How many started playing the bass without playing guitar first?

[nixdad]

Count me in.
Back in the 70's, instead of buying a used car, my first significant purchase as a 16 year old was a black Fender Musicmaster Bass and Musicmaster Bass amp.

Fast forward to 1988. In anticipation of having kids and a year before my son was born, I bought a '71 Fender Mustang Bass (Lake Placid Blue w/matching headstock and competition stripe) for him to get started on when he was ready. He started on that bass when he was 11. Now at 26, he surpassed me in skill years ago, and has played with many top musicians. The Mustang doesn't get played much these days, but it's still in the family.

 

[ESPweasel]

Bass only. Started almost 4 months ago at 48.

 

[foolforthecity]

Dad bought me a guitar and amp when I was around nine. I messed around with it for a day or so, got bloody fingers, and that was the end of that. Fast-forward to thirteen and he got me a bass. My first true love... still is.

 

[dave64o]

Cool to see so many people were geezers like me (and even older!) when they started playing for real.

 

[Sweet Willie]

Played piano for several years from elementary into high school. Played trumpet in late elementary and middle school (school group lessons and bands). Took up bass in the summer before 11th grade of high school after I'd finally quit piano lessons, wanted to keep playing an instrument, and some friends were forming a band and needed a bass player. Got myself an (excellent) Ibanez Roadstar II bass and (gawd awful) Gorilla combo amp, and the rest is history.

I've added a little bit of beginner harmonica (in grad school; play sporadically now). I can play a little guitar, but I'm mos def not comfortable on those skinny little strings!

 

[ccbass71]

Bass was my first instrument!

 

[InhumanResource]

Hi,

I just started playing the bass about a month ago. I'm having an absolute blast, but there's so much to learn. On the other hand, if there wasn't so much to learn, I don't think it'd be nearly as much fun.

I never learned how to play the guitar, so picking up on where the chord changes are in a song is a little harder for me than I like to admit. (Great, so admit it in a HUGE public forum. Well, as they say, the first step is admitting you have a problem.)

Anyway, as the thread title says, how many of you started playing the bass without playing guitar first? Was it easy for you to pick up on chord changes?

If you played guitar first before picking up the bass, did you find that it helped? Were there any guitar playing habits you wished you hadn't brought to playing the bass?

Thanks for any insight!

- Melissa

Count me among the "bass first" crowd. I did pick up other instruments later, but bass was first.

Also your username is awesome.

 

[1stnamebassist]

Started on bass in 1973 at age 14. It's all I played until I picked up an acoustic guitar a bit over a year ago. Learned the basic chords and barre chords the first couple months and pretty much hung it up after that. Guitar isn't for me. I was always attracted to bass and still love it. It's feels like home to me.

 

[EdwardofHuncote]

I did, but often wish I'd started on guitar.

 

[GroovyBassist]

I remember as a young kid listening to music I would often (and unknowingly at the time) focus on the bass lines. I had no idea that I would ever become a bass player though. I first learned to play the piano but I was never any good at it. Then when I was in 5th grade I learned my first three chords on the guitar. By the time I got to junior high school my dad had bought me a clarinet so I took beginning band in 7th grade. I still played around with the guitar but did not know what I was doing. In high school I played clarinet in the marching band my sophomore year before switching to baritone horn and valve trombone (they play the same) as a junior and senior. At the same time I was learning guitar. By the end of high school some friend and I decided to start a band. We had four guitar players and a drummer... somehow I wound up as the bass player. As I reluctantly started to learn the bass I grew to really like it. It just clicked with me and it also helped music theory make more sense to me. I guess I just never really knew that I was born to be a bass player.
My point is that learning other instruments helped me to understand music to a degree. But for me, learning the guitar first made it easy for me to learn the bass.

 

[Amano]

Comming from guitar it helped little a bit. Took about five years formal guitar training from a professional flamenco guitar player. And played some electric. When I started almost quit playing bass. It felt like running a marathon barefoot on concrete. I was 18 skinny and weak. And a bit ambitious. Went to music college. And they only played jazz. I never played jazz before.

 

[TinIndian]

That would be me. Never had a real desire to play guitar when I was first starting out.

 

[30yobass]

Nope, I can´t play guitar either.

 

[DwaynieAD]

I started on bass and never really had much drive to try anything else.

 

[catcauphonic]

Me me me! Bass is my first instrument almost 5years ago at age 42. Within 2 years I joined a rad band and continue to have a blast and make great music weekly. I admit that guitars confound me with their tiny size and close strings.

 

[GnomishViking]

Bass was my first and only instrument

 

[Darren02]

Ive been playing bass guitar for a few months now, and double bass for a year now. I started playing bass without playing guitar ALTHOUGH I did recieve 1 acoustic guitar lesson from my grandpa a few years back (doesnt count does it? I didnt really do anything with the guitar!)

 

[Jimmy4string]

Bass only -well singing but that doesnt count.
I wish i played it better.

 

[descendent22]

About 15 years ago when I was a young lad at 13 years old, the original plan was to play guitar. After saving up 130$ and buying a squier strat not knowing much about playing instruments at all, I found that guitar wasn't the instrument for me. It was to hard to learn, to many strings, strings were to small. So I trade that guitar back after a month for a squier p bass, black with white pickguard and a rosewood fretboard. I figured ahh it's a bass, " it's easy " all I have to do is play the individual notes with some rhythm. Lol YEAH RIGHT!! If only things were that simple. Bass is in a world of its own, and I am glad that I've learned the instrument, got into it deeply, and I still am learning every day.broaden your horizons! I did eventually however pickup guitar and I do play guitar, but I'm a bass player 100%

 

[Strung_Low]

I started on trumpet way back in grade school, played for 10 years. Then in the late 90's started playing percussion and drum kit... I started playing bass about 4 years ago at 41, absolutely love it!!