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Bryan Ferry, Robert Palmer and some of the biggest names in music.</p><p>But behind that extraordinary CV is a much more interesting story about confidence, instinct, relationships — and what it actually takes to survive for decades as a professional musician.</p><p>In this episode of Now That&#39;s Bass, Guy talks candidly about the imposter syndrome he felt working alongside the world&#39;s elite session musicians, why Bernard Edwards asking for him still seems extraordinary, and why being good in the room may have been as important to his career as being good on the bass.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Want to jump to the cool stuff?</strong></p><p>00:34 Why bell ringing got Guy more press than playing bass03:22 How Guy first found the bass07:29 Learning by ear and making music without reading09:56 When playing bass became a possible career11:32 The first jobs: making a living with no plan B20:49 Why people kept calling Guy back23:40 Does imposter syndrome ever go away?26:31 What Bernard Edwards meant to Guy32:00 From band member to session player35:13 Murder on the Dancefloor and the bass line you barely notice37:08 Guy’s process for creating a bass part40:34 Has the music business become harder for working players?43:38 What Guy would tell his younger self about a music career47:38 The relationships that disappear between tours49:32 How to handle life when a tour ends51:22 Bass lines Guy wishes he’d written54:35 The bass part Guy is proudest of56:28 The bass players who give Guy stage fright58:47 How Guy became a stand-up storyteller1:01:43 Recording with Robbie Robertson1:04:41 The time Michael Jackson hid in the studio1:07:21 One bass line every player should learn</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Still want to read more...</strong></p><p>We get into how Guy actually creates bass parts in the studio, why he sometimes starts with absolutely no idea what to play, the 17-minute session that produced his bass part on Murder on the Dancefloor, and why he believes a great bass player can sometimes be like a great waiter: you barely notice them, but everything gets done.</p><p>Guy also reflects on an industry that has changed almost beyond recognition. He explains why the music business may look bleak while opportunities for working players aren&#39;t necessarily as bad as they appear, why personal relationships matter so much to making great music, and the huge amount of downtime tha