How did you become a bassist?

[Bassace28]

What inspired/motivated you to become a bassist?

[Marty Forrer]

Girls.

[dhsierra1]

I was about 2 years old when Stan Getz/Charlie Byrd's "Jazz Samba" came out, "Desafinado" w/the great bass intro (Keter Betts) scarred me for life as it was in heavy rotation at my house

[lpcarter]

I was 13. I tried playing my dads guitar, but my right hand wasn't having the strumming motion. I tried playing with my fingers, and it felt incredibly natural. Soon thereafter, my friend needed a bassist for his "band" (it was a hip hop thing that never actually made any music...)

I said yes, got a blue squier p bass, put it on and didn't take it off for 2.5 years.

[bushwhacker]

One of my older brothers played a Gibson EB-0 in a rock band. When our school wanted to get students to play for a "folk mass" I said I would try to learn Bass.So it is all my teachers fault! I was in 8th grade at the time. Never regretted it. Got my 66 P Bass and never looked back. We finally stopped playing for Mass and formed a typical "garage band " of the late 60's. All the rest of my family plays classical, flamenco and blues 6 string, but all I hear when I listen to music is the bass line.

[lavmonga]

Saved up to buy an acoustic guitar in 8th grade and found out some friends were already playing guitar and drums and needed a bass player. Spent my money on a Nirvana box set and a bass, was in the band within 3 months, worked out perfectly.

I should clarify that the Nirvana box was a set of singles/bsides in 1997 or so, not the recent one.

[Topspin]

The first band I was ever obsessed with was Queen (when I was 11 or so). After that, I had a Green Day phase. Thanks to John Deacon and Mike Dirnt, I wanted to play bass SO bad. At 14 I bought my first bass.

[rhino333]

It was completely out of need.

I started on guitar and vocals. I am a very good rhythm guitarist but not a great lead player. So I stuck to lead vocals and rhythm (mostly). We always had trouble finding bass players where I lived (and still do), so I ended up playing bass parts along with the rhythm guitar.

At one point, I figured "screw it, I can play bass and sing lead". So I did.

[NachosNDip]

Started playing guitar in the school guitar program, and shortly after started taking lessons. (those didnt last very long) One day I was at a guitar lesson and picked up an acoustic bass off the wall that was sitting around, put on my ipod, and tried to play some songs off my ipod by ear. Shortly after I got rid of my guitar, and bought a first act bass for $40 off a buddy of mine. Never looked back.

[Duckwater]

Listening to music

[Bayonet]

when i was 10 i got Ride the lightning from my brother as a gift,when i heard the intro of "For whom the bell tolls" i thought "wow this is awesome,one day i'll be able to do it"(or something along those lines).i forgot it after some time.then when i was 13 i became a huge Heavy metal Fan,and i found out it was played on the bass.. so here i am.. now i can play it hehe
To be honest wasn't the main reason,i just thought bass was cooler than guitar and got one,but it was one of my reasons for buying my bass..

[Spaldo]

I became a bassist after being inspired by Jamerson, Duck Dunn and Derek Forbes, and the fact that no one else wanted to do it because being a bass player was frowned upon (that's still got me buggered).....

...oh yeh, and girls

[Bassman Spiff]

I have always had a great ear and a sense of rhythm. I started out playing trombone, baritone, and tuba. Then, I bought a Crestwood version of a Fender Mustang from a bandmate for $50. This was in 1984, and I've been obsessed with bass ever since.

I still have that old Crestwood. She was in kinda rough shape when I bought her (and sadly, she has not aged all that well). That said, I display her proudly with all of the other basses in my collection!

[BassPlayer900]

After listening to Rush, I thought to myself, "Man, this guy's bass sound is awesome! He can really play too." Having been interested in bass for a while, I finally ordered one. A Fender P bass knockoff. I also wanted to get better at guitar by learning to play bass (and it has helped me a little!). Eventually I bought a SansAmp and more recently a Fender Jazz bass. I'm self taught and have currently been playing for 8 months.

[Broadstbully22]

Sick of just being a lead singer.

[Jhengsman]

I had a girlfriend who was once a wedding singer and played classical guitar who wanted to start playing again. I had played sax in high school and started on guitar as something to do with her. The goal evolved into playing for the church. Our bassist and piano player moved for school and nobody else stepped forward so I transferred over from guitar playing in my bedroom to fulfilling my goal.

[tk4207]

For me, back in 6th grade I wanted to join the school band, and for some reason percussion seemed really cool to me (and I did eventually get into it, five years later). Went to my first lesson, played some simple patterns on the snare with the band director. At the end of the lesson he said "You know, I think you'd make a great bass player" to which I replied "What's a bass?" So he brings me over to this beat-up black case in the corner, and opens it. There, surrounded by quite possibly the brightest shade of orange lining imaginable, is the beat-up black '67 Fender J, which was quite literally the first bass guitar I ever laid eyes on. And things just kind of took off from there =P Of course, because that bass was the very first bass I ever knew, I had to buy it from the school out of sentimental and emotional attachment, not to mention the fact that's it's an incredibly awesome bass haha

[Buslady7803]

I picked up a bass and took lessons ;-p

[TJBass]

I was a drummer for many years, then joined the Navy. Then got married and had kids....Wife said the drums had to go. Fast forward a few years later, am now divorced, drums get to come back, however...., apartment manager says drums have to go again.

so anyway, while on deployment, the ship stopped in Bali and I stumbled into a music store and ended up buy a cheap $40 noname bass with strap, chord, pick and amp. Took it back to the ship and never looked at drums again. I still have that bass, 12 years and the neck is warped, body is covered in stickers and the strings will turn your finger tips black!

[chuck norriss]

I was a guitarist in a band. I thought to myself: this is lame and the sound is annoying; it's hurting my ears. From that point on we had two bassists, drummer, guitar/vocal. The first bassist played low & loud; I played a little higher, heavily distorted.