• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

At what age have you started playing bass?

At what age range have you started playing bass?

  • 0-10

    Votes: 27 4.4%

  • 11-20

    Votes: 399 64.8%

  • 21-30

    Votes: 46 7.5%

  • 31-40

    Votes: 29 4.7%

  • 41-50

    Votes: 48 7.8%

  • 51-60

    Votes: 38 6.2%

  • 61-70

    Votes: 25 4.1%

  • 71-80

    Votes: 2 0.3%

  • 81-90

    Votes: 2 0.3%
  • Total voters
    616
#81
I was 17. At the time, I played a little guitar. I was at my buddy's place, and picked up a bass he had and started messing around with it. His dad asked if I could play, and I said maybe? The next day he dropped $15k on equipment we had a band. I played with that band and others with different instruments for Yeats, then stopped for about 10 years. One day I was walking through Lahaina, Maui, and decided to teach myself the uke. Got back into music, and now I'm playing bass in two groups. The world works in mysterious ways!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Williethump and Mike Lock
#84
Bass since age 14 in 1978 / started on drums at age 5 / piano lessons from age 7 to 14 - I was good at learning songs by ear on piano and I used to figure out just the bass lines too - then after a few rehearsals with my junior high rock band (where I played drums), the bass player was always playing the wrong parts or notes / me with my playing by ear skills, I couldn't take it and finally realized - let's try the bass! I know this is a common story - many bass players started out on drums and / or piano.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mike Lock
#86
Started around age 13, self-taught. Borrowed a Jazz bass over the summer. The music teacher told me the notes of the strings and how each fret was a half-step and I took it from there. Played all through high school and some in college. Been in bands since 95 or so and haven't stopped since. Now I'm 50 and I'm in 2 bands and if I didn't have bass, I don't know what I'd do.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Williethump and Mike Lock
#87
I started at about age 13 - I was learning guitar, but a guy at school was putting together a band, but he already played guitar and offered the loan of a bass if I wanted to play that instead - so started teaching myself. A couple of years later the school music teacher gave me some lessons - he said I was the best bass player in the school, but wasn't good enough for his end of term show. Then a gap of 20 years and I bought a bass, formed a covers band - we peaked with a 300-seat gig in London but then our singer got called up for military service. Then another gap to 2019 and at work I was sat next to a jazz trombonist who encouraged me to join a local community big band.
 
#94
NoSlapForYou said:
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.
Click to expand...
same! I played from 18-22 "seriously", then almost no practice for 7 years and now came back
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back