Who started it all for you?

[millsbass5]

Gene $immons and John McVey of F/Mac.

 

[Ric Fish]

After hearing "My Name Is Mud" by Primus I knew I wanted to play bass. Les Claypool is my biggest inspiration.

 

[BassLife77]

Link Removed

 

[hotrodjohn]

For me it was the neighborhood kids. A band was starting and they needed a bass player. Not one to be left out of the fun, I went out and bought a Fender Mustang with racing stripes and taught myself to play by ear. I was 14. 35 years later - I'm still going strong!

 

[sgtpepper]

I believe this is the first mention to this guy:

Alex Katunich aka Dirk Lance
Are You In? - Morning View

And of course, Sir Paul McCartney.

 

[Jmustern]

I played Alto sax for 2 years and guitar and played that in my schools jazz band when my director said we needed a bass player so without any expirience I played in there with a peavey struggling of cource and was alternating with a guy on keyboard emulating a bass when one day I was listening to The Beatles and The Allman Brothers Band and listened to the bass lines in some of their songs and later became top bassist in my orcesstra and jazz band, trying not to glout. Just Paul Mccartney and Oteil can have an impact

 

[SystolicDub]

Hearing Bill Laswell stuff from the mid 90's in highschool. Like Material and his solo dub stuff.

 

[rymiraflores]

For me it was listening to Felix´s bass on Theme for an imaginery Western and Nantucket Sleighride, you don´t even have to listen to the rest of the band....his bass lines are a complete symphony..... then Andy Fraser on Mr. Big and Gary Thain on Sweet Freedom...still my 3 biggest influences...thanks guys !

 

[champbassist]

Without a shadow of doubt:

Sting!!!

 

[MN_Bass]

Les Claypool when I was 11 caught my interest, Eerie Von of Danzig got me to pick it up when I was 16, and Larry Taylor (Canned Heat & Tom Waits) made me want to learn more about tone and blues etc.

 

[dls59]

Danny Partridge.

Actually, it was definitely McCartney.

 

[oswaldvon]

there is no singel person, band or moment in time that made be pick up the bass, to be honest i never thought about myself as a musician, i'm more of a guy who is obssesed with listening, discussing and reading about music who happens to play instruments.
i grew up in a extreamly non musical home, the first band that got me stoked on music was kiss and a couple of years later i began listen to punk rock, since then i have expanded my musical horizon to include favorite bands from a wide array of genres and sub genres.
when i was 15 my brother got a guitar for his birthday and i started to borrow it when i was bored, my brother showed me how to play power chords and taught me the name of the notes on the fretboard, he quit playing guitar after less then a year of lessons so he gave the guitar to me.
after playing guitar for a year i picked up the bass to play in a punk band with two of my friends.
since then i have learned some theory and note reading, fooled around with guitar, bass and to some extent drums and screaming, but i guess that bass is my weapon of choice.
I've always liked to listen to music more then playing it, although i've played and writen music in a bunch of original bands my favorite thing about playing an instrument has always been to copy other peoples playing and to learn tunes note by note.

 

[thudstaff23]

Flea. I heard the Chili Peppers' cover of Higher Ground and that was it for me.

+1. I enjoy all of the later, non-slap material even more.

 

[frankstallone]

I started b/c I wanted to play music with my friends but it was Jamerson that made me realize that I made the right decision.

 

[s_mcsleazy]

jj burnell

but when i was younger i had a strong connection to reggae and ska music

 

[TylerDurdenPSSC]

Che Chang.

'Nuff said.

 

[theduke1]

When my friends wanted to start a band I was going to be a drummer, but having a single mom in the 60's the money was not there for durms. I found a Silvertone bass and matching amp for $75.00 and although it cost my mom 1 weeks pay in 1965 I got my first bass. My mom passed away 21 years ago, so as I tell this tale I will end it with this line. " Helen, wherever you are, weather you know it or not, you did good!"

 

[rockstarbassist]

Claypool. I'd played concert piano and trumpet growing up and bought an electric to try and learn "Nothing Else Matters" and once I kinda did I put up the guitar for a while and about 2 years later I saw the Woodstock '94 VHS and couldn't believe bass could be played like that.
Instantly went out and got a cheap Peavey and learned as much Primus as possible. S'why "lesser" "first bass player heros" don't really do much for me...

 

[sgtpepper]

When my friends wanted to start a band I was going to be a drummer, but having a single mom in the 60's the money was not there for durms. I found a Silvertone bass and matching amp for $75.00 and although it cost my mom 1 weeks pay in 1965 I got my first bass. My mom passed away 21 years ago, so as I tell this tale I will end it with this line. " Helen, wherever you are, weather you know it or not, you did good!"

You had a great mom, my friend.
I really like your story.

 

[byronkowalski]

Claypool. "The Awakening" in particular, i thought it was the coolest thing id ever seen, might wstill be actually.