Stories on how you got into the bass.

[cckelley]

When I was 13 my friend showed me the wonders of early "Rush". I automatically went to ask for a bass for my birthday. 30 years later, here I am, and I haven't an ounce of Geddy's playing style. I picked up my style from Leon Wilkeson from Skynyrd, and John Entwistle from The Who.

[kander]

When I was 13 my friends and I wanted to start a band. One of my friends played guitar, another the drums, and two more played horns. We were missing a bass player; so that's what instrument I got to play.

[SMaubass]

When I was 13 (I guess thats the age to start... actually, I still am 13) my brother's girlfriend's family would host parties every once in a while. I and the other 40 year old guys would go in the basement and play Rockband for hours. I was the bassist, as at this point I had been listening to lots of bass recently just for fun. At one point, after listening to so much bassy music (RHCP, RUSH, etc...) one of my guitar-playing friends told me I should take bass lessons. Three months later I bought my first bass

[theduke1]

Back in 7th grade me and 3 frineds wanted to start a band, I was going to play drums, coming from a single parent house money for extras was thin, but my friends brother had a Sears Silvertone bass and matching amp for $75.00 and after much pleading I convinced my mom to buy it for me, but we had to wait until she was paid that week oh and BTW $75.00 was a whole week's pay for her. One more thing, the band that inspired us to play"The Beatles" From 1979 untill1995 we plyed as The Elk River Band, and on and off every few years we'll play a gig, but still get togethher once a month in winter to jam. Of the four of us I'm the only one still playing out some what regular.
thanks for the trip dwon memory lane!

[cckelley]

Originally Posted by theduke1

Back in 7th grade me and 3 frineds wanted to start a band, I was going to play drums, coming from a single parent house money for extras was thin, but my friends brother had a Sears Silvertone bass and matching amp for $75.00 and after much pleading I convinced my mom to buy it for me, but we had to wait until she was paid that week oh and BTW $75.00 was a whole week's pay for her. One more thing, the band that inspired us to play"The Beatles" From 1979 untill1995 we plyed as The Elk River Band, and on and off every few years we'll play a gig, but still get togethher once a month in winter to jam. Of the four of us I'm the only one still playing out some what regular.
thanks for the trip dwon memory lane!

Got any money for the gas? The price is pretty steep nowadays.

[toberoo]

Joined orchestra in 4th grade to get out of class. When I got to middle school, the school wouldn't give me an instrument to play, cause my cheapo violin broke, unless I played bass. Got an electric in 7th grade thinking it was the same thing, and my friend wanted to start a band. 7 years later, and I'm still hacking away at the electric, although now I have techniques and theory and things.

[Duckwater]

My friend gave me a Black Sabbath CD and it took off from there

[mike n tucson]

got interested in music during the disco days in jr high...i mowed lawns in '78 to buy a friends Sears electric guitar...played along with records and radio...bought a bass in about '88...gravitated from playing mostly guitar to mostly playing bass over the last 30 years...thanks for asking!

[TraceOnBass]

I worked an entire summer when I was 12 only to purchase a cheap flying V. (yeah I know)... I played that guitar for 3 years then dropped it all together for close to 20 years. One day I walked into a local shop, picked up a bass and have been playing and gigging non stop. Influence was a Tool concert....

[MatticusMania]

I started off as a singer in a crappy metal band I was putting together with a guitar playing friend. We had a go at a few drummers, and guitar playing friends Dad buys our other friend a bass so he can play too. The bass player sucked, and I liked the instrument. When our band that never played anywhere other than the garage split up I decided I wanted to do more than "just sing". So, I got my own bass, learned it over the summer, and when school started up again I started jamming with the same guitarist. It was all uphill from there.

[mindwell]

I got into bass because of Mr. Boner. That's Van Boner, my junior high band teacher, back in the early 80's in Southern California. I was a cellist, but there were so few string players, he pushed me to take electric bass. That suited my guitar-playing older brother just fine. We learned everything from the NWOBHM bands on the radio at the time, and went on to tour and make a couple of records with our own speed/thrash band.

Mr. Boner also warned me about the musical direction he saw me taking: "Those rock-and-roll musicians have to play the same songs all the time." Truer words.

[b_carville]

I started a long time ago (the 60's).

I started as a drummer.Never did gigs or anything but I did take two years worth of drum lessons and was on my way to being a half decent drummer.When I finally saved enough $$$ for a cheap drum kit I got talked out of it by a guy who was starting a band.There were a lot of drummers in my area but hardly any bass players.Bass wasn't much of a glamour instrument in the 60's.The two guys who were good bassplayers in my hometown were working all the time.Anyway this guy talked me into buying a bass & amp & set about to show me how to play bass.He already had some gigging experience & could never find a bass player.

I actually got offers from some bands 48 hours after I bought my 1st bass & amp.Played my 1st paying gig ($15 a man! Not bad in 1966!)eight weeks after I bought it.Couldn't play very well but I could stumble through most 60's top ten tunes without disgracing myself.I could sing too. There were few bass players around so I started playing quite a bit.

[carlthegroover]

Simply: Rock Band (yeah, the videogame) -> Guitar -> Bass -> loving music now. Can't stop.

[chuck3]

my father had a great jazz collection and a good (for the day) hi-fi with like a 15" speaker. I grew up as a child listening to jazz bass players like Ray Brown and Paul Chambers. I was in a band as a guitarist by age 11, but by the time I was 13 the Beatles and Stones had hit the airwaves. The band morphed into a rock band and someone had to be the bass player. At age 13 (that age again) I was happy to make the move, between my love of jazz bass and listening to the innovations of Paul McCartney as a rock bassist.

[mcglyph]

I have played in order, drums, piano, guitar, and now bass. I started on guitar with an eye towards playing violin, then realized how difficult materializing this was going to be. Bass sort of called to me because I've always naturally played some very percussive finger style acoustic guitar.

[countrybass007]

In 1963 my first band had 3 guitar players, so we agreed to a coin toss where the odd man had to switch to bass. I lost the toss and had to switch to bass. Best luck I ever had losing that toss. I haven't been without a band since.

[5StringBlues]

Failed tubist.

[bassistjoe93]

Too intimidated to play guitar at 12, bought a bass instead. One of the best decisions I ever made! As a side note, playing bass gave the confidence to learn guitar. Now I can smoke all my guitar playing friends who look down on me for playing bass! Is there anything bass can't fix?

[carlthegroover]

Originally Posted by bassistjoe93

Is there anything bass can't fix?

Let me think...

...

Nope, nothing. Bass fixes everything.

[Yerf Dog]

Back in 2008 my friend/neighbor/guitar teacher was having a talent show with some of his students. He needed a bass player and I had a Fender Bass VI.

Now I'm guitarist and a bassist.