“Live, I like to mostly play on the E and the A strings. I could pretty easily get away with playing a two-stringed bass”: How bassist Dave ‘Phoenix’ Farrell found his sound with Linkin Park

Bassist Dave ‘Phoenix Farrell is used to being the cornerstone. His band, Linkin Park, has dabbled in lots of flavors since 1996, journeying from nu-metal to alternative rock and stints of hip-hop to electronic rock, all with a large ensemble comprising two guitars, two vocalists, drums, and a DJ with an array of electronic samples, programmed sequences, and triggers.

Having recently announced a new lineup following Chester Bennington's passing in 2017, and a brand-new album, From Zero, Farrell has once again stepped up to the plate, flaunting a carefully crafted bass tone that cuts through the mix.

“When I'm approaching writing, it's never so much about what the bass will be doing,” Farrell told Bass Player. “It's more about what I can do to best serve the song. Maybe the bass will be best coming from a keyboard or a sample, or my bass guitar that's tweaked through distortion pedals. It's different for each track, but I never want to play something simply for the sake of being heard.”

Alternating between using a pick and his fingers on his StingRay and P-Basses, Farrell gets tenacious on new songs like Heavy Is The Crown and IGYEIH, while tracks like Casualty prove his ability to lock in with drummer Colin Cunningham.

“Linkin Park is a basketball team where somebody has to grab the rebounds, and that's my role. I’m not battling to shoot three-pointers, or rack up 30 points a game. But the bass is essential to the team. It holds down the foundation.”

Our interview from the Bass Player archives took place in September 2014.

How do you approach your bass playing?

“With five other guys in the band, I have so many sounds coming at me that it can be difficult to play anything technical; songs can get really busy with that much going on. But when we focus everything around drums, guitar, and bass, it definitely gets easier to play more. I really draw from the phases in my life when I was really excited to play bass.”

What is your signal path in the studio?

“I blend DI and a microphone capture of my amp, and if we're looking for a thick or dirty sound, we'll use a few different pedals to get the right tones. Some pedals sound good only in the studio, so I like to test out different effects.

“I always love the classic SVT sound in the studio, but we generally try out a lot of things and then create a reference with a couple of key tones for the bass – a few things that help keep us consistent throughout the record. But I do like changing things up from song to song to find what's best for the track.”

How would you define your playing in Linkin Park?

“The bass style I gravitate toward is melodically aligned with the vocals and guitars and rhythmically aligned with the drums and samples. I've always appreciated the skill level that goes into jazz bass and other intricate styles, but I've always felt more of a connection with bass that has a groove and a soul.

“For better or for worse, I tend to gravitate away from the flashier stuff and more toward players like Adam Clayton from U2 or Paul McCartney. I love what they bring to the table and how they support the song.”

How frequently do you switch between using a pick and your fingers?

“I usually use both about 50/50. I like the option to be able to do either, so I'm always holding a pick, but I play a lot with my fingers while the pick is in there. I'll hold it with my ring finger and pinkie finger while bridging with my thumb and playing with my index and middle finger. That way I can just drop the pick into my fingers in the middle of a song. A lot of times, I'll play verses and bridges with fingers and the choruses with a pick to get more growl and cut through better.”

Two Faced (Official Music Video) - Linkin Park - YouTube

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You also seem to gravitate toward the lower register.

“Definitely. Live, I like to mostly play on the E and the A strings. The low-end is more solid that way. I could pretty easily get away with playing a two-stringed bass because I like the tone and the sound of the lower registers of the instrument. I don't ever like getting up too high, so I rarely play the D or G. That puts a lot of pressure on my tech to keep my intonation locked in every night.”

What do you work on when you're practicing on your own?

“It varies. The last four weeks or so, we've been in rehearsals quite a bit, and when we're playing for five or six hours straight, I don't play on my own much. But when that's not happening, I play quite a bit throughout the week.

“I play a lot of bass, but I also like to write on piano and guitar. My original background was in classical music; I started playing violin and cello. I like to go back to those fundamental things and keep my playing up to speed on them.”

How have you become a better bassist over the years?

“When I was starting out as a bass player, I spent a lot of time figuring out elements of funk, how to play percussively and as technically as I possibly could. As I developed different chops, I tended to force them into everything I was writing, and I tried to figure out how I could show off my skills.

“But at a certain point, I got really interested in the songwriting side of things. I moved away from the technical side of bass playing and started focusing on the feel of the song rather than adding another focal point; I wanted my playing to give each song a well-rounded personality, with depth of character.”

What advice would you give another bass player?

“When I was growing up, someone told me to never put my instrument in a case, and it seemed like such a silly thing, but I took it to heart. Obviously, you want to protect your bass, but if it's out on a stand in your room and you can see it, then there are so many times in the day when you can pick it up and play it.”

IGYEIH (Official Audio Visualizer) - Linkin Park - YouTube

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“Make your bass a regular part of your daily routine. Playing for six 10-minute segments a day might be much easier than sitting down for a solid hour. Early on, when your fingers hurt and you're developing calluses, keep picking up your bass every day. You're going to get a lot better very fast. It worked for me.”