Listening to Genesis. Mike Rutherford have so many nice bass lines. There after came Chris Squire when I listened to Yes.
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What made you take up bass?
- Thread starter RonChase
- Start date
Great question. When I was about 14 I had a bicycle paper route in my small South Georgia town. One of my clients was a small African-American Baptist church. One day I wandered into the church looking for someone to pay for the subscription. At the front was a stage with a piano, drum kit, and in the center, a Fender bass on a stand. Something about the strength and...solidness of that instrument, even just sitting their quietly, really touched a nerve in me. A couple days later I went to the only bass player in my town asking for lessons. Until this moment I hadnt considered how that chance encounter had such an important impact on my life.
I could go on all day about all the great musicians I admire, but I guess the first bass player (in particular this track) started me off, many many years ago when I was 14!
When I was 16 I wanted to play an instrument, because I had two friends that played instruments. One played bass, another played drums. They both played guitar. I wanted to have fun. Have fun doing something, other than getting high.
My bassist friend suggested guitar, because my hands are small (subtly because he probably didn't want me to play bass also, and probably because he was hoping for a band). I tried, and it wasn't fun.
I tried playing my drummer friends drums, but I was only able to utilize one limb at a time.. I was not having fun.
So I would always play his red samick p bass. He didn't have a amplifier though. so I would slap and pop his bass (not knowing thats what it's called) just so I could get a sound out of it, and subconsciously because I was a brat.. and did anything to annoy people. I would also play double stops on the D and G strings. He would tell me to "Stop! It's not a guitar, it's bass!" I would continue, because I loved how it sounded together, and again subconsciously I wanted to poke at his nerves because I was again... a brat.
Well out of guitar, drums, and bass.. I loved how bass was. I didn't know it was super low like it is, but I knew it was a good feeling in my hand. It felt cool, because I was a small 5 foot, 95 lb kid with a big instrument in my hands. I liked being able to have fun touching it, and feeling the vibrations amongst my body.
Well my grandmother and mother put together about $600. They said I can get an instrument if i want. We went to 'the music box' I chose an olympic white mim fender jazz (atleast the neck was). I pluged into a ibanez sw35 bass amp.. I didn't realize it made low pitched sounds, I fell in love with it.
Well, unfortunatley.. at this time I wasn't in love with music. I was in love with drugs and alcohol. I was unaware of the bassist role in music. I sold this bass and amp to my friend for $200 (I know.. stupid, but I felt he's better of with it.. considering I had no desire other than getting high) Another reason I sold it so cheap to him was because it was his birthday. So he used his birthday money, but he only had $125 so I agreed.
He played that bass for a few years, at many shows. I drove deeper into drugs, and realized more where each instrument sits.
Well.. 3 years ago, I started seriously going to church. I realized immediately.. I SOLD my awesome bass. The worship director asked me, "Do you want to play bass? I have a spare bass that you can borrow." so I borrowed this no name red burst p bass. I bought a cheap 15 watt behringer practice amp.
I played for 6 months, and fell it love with it this time around. I was playing for the church. The worship director noticed I was getting very good, and offered to go half with me on a new bass. She said "just bring some money, and I'll pay the difference. I want you to play a bass you like." I went to Modesto, Ca.. Got a Candy apple red, Squier vm jaguar hb. It was cool, but hard to play. I didn't know how to set it up properly, and didn't want to mess it up. Because technically.. it was 75% her instrument.
One day my grandfather who goes to church, and his friend who is about the same age as him and plays guitar for their church(60's -70's) decided they wanted to take me to San Jose. "just" to go hang out.
I knew something was fishy. But I couldn't put my finger on it. We went to Starving Musician in San Jose. And they kept asking me, do you see anything you like? I found a fretless carvin with some jazz pickups. I was in love. I played it.. but something was off.. it was floppy. I tuned it up.. The truss rod was broken.
Joe (my grandfather's friend) "Oh... brother stay away from that.. that might look sexy but that's a bad girl right there."
I was crushed.. it was $300.. and fretless. I always wanted fretless.
There was absolutely nothing else in the shop that hit my interest. Either it was complete crap, or was far too expensive.
We went to guitar center in San Jose. I found a vm squier jaguar. I loved everything about it. I tried an ampeg ba115 a.. something was wrong with it. I tried an acoustic b100. It sounded nice enough to my ears.
I couldn't believe my grandfather, the most penny pincher in the world.. handed over $590... so I could have a new bass, and a amp.
I've been rocking that bass for about a year and a half. I purchased a fretless neck. Because I really wanted to play fretless. Haven't looked back since.
Well.. actually I am resting for about a month.. my index finger feels kinda funny.
Now.. that is my long story. =p
My bassist friend suggested guitar, because my hands are small (subtly because he probably didn't want me to play bass also, and probably because he was hoping for a band). I tried, and it wasn't fun.
I tried playing my drummer friends drums, but I was only able to utilize one limb at a time.. I was not having fun.
So I would always play his red samick p bass. He didn't have a amplifier though. so I would slap and pop his bass (not knowing thats what it's called) just so I could get a sound out of it, and subconsciously because I was a brat.. and did anything to annoy people. I would also play double stops on the D and G strings. He would tell me to "Stop! It's not a guitar, it's bass!" I would continue, because I loved how it sounded together, and again subconsciously I wanted to poke at his nerves because I was again... a brat.
Well out of guitar, drums, and bass.. I loved how bass was. I didn't know it was super low like it is, but I knew it was a good feeling in my hand. It felt cool, because I was a small 5 foot, 95 lb kid with a big instrument in my hands. I liked being able to have fun touching it, and feeling the vibrations amongst my body.
Well my grandmother and mother put together about $600. They said I can get an instrument if i want. We went to 'the music box' I chose an olympic white mim fender jazz (atleast the neck was). I pluged into a ibanez sw35 bass amp.. I didn't realize it made low pitched sounds, I fell in love with it.
Well, unfortunatley.. at this time I wasn't in love with music. I was in love with drugs and alcohol. I was unaware of the bassist role in music. I sold this bass and amp to my friend for $200 (I know.. stupid, but I felt he's better of with it.. considering I had no desire other than getting high) Another reason I sold it so cheap to him was because it was his birthday. So he used his birthday money, but he only had $125 so I agreed.
He played that bass for a few years, at many shows. I drove deeper into drugs, and realized more where each instrument sits.
Well.. 3 years ago, I started seriously going to church. I realized immediately.. I SOLD my awesome bass. The worship director asked me, "Do you want to play bass? I have a spare bass that you can borrow." so I borrowed this no name red burst p bass. I bought a cheap 15 watt behringer practice amp.
I played for 6 months, and fell it love with it this time around. I was playing for the church. The worship director noticed I was getting very good, and offered to go half with me on a new bass. She said "just bring some money, and I'll pay the difference. I want you to play a bass you like." I went to Modesto, Ca.. Got a Candy apple red, Squier vm jaguar hb. It was cool, but hard to play. I didn't know how to set it up properly, and didn't want to mess it up. Because technically.. it was 75% her instrument.
One day my grandfather who goes to church, and his friend who is about the same age as him and plays guitar for their church(60's -70's) decided they wanted to take me to San Jose. "just" to go hang out.
I knew something was fishy. But I couldn't put my finger on it. We went to Starving Musician in San Jose. And they kept asking me, do you see anything you like? I found a fretless carvin with some jazz pickups. I was in love. I played it.. but something was off.. it was floppy. I tuned it up.. The truss rod was broken.
Joe (my grandfather's friend) "Oh... brother stay away from that.. that might look sexy but that's a bad girl right there."
I was crushed.. it was $300.. and fretless. I always wanted fretless.
There was absolutely nothing else in the shop that hit my interest. Either it was complete crap, or was far too expensive.
We went to guitar center in San Jose. I found a vm squier jaguar. I loved everything about it. I tried an ampeg ba115 a.. something was wrong with it. I tried an acoustic b100. It sounded nice enough to my ears.
I couldn't believe my grandfather, the most penny pincher in the world.. handed over $590... so I could have a new bass, and a amp.
I've been rocking that bass for about a year and a half. I purchased a fretless neck. Because I really wanted to play fretless. Haven't looked back since.
Well.. actually I am resting for about a month.. my index finger feels kinda funny.
Now.. that is my long story. =p
If I'd tell the whole story.. It's gonna be like a very long one... but to make the long story short.. I was with guitars, I was in a post hardcore and rapcore cover band, and well I had to admit I really suck in guitar solos, then again my ears can pick up basslines faster than it can pick up guitar lines, anyways I only play by ears so I don't really know what minor and major scales are and I'm currently working on it...
In my late-highschool idiocy (some eight years ago), I told a friend of mine (who's a skilled guitarist and bassist) I never heard the bass in the mix and that it isn't a noteworthy instrument. Cue him exposing me to Dream Theater's Metropolis Part I and the bass solo within. Something snapped inside of me and kept me learning basslines on an old acoustic guitar I had around the house.
Two years after that, I got my first bass.
Two years after that, I got my first bass.
Roy Vogt
Supporting Member
- Sep 20, 2000
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- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: Kiesel Basses, Ampeg Amplification, Hotone Ampero II effects
I was a terrible dancer and very shy, but noticed if you were in a band girls would think you were cool. My best friend was a guitar player and there were no bassists around. Finally, the Junior High School band needed someone to play bass in the "Stage Band". All of those things combined to make me a bass player.
Two answers
1. When playing guitar I tended to play a more bass type lines
2. Nikki Sixx ( I know he's not an uber bassist, but as a teenager he made playing the bass look cool )
1. When playing guitar I tended to play a more bass type lines
2. Nikki Sixx ( I know he's not an uber bassist, but as a teenager he made playing the bass look cool )
2 years ago, when I was a young boy, (I'm only 19.. Hehe) I was REALLY into Guitar Hero. Anyone remember that? Haha no but really I'm not exactly sure why one day I just said "I want to play bass!!" when the popular instruments among teens are guitar and drums. I was just always amazed to the sound of the bass. I paid more attention to the bass line than anything else. A friend of mine helped me choose my first bass, a small combo amp, taught me a scale, showing me which fret is which, and boom I couldn't for the life of me put it down. There I was in my room playing songs in the wrong key. I knew where the chord changes were and I knew what the bass was doing, I just didn't know what key he was in! Ha! Must've sucked for my parents back then. But now, BAM!! Try to tell me to turn it down now! We all know you're enjoying it!! Lmao
I have big hands? 
Started when I was 13 or 14(now I'm 22), and I can't really remember anything but the old and horribly mistreated Squier Precision Bass the school had. I ended up playing it, being the only guy in my class having some musical insight, and it just felt natural to me. Since then, I've been playing actively.
Started when I was 13 or 14(now I'm 22), and I can't really remember anything but the old and horribly mistreated Squier Precision Bass the school had. I ended up playing it, being the only guy in my class having some musical insight, and it just felt natural to me. Since then, I've been playing actively.
Wow lots of cool stories, like I said I had many reasons first being more marketable. I see many of my thoughts or experiences in all those replies, now to make this really interesting since my wife posed this question to me last night I am gonna make her read this thread and chime in her 2 cents , she may say I made her lets see
I started taking guitar lessons about 3 years ago when my wife got me an acoustic guitar for our 10th anniversary. I do the summer"Rock Star Band" thingy with other students at the shop where I take lessons. This led to me joining a band, made from parents of other students and the manager at the store. We have had 3 gigs in 2 years. Rehearse maybe 1x every 2 months, with a couple weekly rehearsals leeding up to gigs. We play classic rock, motown type stuff and a few originals. I just bang on rhythm guitar and background vocals. Very fun. Just giving you all a little bit of background info on my skill level; it's not high.
Anyways, for this year's Rock Star Band, they needed a bass player. So I took up the bass a couple months ago, and played about 5 classic rock type songs for the little end of summer concert we did at a local library. I enjoyed it immensely. As luck would have it, I recently was asked to informally rehearse with a local guy (on bass). Initial rehearsal went well. I have hopes of playing out with him regularly within a few months.
Anyways, for this year's Rock Star Band, they needed a bass player. So I took up the bass a couple months ago, and played about 5 classic rock type songs for the little end of summer concert we did at a local library. I enjoyed it immensely. As luck would have it, I recently was asked to informally rehearse with a local guy (on bass). Initial rehearsal went well. I have hopes of playing out with him regularly within a few months.
- Jun 26, 2012
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- Owner/Operator of Cotten Patch Sound Design. Burns of London Guitars and Basses retail. I do sound design, resetting, and education for churches, organizations, and small venues with no Sound personnel. Studio for "self-produced" rental use.
I played tuba, so I could read bass clef. So I got the "bass" in my first garage band in Jr. High....
Brian Ritchie's bass playing with the Violent Femmes. Immediately hooked me and had me abandoning my aspirations with cello/trumpet at an early age.
After that, John Paul Jones and John Wetton's work with King Crimson really inspired me to how the bass guitar could be utilized and got me working my creative juices to find a satisfying way to play.
Recently I've been inspired by versatility a la Justin Meldal Johnsen and Will Lee
After that, John Paul Jones and John Wetton's work with King Crimson really inspired me to how the bass guitar could be utilized and got me working my creative juices to find a satisfying way to play.
Recently I've been inspired by versatility a la Justin Meldal Johnsen and Will Lee
Like many, I too started out on electric guitar back in the 90's. My friend recieved a Fender Strat for his birthday and I thought it was the coolest thing ever. So of course I begged my parents to buy me a guitar as well. I played the crap out of it and then picked up bass about a year or so after when I noticed the guys I was jamming with no one played the bass and I later realized bass players were in more of a demand around my area then dime-a-dozen guitar players. I still play guitar, but not as much as bass.
The first time I actually noticed bass was when I was 14 and bought Iron Maiden's Piece of Mind. Then I watch the Live After Death concert video and after watching Steve Harris I just knew I wanted to do whatever it was he was doing. I just love the tone and feel of the bass.
At age 12 I found Metallica. At age 14 I picked up bass, and a tab book to Kill Em All because I just HAD to learn how that guy played that song. Little did I know how much seeing that tab and watching Cliff Em All would change my life. 22 years later I am still playing, and rock a misfits crimson ghost on my right shoulder...
