Don't tell anyone but I was a drummer before I was a bassist...
One neat carry-over is the compliments I get on my sense of time.
Yeah, drums are physically a bit of a challenge. Every limb is doing something different but in sync. There's also the actual physical resistance of hitting things with a fair amount of force that don't give very much. And, of course, you've got that China cymbal right in your ear all night. That's why I play on the *left* side of the drummer now.
I liked playing drums and still occasionally get behind the kit for fun but it's something you need to keep up with. But it's certainly a great background to have as a bassist and can really help make that bass/drum foundation very solid.
