So, I was messing with my bass the other day, kinda felt like I was stuck in a bit of a rut, you know? Just playing the same old lines, going through the motions. It happens.
Then, Tom Petersson popped into my head. Yeah, the Cheap Trick guy. What a legend. That band just wouldn’t have the same punch without his playing, and that crazy 12-string bass he invented? Wild stuff, man. Always thought he was underrated, in a way.
Trying to Catch That Petersson Vibe
So, I figured, why not try and get a little bit of that Petersson feel into my own playing? Now, I don’t have a 12-string bass just kicking around – wish I did! – so I grabbed my trusty old four-string. Good enough to get the spirit of it, I hoped.
I decided to go for “Surrender.” You gotta, right? That opening riff is pure gold. Iconic. I pulled up the track and just listened for a bit.
- First off, I just let it play. Again and again. Really trying to hear what he’s doing under all that rock and roll. It’s not just simple root notes, no way. He’s all over the place, but in a good way.
- Then I started trying to pluck it out. My fingers felt a bit clumsy at first, not gonna lie. He’s got this real driving pick style, but there’s a ton of melody in there too. It’s aggressive but musical.
- Fiddled with my amp settings for a while. Tried to get a bit more top-end, a little bit of that growl he has. Not a perfect match with my cheap setup, but close enough for jazz, or rock, in this case.
The real kicker with his style, I think, is that it’s not just about the notes themselves. It’s the sheer energy he brings. He’s like the engine of that band. And he’s always throwing in these cool little fills and counter-melodies that just make the songs so much richer.
This whole exercise actually reminded me of something. Years ago, back when I was in one of my first proper bands, we had this guitarist. Super talented, flashy solos, the works. But he always, and I mean always, told me, the bass player, to just “stick to the roots, man, keep it simple.” Like I was just there to provide a low rumble for his shredding. It used to drive me absolutely nuts. I’d try to get a bit creative, put in a nice little run, and he’d just crank his amp louder. Seriously. Listening to Tom Petersson now, it’s like, see! This is what bass can be! It can be powerful, melodic, and interesting all at once. It’s not just about thumping along. Petersson’s playing is a masterclass in being an integral part of the song, not just wallpaper.
Anyway, getting back to “Surrender.” I probably spent a solid couple of hours with it. It’s still not perfect, far from it. But I started to get a feel for that groove, that kind of punchy, melodic drive he has. You really have to dig in with the pick.
It’s funny, isn’t it? You can listen to a song a thousand times, think you know it inside out. But then you actually try to play it, note for note, trying to capture the feel, and you discover all these little details and layers you never noticed before. Petersson was a master of weaving those layers in. He wasn’t just playing bass lines; he was playing the song.
So yeah, that was my little project for the afternoon. Didn’t magically transform me into a rock god overnight, unfortunately. But it definitely got me thinking about my own playing in a fresh way. Sometimes you just need to go back to the folks who really nailed it, you know? Puts things in perspective and gives you a bit of a kick in the pants. Good stuff.
