From their mid-’70s debut to 2016’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Tom Petersson and Cheap Trick knew how to harness the power of pop.
Except for his hiatus from the band from 1980-87 (when he dropped an “s” from his name and formed Tom Peterson & Another Language), Petersson's style crystallized with his Cheap Trick bandmates: powerhouse singer/guitarist Robin Zander, eccentric guitar hero Rick Nielson, and drum master Bun E. Carlos.
Even before his first 12-string notes rang through the group’s explosive live shows, he infused Cheap Trick with bright and richly distorted shots of thunderous, melodic bass guitar work (check out Daddy Should Have stayed in High School from their 1977 debut album).
Go for the Throat (Use Your Own Imagination) is a rarer rock jewel from 1980's All Shook Up, but it captures more of Petersson's finest work.
Note how he packs the verses with aggressive bass outbursts and fierce string bends, all with a nasty, distorted tone from his 1963 Gibson Thunderbird. It's also a great example of Cheap Trick's ability to use sonic contrast to build tension and then relieve it with a melodic pop chorus.
Five decades after inventing the massive 12-string sound, Petersson has undoubtedly earned his place as one of the most innovative, influential bassists in rock and roll. “I remember hearing some kids playing the first Cheap Trick record at the swimming pool in town; I was probably 13,” Pearl Jam’s Jeff Ament told Bass Player. “I was into Kiss, Aerosmith and Ted Nugent at the time, but I remember hearing He’s a Whore and thinking, ‘Wow… what is that?’
“I started understanding what a 12-string bass was through the Heaven Tonight record, but also through songs like Gonna Raise Hell and Dream Police. Tom Petersson’s bass figures so prominently in those songs, because of how massive that 12-string sound was. It was like having a piano player on rhythm guitar.”
For the July 2006 issue of Bass Player, we asked Petersson to share his top tips for bass players. And he had a lot…
1. Use Multiple Amps
“Get your distortion and highs out of one amp and the low-end out of another. It isn't possible to get the 12-string bass sound that you want out of one speaker cabinet. The more amps, the better!”
2. Use A High Action
“Set your action as high as you can. People always go for the ease of playing rather than the sound, but you get more sustain and low-end with higher action. If it's hard to play, then you need to develop your strength.”
3. Build Forearm And Finger Strength
“When you practice, play difficult chords you might never play on bass, like barre chords. That will really build your strength.”
4. Use Downstrokes
“People don't use enough downstrokes. The alternating approach is just not the same. Downstrokes sound better and are more consistent. That up-and-down crap is for the birds.”
5. Use Right- And Left-Hand Muting
“If you want a heavier sound, mute with your right hand. You'll notice that the bottom-end leaps out. You also want to use your left hand to mute strings so they don't create overtones. That's a nightmare on the 12-string.”
6. Play Live As Often As Possible
“If you really want to learn, you have to get into a band and get in front of people. No matter how much theory you have, when you start playing live it's a different story. Can't hear yourself? Too bad. Get out there.”
7. Don't Do It For The Money
“Musicians don't make money. Play because you love it. We were lucky, but it's usually all or nothing. Most of the time, either you are U2, or you're sitting around a garage wishing you were U2.”
8. Always Record Your Ideas
“People say if it's good enough, you'll remember it. Not true. Some of our best ideas were things we had recorded and forgotten about. Record it and come back later.”
9. Learn On An Instrument You Can't Play
“Trying your song on a different instrument is inspirational for playing bass. Pick something with different tunings – a banjo, a ukulele, or a piano. Even if you are lousy at it you will get a different perspective.”
10. Experiment
“Make as many mistakes as you need to create a great part. You might develop your own style unexpectedly. Something that will be special about you later may be something they're complaining about now.”
11. Don't Use Effects
“The best players don't use anything. Don't get a distortion pedal for an amp that's too clean; get an amp that has real distortion. Effects take the human quality out of it, and they can be a crutch. Plug straight in.”
12. Stay Clean
“Don't drink or do anything like that when you are playing. It might seem better to you at the time, but when you listen back it won't sound good. It doesn't make you creative – it gets in the way of being creative.”
