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Drummers who became bassists

#106
Hey fellow defectors. :ninja:

I started out making cajons THEN learned to drum.
Then switched to bass without learning to make them (yet).

I did have a kit at one point but sold it. Still have a
few hand drums and my trusty practice pads.

Here's a shot of one of my homemade cajons, it's 3/4 birch
on four sides, dual tapa, one side snare (I use D'addario XL
.065 bass guitar strings), one side bare. Tapas are 1/4"
cherry. Sound hole is side ported.

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=245616&stc=1&d=1326694178
 

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#108
I'll join. I played drums for 22 years before I ever played bass. I started playing bass at church because the guitarists didn't want to. So I steped out from behind the kit and actually fell in love with bass. It feels more natural to me then guitar ever did. I think being a drummer helped me more as a bass player then playing guitar did.
 
#109
srxplayer said:
I'll join. I played drums for 22 years before I ever played bass. I started playing bass at church because the guitarists didn't want to. So I steped out from behind the kit and actually fell in love with bass. It feels more natural to me then guitar ever did. I think being a drummer helped me more as a bass player then playing guitar did.
Click to expand...

That's what I'm getting after. The drums and bass together setup the timing and groove!

srxplayer: 49

Welcome!
 
#110
I played drums for 8 years, had kids and the drums were gone. I got divorced now with a new wife in an apartment and just received my first bass this past weekend as a bday gift from the woman that should have became my wife from the beginning! May I have a number?
 
#112
I keep my drums setup next to my rig and play them as part of an exercise routine. I have a double pedal and speed drum to metal music to break a sweat but I play in a Jimmy Buffet type band on a bass. We do light rock like Fleetwood Mac but I personnaly like the fast hard stuff. I recently got into triggers on my acoustic set to play with headphones. My band already has two drummers ( one being a percussionist) I like my bass job when it comes to gigs. It takes too long to setup
 
#115
I played drums for 3 ish years from when I was about 7. Then I picked up the bass in the first year of secondary school! Been playing above 4 years now, haven't played the drums in ages though, do I still count?
 
#116
Another honorary member would be Level 42's Mark King, who changed from drums to bass specifically for the band that brought him fame and fortune. Not sure about his status in the US, but he pretty much was/is considered the leading slapper in UK, Europe and everywhere else in the eighties.
 
#117
I'm not a big fan of electronic drums... Although Roland seems to be closing the gap with respect to making the drums feel and react like an acoustic instrument. I imagine that recording with stereo line out would be so much nicer than using a dozen or so mics.

52: Ibanez Bassist

And yeah - 7 counts. You played for about 3 years. Certainly long enough to be considered a drummer and not just a kid that whacks things with sticks! ;)

53: doomdude
 
#118
Well from all the gigging I've done as a bassist (and considering my brother is a drummer) I think most drummers are just kids that whack things with sticks! XD

No but seriously, I think it really helped, because it gives you such a strong foundation in rhythm, which is essential for playing bass, I'm so glad I did play drums first.
 
#119
doomdude said:
Well from all the gigging I've done as a bassist (and considering my brother is a drummer) I think most drummers are just kids that whack things with sticks! XD
Click to expand...

Hahahaha! So true in so many cases!

doomdude said:
No but seriously, I think it really helped, because it gives you such a strong foundation in rhythm, which is essential for playing bass, I'm so glad I did play drums first.
Click to expand...

Exactly! And that's the reason I thought to start this little club. I see a lot of posts around here where beginning bassists can't seem to groove well. I suspect most new bassists that were previously drummers have very few problems establishing a good timing and groove very early on in our learning. I know this was true in my case.
 
#120
This is so cool! Drums and bass are so interrelated.

In one of my early bands we used to do a couple of blues songs were I did BOTH at the same time, tapping the bass with the left hand, drumming with the right and feet while the drummer played blues harmonica. I really wish I had continued more with drums.

Even now, our drummer wants to learn bass, so we will trade off lessons.
 

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