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How long before your first gig?

PaulMichael

PaulMichael

Aug 30, 2012
28
4
Waukesha, WI
#1
I just started learning to play bass. I don't consider myself to have any kind of natural musical talent, other than being committed and motivated in most things that I do. Not much instrument playing experience either, other than the clarinet briefly in middle school.

Anyway, I'm curious to hear from other that are now playing live how long was it from the time you first picked up the bass guitar until the time of your first gig. I know this will vary greatly upon a number of factors, but thought it would be interesting just the same. I'm not sure what a reasonable goal would be - months or years?
 
#2
I didn't have my first gig until I had already been playing for a few years. But then again, I didn't look for my first gig until I had already been playing for a few years. Are you jamming with anyone right now or just playing by yourself? I'd say that plays a big part in how soon you might expect to have a show.
 
#3
About an hour :rolleyes: Someone will post the old a kid takes his first bass lesson joke soon................


For me about 6 months in the woodshed till I felt I was up to it to go out and give it a wack. I played guitar years before so it helped some but if you keep trying you can be at least jamming with others soon.
 
#4
Mine was pretty quick. IIRC, it was a backyard birthday party for a friend of the band.

We sounded like hell, of course, but it sowed the seeds for many years of playing out.

Just keep practicing. You'll know when you're ready. And it never hurts to just throw yourself into the fire. You learn the most when you play with other people. Enjoy it.
 
#7
I can't remember exactly but it would have been a few months from first picking up a bass to playing a first gig. I learned to play specifically to join a covers band that we were putting together at school - we didn't know any other bass players and I just wanted to be in a band at that point!

Playing with a band and going out gigging at the same time as having lessons was probably the best thing i could have done to improve my playing. Without that I might not have even started and if I did may never have made it out of my bedroom. I'm definitely a better player now for having gigged early and often. My advice would be to find some others to play with and just go for it - it's important to be able to fit in and play with others and it will help you all develop if you're all just starting out.
 
#10
hmmm... Picked up bass at age 38, that would have been the fall of 2009 I think. Found a band to jam with about January or February of 2010, so about 3 or 4 months; that group played a couple of open mics, I think the next fall, broke up at the end of a year without ever playing a real gig. Bounced around a couple of other projects that also might have played an open mic or two but no more than that.

Joined my current band in February of 2012, we played openers for a couple other bands within two weeks and had a full gig of our own six weeks after I joined. We've been doing only occasional gigs since while getting our marketing materials together (3-4 altogether over the summer, I think) but are aiming to be gigging more or less weekly within the next month or two. I think that would make it 2 1/2 years from getting my first bass off Craigslist to playing my first paid gig. I think I was ready to do it sooner than that but the bands weren't together.
 
#13
I played my first gig about 6 months after I started playing. It was a church gig in a park/picnic thing. But I didn't join a band for about three years. First gig was 6 months after that, then nothing for a while.

First bar gig was about 5 years in......and I practiced a LOT during those five years.
 
#14
Been 2 years for me since I started playing. Not sure how much longer it will be but I'm not particularly concerned about it. Joined a band for a hot minute about a month ago and then quit the same week when at the first rehearsal the only ones who seemed to be able to play the material were myself and the guitarist. :eek: Meh, I'll just keep on rollin' in the shed until something interesting comes along...:bassist:
 
#15
About 9 years...

of course I started when I was a little kid and didn't get the idea to be in a gigging band until I was out of high school. Plus I knew I sucked, and had no interest in making sucky music with other people who sucked, so I waited until I thought I was "good" to really get out there. In my defense there is no way i'd be able to play or write the sort of music I play in my band with only a year or two's experience.

Maybe I should have gotten out there earlier, though, because I see a lot of guys who I would say are not "good" but are getting a good amount of decent gigs playing simple classic rock who have only been playing like 2 years. If the goal is classic rock, a year of regular practice as much as I hate to say it will get passable results in the ears of the audience

edit: just read everyone else's times.

I think I win the long haul contest!!!
 
#16
First started playing live at a bar 5 weeks after I picked up the bass. I don't know if you'd call it playing as I stuck to the root and did my best to lock in with the drummer. After that i've played with them every in public a couple of times a month and then started joining others at live mic's and finally a Cancer benefit just 3 months after I picked it up.

I definitely recommend you try and play with other musicians as soon as possible. Open mic, jam session, whatever. You'll quickly learn that applying music theory and other principles you are learning at home via book, teacher, video, etc are harder to apply live. But the sooner you get up there, the quicker you'll learn. Don't wait, carpe diem.
 
#20
Mr L said:
Bought my bass a month ago, giged just last Wednesday for the first time. I have been playing guitar for 5+ years though. Easily transferred all my knowledge over.
Click to expand...

same story here. did my first bass gig about a month after playing with a band (which was my first experience playing bass). i did play guitar beforehand tho.
 

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