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At what age have you started playing bass?
- Thread starter 10emmanuel
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Started in my teens as all my friends played guitar and I saw the need for bass. Took up guitar a year or so later to get better at Bass. When I moved to Darwin, just after Cyclone Tracy, I sold it all because I did not expect to find a band at that stage, Of course it took me 26 years to escape from Darwin and my guitar collection grew, but it was all guitar. Occasionally I'd fill in on bass at church, but never owned another one until I moved back "south" in 2003. (I lied, I did own a baby bass that I picked up in a second hand shop, but never did get it into playing order). I participated in travelling ministry with friends in 2004 playing bass then but had to put down all my instruments for a few years while nursing my wife. So it's only been the last couple of years that I began regularly playing Bass again!
Unsurprisingly, it looks like the vast majority of people started in their teens.
I started around 14. I fell into it by default. My friends and I wanted to start a band, and one friend already had a guitar. I didn't want to play drums. I began by playing bass lines on an acoustic guitar. Eventually I bought a cheap pawn shop bass.
I played heavily from 14 to 19 or so. Then I really fell off for most of my 20s and 30s. I didn't get serious again until 4-5 years ago. So even though I've "been playing" for 27 years, I probably only have 7-8 years of real playing under my belt.
I started around 14. I fell into it by default. My friends and I wanted to start a band, and one friend already had a guitar. I didn't want to play drums. I began by playing bass lines on an acoustic guitar. Eventually I bought a cheap pawn shop bass.
I played heavily from 14 to 19 or so. Then I really fell off for most of my 20s and 30s. I didn't get serious again until 4-5 years ago. So even though I've "been playing" for 27 years, I probably only have 7-8 years of real playing under my belt.
Age 8: Heard The Beatles on Ed Sullivan in 1964, fell in love with their music
Age 9: Cheap plastic electric guitar with suction cup pickup
Age 10: Inexpensive acoustic guitar and lessons
Age 11: Kalamazoo electric guitar and more lessons - never did really get good at it, though
Age 15: Bought cheap electric bass from a friend, came much more naturally, never looked back
Age 9: Cheap plastic electric guitar with suction cup pickup
Age 10: Inexpensive acoustic guitar and lessons
Age 11: Kalamazoo electric guitar and more lessons - never did really get good at it, though
Age 15: Bought cheap electric bass from a friend, came much more naturally, never looked back
11-20 is too wide. I was 18, which is rather old. I was never in a band during high school. My first paid gig was in 1980 when I was 25. Again, pretty effin old.
The 3 months after I turned 15. 42 years now and counting! 4 more shows this month. 3 states! Great times
At 16 I was a singer at college, lecturers told me I was a bassist.. I dismissed it as this was 1996 and there were not a lot of bass heroes in the brit pop/indie scene.
6 months later on the music course I was doing... After discovering and understanding the beatles, pink floyd and eventually the who... Well young me decided to get a bass out of the music stores at college and give it a try since I was learning guitar by this point.
And this TB'ers was when I discovered I was a bassist... Just like the tutor had told me in my first week of the course.
This was the following year
6 months later on the music course I was doing... After discovering and understanding the beatles, pink floyd and eventually the who... Well young me decided to get a bass out of the music stores at college and give it a try since I was learning guitar by this point.
And this TB'ers was when I discovered I was a bassist... Just like the tutor had told me in my first week of the course.
This was the following year
In my mid-20's, after many many years of piano training. Gigged first in a standing band on a steady gig about a year later.
I started playing bass at 18. Now I'm 63. I should be a lot better....
I began playing bass at 47. I was playing out regularly in a rock cover band by 48. I began playing guitar at 50. I am currently 53, and play guitar in a rock cover band that plays out regularly and I also do solo acoustic shows on a regular basis.
I got my Cort Slammer short scale for Christmas when I was 12, this picture was taken a couple of months later around my 13th birthday. (I've shared this pic in other threads, but it never gets old, haha!)
