History hasnt been kind to his tribe.

But then, bass guitarists go unsung because they like to keep it low key. No flashy, flamboyant solos, no eccentric body language or loud costume because their performance isnt about lung-power or screaming showmanship, their role is to just be there rock-solid as the backbone of the band. Forty-five-year-old Keith Peters, arguably, is the best bass guitarist in the country. Many may argue that the more senior Peters, his Mumbai-based brother Karl, is better. But the competition stays in the family. Chennai-based Keith is a veteran of over five thousand live gigs, has played for over thousand songs and has worked with most music directors in the country, continuing to be A.R. Rahmans ever-dependable bass guitarist. Apparently, Rahman has never used another bass guitarist since the first time they collaborated for the Madras Ad Club Awards jingle way back in 1990. Far off from the citys din, the content Keith Peters lives in a quiet Perambur neighbourhood, using his free time to practice and teach his students. I am still learning bass. Theres so much to learn in music, he says, when I meet him for an interview. Keith took to the guitar, quite early, hailing from a family of musicians. Dad used to work in the Railways but he could play the guitar and violin. He used to play to amuse himself. His brothers Karl and Max used to play the guitar in the evenings. After finishing my higher secondary, I did my diploma in air-conditioning. And then, one day, watching Karl play, I started liking bass. Working with Rahman After a brief stint in Delhi, he came back to Chennai in 1985 to play at Hotel Park Sheraton with Vijji and Anuradha Cheyyurs band. He went on play at the hotel for almost a decade, six days a week. It was around the late 1980s that he first met A.R. Rahman. Rahman was playing with Ilaiyarajaa, setting up his studio, doing jingles and he had his band Nemesis Avenue while I was busy with the hotel. He used to come to the hotel and we started working together. He remembers how he went home excitedly after playing for Chinna Chinna Aasai. I couldnt sleep. I told my wife that this song would be the talk of the town. Two weeks later, when I played for Kaadhal Rojave, I knew he would make it big. Rock was making a comeback once again in the early 1990s. Around 1990, I met David Pascal and played for Juraavi, then with Jim Sathya for Burn and after the band broke up, Sudeen Prabhakar and I formed a band called Just Friends which is today called Roxygen and Rahman got increasingly busy. He credits Rahman for his entry into the film industry. After having done jingles with Rahman for Berger Paints, Jayabharatham Furniture and subsequently for movies, Roja and Puthiya Mugam, Rahman told him it was time to quit his job and take the plunge. Hoping that between A.R. Rahman and his friend Sandeep Chowta who was starting out in Bollywood, he would have enough work, he quit after the New Years Eve bash in 1994. I quit my job because I thought I was stagnating. I was married and wondering if I would get a steady income to make ends meet? Everything went off well. My wife is so supportive. Keith has been doing one hell of a balancing act. He played for films, he played for rock, he got into fusion and discovered his love for jazz. My influences are Chick Corea, Weather Report and Jaco Pastorius who is also Karls role model. I like R&B, Jazz and Funk. Film music had very little bass before Rahman came around and gave bass its prominence. He was the first to start crediting musicians in films and put their names on the album. He catches up with his brothers at concerts around the world more than home. Karl and I met at the Java Jazz Festival in Jakarta two weeks ago. He plays with Ranjit Barot. Max performs at the five-star circuit in Delhi. With Karls son being a drummer, he believes that a Peters project is in pipeline. Playing live is more satisfying, he says, but he also likes the challenge of studio recordings and deadlines. Recently, when Rahman did a song for Taj Mahal Ek Mohabbat Hai, he called me and said I had five minutes because he had a plane to catch. I played it in one take and he said: Very good.

Pre-recorded samples and synthesiser sounds are putting a lot of musicians out of work. There are advantages and disadvantages of using computer-generated sounds but at the end of the day, its not the real thing. Its plastic and its affecting musicians. Has he ever thought of getting into composing or switching fields to survive? Bass is base, the main support of the song. I will live and die playing my bass. If I get into programming or composing, there wont be any good bass guitarist around, he laughs. WHAT THEY SAY

He is one of the few gems left. Unassuming, extremely friendly and a great musician. A. R. RAHMAN

Keiths humility disguises the musical battle tank that he is. He can hear a car horn and tell you what note it is. He can just hear a piece and tell you the complicated chords like it was a nursery rhyme Hes everyones friend. Rock On, Uncle Keith. SWAROOP OOMEN, Unwind Center

Keith peters , has been a famous base guitarist and has been assosciated with ARR right from Roja till Sivaji.

1. When did you meet ARR ?. I met Rahman in 1988, when I was working for Music Director Raj Koti. At that time, he was around 18 years old. In 1990, when he was doing jingles, he had called me for doing jingles. He has always been a very quiet boy. We used to have lot of discussions about music. I have played a lot of ad jingles, themes with Rahman. I was working in a Five Star Hotel, and used to play base guitar every night. One night he called me and asked me to come and play for a song in 1991. That was for Chinna Chinna Aasai ( Roja ) . I asked him what was this for, for which he replied " I am doing a movie, and hopefully it comes out well". I told him that it would definitely be a hit, and not to worry. 2. What are the songs that you have played for Rahman ? First of all, all songs I used to play in the night. Rahman was the cause behind me leaving the Hotel. he told me " leave the hotel; Play for me". I thank him a lot for getting me out of that hotel. 3. What was your experience of working with Rahman during Roja ? Each song of Rahman is a different experience. He is a very great and good composer, and hence each song is a unique experience. It seems Keith's speed of playing is so much, that Rahman used to tell him " You should wait more than you play ". 4. What is your experience in doing Live Programs ?? They are totally different from recordings. You have to be really alert especially for Rahman songs. Its because you have to duplicate the same thing thats on the record. My experience has been a different experience playing for his concerts. we have to practise nicely and deliver 5. Which are the programs that you have enjoyed a lot ? I play all different styles of music, like pop, jazz, rock and of course for Rahman for Tamil Songs. I like little bit of Jazz. Even rahman loves that. My kinf od Jazz is little modern. Each person on the band improvises on a particular theme. 6. which song of Rahman did you love playing ? All his songs are so beautiful. Esp Chinna chinna Aasai, Pudhu Vellai Mazhai. Then came July Madham ( Pudhiya Mugam ) , Netru Illadha Matram ( Pudhiya Mugam ) . My base guitar was prominent in Kaadhal Rojave ( Roja ) and even Kadhal Sadugudu ( Alaipyudhey )

7. what are the different styles of Base Guitar ? The style that we play with fingers is called peeking style. Then is the slab style with the thumb and the forefinger. Then comes the walking base( swing pattern ) Swing Pattern :- Kannum Kannum ( Thiruda Thiruda ) ( Fast running base ) Slab Base - Kadhal Sadugudu ( Alaipayudhey ) 8. Is there any song that you have not played for rahman ? ( Laughs) That we have to ask him. Before, when Tamil, Kannada, and Telugu recording were done at the same place, I used to play for 3 songs the same day. But I can play for 10 songs in the same day. 9. How many Children ? MY wife is a housewife. I have two children. But all the support for me comes from my wife. My daugther is studying in her Final year in Stell Marrys ( Chennai ) and my son is in his eighth standard. My son is learning rhthym guitar. Daugther was learning some piano, but stopped now . I come from a family of musicians. My father used to play any instrument. Just take and play. he was not full into music. My brothers are all musicians. One is a Base guitarist. he is in Mumbai . His name is Carl Peters, and the other one is in Delhi. he is also a guitarist. Carl plays for films. The other brother plays in Hotels. Basically, we are all Anglo Indians . and hence can't speak Tamil fluently. 10. Is there any song which was recorded the entire night with Rahman ? Yes. The song " Oh Maria Oh Maria " from Kadhalar Dhinam. we played it . But Rahman didn't like it . So we were trying different patterns. Then we did Roja Roja from the same film, and these two songs took the entire night for us. I came home the next evening. 11. Have you ever thought why I am wasting my time and energy the entire night and my skills are getting minimised here ?? No. I love working with Rahman. Its really wonderful to work with. So pleasing and he is open to ideas. when we are working with Rahman, we do not think abt sleeep . I am excited to do my best and make Rahman happy. 12. What kind of relationship do you share with Rahman ? I respect him a lot as a good musician. Good friend and for his level headedness. He is so big but nothing has happened to his head. and I admire him for that. I keep telling this to everybody. Look at RAHMAN. 13. How much are you religious ? I fear GOD. I thank God for all the blessings that he has showered on me.

14. Which praise can never be forgotten in your life ? Rahman has praised me by saying " God Bless your hands ". Once I hurt my thumb while recording. That time Rahman's incharge Samydurai had called me for recording. I said I cant come. When I showed my thumb to Rahman, he said " There are lot of evil eyes on you. People have casted eyes on you. Take care ". 15. Why everybody calles you as UNCLE ? ( Fun part ) Because they are mad. There was this guitarist player called Johnny who started all this. He used to play for Rahman at times. Then it was continued by H. Sridhar ( Rahman's Engineer ), and the entire team started calling me as Uncle 16. Which place do you like in the world ? I like America a lot. Thanks goes to Rahman. First , we went to Malayasia, Dubai. Its only because of Rahman, that I have seen the whole world. I have travelled a lot with Rahman. I like the US because of the music, country and the place. I buy Base Guitars in New York in Guitar Centre, New York Elley. My children are my best fans. They keep praising me and telling me and my wife . Once in chicago, there was a boy who was running all along the stadium telling that he was a fan of Keith. 17. Which are the songs which you feel has come out wonderfully with Rahman ? July Madham, Chaiyya Chaiyya, Aiyoo Pathickicchi, Snegidhane . 18. You have seen so many music directors come , right from 1984 . How is the industry progressing ? I feel everybody is following Rahman's style, the patterns. But even if anybody comes, Rahman goes a step ahead. He is the man who comes with new sounds always. HE IS THE BOSS. 19. Has Rahman asked you for any new sounds anytimes ? Sometimes, I take a process. But he says No. he always says " Take it dry", and then he processes it. he always calls me last before he is going to mix the sound to the song. he has got his own reason, and he knows best . He knows what he is doing. I get the full feel of the song when I play. He lets me play and do whatver I want. generally, he likes whatver I play. It synchronises well with his thought. Because he knows what he wants. Rahman revolutioned the Music sound. in 1990s, and he gave a lot of importance to base guitar. It was he who brought this forward, as introductions for songs. For eg :- Alaipayudhey - Kadhal Sadugudu ( the initial guitar bit comes in front of the song ) Dil Se re song ( the pattern follows before )

Chaiyya Chaiyya ( there is a pattern ) Akkadu ( Indian ) He plays and shows all the patterns ) Kadhal Rojave ( roja ) chinna Chinna aasai ( Roja ) Rangeela ( Haire Haire pattern )

Responses:

From: Prasanna (@ 61.247.241.101) on: Mon Apr 12 03:08:04 EDT 2004

I remember the song 'Snegithane' from Alaipayuthey. Throughout the song, the bass guitar is simply brilliant. But esp. in the 2nd interlude, when Shrinivas sings, " koondal nezhivil........charivu"...notice the bass movement. Its UNBELIEVEBLE!

From: Maverick (@ 192.128.134.68) on: Mon Apr 12 04:46:59 EDT 2004

thats simple. casio keyboard la diff sounds irukku. athula sound # 63 is bass guitar. atha pottu vittu keyboard vassichaa pothum. ARR's bass guitar unmaayave unbelievable thaan.

From: shyam (@ 61.95.159.19) on: Mon Apr 12 05:25:48 EDT 2004

kadhal sadu gudu from AP had cool bass...keith peters pottu poondhu velayadirupaaru songs like putham pudhu boomi vendum had gr8 bass lines...especially charanam...someone told me all that was programmed!!

From: Prasanna (@ 61.247.241.101) on: Mon Apr 12 15:00:48 EDT 2004

even the song july matham vanthaal had some amazing bass lines.

From: Guitar_lover (@ 61.11.80.211) on: Tue Apr 13 04:59:30 EDT 2004

ARR and the bass guitar .... hmmmmm.. Is this a 'rival thread' to the IR and the bass guitar thread??? Whatever it may be, IR is the lord of bass. Rahman is just learning .. guys, without being biased please do visit the IR and the bass guitar thread also.

From: Prasanna (@ 61.247.240.209) on: Tue Apr 13 07:01:23 EDT 2004

i completely agree that IR's usage of bass guitar is mind-boggling. We are discussing ARR's bass guitar here..without any reference/comparison to IR's work.

From: dubya (@ 203.101.54.234) on: Tue Apr 13 10:52:16 EDT 2004

recently, i liked the bass in jana gana mana of AE. Hats off ARR (this is coming from a HCIRFan)

From: Kaalam ;--) (@ 4.158.114.221) on: Tue Apr 13 11:16:14 EDT 2004

Are you referring to ARR' Guitar in his Bassment?

From: curses (@ 203.101.36.50) on: Tue Apr 13 12:41:04 EDT 2004

was that supposed to be a joke? munaadiye soleedunga, sirikarathukku vasadhiya irukkum. :)

From: C~P (@ 61.2.225.49) on: Tue Apr 13 12:45:11 EDT 2004

Avaru paavam serious spelling theriyaama post pannikrukkar. Nee ennadana ippadi kaettutiye :-(

From: prasanna (@ 61.247.240.209) on: Tue Apr 13 13:04:52 EDT 2004

hi guyz...juz curious...is dere any song, where the bass lines are carnatic in nature and still goes on well with the lead instrument/voice....??

From: MADDY (@ 203.94.233.126) on: Tue Apr 13 13:55:40 EDT 2004

god save all these IR-fans....they can't digest pro-ARR threads.....look how many have mushroomed to spoil the thread..... the bass-guitar used in chaiyya chaiyya interlude is also too good.....

From: gg (@ 219.65.134.200) on: Tue Apr 13 14:44:19 EDT 2004

sa re ga me from boys what an example...

From: shyam (@ 61.95.159.19) on: Tue Apr 13 23:47:28 EDT 2004

prasanna if ur talking abt "gamakkam" on bass, then the most recent ARR song that comes to mind is the dating song from boys...keith peters is god! chk the line "i dont want to love"

From: Prasanna (@ 61.247.241.119) on: Wed Apr 14 00:30:36 EDT 2004

ok..thankyou:) but guyz..plz listen to that snegithane bit i referred to....i cant believe how he came up with that...its juz mind-boggling!

From: karthik_pf@yahoo.com (@ 61.17.73.2) on: Wed Apr 14 17:46:30 EDT 2004

Kaadhal Sadugudu, Snegidhane, The The Thithikkum (Thiruda Thiruda), Dating, Jana Gana Mana (check out the bass towards the end of the song) - awesome bass! BTW, all you IR and ARR fans, let's learn to live with two gods :)

From: karthik_pf (@ 61.17.73.2) on: Wed Apr 14 18:24:19 EDT 2004

Just out of curiosity and strictly NOM to North Indians, are there any songs in Hindi (apart from those composed by IR, ARR, Shankar Mahadevan or HJ) having some decent bass guitar work? Did they give importance to bass at all? My take is that we have to go back to RD Burman's time to find some good bass work in Hindi film music! God save bollywood if MDs like ARR were to leave it!

From: Venki (@ 165.21.154.14) on: Sun Apr 18 22:41:01 EDT 2004

For ARR Keith Peters who was the bassist for Usha Utup plays the bass. Keith himself a versatile player....ARR lets him do in his own style. For IR, Sasi Plays the bass from IR's Day one in Film...IR always give notes for Bass playing and never expects the artists to play their own riffs...even for percussion.. Notable bass riffs have been composed by IR...eg: Kodiyile, Vaan meethile, Ilamanathu..a lot to name..

From: music-man (@ 61.1.201.160) on: Tue Apr 20 00:39:25 EDT 2004 I dont think ARR uses keyboard bass for his songs. Even if so he would have done it for only a few songs.

He uses Keith Peters,Christy often and also had used Guy Pratt on a few compositions. After IR ,Rahman is the only one to have used the bass guitar more efficiently. Some of his best bass guitar compositions are; 1)Chinna Chinna aasai-ROJA 2)July Madham-PUTHIYA MUGAM 3)How can you guys miss the songs from UYIRE.All the songs have excellent bassNenjinilae,Sandhosha Kannere,Ennuyire. 4)Kannalane-BOMBAY. 5)Mustafa Mustafa-KADHAL DESAM 6)Eh mituwa-LAGAAN and many more.........

From: Vj (@ 203.196.170.104) on: Tue Apr 20 12:02:32 EDT 2004

Digression: the one that comes in "Ennai konjam maatri" (Kaakha kaakha- MD:HJ) song opening immediately after the initial chorus (after "alli alli pogudhey" and the next "boom" kinda sound)... is that acoustic guitar or bass guitar?

From: music-man (@ 61.1.202.58) on: Tue Apr 20 23:55:51 EDT 2004

Some of the other ARR songs that had a very good bass guitar work are: 1)Oorvasi-KADHALAN(good work in spite of being programmed). 2)Kadhal-same movie(watch out for the excellent slap bass) 3)Tauba Tauba-Vande Mataram-very good bass work 4)Thee thithikum-THIRUDA^2 5)Jannal Kaatraaki Vaa-THENALI 6)Sonnalum Ketpahillai-KADHAL VIRUS

From: music-man (@ 61.1.201.122) on: Tue Apr 20 23:58:01 EDT 2004

Some of the other ARR songs that had a very good bass guitar work are: 1)Oorvasi-KADHALAN(good work in spite of being programmed). 2)Kadhal-same movie(watch out for the excellent slap bass)

3)Tauba Tauba-Vande Mataram-very good bass work 4)Thee thithikum-THIRUDA^2 5)Jannal Kaatraaki Vaa-THENALI 6)Sonnalum Ketpahillai-KADHAL VIRUS

From: Venki (@ 165.21.154.10) on: Mon Apr 26 02:28:29 EDT 2004

NO BODY WRITES NOTATION FOR BASS EXCEPT IR IN INDIAN FILM MUSIC....THAT'S WHY IR'S BASS STANDS GREAT...ARR, VIDYA SAGAR, BHARAT WAJ ALL LEAVE THE WORK TO THEIR ARRANGERS AND BASSISTS...I DO APPRECIATE THAT..BUT STILL IR'S WORKS ON BASS ARE THE BEST..

From: Srivatsan (@ 136.182.2.222) on: Mon Apr 26 23:48:42 EDT 2004

Vj: That instrumental piece in Kaaka Kaaka song 'Ennai Knojam Maatri' is played with an electric guitar, and there is bass accompanying it. But it is also possible to play it on the acoustic guitar. Ive seen and heard one of my friends playing it on his Givson G150.

From: Vj (@ 216.148.62.214) on: Tue Apr 27 16:04:44 EDT 2004

:-) @ Srivatsan.

One instrument that has fascinated me a lot is the bass guitar. That's because of just two people A.R.Rahman and Keith Peters! I'm so very enamoured with Keith's talent that I exclaimed "Sir.. You are the reason that I love bass guitar", when I met him at the TOI concert in April! In Indian music, there was hardly any importance for bass guitar. Composers have been using bass guitars for decades, i'm not denying it... But, it was more like it was pushed to the background. Rahman brought that change - he made bass guitar an important part of his compositions. And, thus Keith's extraordinary skills were exposed to the world, and elevated him to such a level that he is arguably the most wanted Bass guitarist in the country!

I'm planning to write about some of his exemplary work in Rahman's songs, and here's the first one! The first song that comes to my mind is Thee Thee Thithikkum Thee (Thiruda Thiruda), one of my top favourites of AR. Everything in the song - be it Naveen's flute, or Thumba Raja's powerful jathis or the sensuous voice of chinese girl Caroline or the innovative percussion - is out of the world! But, let us push everything else aside for now, and focus on Keith's work. Bass Guitar is definitely one of the main pillars of this song, which is very unusal in Indian music. Right from the start when he plays the bass by plucking the strings hard(right at the start), then the normal bass guitar sound in most parts of the song, then the slap bass (during the swaras ma-pa-ni-sa.. ri-sa), Keith shows his class throughout the song. The emhpatic fusion between Keith's bass and Naveen's flute (second interlude) is such a bliss, and takes me to a different world every single time I listen to it. The song ends with another brilliant bass piece accompanying the jathi. This song is one of my all time favourites, for many reasons, bass guitar being the most important reason!
By Aravind on Tuesday, September 02, 2008 at 10:28 PM

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Post Categories: A.R.Rahman, Bass, Song