What attracted you to bass and why do you play bass?

[mlowe]

I've been on on here a while and although you get to know people in many ways this seems to be one area that doesn't often come up.

The cross section of pro bass players and enthusiasts is amazing on here. One minute a guy with his new squire and practice amp is getting started while another is talking about when he/she was playing session work for famous artists.

One thing I found really interesting on here is when people talk about their experiences and how they approach situations with music in general or the industry battles the pros are facing on a day to day.

I saw a band here playing live that did the bass with a keyboard plugged into an ampeg amp and cabinet routine. What? no bass guitar, a keyboard, that sucks......

Myself, I started playing about 13 years ago on and off. It's been a life long itch. Had about 8 basses, mainly fenders. For me it's all and only about enjoyment and getting away from computing other than using TB and sequencers.

What's your deal?

[Bluesdog]

I started playing at 14, I had a nylon string acoustic guitar given to me by a neighbour who was moving out and started out by buying a brochure with chords on it and learning the major and minor and a few other, my parents didn't want me wasting my time with music, I had my studies, but I used to go to the local music store with a pen and make notes of the chords to some songs, and listen to the guitar players there and they always had some record (yes , 12" vinyl ) playing, and I got to like Zep , Sabbath, and Santana alike, and of course I loved the look of the SG.

with a part time job I saved up some money and went looking for an SG and when I hit the big smoke I saw this EB3 in the window and asked for a demo, I'd never played bass before but as soon as I heard it ( the sales guy rocked ) I fell in love with Bass, and bought it (and stil have it)

I still play guitar, but If i play in a band ever, it's usually Bass

[Jezz8me]

to read this same thread over and over again that is why i learned bass.

nah i just got to like more and more the vibrations i could feel when i listened to music

[basswave]

The guy next to me in my home room during high school, was a burning guitarist even in 9th grade........We where just seated together because of alphabetical order.

It was the natural direction to play bass to play with him.

That was a long time ago yet we are still talk and live and different coast yet still see each other when we can.

[ROON]

I was first attracted () to bass in about 2003, when in a music class we had to play a really simple bassline. It was just something like this;

E|--0-0-0-0-1-1-1-1-0-0-0-0--|

Nothing special. But the bass just felt so nice to play, it just naturally came to me and felt great. So I REALLY wanted to play bass ever since that day. It took me two years of really badly wanting a bass guitar until my parents bought me one for my birthday. I had asked them a few months before if I could have one and they agreed to buy one, I was so excited that I spent hours on end each night studying on bass and researching brands (that's how I found TB).

So after months of going backwards and forward between basses I finally settled with the Ibanez RD300. I LOVE this thing, I'll keep it for the rest of my life.

For me, playing bass is just for fun. It's something I really enjoy and I intend to do it for as long as I can. My grandfather (who I sadly passed away when my mum was a teenager) was a very successful bassist here in Australia. He used to play on TV and radio, and with some big name Aussie musicians. And back in those days not just any bozo could get onto TV or radio. I really like the fact that bass runs in my family and I'd like to try and continue the tradition and pass on some of my gear to my kids when I end up having some.

If there is an afterlife, or spirits floating around, I hope he's proud of me.

I've been seriously considering buying a jazz bass identical to what his was like and having his name engraved on the neck plate, just as a little tribute.

[Sundogue]

I copied Paul McCartney's licks off my brother's Beatle records playing on an old guitar he gave me.

But I thought McCartney played guitar (not even knowing what a bass was at the age of 9).

I've always been drawn to the bass, and I'm not even sure why, except perhaps I'm more inclined to feel the rhythm in music more than melody.

[PSPookie]

In college, I decided that I wanted to learn to play a musical instrument. I quickly realized that the instrument and parts in songs that I most enjoyed listening to were bass parts . . . so I bought a guitar I played that for a few years and just kept wishing that it was a bass. I bought a basas and an amp and never looked back.

[Depth_Charge]

A friend introduced me to Metallica around 1992, lending me Kill Em All and Ride The Lightning. A week later I was over his house listening to more metal of the era and he had instruments galore, including a couple guitars, so I asked if he could play. He could. So could his Dad, and his brother was an excellent drummer too.

I'd always wanted to play guitar so I was eyeing it off as we chilled, then when For Whom The Bell Tolls (Metallica) came on I asked him to teach it to me on guitar. So he showed me the intro and I was like "No, no not just that long Da-da Da-da Dum bit....the distorted scaling down part too".

He just smiled at me, took the guitar off me, handed me a Peavey bass and said "You'll want one of these to play that part then".

He then took the pick off me saying fingers only, and gave me my first ever bass lesson.

I guess the rest is history as they say, I just really identified with bass from that time on, and the more I play the more I enjoy playing it.

[Phalex]

I was the only guy in the group of guys I played around with that not only had an interest in playing bass, but was sort of good at it too. Here I am almost 30 years later, and I don't think any of those guys are doing anything musically at all these days. I believe I chose wisely.

[ElectrAcoustic]

I could only afford 4 strings at the time..

[FuturePrimitive]

Originally Posted by ElectrAcoustic

I could only afford 4 strings at the time..

LMAO!!

I started out on guitar, never really got into it though. I'd go months, sometimes years between playing. Then I bought a cheap used bass for my wife because she had shown some interest in learning to play. She played it probably 3-4 times before losing that interest but I found myself picking it up more often than my guitar. Not all that surprising since Rush was one of my favorite bands, with Geddy's playing a major reason for it. Sold/traded all my guitars and amp for a good bass amp and upgraded my $30 POS bass to (what else for a Rush fan?) a Fender American Standard Jazz. Now, I still don't get to play as much as I'd like, but unlike my laziness with guitar, I have a legitimate reason for neglecting my bass, I'm a father now and my sons take up most of my non-working hours. (As they should)

So I guess the short answer is, I didn't realize I was attracted to bass (in music) until I actually picked up a bass up and noodled about on it for a bit.

[Philbiker]

Depth Charge your story is my favorite so far.

I am 6th of 8 kids. All my siblings are musicians of one form or another. All play either guitar or piano or both. At least three others own and play bass competently, but it is not their main instrument like it is for me. My younger brother Andy is one of those people who can somehow instinctivelty learn to play anything, like Paul McCartney and some others. He plays guitar, bass, keyboards, drums, percussion, sings very well, and can write like you wouldn't believe. I firmly believe he could figure out how to make music from anything. Come see Andy and I in Richmond Nov 11th.

When I came along I took piano lessons (about 8), but didn't like them much. Took up the guitar on my own (9-10) - reading chord diagrams in brothers' music books. Did well with guitar in 7th grade music class. Then my brother had a friend come over and visit with his brand spanking new Ovation Magnum bass. That did it. I had to have one. I begged my parents for a Sears short scale complete POS (which I wish I still had for nostalgia), and six months later used paper route money to get a real long scale P-copy, modern SX equivalent. I've been playing ever since.

[ROON]

Originally Posted by Philbiker

Depth Charge your story is my favorite so far.

I liked it until I got to the "fingers only" part.

BOOOO!!!

[skaliwag66]

Two words: Paul McCartney

[StanFan]

I got my first bass a few weeks before my 16th birthday (still own it and play it regularly). I thought playing bass would be a good idea because everyone and their uncle was playing guitar so I thought the bass would set me apart and thought jamming with friends would be a blast. I originally thought about playing drums, but my house doesn't have enough room. I also knew a drummer so I could always just jam with him anyway (I'll get a kit one day as soon as I get a place where I can play). Nothing really attracted me to bass besides having fun with friends, and to be honest, I didn't pay much attention to most bass players (with the execption of guys like Flea and Claypool) until I bought my bass.

[James Hart]

when I was a kid.... 3rd grade I believe, my Grandfather (guitarist) asked me to come to a show and turn pages for him and his bassist. It was a 'sing along' group from Glen Rock NJ called "Just a Bunch of Banjos". I was on a folding chair between them right in front of a 2x15 Fender tube stack. I couldn't catch my breath the whole show.

Later that night once at home and safe I know I must someday wield that power

[spectorbass83]

What attracted me was the feeling I got when playing it...it was a connections. Like meeting that special someone

[Fassa Albrecht]

I just like the thumping bass sound. Even when I was 6yr old I can remember being facinated by the basslines of New Order tracks.
Then in college I got to have a go and really just liked the feel and the shape of the bass in my hands.

[Yngwie 4String]

I went into a music store to try some diferent instruments. I found the bass just naturally fit my hands and felt really good to me. I hate to be cliched and vague but "it just felt right." Know what I mean?

[Chipsonfire]

When I was 12, my brother got 2 Claypool CDs: Highball with the Devil and the Primus Brown Album and when I heard him play, it simply amazed me. I listened to them over and over and couldn't get enough. I wanted so bad to be able to do that. Unfortunately, we were pretty financially strapped at the time so getting one of my own was out of the question. It wasn't until 10 years later (about 3 months ago) I decided that I needed to finally get one, and it was one of the best decisions of my life