Every band has one, it’s only got four strings, how hard could it be?
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Why bass?
- Thread starter Dlew919
- Start date
My buddies were forming a band. They were guitar & drums.
I said I want to play guitar too. They said no, we need a bass now.
I said "what's a bass". 30 years & counting now.
I said I want to play guitar too. They said no, we need a bass now.
I said "what's a bass". 30 years & counting now.
When I was 15 I heard Duff McKagan playing on the song Rocket Queen and that inspired me to buy a bass and start learning. Prior to that I'd always been drawn to the grooves and riffs in the lower frequencies, but never really thought about playing bass.
I liked how the bass sounded in Queen, Led Zeppelin, and other 70s rock stuff. I eventually started learning guitar a few years after playing bass but I never enjoyed it as much.
Even though the vast majority of the music I listen to is dominated by distorted electric guitars, I never really enjoyed using effects pedals and stuff when I play guitar. I like how bass doesn't really need any effects to sound good.
Even though the vast majority of the music I listen to is dominated by distorted electric guitars, I never really enjoyed using effects pedals and stuff when I play guitar. I like how bass doesn't really need any effects to sound good.
Short version:
Suzie Quatro's groin, midwestern thunderstorms, and a certain nostalgia for the sound of artillery.
The longer version is more factual but less poetical.
Me lika da BRRRRRRRrrrrr.
Suzie Quatro's groin, midwestern thunderstorms, and a certain nostalgia for the sound of artillery.
The longer version is more factual but less poetical.
Me lika da BRRRRRRRrrrrr.
I was the last in my family (3 older siblings) to pick up an instrument. The family joke was was that I “played the radio.” Which I really did; I got a dual-cassette boombox for Christmas when I was 5 and would sit with it by the wall outlet with my headphones, waiting for good songs to come on the radio so I could tape them.
I “finally” went for a year of classical guitar lessons when I was 11 (sisters all started around 8-9 I think), which I found interesting enough. In the early to mid-90’s everything I was hearing on the radio was thick with multiple guitar parts and heavy chords. From the liner notes there seemed to be something called a “lead” guitar, sounded like a health hazard that the EPA would not approve of. For a kid it was hard to tell what was what, and how the heck to make those sounds. But I could hear clearly what Jason Newstead was doing on the intros to the songs on the black album, and what Flea was doing on...everything. Easier for the ear to latch on to those one-note-at-a-time things, and I thought “I’d like to make that sound.” So I switched to electric bass at 12 and that was that, although I continued to specialize in those “single note” type guitar bits, which seemed to give me extra status in young-teenage-musician land as the kid who could actually play arpeggios (think “everybody hurts” or “strange currencies”). I was certainly not thinking about being an affable team player at age 12
I “finally” went for a year of classical guitar lessons when I was 11 (sisters all started around 8-9 I think), which I found interesting enough. In the early to mid-90’s everything I was hearing on the radio was thick with multiple guitar parts and heavy chords. From the liner notes there seemed to be something called a “lead” guitar, sounded like a health hazard that the EPA would not approve of. For a kid it was hard to tell what was what, and how the heck to make those sounds. But I could hear clearly what Jason Newstead was doing on the intros to the songs on the black album, and what Flea was doing on...everything. Easier for the ear to latch on to those one-note-at-a-time things, and I thought “I’d like to make that sound.” So I switched to electric bass at 12 and that was that, although I continued to specialize in those “single note” type guitar bits, which seemed to give me extra status in young-teenage-musician land as the kid who could actually play arpeggios (think “everybody hurts” or “strange currencies”). I was certainly not thinking about being an affable team player at age 12
My three favorite bands in junior high (1980) were the Beatles, the Police, and Rush. Given that, the question was how could I not become a bass player?
At age 8, at my first violin lesson, my teacher saw my long fingers, and told me "you should play bass". I was not interested - "bass" meant that huge thing that would be hell to get on and off the bus, so I ignored that advice. But a dozen years later, in college, when I realized that you could shake things and play music, while having somewhat portable gear, I bought my first bass - a Ric 4001. The rest is history.
I love music, and the power that comes with playing a loud low frequency instrument. Bass it is.
I love music, and the power that comes with playing a loud low frequency instrument. Bass it is.
Began with an electronic organ, continued with synthesizer, had a failed detour at acoustic guitar + ukulele because of my fingers not really getting guitar frets and landing on electric bass at least.
Thought it would be easier to play because more space for fingers... and I already had experience with organ's chords....boy, was I wrong.
I've always loved stringed instruments, but it was a long way before I even discovered bass guitars exist so I found my niche here, so to speak. Besides, as a deaf of hearing person, I've always felt drawn to bass tones more - nice thumps and all that jazz.
I am keeping learning bass because it's interesting, challenging and at times it makes me want to hurl my bass into wall when I am frustrated with my inability of following the bass line.
And the bliss when I finally lock in with the drummer or when I have that aha moment about playing particular segment that was mocking me before. Wins and losses, but mostly wins.
And it's therapeutic to take time and just jam the frustrations of the day out if I have a bad day.
Thought it would be easier to play because more space for fingers... and I already had experience with organ's chords....boy, was I wrong.
I've always loved stringed instruments, but it was a long way before I even discovered bass guitars exist so I found my niche here, so to speak. Besides, as a deaf of hearing person, I've always felt drawn to bass tones more - nice thumps and all that jazz.
I am keeping learning bass because it's interesting, challenging and at times it makes me want to hurl my bass into wall when I am frustrated with my inability of following the bass line.
And the bliss when I finally lock in with the drummer or when I have that aha moment about playing particular segment that was mocking me before. Wins and losses, but mostly wins.
And it's therapeutic to take time and just jam the frustrations of the day out if I have a bad day.
Kinda fell into it after i had to stop drumming. Like it was said before, when i listen to music i always love the drum and bass combination. It's the bass that make people dance, not the guitar 
I've always been drawn to pretty much every instrument out there. I began with the drums, then the piano, then the violin, then the trumpet, then the kalimba (I know - weird choice), then the guitar, and I was absolutely terrible at all of them. Then I picked up the bass and found out I could at least be mediocre at something.
Because my mother wouldn't let me get a drum kit. She said the neighbors would sue us if I did. My brother had a bass, so when he wasn't home, I'd sneak into his room and play it. Then when I moved out, got my own, and here I am, a drummer trapped in a bassist's body.
I played drums, piano, and classical guitar, but I liked the 60s hippy-dippy bass lines I heard in all my favourite tracks. So I stuck with it.
I could only afford two lessons and I wanted to gig, so I picked bass. Nah, kidding. I wanted to play bass when I was in high school, but never did. I was 1st chair trumpet, so had plenty to do in school with trumpet. Joined the Army and there was a lot of down time. Started out with a guitar, but was having trouble with the F G, F GG barre chords in "Distant Early Warning", gave up and bought a bass. We needed a bass anyways.
Severe writer's block
A shift from treble to bass,
A new voice is found.
A shift from treble to bass,
A new voice is found.
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Clearly you have expectations that have not been met.
At the very least we should explore why you fail to understand the proliferation of the threads. What's wrong with proliferating the threads?
