Primus – ‘Tommy the Cat’

'Tommy the Cat' is a track from Primus's 1991 album Sailing the Seas of Cheese, and features one of Les Claypool's most popular basslines. The line itself is based around a complex, one-bar slap groove, which was originally performed on a 6-string fretless bass. The bass part also includes several strummed chordal parts, and a quirky bass solo that is typical of Claypool's unusual playing style. For subscribers to our video courses, a full transcription of the track for 6-string bass and a worksheet for 4-string bass can be downloaded from the link above.