Radzetskyi Serhii, a bassist, composer, and songwriter from Ukraine, has built a career exploring the full potential of the bass guitar. With a diverse range of roles—including work with SUR Band, Chay s Myasom, the Ukrainian Improvisers Orchestra, and as a composer for the rock opera Taras Bulba—Serhii approaches the instrument with a philosophy that challenges traditional boundaries.
In this interview with Bass Empire, Serhii discusses his journey as a musician, his approach to adapting music from various genres and eras, and how he brings both classical influences and contemporary techniques into his work.
“[The bass] is not an instrument solely for foundation and groove; it can simultaneously manifest itself as a solo, polyphonic, commanding, and self-sufficient instrument.”
What inspired you to start your YouTube channel, and how did it evolve into the platform it is today for showcasing your interpretations and original music?
Since childhood, I have always wanted to record all my musical ideas as audio recordings. Back then, those were cassette tapes. Later, when the opportunity arose to record performances on video, I decided to create small reports from concerts and upload them to YouTube. These were completely different performances and projects of mine. They included classical guitar, solo performances, ensembles, orchestras, and experimental music. Now, I have divided all my musical manifestations into different playlists with separate names. The selection where my bass solo works are concentrated is called RADZ BASSIST SOLO.
Your solo programme spans centuries and genres, from Baroque pieces to Chopin and The Beatles. When adapting such diverse works for the bass guitar, do you approach your instrument differently in terms of technique or tone?
I have a higher musical education. As a classical guitarist, I became a laureate of various competitions as both a performer and a composer. Even then, playing the classical guitar, my repertoire included music from John Dowland to Johann Bach, from Mauro Giuliani to Roland Dyens, and the works of my father, guitarist Yuri Radzetsky. Playing the music of all those centuries, a special style formed in my mind that combines all these influences.
I practised for many hours on the classical guitar for many years, but I had a desire to try transferring my performing ideas to the bass guitar. During that period, I first heard Victor Wooten’s fantasy on Johann Bach. That was when I decided to use the bass guitar more decisively.
My first concert instrument was a 6-string Ibanez SR 506. It was with this instrument that I began experimenting with its range and expanding its possibilities. I immediately replaced the first string with the G string from an electric guitar and tuned it to A. I also lowered the bottom string from B to A. This significantly increased the range, allowing me to accumulate groove and rhythm in the loop station and perform real solos on top (albeit on one string).
Later, I decided to do all this on the four strings of the Lakland Skyline. The idea behind my programme is to create fantasies of works from different eras using only four strings. It is with these four strings that I demonstrate the extraordinary capabilities of the bass guitar.
At my concerts, I constantly try to prove that this is not an instrument solely for foundation and groove; it can simultaneously manifest itself as a solo, polyphonic, commanding, and self-sufficient instrument. When I play in groups, I take into account all the features of the arrangement and more often perform standard functions, but I always find space in the sound for leadership expressions on the bass.
Your playing style has been described as virtuosic and independent. Could you walk us through your current bass setup, including the bass models, strings, or electronics you rely on to deliver that versatility?
I have always admired musicians who have their own sound, individual manner, and personal style—when you can immediately recognise from the first notes exactly who is performing. It is easier for vocalists, as you just need to be born with a pleasant timbre of voice and develop it. For instrumentalists, it is more difficult, but still possible. There are many examples of musicians whose playing is instantly recognisable from the first sounds: Jeff Beck, David Gilmour, Steve Vai, Mattias Eklundh, and Pat Metheny.
Among bassists, such skills are exemplified by Stanley Clarke, Flea, Marcus Miller, Les Claypool, and Billy Sheehan. Throughout my work, I strive to create an individual atmosphere. For my solo bass performances, I use Elixir 45-105 strings on a Lakland Skyline 44-60 bass, along with a Zoom B3n multi-effects processor. I also use a nail-playing technique, similar to that used in classical guitar. When playing with a group, I prefer combos like Gallien-Krueger or Markbass, but for solo performances, I use stereo monitors to ensure an accurate display of all my effects and sound panoramas.
When composing original material, do you have a specific process or approach to creating your bass lines? Are there elements from classical music or other genres that consciously influence your writing?
When I create a solo composition, I try not to think of it as simply being for a bass guitar with limited functions. First and foremost, it is an instrument capable of showcasing all the elements of music—rhythm, melody, harmony, and, of course, bass. Four strings are more than enough to demonstrate all of this.
It is from classical music that I have absorbed this approach. I enjoy setting creative tasks and experimenting. For example, I found it fascinating that the famous astronomer and physicist Galileo Galilei had a father who was a composer and lute player, Vincenzo Galilei. I discovered his work Saltarello, which I initially studied in its original form on a classical guitar before transferring it to the bass guitar. I transformed it into a set of variations, incorporating different harmonic solutions and modern bass capabilities.
I apply a similar approach to other arrangements, such as the piano work Frédéric Chopin Op.28, No.20. For this piece, I created a bass version of its four-note chords, where the nails on my right hand help to achieve very balanced chords. When using a Loop Station for these pieces, I aim to create layers of sound with entirely different frequencies and effects.
“You need to be a psychologist when building a programme for a specific venue and audience.”
For musicians experimenting with a broad range of styles like you, selecting the right gear becomes critical. How do you choose your equipment to accommodate both the subtleties of Baroque pieces and the punch of modern rock or pop?
Yes, this is a very apt question, because when performing very different music, you need to be sensitive to all the components of sound, process, and sensations on stage. Complex compositions require very precise settings to bring out all the subtleties of the voicing and harmonic transitions. You also need to be a psychologist when building a programme for a specific venue and audience.
There are times when you prepare a setlist for a performance, but upon arriving at the venue, you realise that the hall, sound, and audience are not suited to certain works on the list. In such cases, during the pause between soundcheck and the performance, I sit down and adjust my setlist accordingly. For concerts where the majority of the programme consists of meditative, lyrical, and classical pieces, I prefer to play through stereo monitors positioned behind me. This allows me to adjust my sound and maintain a focused performance state on stage.
When performing with a drummer and a more powerful programme, I sometimes use the following setup: two separate signals come out of my processor. Signal №1 runs through my distortion and into a guitar combo or cabinet. Signal №2 runs separately through the Loop Station and then into a bass combo. By dividing my parts in this way, I can fill the entire sound range of a full guitar line-up for the band.
“My philosophy as a composer is that I should not wait for inspiration; I must actively begin the creative process.”
You’re also performing well-known hits alongside your own compositions. How do you balance staying true to the original feel of these classic tracks while still incorporating your style and technique?
When I start working on a famous piece, I immerse myself in it as much as possible. I read extensively about the facts surrounding its creation and about the period in the life of the artist who composed the piece. I try to understand the main idea of the work and all its details. After this, I think about what I can add from my own experience and capabilities—not to remake the piece, but purely to emphasise its key ideas and the author’s intentions, expressed through my own style.
It always takes me more time to create variations and fantasies on well-known melodies than it does to compose my own works. My original compositions arise from an internal need to express something to the world through music. When I feel I have something to say musically, I sit down and start creating.
My philosophy as a composer is that I should not wait for inspiration; I must actively begin the creative process. Many artists have shared this idea in similar ways. The artist Pablo Picasso famously expressed it: “Inspiration exists, but it must find you working.”
You can check out Radzetskyi Serhii’s performances and original compositions on his YouTube channel, RADZ BASSIST SOLO.
