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Do you play more than just a bass?

#122
Former professional woodwind doubler. Played flute/piccolo/alto flute/bass flute/clarinet/bass clarinet/contrabass clarinet/soprano, alto, tenor, baritone & bass saxes/oboe/English horn/bassoon/various whistles & recorders. I've also played various guitars on shows and soundtracks, in addition to playing bass on musicals, and occasionally in a big band.
 
#126
Bighouse said:
I can't help but notice in many photos people post of their music rooms or setups that often there are other instruments other than bass guitars shown. Guitars, drums, keyboards, and even today I saw trumpets and other brass instruments. I mostly assumed it was a band space issue, or multiple players in the house- but some photos have a "it's all mine" feel.

Which instruments do you play other than a bass?

Was the bass your first instrument?

If you play other instruments, which instrument is your "go-to"?
Click to expand...
• First instrument was a piano when I was about 8 years old. Also took trumpet in 5th grade and got the rudiments of it down, but nothing I would play in public.
• Then when I was 15 I got a nylon-stringed classical guitar and started learning how to play chords on it thanks to a good friend of mine who took time to show them to me. Learned all the normal open chords plus the barre chords based on the E and the A positioning.
• Later in 1965 I got my first bass but had no amp.
• Bought a bass amp in 1966 and realized just how bad my Japanese bass was (before Japan learned how to make good basses). Also in 1966 I bought a friend's 1965 Jazz bass from him so he could play organ and I could play bass in the band. Bass has absolutely been my prime instrument since 1965.
• In 1971 through 1973 played bass and sang in a touring nightclub group. In 1976 all my touring gear was stolen
• In 1977 my wife bought a 12-string guitar from our next door neighbor and gave it to me for Christmas. I played a lot of weddings and personal parties with that over the next 20-years. Also got an upright piano from my sister-in-law that We kept in the living room so the kids could play it too.
• In 1985 I was able to buy a new Jazz Bass to replace my '65...but no amp again.
• In 1997 my son loaned me a Yamaha 115 combo and I started gigging again.
• In 1998 was transferred to Vermont. Our house and garage got flooded and we lost our washer, dryer, freezer, and that upright piano.
• In 2005 I bought a Sunn 212 cab and ran it as an extension to the Yamaha combo. I continued to use gig money to upgrade gear along the way.
• In 2006 I bought a Yamaha DX7s for a couple hundred bucks including a road case. I needed it for a group I was playing with that wanted to do some Doors songs. Our singer would often fill in with chords on the keys but couldn't read music. I could but needed a keyboard to figure things out and to practice with. Got a really good price on this so bought it and played Light My Fire, Break on Through, and another song that escapes me at the moment. After that group split I set it up in my room and would use it from time to time.

Really haven't bought anything but bass gear since then and a few mics. I will take out an acoustic or an electric guitar and play them while singing at an Open Mic Night from time to time, but no room to set up my synth where I live now so it's in its hard case in the closet. So I have other instruments and play them from time to time, but my primary instrument really is the bass.
 
#127
When playing for fun at home I play piano or acoustic guitar. When I play in a band it could be bass, keys, or electric guitar. Some bands call for left-hand keyboard bass but no bass players are put out of work as I also play bass guitar on songs where no keys are needed. If I am recording I might play keys, guitars, bass, flute, Irish whistle, recorder, sax, accordion, mandolin, and drums.
 
#129
Guitar has been home base for me for most of my life, since I was a junior high kid in the 80s. I got interested in lap steel in the mid 90s and learned just enough to add simple steel parts into home recording projects. My growing interest in bass finally moved me to buy one and learn around 2008, and it's my main instrument now.

Last year I got a guitarrón for my birthday and have been fun learning to play it. I am very bad. But it is fun. And I hope to get a simple drum kit together and learn a little of that too, soon-ish.
 
#130
Bighouse said:
I can't help but notice in many photos people post of their music rooms or setups that often there are other instruments other than bass guitars shown. Guitars, drums, keyboards, and even today I saw trumpets and other brass instruments. I mostly assumed it was a band space issue, or multiple players in the house- but some photos have a "it's all mine" feel.

Which instruments do you play other than a bass?

Was the bass your first instrument?

If you play other instruments, which instrument is your "go-to"?
Click to expand...
Bass

Drums

Guitar

Piano

Banjo

Ukulele

Accordion

Organ

Misc percussion

I'm also a fairly decent DJ


Pretty much dude, if it makes noise I can figure out hiw to make music with it.
 
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#134
1 . keys, guitar, flute, drums, latin percussion (congas/bongos etc), guitarrón, bajo sexto, mando, empty paint can, whatever. In the past, tuba and clarinet, but I'm looking to pick up tuba again.

2. no. voice and piano.

3. Go-to question is hard. I'm a singer and multi-instrumentalist, but I'm a bass specialist. Most of my (not vocal) gigs are bass: EB, double bass, bajo sexto, guitarrón, etc. When I play mando, I play octave or mandocello and someone else takes the high notes. But for treble range solo work, I use flute. I also gig with congas as a singer/percussionist. But EB is my #1.
 
#137
Bass guitar has become my main instrument.
I studied classical guitar at conservatorium and started teaching after graduation (though I quit eventually), so I also play:

Classical guitar
Electrical guitar

And somewhat less fluently:
Piano
Vocals
Melodeon

After years of not practicing I eventually lost all my chops on:
Bassoon
Saxophone

I don't own a bassoon of sax anymore. Those are expensive instruments to maintain, especially if you don't play them enough :)
 

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