Artistry:What made you want to become a bassist?When did you"know"?

[Ian Perge]

Around 8th Grade ('88-'89) two major things things happened in my life. The first was that it seems that everyone I knew and their brother/sister was getting a guitar for their birthday... and proceeded to hack out every Satch tune possible (this was 1988, when "Surfing With The Alien" was the largest guitar-based album since "Blow By Blow" IIRC) and I simply wasn't attracted to guitar. I realized that throughout all my life I had always be listening to basslines and when watching a video I was always looking for shots of the bassist. So that GiftMas I asked my parents for a Bass (and by "ask" I mean "leave clippings of Sam Ash's Beginner Bass Package under my folks pillows, next to their dinner plates, etc... ) and they were good enough to follow through. A few years ago, having been in Original Bands, Cover Bands, and done Session & Live work for which I actually got paid, I thanked them for doing so back them and helping me develop a large part of what I consider myself to be. They were surprised and pleased.

The second is in the Summer of 1989, I saw my first concert - The Who's 25th Anniversary Tour. Despite the worst seats I've ever had at a show, Entwistle hit me hard and was my first big influence. Again, it was '89 - it could have been a lot worse.

[wazzel]

Sometimes around the age of 10 (I'm 38 now). My dad and his freinds would get together for garage jams and my dad's uncle would play bass. I though it was cool. I was learning rythm guitar at the time. I made the full swith at 12 when I got my first bass. My mom would swear I was born to be a bass player. I use to play my dad's acoustic like an upright from the age of 5.

[turn the tide]

good question!

i have been playing various instruments from a very early age, mainly piano, but it wasn't until college that i logged experience playing in a full band setting. it was also around this time that i developed my ear enough to the point where i could listen to jazz and fusion and get something from it.

at this point it was my appreciation for the tones that bass players were getting, especially pickers like Phil Lesh and Mike Gordon who played at lower volumes but still got big, full tones.

the deal was sealed when i bought my first fretless jazz bass. i was getting the sound that lived in my head and all things came together.

the role of the bassist in the band is extremely important. you have to ground the song by playing the root notes and the rhythm, but also make it interesting by experimenting with new tricks and variations. the bassist is the connection between the drummer and the rest of the band, a role which i am happy to fill.

[Liberty]

Started piano when I was four. Around 11 I heard "I Want You Back" and right then decided I wanted to play bass.

[jmattbassplaya]

John Taylor, Steve Harris, and Cliff Burton all together around 8-9th grade made me want to pick up the bass. However, my fate wasn`t sealed until sometime in October of 2006 when after school one day my friends and I ran into the jazz bands equipment(we all were in marching band mind you) and we decided to jam on the song "Night Train" since it was one we all knew from jazz band in middle school. Well, I didn`t have a bari sax(what I played in jazz band in middle schoool) so I opted for the bass to do the bassline. That first make-shift jam session is what started my love of playing the bass.

[T-MOST]

When I heard "Slide" by Slave in '77. I played guitar for 5 years. But the grooves of "Mark Adams" over the years put an end to that in '82 (even though mark Hicks "killed" on the guitar solo).