If you weren't a Bass Player...

[B-Lo]

Drums...I have a decent e-drum set now that I can practice horribly on and not make my family and neighbors convulse with discuss at how terrible I am.

I may get a full acoustic set soon though. To my family and neighbors I say, be afraid...be very afraid.

 

[micguy]

Hammond organ. I've tried to learn over the years but never got very far. I even owned 3 of them for awhile. I sorta know how to play bass after 40 years but there's certainly the possibility of getting better at that so i'm sticking.

So, if you're contemplating being a B3 player in your next life, you gotta come back pretty soon, or they'll all be dead. Make sure you speak up about that when you get there.

 

[ccbass71]

Keyboards or saxophone. Sax would be so much easier to transport.

 

[B-Lo]

At 58, I started learning both drums and bass. I'm farther ahead on drums. I'm looking for a good bass instructor. I do internet lessons, but I learn better with a live person, I guess. My drum instructor comes over once a week. I really enjoy this.

I've been thinking about having a drum instructor come over and school me. I know a guy who gets private lessons from TobyMac's drummer and he loves it.

How do you split your practice time between bass and drums during the week? Is it 50/50?

 

[oZZma]

Drums. I tried, for a while, and it's awesome. So satisfying!

 

[The Deep]

I'd go back to drums......played 'em for 30+ years before switching to bass!

Gotta stay in that rhythm section!

 

[Bunk McNulty]

I would play the Radio

 

[bassike]

I always wanted to be a drummer but I'm just terrible, so I became a bass player.

 

[Richie Se7en]

Definitely drums for me! My brother-in-law got me a decent Alesis electronic set for Xmas a few years back that I play around with. I also sit in for a few songs on the acoustic set at the studio with one group of guys I jam with. I was actually told a few years back that I possibly have more potential on drums than bass, for whatever that's worth. But, starting as late as I did, I'd rather be a pretty good bassist than a really good drummer at the end of the day.

I also play around with my Casio keyboard and the piano whenever I'm at my wife's parents' house, but I've always been fascinated by the xylophone, which I've never had a chance to play but would love to. Not much call for it in rock/r&b/funk cover bands anyway I imagine, but I've always taken an eclectic approach to music covers when possible. Think Vanilla Fudge.


~R7~

 

[FenderB]

Exactly. My gigging drum kit, such that I gig, is a 1960s stencil kit that has Reuther badges. It was probably made by Pearl, but it's hard to tell. It was made back when Japanese and cheap went together, but this kit was made in Taiwan, meaning even Japanese wasn't cheap enough. It's got thin luan mahogany shells, and with the right heads and tuning, it sounds fantastic. I got it for $250 quite a few years ago. It's a little fragile, but I love it and play it all the time. I thought about buying a newer, sturdier, and somewhat fancier kit, but thoughts thoughts go away every time I sit down at the Reuther kit.

You can pickup used kits really cheap on CL or buy brand new for now much more. Lots of selections out there these days to fit everyone's needs and wallet. Cool story Gaolee.

 

[Jimmy4string]

I am a singer so I would play bass again. I would have to be real motivated though because I am lazy and daily practice is work!

 

[FrenchBassQC]

Is a set of golf clubs considered an instrument? I know that if you hit the golf ball with one right in the right spot, it makes you sing and dance.... At least that's what I do... So to me, it would be that.

 

[gidbass]

What other instrument would you play?

for me it would be the drums.... when I was 10 my parents suggested I learn the cello - which I did for 6 years along with the clarinet, but when I was 13 I met a boy at my high school who played the drums and that was it...

I remember going home from school that day and saying to my parents at dinner time "I'm gonna learn to play the drums"! - my dad replied "not in this house you're not"! and that was it - my dreams of becoming the next Keith Moon or John Bonham were quickly extinguished.

my friend at school sat me at the drums one day and said your right hand goes here, left hand here and you use your feet to control the kick drum and hi-hats... and it just somehow came naturally to me and I found I could play the drums, but I knew my dad and no actually meant no.... so when I was 15 I picked up the only bass at school (it was right handed and I'm a leftie) and because I could read music I just figured out the notes and began to teach myself to play right handed.

I got my first bass when I was 17/18 and began to leach myself to play U2 songs (this was the 1980's) but when I tried to learn other songs I found it difficult - then I learnt that U2 had 'tuned down' a half step on their first 3-4 albums and I had tuned my bass to the key of U2's first albums!

anyway I've been playing bass ever since and when I was about 22 my originals band broke up and I realised my dreams of playing at Wembley or Madison Square garden had all but diminished and I needed the day job to pay for rent / food..etc... I then joined my first covers band - we got paid 2 pizza's and a bottle of Jim Beam for our first gig and got paid $25 each for our next gig - I thought I had got it made!

I still play the drums if any of the drummers I play with will let me jump on their kit for a bit and I've always said to my wife that if we win the lottery I'll buy a big house in the countryside and buy a kick ass drum kit - like Alex Van Halen uses on the video for 'Jump'.

So if you weren't a bass player - what instrument would you play instead?

Keytar without a doubt...

</sarcasm>

Good Luck!

 

[Mannyinnewyork]

Guitar. I've been the guitar player in a few bands but being a mediocre player, I most often opted for bass as my mediocrity is less apparent in that setting. I record all my original songs at home, so I find myself playing a bit of everything. My fan base is very forgiving.

 

[bobba66]

Should have stayed with the trombone. I would be filthy rich instead of just filthy.

 

[G19Tony]

I've been thinking about having a drum instructor come over and school me. I know a guy who gets private lessons from TobyMac's drummer and he loves it.

How do you split your practice time between bass and drums during the week? Is it 50/50?

Pretty much. I'm only on the drums 30-40 minutes a day.

 

[G19Tony]

Definitely drums for me! My brother-in-law got me a decent Alesis electronic set for Xmas a few years back that I play around with. I also sit in for a few songs on the acoustic set at the studio with one group of guys I jam with. I was actually told a few years back that I possibly have more potential on drums than bass, for whatever that's worth. But, starting as late as I did, I'd rather be a pretty good bassist than a really good drummer at the end of the day.

I also play around with my Casio keyboard and the piano whenever I'm at my wife's parents' house, but I've always been fascinated by the xylophone, which I've never had a chance to play but would love to. Not much call for it in rock/r&b/funk cover bands anyway I imagine, but I've always taken an eclectic approach to music covers when possible. Think Vanilla Fudge.


~R7~

 

[NZBassman]

Drums. I tried, for a while, and it's awesome. So satisfying!

I remember a few years ago getting on a drummers kit and having a bash and he said my drumming was kind of like a cross between Keith Moon and John Bonham..... I didn't know if that was a compliment or not, because while they were both great drummers in their own right, they also suffered from Alcohol and or drug problems....

 

[The Owl]

Baritone sax

 

[Mike Sorr]

Hang drum.