Guy Pratt: From Pink Floyd to Madonna — What Actually Makes a Great Bass Player?

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. 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. Jump to… 00:00 Introduction: Guy Pratt on Now That’s Bass 00:34 Why bell ringing got Guy more press than playing bass 03:22 How Guy first found the bass 07:29 Learning by ear and making music without reading 09:56 When playing bass became a possible career 11:32 The first jobs: making a living with no plan B 20:49 Why people kept calling Guy back 23:40 Does imposter syndrome ever go away? 26:31 What Bernard Edwards meant to Guy 32:00 From band member to session player 35:13 Murder on the Dancefloor and the bass line you barely notice 37:08 Guy’s process for creating a bass part 40:34 Has the music business become harder for working players? 43:38 What Guy would tell his younger self about a music career 47:38 The relationships that disappear between tours 49:32 How to handle life when a tour ends 51:22 Bass lines Guy wishes he’d written 54:35 The bass part Guy is proudest of 56:28 The bass players who give Guy stage fright 58:47 How Guy became a stand-up storyteller 1:01:43 Recording with Robbie Robertson 1:04:41 The time Michael Jackson hid in the studio 1:07:21 One bass line every player should learn The episode… In this episode of Now That's Bass, Guy talks candidly about the imposter syndrome he felt working alongside the world'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. 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. 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't necessarily as bad as they appear, why personal relationships matter so much to making great music, and the huge amount of downtime that nobody sees behind a successful touring career. Plus: playing with Bernard Edwards, being wound up by David Gilmour before a Pink Floyd bass solo, recording Earth Song and Like a Prayer, working with Robbie Robertson, the bass lines he wishes he'd written — and why bell ringing has somehow generated more media attention than almost anything else he's done. Subscribe to Now That's Bass for honest conversations with professional bass players about playing, careers and what it really takes to make a life in music. #GuyPratt #BassGuitar #BassPlayer #PinkFloyd #DavidGilmour #NowThatsBass #madonna