What bass player inspired you to start playing?

[DirntDisciple]

Mike Dirnt inspired me to pick up a bass guitar, and start studying his great technique. He is unbelieable in so many aspects I don't even want to start naming them. I am being inspired this very moment by the masterpiece known as 'longview'....

 

[PollyBass]

lets see, Tony Kanel of no doubt, and Flea of the rhcp.

 

[BassPlayer101]

Sam Rivers of Limp Bizkit

Flea of The RHCP

Tobin Esperance of Papa Roach

 

[HWKII]

As that wonderfully hobbit like soprano of a midget Jon Anderson bellows out on my Yes Classic CD near the end of All Good People:

Christopher Squire!!! *followed by a nice little solo that I would kill to learn!*

That and Weather Report.. I don't know if it was Jaco or not, but I know that I heard some song that sounded like the theme to lvl 2 of Mario for the old nintendo, and NEEDED to be able to play that sound

mostly Chris Squire because even Geddy Lee wasn't as out and about crazy on his, what I will refer to as "Lead bass" as Chris Squire... Heart of the sunrise.. Roundabout.. Starship Trooper.. Close to the Edge.. Hmmm was there any guitar in those songs? Who cares, all I can hear anymore is the BASS!!!!!!

*And yet I play finger style in a more blues/jazz type tone, and have been practicing alot of Chili Peppers songs... Go figure.. Squire is too fast for me, but one day, I shall have my revenge

 

[pantografo64]

Francisco Centeno

 

[Mike N]

Steve Harris

 

[A Rock]

Originally posted by lo-end
Tony Kanal from No Doubt

yeah!! fellow indian!!


i personally didnt start playin the bass cuz of another player.

here's what happened:
my friend said he wanted to start a band and had all the instruments except for the bass. he came to me and asked me to play bass parts on the keyboard since i knew the piano. i thought to myself "dats the gayest thing i ever heard." So i just went to the music store and bought a cheap bass learned and played it for the band since then.

 

[xush]

Well, now that I find myself at 33, my initial influences are a bit dated now, I guess...

Squire was probably the first to turn my head and get me thinking, though I long ago put down the pick. He got me interested in bass though.

Entwistle too leapt off the vinyl (remember those?) and demanded attention.
Sting also taught me a thing or two.
JPJ's overall musicality inspired me to branch out.
Of course Geddy motivated me to keep improving.

I guess they all had a cumulative effect on piquing my interest in bass. Ever since then, though, I like to think I've been influenced by every bassist I've heard or met- in some way. There's seems to be a sense of camaraderie among bassists and there sure is a lot to learn out there.
Glad we have these forums to share...

m

 

[the great one]

It's a mystery, but when one is exceptionally good with the use of his fingers the chicks are going to be all over him. I picked up an instrument (bass is more manly) just to increase my scoring chances.

 

[nymph]

Cliff Burton, Feildy, Sam Rivers, and Jason Newsted, can't forget steve lawson

 

[istaticl]

Eric Wilson and Timmy C.

 

[mxpxbass182]

for me mike herrera from mxpx. his bass playing and lyrics inspired me to start playin and they made me realize wat kind of band i wanted

 

[Gandolf Bassist]

O and along with Mike Dirnt, another aspect that inspired me to play every day for hours on end was that, I was an underground guitarist (I was one but no one knew) and my girl friend for like a year just cheated on me with this senior (I was a freshman in HS) and instead of trying to kick his a$$ I went to a show his band was playin at (he was a bass player too) and after he played we had a little "bass war" when one plays something then the other must play that and something else, and I kicked his ass there. So I was happy, and that made me try and get even better even faster.

 

[BigJH]

I can't really trace it back to one player. But Bootsy Collins was played a lot in my house. I didn't know anything about music or people in the music industry but I knew Bootsy

 

[c-ba55]

My first real bass hero was Geddy Lee. I learned to play rock, bass, and rock bass by learning to play the entire Rush catalogue. Me and my friends in HS would just play through the songs over and over again until we could do it. We started almost from zero, and somehow latched onto this as a reasonable course of action. Anyway, it worked.

 

[Bassplayerg]

When Bootsy played bass on James Brown Say it loud I am black and proud I was in the 3rd grade and begged mama for a bass I got drums instead.So I had to wait until I was 14 to buy a Harmony bass from JC Penneys. But during all that time I started listening more to Basses and keeping my drumming down which helped me become a jam session master. lol.I was influenced by all the Funk bassists and some of the rock guys. Steve Hamilton. Geddy Lee, Paul McCartney, Flea, Les Claypool etc. Really anyone who can funk and rock out. Even some pop (please forgive me).

 

[I am legend]

I was inspired by the late Cliff BUrton. I loved his anesthesia Solo. That was one of my first songs. I was also inspired by Sen Yseult of White Zombie. She's not the best but i just liked the bass from the start. I even credit Tom Araya a litlle bit. alex Webster(cannibal Corpse) and Robin Graves(ex-cradle of filth) also have a lot of impact

 

[fretless5]

Chris Squire brought me to the instrument.
Percy Jones showed me the light.

 

[pantografo64]

Originally posted by Bassplayerg
Even some pop (please forgive me).

Why do you feel guilty?
We can find a lot of masterpieces in pop music.

There is nothing wrong with pop music, well good pop music .

 

[JPAmorim]

Steve Harris on early days of Iron, and then Geddy Lee, which is my favourite until today!!!!

They were the first bassists I could really "hear"

Peace

JP