Why are you a bass player?

[Groove Doctor]

I had lessons on Piano, Euphonium, Voice, Guitar, then eventually discovered Bass. I realised later on I'd always been drawn to it.

Bass is the axis that connects melody, harmony & rhythm. You don't see the car engine, but it's what drives a car and gives it it's power.

 

[Wfrance3]

The janitor gig was taken.

 

[Fretless55]

Because I also dance well.

 

[LYNCHMAN]

i was born a bass player...i just didn't know it until i was 14 years oid.

 

[AaronVonRock]

Growing up, everyone played guitar and most were better players than me so I switched to bass.

Plus I'm 6'4" so playing bass suits me more than playing a little girly man 6-string guitar.

 

[dragon2knight]

I was a drummer for 30 years, holding down a beat is my thing. Age/injuries finally forced me to either quit music (I shudder at that thought...)or find another way to keep at it. Bass was simply the logical choice and after jumping over a few hurdles I'm well on my way to finally learning. Who'd of thunk at age 53 I'd love to learn all over again?? I wouldn't have it any other way It's a blast!

 

[Mike N]

I started on drums in 1978. By 1995 my band fizzled out and all of the local bands had drummers, but no Bass players.

I bought a Bass, taught myself how to play and 20+ years later I still suck.......

 

[Frenchy-Lefty]

Saw a guy slapping a jazz bass like a mofo in a music store in 1987 then yaddy yaddy yadda I am a middle age reggae roots bass player

 

[Adhesive_X]

used to play guitar and then I heard this album. I don't own guitars anymore...

 

[The Mogpipe]

I've been playing guitar pretty much forever. I've played trumpet semi professionally off and on since a young man. But only in the last 6 months or so have I been bitten by the bass bug where I feel like I've really connected with it, perhaps more than the other instruments. I'm not as proficient yet as with the other instruments, but working to be. I can feel the connection, but can't tell you why.

So why are you a bass player? Why bass? Why not guitar (or other)? I want to understand how others connect to it so that maybe I can figure out what's going on inside my head with this thing.

Years ago, when I was just the lead vocals in my band, the bass player quit. Lead guitarist quickly put me on course to be the bassist as well.

 

[Spidey2112]

So I can answer this question for the umpteenth time on TalkBass.

!

 

[Burwabit]

I like feeling my pants move when I play

 

[KohanMike]

Seems the last couple of days I've told this story a few times on TB. I played rhythm guitar for almost 50 years, then 5 years ago I took up the ukulele, a year later the leader of our group of about 60 seniors asked if anyone would like to take up the bass to fill in our sound. When I discovered all the bass ukes and small basses, I went for it.

 

[Hevy T]

I just love the punch that you get from the bass, especially when mixed with a good strong kick drum! Plus I love the tone of the bass. Though I have never really played guitar since the early 80s I can tell you I truly suck at it! Heck I can barely form a D chord anymore because of the stiffness and arthritis in my hands.

 

[Jebberz]

Did some piano when I was a kid, and some classic guitar in my first year in High School. I n second grade, I thought the coolest instrument was the bass or the drums. I told the teacher that I knew bass clef and the notes around a guitar neck, so he let me played bass in the Harmony Orchestra. I never stop since. Tries a bit of trumpet, guitar, harmonica, and I current play keyboard in one of my two bands, but I really feel at home when I play bass.

 

[vindibona1]

I like feeling my pants move when I play

Perhaps you should go to the bathroom before the gig starts?

 

[5StringBlues]

Mongo like candy!

 

[jpTron]

Guitar never excited me as much as hearing great bass lines or killer bass tone cutting through the mix.

 

[Pet Sounds]

Can't dance.

 

[Rice]

I truly love "the bass." Not just the power and frequencies, but the timbre of fresh roundwounds clicking against frets, the nasal sound of a J pick up blended with a P.... The sound of the instrument grabbed me. I'll never forget.... I had played guitar for about 6 months (as every 13yo kid was picking up guitar), and one night,on Headbanger's Ball, I saw Send Me Your Money by ST, and Robert Trujillo's TWO bass fills flipped my world upside down, and "I said I wanna do THAT!!" Sold all my guitar stuff and borrowed the crappy school bass until i could save up for my first real bass. The rest is history.