Choosing to play the double bass (or did it choose you)

[Paul Warburton]

Originally Posted by St-Teddy-Hall

I began lessons with my father at an early age, so I would say that the bass chose me. He passed away two years ago and left me his beautiful bass and bow. I would say that the bass chose me, in this sense, because I didn't have a choice about starting lessons initially, but I do not in any way regret it...

WOW! Sorry about your dad, but what a gift!
A Thomas Kennedy bass and a Bryant bow! Your dad had class AND taste.
Cheers!

[St-Teddy-Hall]

Originally Posted by Paul Warburton

WOW! Sorry about your dad, but what a gift!
A Thomas Kennedy bass and a Bryant bow! Your dad had class AND taste.
Cheers!

Thank you

[StyleOverShow]

Like Frodo's ring, I am drawn to the big bass. Been playing since 1963: guitar; sax; guitar part deux; and then EBG. Have just come to jazz about 5 years ago and have went fret less, now EUB and looking to purchase my first DB next year. Will require that I buy a new car to transport it so it is a major change. The EUB is close but no cigar. I want the big boy and I want it NOW!.

-richard

[ZanaZulu807]

Originally Posted by Paul Warburton

Oh, ZANA person........

Well...That makes three.

To quote bejoyous, the O.P. of this thread: "I thought it would be fun to hear how people on Talkbass..." O.K. so far....but let's look a bit deeper here..He continues: "chose to play double bass."
Ha. A bump in the road there for you three. Si? No?

Zana person, I became suspicious of you right quick when you said you were drawn into "heavy music". Then you blew that one by talking about your fascination with guitar shops and lead players.
I think what finally convinced me of all this stuff kinda not fitting together, for me, was when you "looked up at the bass wall". I've been around the double bass world fer 'bout 52 years and this is the first time I ever heard of a bass wall....thanks. Then you went on to see this " big black upright " Then I thought...big black upright, what? Fence post? An uprighteous black guy? I dunno.
Anyway, thanks for the nice post and welcome to TalkBass DOUBLE BASS, honey.

LOL!!! I knew I had to get my eyes checked this month, but in an effort to redeem myself, I have played DB and I loved it, but I don't think its time yet to start playing DB exclusively, but it's definitely a path I'll take in the future.

[Mike Goodbar]

I started playing cello in 4th grade, but I was always fascinated by musical instruments of any kind. My first "bass" experience was listening to the soundtrack of Disney's "The Aristocats" and playing along with "O'Malley the Alley Cat" (a bass vocal duet) on my cello, endpin extended all the way and me on my knees!

Gave up cello upon entering Jr. High, but took piano lessons in there somewhere. In Sr. High, I took music theory class for an easy A, where the teacher (also the orch. conductor) approached me and asked if I'd like to join the orch, since there were no basses enrolled, and they needed one to qualify for solo/ensemble contest. There was a cute girl I liked who played violin, so naturally I agreed.

Never got the girl, but I'm still playing!

[Jim Calhoun]

I played the violin in elementary school and took piano lessons in junior high, but didn't really stick with it. For one thing, it was tough to get in practice time - my step dad worked nights so it seemed like he was either asleep or watching TV, and God forbid I interupt his TV time. By the time I finished high school I was barely involved with music at all. I took a year off to try to figure out what I wanted to do with my life, and somehow during that time I decided I would go to college and major in music!

So, the fall of 1975 found me as a freshman music student at what was then Southern Oregon State College. My piano audition went horribly - I hadn't played seriously for at least 5 years - so I started school as a music major without an instrument. At the end of fall term, I was summoned to the office of the department head and told that to continue as a music major, I REALLY should have an major instrument. Doh! I briefly considered classical guitar, but then I thought about the bass. If I played the bass I could play in an orchestra, I could play jazz, I could play bluegrass - I could do anything! I went and talked to Dr. Palmer, the bass instructor, and he agreed to take me on as a beginner.

That was 33 years ago and I've never looked back.......

[fdeck]

My own Guitar Center story. When my son was a toddler, we had some time to kill, so I took him into the newly opened Guitar Center in town. He was riding on my shoulders. When we walked in the door, he pointed to the guitars on the wall, and asked in his loudest voice:

"Daddy, what are those little basses?"

I was pretty damn proud.

[bassist1962]

I chose the bass.

I grew up in a fairly open musical environment. My (real) parents were in their mid - late forties when I came along (the youngest of seven). My oldest sister was married to a jazz bassist for a few years before I was born. This was the sister and bro-in-law that raised me.

I started out on organ, then tried various horns, drums, guitar, and finally bass. Being so frustrated with my musical shenanigans, when I asked for a bass (guitar) I was taken into the bedroom and handed the big bass, and told by my bro-in law, that I had to learn on it before any financing of another instrument would be allowed. I must have impressed him, because I had a BG within a year. I was young and naive enough to think that every bass player played upright at one point, and just made the switch to electric when rock and roll came along.

I played in the jazz band and the orchestra through high school, as well as the rock bands that we had together. After graduation I laid the big bass down (due to the fact that it wasn't mine, I couldn't afford one myself, and I was concentrating on bg for the most part anyway). My bro-in-law died a few years ago, and my sis was trying to simplify her life by getting rid of things that were (she felt) taking to much out of her to take care of. I asked if I could take the big bass, and that initiated a renewal of my love for the instrument and it's history, and introduced me to the fine people on this forum.

[Gufenov]

Originally Posted by ZanaZulu807

every guitarist I come by always try to mess with my volume and EQ because I make sure I am heard and will not be drowned out, Guitar Center hates me because I play the hell out of their stuff(can't tell you how many times I've broken strings, could be because they let their stuff sit and rot) and I never refuse the opportunity to play with new people. I know bass and music is going to play a key role in my life.

It'll be a lonely life if you can't learn to quit pissing off the guitar player and getting thrown out of Guitar Center, unless you can make a career out of very loud bass solos.

[hdiddy]

I played piano for most of the first 21 years of my life. Piano was foisted on me by my parents despite my occasional attempts to resist. I started to enjoy it when I discovered the idea of playing things I wanted to hear. Gee! In college life got busy and I dropped it for 3 years. In those 3 years I always felt like I was missing something. I had started to listen to jazz and scatted for fun, not realizing that I had a penchant for basslines. Then I walked into a guitar shop and it started the odyssey of simplification (10 fingers and two hands was too much for me to think about)...

Guitar - 6 strings 1 pick. Too hard. Then came....
Accordion - 5 fingers and 2 fingers for bass. Nice but too mechanical with my abilities....
Brazilian Percussion - mmmm a little too easy
Back to guitar - this time jazz guitar.

When I was 30 (only 5 years ago!) Met my current bass teacher and asked for fretless EB lessons just for kicks. Found this site while doing research on basses.... read up on what basses to buy... went to a local shop and unwittingly walked home with my Christopher. Was I nuts? I just spent $2.5K on an instrument that "felt right" on a whim. It was not my intention to start DB, really, but I got the simplicity I wanted (1 hand 2 fingers and 4 strings).

Next thing I knew, my guitar quiver was for sale and I got rid of all my amps. Did I choose it? Not really but I do blame my love affair on this site and all of you.

p.s.: ironic thing is my teacher convinced me to go back to playing some piano so I just got a new keyboard this year. And I have a bass being built as we speak.

[drurb]

Originally Posted by hdiddy

It was not my intention to start DB, really, but I got the simplicity I wanted (1 hand 2 fingers and 4 strings).

You'll find that you can do so much more on the DB if you use two hands.

[Eric Swanson]

Got into DB through jazz. Early childhood 'cello/orchestral music, then early teenage EB/jazz rock/blues/jazz; but I still wanted the DB sound I heard on jazz records.

After saving my teenage pennies, I got a gut-strung bass from a older gentleman; he had rheumatoid arthritis and was retiring.

Spent my teens and much of my twenties practicing and playing continuously, eschewing most other pursuits. Played in musical styles that used both arco and pizz. Was lucky enough to study and play with some wonderful musicians.

I picked another profession, ultimately, but the love of the bass has never left. I was drawn to the DB by the sound and versatility; I still am. Its always a better day after I get to play, no matter what.

[pianodan]

I'll try to condense this.... Started in violin in 4th grade, excellent teacher, he could and did play all the instruments, I was fascinated by the lower strings right away.....played violin as my only instrument until 8th grade when I filled in the missing viola spot in our orchestra. Summer between 8th and 9th I bought a flute, my Dad bought us a brand new 1968 Yamaha artist's console piano, I taught myself the flute and piano that summer (no orchestra at the high school yet), then I joined band playing the flute. My band director loved Dixieland, and asked me if I wanted to play bass, I said SURE!!!!!, then we also got an orchestra teacher, so I was playing flute in marching band, string bass in Dixeland jazz, violin in orchestra....but wait!!!! that's not all, that same year I learned bassoon to play in the woodwind quartets and for concert band and orchestra. My newly rebuilt violin (which I rebuilt) started a life of partial neglect. The following year I started playing the sousaphone for marching band because we had loads of flautists but we really needed sousaphones much more. The mandolin fell into my hands about that time too. Then we moved from Redondo Beach, CA to Wheat Ridge CO, where the music director needed tuba players, which I did for awhile until I convinced him he needed a DB player that could be heard, and I started playing DB for symphony band and violin/viola for orchestra.
When I graduated from HS I didn't have any gigs to play, no bass of my own, I'd play my other instruments in church and at home, but bass chose me in '77, I was stationed on a ship in Pearl Harbor when one of my buddies asked me if I would trade my Sears stereophonic two manual w/bass blower driven reed organ to him for the bass he rescued from the Navy salvage yard since his wife wanted an electric/electronic organ to play. I couldn't move the organ to his house fast enough, I only payed $45.00 for it.
After all that, I only started playing the DB as my primary instrument in the last 7 years, my son claims it "just fits me", I make it talk better than any of my other instruments.....lots more to tell, but this has gotten too long already....