what made you...

mike phillips · #1 01-24-2006, 08:10 PM

what was it that made you want to play bass? was it a certain song? just a riff that you thought was cool? a family member? did your band need someone to play bass and you somehow got elected? for me it was the bass line in smoke on the water. so come on lets hear it. what made you want to play bass?

DasClyde · #2 01-24-2006, 08:13 PM

I said to myself;"Hey bands need bass, it looks easy I could play thank punk stuff!"

Then I played for 2 years and still didn't find a band. Figures.

bikeplate · #3 01-24-2006, 08:16 PM

Hi

My sister played guitar. I would sit and listen to her and sing harmonies with her. I went to see The Santana band when I was 15. There bassist was David Margen at that time. He did a bass solo that night that blew me away. He also played a candy apple red Fender jazz. I've been hooked ever since.

Rob

Greg Johnsen · #4 01-24-2006, 08:23 PM

since 5th grade I've always liked the lower instruments. I started out on Baritone, and then last year I switched to Tuba and Bass (I'm in 9th now). I'm a big guy, and I love low, so I went with what I liked, and I've never had any regrets. The Bass is my instrument and I'm not leaving it.

Greg

Ripper · #5 01-24-2006, 08:30 PM

A couple of years ago my friends & I decided to start a band. They played either drums or guitar, so it was up to me to foot the bass.

After 2 years of playin', I've finally realized the limitless capasities of bass playing.

Unfortuantely, I'm stuck playing Screamo/punk/hair-metal/techno type stuff.

**Mark Wilson** · #6 01-24-2006, 08:36 PM

I admit.
I thought it was easier.
Plus, I liked the look of a bass.

-Mark

ZombieGhosTrain · #7 01-24-2006, 08:41 PM

"Bassically", the bass solo/intro to the song NIB on Black Sabbath's first album. That and every other Black Sabbath song. I also was interested in low instruments, liked the look, feel, role it played in a band....and a guitar always felt kinda...weak in my hands, I'm a pretty big guy. I also had zero qualms about selling my trombone to raise funds

.

The deal was sealed when my friend busted out some Sabbath on his bass, and I realized...hey..it is possible.

Tbirdbassist · #8 01-24-2006, 08:45 PM

Twiggy Ramirez and his Gibson Thunderbirds...

AxtoOx · #9 01-24-2006, 08:52 PM

I was teaching a beginner some basslines I had picked up from playing guitar so long so we could jam, It grew on me, went out and bought one, started taking lessons ( I didn't know as much as I thought) and now I play bass more that guitar.

BartmanPDX · #10 01-24-2006, 09:03 PM

Geddy Lee. That was in 1987.

My first bass was a Ric 4003. My second bass was a Steinberger XL-2.

'nuf said.

chrisp2u · #11 01-24-2006, 09:09 PM

The Funk.
---
c

CaptainHueso · #12 01-24-2006, 09:12 PM

I actually had never even touched a bass, nor had I ever noticed a bassline in any music. My best friend and I had just graduated high school and he started some songwriting, just him and an acoustic guitar. I thought the songs had some serious potential, so we decided we should form a band, and since we had another friend who was a great drummer, I decided to spend my christmas money on a bass that year, and haven't put it down since. 5 years later and the band is still going.

adept_inept · #13 01-24-2006, 09:13 PM

i played clarinet for 4 years. then, my band director needed to amplify the "low end" of concert band. cos we had 1 tuba. and thats it. so, he gave me a bass and i taught myself. played tuba parts in concert band, bass in jazz band. and i got mbetter and liked it more and more from there.

Kronos · #14 01-24-2006, 09:30 PM

You're going to laugh, but it was when I saw Oderus of Gwar pick up a bass and play for one song.

deathbloomslife · #15 01-24-2006, 10:01 PM

The skit between Will Farrell and another cast member from Saturday Night Live... "Dualing Bassists" God, that was funny.

No, seriously, it turns it out it runs in the blood, my mom always wanted to play bass when she was a teen, but that was in the 70's and 80's and she refused to clip her stylish manicured nails, so as the story goes... She bought an accoustic guitar instead. She never bought one pick... lmao.

vroc38 · #16 01-24-2006, 10:08 PM

As long as I can remember, bass lines have always dominated the music that I hear. It's a natural fit for me. Same with drums, but to a slightly lesser degree. Played guitar in bands too, but bass and drums just groove so much harder.

TrooperFarva · #17 01-24-2006, 10:11 PM

Schism by Tool

amper · #18 01-24-2006, 11:02 PM

Our old bassist freaked out and left the band, moved far away. We auditioned a few guys, all very competent bassists, but just not in the same frame of reference as the rest of the band.

So, I took the money I had earmarked to buy two mountain bikes for me and my girl, and bought a brand new natural ash 1992 Fender Jazz Bass Plus V. Back then it was Fender's top of the line bass, and would be equivalent to today's American Deluxe Jazz Bass V Ash, except with Lace Sensor pickups and a preamp designed by Phil Kubicki. It's still my main bass.

I do miss guitar, though. As a rhythm player, I felt like I meshed pretty well with our lead guitarist, and I can't imagine anyone else playing rhythm to his lead style.

ArwinH · #19 01-24-2006, 11:11 PM

There were such things as my then neighbor and then best friend taking up guitar and my cousin playing guitar all the time drawing me to bass....BUT.....I knew I was going to play bass when in fourth grade the high school jazz band came to out elementary school to play, during one break the bassplayer spun his upright around, and it was like WOW! One day, I wanna do that. It took me two years to pick up electric, and then 5 years to pick up upright. Either way, whenever I play the doghouse unamplified I always feel the urge to give her a spin!

brian v2.0 · #20 01-24-2006, 11:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZombieGhosTrain

"Bassically", the bass solo/intro to the song NIB on Black Sabbath's first album. That and every other Black Sabbath song. I also was interested in low instruments, liked the look, feel, role it played in a band....and a guitar always felt kinda...weak in my hands, I'm a pretty big guy. I also had zero qualms about selling my trombone to raise funds

.

The deal was sealed when my friend busted out some Sabbath on his bass, and I realized...hey..it is possible.

that intro played a big role for me too, it was the first song i ever played in my first band. my bro had a guitar and i started noodling around with it when i was around 9 or so and really enjoyed it. about a year later i realized that i was horrible at every sport i had tried and was probably one of the worst athletes in history so i searched to find something i was actually good at and i kept coming back to music.

when i decided for sure that that's what i wanted to pursue, my goal was to eventually be in a band so i decided that there were so many good guitar players out there that i'd have to be an exceptional one to find bands easily. so i decided that since i didn't know any good bassists i would pick it up. that was twelve years ago and i love the bass more than anything.