Keyboard players turned bassist club - Page 3

Holdsg · #41 05-24-2010, 10:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rappa29

Currently working on playing keys for a local, original, acoustic rock\pop type band in the way of DMB, David Gray, Jason Mraz, Melissa Etheridge, etc..

Took up bass 4 years ago, when I couldn't find a keyboard gig. Currently playing in an original Alt. Rock trio.

We play what we need to play to fulfill our life as musicians. No regrets!, that's my credo.
Thanks for sharing your story.

Holdsg · #42 05-24-2010, 10:57 AM

I almost forgot to update the club. Caught Kansas, Styx and Foreigner last week in Ontario, CA. Gotta love 4 hours of really great rock & roll. Best part for me was the keys, of course. Lots of tunes where keyboards play the key lines (Point of No Return, Grand Illusion, Come Sail Away, Cold as Ice, you get the picture). Many of you may know Styx keyboard player (Lawrence Gowan) has this keyboard stand on a pedestal that rotates around the stage, and boy does he play it up! All I can say is Dennis De Who? Any of you have a chance to see this show, I definitely recommend it.

Also caught a Toto show on DirectTV this weekend, from about 2006 I think. Greg Phillinganes on keys and vocals, and they had Leland Sklar sitting in on bass. Toto always has a place in my music pantheon. Love the harmonies, the lush "wall of sound", a real class act.

rappa29 · #43 05-24-2010, 11:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Holdsg

I almost forgot to update the club. Caught Kansas, Styx and Foreigner last week in Ontario, CA. Gotta love 4 hours of really great rock & roll. Best part for me was the keys, of course. Lots of tunes where keyboards play the key lines (Point of No Return, Grand Illusion, Come Sail Away, Cold as Ice, you get the picture). Many of you may know Styx keyboard player (Lawrence Gowan) has this keyboard stand on a pedestal that rotates around the stage, and boy does he play it up! All I can say is Dennis De Who? Any of you have a chance to see this show, I definitely recommend it.

I TiVo'd a recent Styx concert on VH1 Classic. It's the one where some HS orchestra is playing with them. It was great! However, it was only edited for an hour and many of the tunes they decided to show for this concert were the ones Tommy Shaw or JY sang. Lawrence is indeed quite a showman and can sing and play very well, but for whatever reason did not show the songs he sang exclusively (where in the past Dennis would sing).

Holdsg · #44 07-05-2010, 10:17 AM

My current project (acoustic guitar + bass/keyboards + drums/percussion) is opening for a more-established band on July 17 for a huge Facebook GTG in La Canada Flintridge, CA. Going to be a fun gig. The band (The Bobble Hedz) who also has a bass/keyboard player, asked me to sit in on a few tunes, so they could have extra keyboard support. I get to play on Comfortably Numb, including the first guitar solo (played on keys). Stoked.

In the acoustic project, we are playing some good tunes: Moody Blues, John Mayer, Dave Matthews, Badfinger, Led Zep, Duncan Sheik, ELP, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Coldplay. fun.

newbassdude · #45 07-05-2010, 09:23 PM

May i join?!

I started piano when i was 5, and picked up a bass at 15. I'm 16 now, and playing bass was one of my best decisions ever.

I was at guitar center a couple weeks ago, and i ran into a very kind, older gentleman playing a bass there. We got into conversation, and after we went back and forth with music shpeels, he seemed very impressed with my knowledge of music theory and the works. he was forced to ask me, "Do you play piano?" I nodded, and he replied (jokingly), "You damn piano players! Always one-up us guitar born players. I bet you read music, too!"

Anyway, after playing bass for a year and a ½, i find even when playing piano my bass lines are smoother and more fun.

thanks for listening

Holdsg · #46 07-06-2010, 08:43 AM

You are #9. Thanks for you story. It reaffirms my faith in the young people in music today.

Quote:

Originally Posted by newbassdude

May i join?!

I started piano when i was 5, and picked up a bass at 15. I'm 16 now, and playing bass was one of my best decisions ever.

I was at guitar center a couple weeks ago, and i ran into a very kind, older gentleman playing a bass there. We got into conversation, and after we went back and forth with music shpeels, he seemed very impressed with my knowledge of music theory and the works. he was forced to ask me, "Do you play piano?" I nodded, and he replied (jokingly), "You damn piano players! Always one-up us guitar born players. I bet you read music, too!"

Anyway, after playing bass for a year and a ½, i find even when playing piano my bass lines are smoother and more fun.

thanks for listening

T. Alan Smith · #47 07-07-2010, 01:04 PM

I went from piano/synth to bass guitar, but actually started on trombone.
I played trombone in jr high but dropped it for piano in high school. This was the early 80's and I was tremendously inspired by synths. I'll never forget playing my 1st synth; a Korg DW8000. ...but I digress.

Because of my focus on sound design and texture/atmosphere development(this was before "ambient" music was a recognized genre), I never got to a level where I could perform very well. Also, I missed how acoustic/electric instruments responded to my touch, so when I got a chance to fill in on bass guitar with a group of friends on a project, I jumped on it.

Holdsg · #48 07-07-2010, 06:52 PM

Good story T. Alan. Want a number, or just sharing ?

Quote:

Originally Posted by T. Alan Smith

I went from piano/synth to bass guitar, but actually started on trombone.
I played trombone in jr high but dropped it for piano in high school. This was the early 80's and I was tremendously inspired by synths. I'll never forget playing my 1st synth; a Korg DW8000. ...but I digress.

Because of my focus on sound design and texture/atmosphere development(this was before "ambient" music was a recognized genre), I never got to a level where I could perform very well. Also, I missed how acoustic/electric instruments responded to my touch, so when I got a chance to fill in on bass guitar with a group of friends on a project, I jumped on it.

My current board is a Korg and I love it.

Aunt Babe · #49 07-07-2010, 09:56 PM

My turn! Took piano lessons from 2nd grade through high school. Patient teacher, but looking back I don't think I was challenged enough...one too many 80s pop compilations and not enough Bach.One semester of college lessons nearly did me in, it was so hard. Still love the piano but am resigned to not be great at it. Picked up the bass this past Christmas and it's fun!! After 20 years, I started music lessons last month with a great bass teacher, and I'm starting to use all that music theory I know and never put to good use. Any suggestions for a good starter j-bass?

I'm starting on an acoustic and will likely upgrade!

Holdsg · #50 07-08-2010, 10:54 AM

My first, and so far only Jazz bass is the Squier Vintage Modified in my avatar pic. Great value, can usually find for around 250US and you get a lot of bass for that money. You want a club number? Those are free.

BigOldHarry · #51 07-08-2010, 11:01 AM

10 years of piano lessons and numerous "Recitals" before I picked up a bass at age 15... I guess I qualify... Add to that, I've just picked up a Korg Triton and been trying to get my keyboard chops back - - I'd like to have options, since the only gigs for bassists in San Diego appear to be in metal groups (Who knew SD was a hotbed of metal???)

Holdsg · #52 07-08-2010, 09:43 PM

Numbers (although I would still like "could I have a number, please", just to confirm)

T. Alan Smith #10
Aunt Babe #11
BigOldHarry #12 - Korg rocks.

yes, we do what we need to get gigs. plain and simple.

Aunt Babe · #53 07-09-2010, 09:49 AM

THanks, Holdsg!

Mine goes to 11.

Lubalin · #54 07-09-2010, 10:11 AM

Woo! How niche is this thread? Strange to find myself in the club, but it's true. Was always more enthusiastic than talented on the keys, and have surpassed that level on the bass, but still have an affection for the black and whites. Useful to be able to pull out in the electro-rock crossover type acts that I tend to gravitate towards.

Started off playing a Technics AX7 in '96 for a friends band (having had a *few* piano lessons, but far from 'clasically trained') because I wanted to be Roddy Bottum out of Faith No More. Found jamming hard with all the guitarists so learnt guitar in my spare time basically just so I could tell which chord to play. The same band had a lot of instrument swapping so I occasionally found myself handed a bass too, which I was awful on, though enjoyed.

Fast forward a few years, and I'm a programmer/synth player for a couple of bands at Uni, playing a Casio CZ1000. Can't remember why, they're awful.

Year or two later I meet a guy looking for a keyboard player at my work and turned up at his ready to have a go playing some string parts to his songs. He starts playing and I don't recognise any of the chords. Or he's playing them too fast. Whichever, I just didn't have the chops. Luckily, his other friend is a stupidly good keys player, but he still needs a bassist and a drummer, I say I'll give bass another try, and boom, that's it. Still dropped a few bits of RedSound Darkstar into the more electro sounding songs though.

Ten years on, and I play very little keys (though i can't help but busting out a bit of Nina Simone when a Piano is presented to me) and loads of bass. Tempted to go the crossover route in my current band though, only put off by the thought of dragging a bass rig *and* a keys rig to every gig -- nightmare!

Holdsg · #55 07-09-2010, 03:46 PM

Great story Lubalin. You would be #13, if you don't mind that kind of thing. +100 on having to drag bass and keys stuff to gigs. Maybe its incentive to make it big so you can hire a roady.

Lubalin · #56 07-12-2010, 07:39 AM

That's the plan! I like being unlucky number 13 :-D

Holdsg · #57 07-24-2010, 09:28 AM

Gig last night at Ontario Mills mall, Ontario, CA on 7/23/2010
Name of the band is "Safe in Sound".

pics and vid can be found at:

http://s971.photobucket.com/albums/a...20July%202010/

and later gig found here:

http://s971.photobucket.com/albums/a...August%202010/

If you got action shots, by all means post them!

Holdsg · #58 08-19-2010, 09:27 AM

Played same venue last Saturday night. Security/cops got all bent out of shape that we were playing too loud, which is funny, because we play about half the volume of other classic rock cover bands I have been in.

Guess its not a good gig until the police get involved!

Holdsg · #59 08-30-2010, 10:28 AM

Got fired from one of my bands over the weekend. Came out of nowhere. Not the one that has been gigging recently, they still love me (for now). "We like you, you're a good musician, we just want to be a three piece" What BS.
Happens all the time in this biz, I guess. Good thing I have other projects going. Flexibility is job security.

Sketchy · #60 08-30-2010, 11:40 AM

When I started secondary school, my father made me learn an instrument (but didn't much care which one) so I chose keys for the hell of it (I'm pretty sure bass was one of the options, but I didn't really care either way at 11), so I took lessons in keys all through school, being told both by the keyboard teacher and general music teachers that my pitch was almost perfect, but my rhythm was awful.

But screw it, I got into Pink Floyd, and thus got interested in music. During my AS levels (age 17) my father's girlfriend's daughter had owned a bass guitar for a year or so and had never once played it, so I decided to give it a go. (It was something to do. I'm an ACE at procrastination, and also my stepfather had V by Spock's Beard. It's now mine too, but the bass playing on that made me think "YES, I LIKE THIS"). Granted, I liked playing keyboards, but bass just seemed more natural, but still did not really get much love.

Went to China for gap year, and realised I missed playing bass over those four months, so now, the bass (mow mine, and modified as of two weeks ago) gets regular attention and has even got me to love playing keyboards too.

So, I guess I'm kind of Keys turned bass, returning to keys but keeping bass as definite main instrument, with the possiblity of learning flute sometime in the next thirty years or whenever I get round to it.

If that counts, may I have a number.

And yes, I have kept the classical pretentions that keys players are often joked to have. Weird metres and melodic lines are fun.