What event inspired you to play bass???

datsaxguy · #1 07-30-2009, 02:35 PM

I played sax as a kid until Jr. high and was pretty decent but I stopped playing because I went to Christian school and playing the stuff I heard on the radio was taboo. I had no clue about jazz or all of the other possiblities.

Fast forward, I'm 30 and I hear this guy playing sax and he is just killing it. The guy was Kenny Garrett and he was on Marcus Miller's album Live and more. I went out the next week and bought a saxophone.

After really listening to the album I bought a bass. Unfortunately, the bass sat. Sax is my first love. Then I heard this guy Oteil Burbridge........ on that bass day 98 video with Victor Wooten. I went to see him live a few years ago, with Victor Wooten and Steve Bailey. The dude kicked his shoes off and just started to express himself on a very serious level. It was a "spiritual" type of experience. I'll never forget how incredible he played that night. It took me a couple of days to digest it all. That is the night I new I wanted to play bass.

Datsaxguy
(Datbassguy might be more appropriate one day)

What made you wanna play?

crayzee · #2 07-30-2009, 03:23 PM

I started out playing guitar. Then a few buddies had a band that I really REALLY wanted to play in. So I got to know them and got to be good friends and when they dumped their bassist, they asked if I'd be willing to give bass a try? I said, "sure" and that was that.

Ultimately, our first gig (in my drummer's basement for his party) sealed the deal. We've long since split up, but every time I go to a buddy's live gig, I get that urge to find a band again. I think I still might. Playing live is just... amazing. Especially when you just nail it.

ark amps · #3 07-30-2009, 03:42 PM

Probably watching a Beatles movie

ark amps · #4 07-30-2009, 03:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crayzee

I started out playing guitar. Then a few buddies had a band that I really REALLY wanted to play in. So I got to know them and got to be good friends and when they dumped their bassist, they asked if I'd be willing to give bass a try? I said, "sure" and that was that.

Ultimately, our first gig (in my drummer's basement for his party) sealed the deal. We've long since split up, but every time I go to a buddy's live gig, I get that urge to find a band again. I think I still might. Playing live is just... amazing. Especially when you just nail it.

Same story as mine!!!!

Now I actually prefer playing bass in a band situation, thanks guys for the push!!!!!

SelenaBassGirl · #5 07-31-2009, 03:54 AM

I used to love the sound of the bass when I was little. I didn't know what that sound was that I loved so much that was in funk and disco songs. When I heard the bass slapping, I really loved that sound..Still didn't know what it was. In Jr. High, I used to put my ear to the tape player and listen to the bassline to Billie Jean by Michael J. I loved that sound! Someone finally told me that it was a bass guitar. I loved the way John Taylor played bass in Duran Duran...but I was inspired to play keyboard. I had a crush in high school on a bass player.. forward to a couple years ago.., I had a crush on a bass player. I knew him for years but the crush was really strong. So I ended up buying a bass so I can have something that reminded me of him in my house. It sat there for months then in Oct of 2007 I decided to teach myself how to play and the rest is history...I think the bass was meant for me. I went back later and listened to the songs that I loved so much as a kid, and realized just about 95% of the songs had a bass line that really stood out.
And I always seemed to grab attention to other bass players...strange..The crush is long gone on this bass player that I liked, but I am still playing bass...oh and my bf is a bassist too!

Jimmy Bones · #6 07-31-2009, 04:33 AM

I am the guy who sucked at guitar and went to bass.

Granted, that's not WHY I went to bass, but I figured I'd be the stereotype for a while.

Anyhow, had some buddies who played guitar, and I caved to peer pressure and got one too, but was only a novice at it when i realized they wanted to play with a bassist instead. I picked up a bass and loved the bigger strings and deeper notes, and more or less stuck with it as my primary instrument. I still fiddle with guitar (and buy the occasional new toy for myself, such as my Schecter Omen-6), but I also toy with drums and dabble in my old brass section instruments.

Bruce Lindfield · #7 07-31-2009, 05:04 AM

It was going to see Yes at a stadium gig, where when Chris Squire played certain notes it was felt as a pressure on your chest!

I knew I wanted to be the guy who did that!

T-Bird · #8 07-31-2009, 07:22 AM

Hi.

By my upper sevondary school band class teachers words:

"You'll get 9 (B) if You stay on guitar, but I'll give You a 10 (A) if You switch to bass"

True story.

I do play (rythm) guitar nearly as much though, it's good to be versatile.

Regards
Sam

classic57 · #9 08-01-2009, 07:12 AM

Playing guitar with Santana albums. I found myself much more interested in the bass lines.

cossie · #10 08-01-2009, 07:21 AM

I was born with Perthes - a bone disease - that affected my right hip so I had to give up sports eventually - I played every sport I could when I was younger - due to a huge growth spurt.

Instead of mopping around about it I decided I needed to find something to fill the gap, I was a huge fan of Korn (I'm talking from back in the days of "Blind") and was blown away by how heavy they sounded. And decided I wanted to play bass.

I never bought a 5 string because around the same time my parents got me tickets to see RHCP and Flea's playing amazed me. In fact whenever I'm in a bad mood, a Chili's song will always make me feel better!

Clark Dark · #11 08-01-2009, 08:25 AM

I grew up in Philly. When I was a kid there used to be these shows on the backs of flatbed trucks which were modded to be stages and I saw the Motown revue, the Stax revue, and local artists like Harold Melvin etc. I guess I was mesmerized by all the Tijuana tuck and roll in all the psychedelic colors

RickenBoogie · #12 08-01-2009, 12:49 PM

Actually, I drew the short straw at age 13. We all wanted to be "lead guitarists". No one had any instruments. I lost, but as it turns out, I won. Chris Squires playing sealed the deal.

Chipsonfire · #13 08-01-2009, 09:33 PM

Les Claypool's Highball with the Devil and Primus' Brown Album at the age of 12. Fast forward 10 years, I finally buy myself a bass and teach myself to play. Take a 1-year break to finish my BS in Mechanical Engineering, and here I am finishing what I started

Mr 600 · #14 08-03-2009, 08:38 AM

The feeling of plugging a bass into an amp for the first time and really FEELING the notes! I knew it was for me. Spent years playing in a band, and loving every note!

Fast forward fifteen years, and I had stopped playing anything for about the last five. I went and saw Jane's Addiction several months ago, and I was standing right in front of a swaggering Dave Navarro, watching him rock out, and it hit me. I miss playing music, (even though he was playing guitar). It was a major reminder that the one thing I was missing in my life was rock and roll! Went home, picked up my bass, joined a band, and I'm back to doing what I love most!

ElMon · #15 08-03-2009, 01:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bruce Lindfield

It was going to see Yes at a stadium gig, where when Chris Squire played certain notes it was felt as a pressure on your chest!

I knew I wanted to be the guy who did that!

Beat me to it. My introduction came from my Dad, who after a few drinks decided to tell his 13yr old son to 'turn off that crap' (Rollins Band/Metallica at the time) and promptly sat me down and put on Yes' Close to The Edge. When that bass line kicked in and started creeping up the scale, sounding so gnarly and powerful, I had a physical/spiritual/

moment. It took me a few more years to have a bass in my hands, but that was clearly THE catalyst.

Ground Pounder · #16 08-04-2009, 07:13 AM

Pretty much the typical story - I played guitar and always had friends who wanted to be in bands but didn't know how to play, so I would try and teach them how to play bass. Then I saw an awesome band full of older dudes who needed a bass player, so I switched and never looked back.

Years later, my stepson did the same thing (although he's a much better guitar player than I ever was).

I have to say that the first bass player I ever saw who really grabbed my attention was Rob Trujillo when he was in Suicidal Tendencies. Saw them in '91 and he blew me away. After I made the switch, I started noticing guys like Cliff Burton, Steve Harris, Jeff Ament, Lemmy, Geezer, JPJ, etc., and I started really appreciating the instrument.

Din Of Win · #17 08-04-2009, 08:13 AM

two events shaped my music direction:

1- Hearing "Orion" for the first time in 1993, when i was 10 made me want to play the bass guitar.

2- Seeing a show with Pg.99 and Jerome's Dream in a basement in 1998 made me want to play live and to always have passion when i play to the point that everything else is secondary.