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When Did You Consider Yourself a Bassist?

#22
I did my first gig about a month (or maybe less) after starting the bass. It was a really fun gig, and I considered myself a bass player from that time forward.
 
#23
When I first played bass for a band over twenty years ago, I was bold enough to think I was a bassplayer. Little did I know how little I knew back then. Today I can either just play bass, or play bass & sing backups, or play bass, and sing the lead. And every time I play, I realize that I will always be a learner on this great instrument - and therein lies the true beauty in playing music in my humble opinion.
 
#25
I played guitar for 15 years, rarely gigging and always thinking I wasn't good enough ( yeah psyched out, I was even teaching jazz guitar and I could play well, in retrospect). I picked up a bass and played in a jam session, then borrowed one and started a band 'playing a bassplayer on stage' but not really being one. I bought a bass and learned it gigging on stage, even some pit stuff.

Sooo.... that day has yet to come, or on the other hand happened the day I picked up a bass twenty years ago..
 
#28
When you've committed to one or more other musicians to be the bass player in an ensemble, and have been accepted as such, then that's what you are. You don't have to be Bootsie Collins or Geddy Lee. You don't have to have a rig of doom or a Warwick Thumb. When other musicians are counting on you to put the bomp in the bomp bomp bomp.... then you're the man. Embrace it. Enjoy it. Dig it.
 
#29
Sort of a loaded question, but Ill take a stab at it.

Well I guess for me, I always considered myself a "Bass-Player". Sure I can play a song, pretty good quite often. but for the longest time I didnt really even know the fret board, (E string 3rd fret, then A string 7th fret kinda stuff; not 'G' up to 'E') yet I could play the hell outta (___name_that__) song. Plus, I knew a few handy techniques, (not afraid to grab a pick) I had decent ear, had pretty good sense of time and rhythm..

So to shorten a long story;

I kinda reserved the term "Bassist" for those that know enough theory to apply to the Bass and also can convey those musical ideas such as rhythm, harmony, melody; Guys/Gals who know chords (in all keys, or know how to figure them out quickly) and know about quality of chord tones...Those whom can solo when called apon, know about "Tension/Resolution" and the like. Those who can CREATE music, not just cop it. to me that is a Bassist.

so even tough I dont have all my theroy knowledge down, (will I ever?, seems like the tunnel never ends..) after many years -of sometimes failing; and sometimes fronting.- I am most recently considering myself a true Bassist.

though its kinda an eye of the beholder deal in a lot of aspects.

I can sing, but Im not a singer.
I can play drums, but I am not a drummer..

I can play a Bass, but now, yeah.. I do consider myself a bassist ('cept for maybe them solo's.. still working on that aspect lol :D)
 
#30
jeff arddun said:
I'd been playing two or three years and I told my teacher I couldn't wait 'till I was a "real" bass player. Without missing a beat he said I was a real bass player....just not a very good one yet.
Click to expand...

True enough. It's the same thing with being famous. All that means is that people know who you are. In college, I was famous in the music building. Granted, there was only one person crazy enough to play electric bass in the marching band...


jeff arddun said:
That's a satisfying milestone to reach ain't it?
Click to expand...

Not so much in the "I've worked hard to get here, and now here I am!" vein as much as the "Wow, why haven't I done this sooner?" vein. There's always more to learn, which I tend to focus on more than the accomplishments I've already done.
 
#36
i was actually a guitarist... i just wanted to be a shredmaster... seriously.... just melt faces with screaming guitar solos...

then i played bass for some band that needed a bass, i was keen to be more on stage and they were gigging, so i used a bass guitar that they provided, wrote stuff for them and jammed with them, and bass really took off!! and for some reason i saw the light...

now il never go back!!

Hooray for bass!
 
#37
When you play in a band and create your own bass lines... Or simply as soon you pick up the bass and starts playing, and do it on a regular basis.
For me it happened when I joined a noise rock band that needed a bassist. I had only played guitar before, but started right away creating bass lines for the songs they got. As it wasn't too complicated song structures and I had been playing the guitar before it came quite easy to me.
 

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