Top 5 famous women playing bass guitar

We continue our tradition of talking about famous woman bass players. We have already written about several talented girls, but their list is quite extensive, and new names keep popping up. I think this topic is far from exhausted.

Susie Quattro is a princess with a bass

Bright, energetic, emotional girl with a strong and melodic voice – a glam-rock star of the 70s-80s. She was the first bass player to form her own band.

“I was the first successful woman in rock ‘n’ roll to lead a male band and play an instrument seriously. That hadn’t happened before or since me.”

Susie was born into a musical family. Her father, a jazz musician, organized a band in which his daughters played instruments and sang songs themselves. Susie Quattro later moved to Britain and followed the path to fame without the support of her family. Creative alliances with authors Mike Chapman and Nikki Chinn and guitarist Lenny Taki (her future husband) brought the girl incredible success.

The leather jacket, the massive bass, the “manly” lyrics, combined with an attractive appearance, a clear voice and pleasant facial expressions made her inimitable. It could be said that Susie Quattro set a certain standard, which her followers, the girls “in leather jackets and with guitars”, are still guided by to this day.

Ida Nielsen, aka Bassida

Danish bassist Ida Nielsen began studying the bass guitar professionally at the age of 16 and received her diploma from the Danish Royal Academy of Music. 

Bassida started her stage career in the Belgian band Zap Mama. Its founder Marie Daul considered the voice a universal instrument. The repertoire was based on ethnic African motifs and creative findings of the musicians.

For a short time she played in the Danish rock band MLTR.

Later she performed with Prince in his bands 3rdeyegirl and NPG until the death of the leader. Bassist Rhonda Smith, about whom we have previously written, also performed with this artist.

Ida Nielsen had been playing a California MV 4-string bass by the German company Sandberg for many years. The company later created the IDA NIELSEN SIGNATURE BASS in response to the bassist’s wishes. 

• An instantly adjustable balance between the two pickups, which gives the characteristic sound of 70’s old-school funk,
• Luminous dots on the fingerboard,
• A black silk pickguard with a gold pattern between the two acrylic plates.

Ida Nielsen is not limited to the bass guitar. She plays keyboards and drums beautifully, writes music and sings. Bassida’s favorite genres, funk and soul, are reflected in her solo albums.

Tal Wilkinfeld: lightning fast rise

Australian Tal Wilkinfeld has been writing her own songs since she picked up a guitar – at age 14. At 17 she picked up a bass and knew right away it was her instrument. With the bass in her arms, she traveled to the United States, where she graduated from the Los Angeles Academy of Music and began performing.

Young bassist Tal Wilkinfeld has collaborated with such seasoned artists as Jeff Beck, Steven Tyler, Mick Jagger, Prince. At a music festival at the Grand Garden Arena, Tal pointed out to Sting himself the mistakes in his song performance!

“I really respected the courage with which she came up to me and taught me how to do this part right, and I was very grateful to her. She’s an amazing bass player with a great ear.”

Tal Wilkinfeld–who has a velvet chest timbre, perfect hearing, songwriter, and producer–is not limited to her role as a session musician. She also produces her own albums, showcasing her skills as a poet, musician, and performer.

Musician and blogger Daria Shorr

Young and professional, public and sincere, outgoing and hardworking – it’s all her! Since her childhood Daria tried her hand at pianist, guitarist, and vocalist, but it was her special friendship with the bass guitar that brought her to our website pages. While studying in the variety and jazz school, she decided to “expand her horizons” and enrolled in the Gnesin Russian Academy of Music in the jazz double bass faculty.

Daria is inspired by music that is complex, interesting and at the same time comfortable for the ear. She names saxophonist Chris Potter, pianist Tigran Khamasian and double bassist Avishai Cohen as her favorite musicians. She herself writes music in the styles of nu-jazz, fusion and ethno-jazz and gives concerts consisting entirely of her own compositions.

Bassist Daria Schorr tries not to remain in the shadows. She actively develops her accounts on Instagram, and a channel on YouTube. In addition, she periodically records instructional videos to help beginner bassists, where she gives recommendations for the development of performance technique and work on the rhythm.

Let’s summarize the multifaceted activities of Daria Schorr.

• session bassist, working with many pop, jazz, and fusion groups and performers,
• arranger,
• composer,
• blogger,
• teacher.

Daria Schorr favors the American Pedulla bass.

This 5-string bass allows you to achieve a variety of sound options, from heavy booming lows to melodic, sing-along highs. At the same time it is quite easy to use and easy to perform in different venues. 

Fragile Girl uses a strap from Gruv Gear that distributes the weight of the instrument over both shoulders. She also encourages musicians to pay more attention to their health and regularly do exercises to stretch and relax the muscles of the back and arms.

Prodigy Mohini Day is a bass player from India

The daughter of a famous Indian bassist began mastering the bass guitar at the age of 3, and at 10 she was giving concerts with professional musicians.

One of her mentors, Indian composer and musician Ranjit Baro, recalls how deftly the 7-year-old played a fretless Fender bass.

“The way her fingers moved up and down the guitar amazed me. She slapped, grabbed, slide with the ease of a professional player. She understood harmony, which is very rare for a bass player.”

By now, the 27-year-old bassist has already worked at major venues, participated in prestigious festivals, given concerts and worked in the studio with big-name stars of the indie scene.

With a wealth of experience as a session musician, bassist Mohini Day is working on her own album with her younger sister.

Experienced bass players and young talents! They all have different experiences, education and work in different styles. But a woman always becomes an ornament of the stage, bringing a touch of grace, taste, sensuality to any performance. So the bass is in their hands! All the best creative luck to you, my beauties.

Basil

Hey, fellow bassists and musicians overall!

I’m nothing more than just bass player and enthusiastic blogger. Feel free to ask any questions in the comments.
Huge thanks for all crazy people who supports this resource. Keep groovin’!