The Who – ‘Pinball Wizard’
‘Pinball Wizard’ was originally released on the Who’s 1969 album Tommy, a rock opera that tells the story of a deaf, dumb and blind boy. The song was a big hit for the band and it continues to be played live to this day. By the standards of Who bassist John Entwistle, this song has a relatively simple bassline, although it’s a fun workout for plectrum technique.
Be sure to hit the Download Resources button above to download the PDF transcription for this piece (available to subscribers only). The transcription is available WITH TAB and WITHOUT. Please note that a backing track is NOT included with this course.
This course contains the following videos, each of which can be selected from the video player above:
1. ‘Pinball Wizard’ Play-Through
In this video I will be playing through the song using a Fender Custom Shop ’67 Precision bass. John Entwistle recorded the original part with a pick, and I’ll be doing the same here.
2. Course Overview
In this video I’ll be giving a brief overview of the song and its bassline. I’ll also be giving you some advice on technique, and how you can find an appropriate tone.
3. Intro and Verse Sections
In this video we’ll be talking through the long guitar Intro of the song and briefly discussing the harmony that is used. We’ll then be looking at John’s bassline during the Verse sections of the piece.
4. Chorus Sections
This video covers the bassline heard during the song’s short Chorus sections.
5. Middle 8 Sections
In this lesson I’ll be talking through the Middle 8 section of this piece, which is heard twice.
6. Final Verse and Outro
This final video covers the fourth and final Verse section, which is played in a different key to the first three. We’ll also be covering the short Outro section here.
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