'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.
In this video you'll learn to play the Intro Section of the track, which is the one-bar slap groove that is used throughout much of the track.
In this video you'll learn how to play the bassline under the Guitar Solo section.
In this final video, you'll learn how to play Les's complex and off-the-wall bass solo.