Why did you pick bass?

[TMBTC]

I was 13 years old when I first heard Grand Funk Railroad.... Never looked back !

 

[Petrus1849]

John Lodge was having too much fun playing in earliest & final Moody Blues. I always wanted to have fun playing like Lodge.

Hi. Why did you pick bass?

Hi. Why did you pick bass?

 

[operagost]

When I started playing, guitar players were a dime a dozen. If you were a bass player or a keyboard player and you had equipment, you could play as often as you wanted. I was both bass and keyboard, so I got to play a lot. The rest is rock and roll history.

I feel a little guilty admitting that I'm another one of these guys, but there really were only about 3 other bass players at any one time at my small high school. To be fair to myself, it's not that I was being a poseur but I wanted to play rock'n'roll and was willing to contribute however I could. I also liked the idea of playing my own melody line, if you will, below the tune as opposed to chunking away on chords. I knew it would take me way too long to play rhythm like EVH or even Malcolm Young. But I had a good ear for harmony (for a kid) and could pick out basslines from the record (I am old) or "write" my own on originals or reading piano parts.

 

[Tunk]

High school tuba / sousaphone player, but guitar was SO cool. When I arrived on campus at college, I asked who were the bluegrass players on campus. I got names and went to jam so I could impress them with my guitar skills. That lasted one song. The REAL guitar player asked if I had ever played bass. He had a 68 Precision and a Bassman amp. I agreed to learn. Two weeks later, doing bar gigs two nights a week and knew two sets worth of songs and tunes. Later the electric turned into the upright and here I am, 50 some years later, still gigging with two bands and loving it.

 

[BandAide]

Hi. Why did you pick bass?

I started out as a guitar player when I was 6 years old, and in about 8th grade, I noticed that no one was playing bass, 45 years later, I'm still playing bass.

 

[Joejobass]

 

[Squittolo]

In 1989, when I was 14 I was a huge fan of Anthrax, and one night I've had a dream where Frank Bello gave to me as a gift the bass that was playing at the time (as in the picture).. of course, the very next day I went to my local music store to buy a similar model black bass..

 

[TheBassmaster27]

1. All my friends play guitar, so I wanted to do something else.
2. In the monetary aspect, there's less bass players in my area.
3. I suck at guitar. It took me months to play a song all the way through on guitar. On bass, I could play a song all the way through proficiently the first day I had it. Actually a couple songs......

 

[DarkShark]

Heard Dee Murry play and saw his Precision Bass. Wanted to play just like him. Then saw Entwistle, Squire and Sultan and knew I was on the right track.

 

[Fuzzbass]

I was a huge Beatles fan as a little kid in the 60's. Eventually I realized that the funny little guitar played by Paul McCartney was responsible for all those amazingly cool low melodies. So, as a 70's teen, when my brother and I decided to pick up instruments, I immediately chose bass.



I also liked a quote I read from Suzi Quatro around that time (her Rolling Stone cover interview, I believe): "Guitar is for the head, drums are for the chest, bass gets you in the groin".

 

[robbie1973]

Because nobody dances to guitar, nobody!
Truth is, in middle school we got to choose orchestra instruments and percussion was taken and there was no way I was playing a violin or cello as they weren’t cool enough for me haha... so I chose upright bass... I was terrible, but enjoyed the sound.
I bought a couple guitars and I never really enjoyed them, finally bought a bass and just fell in love with it. I’m still a hack, but I’m happy every time I olay

 

[Karlson541]

Played guitar, tried a bass, loved the sound and feel of it, answered an add for a band seeking a bass player, bass took over guitar as my main instrument.

 

[The Mad Zak]

Hi. Why did you pick bass?

I am proud to say I am not a "failed guitarist" (sorry guys). I am not someone who wanted to play guitar but switched to bass when my teenage band couldn't find a bass player. I started playing trombone in grade school. My sister is six years older than me. She was a cheerleader and my mom would take me to high school football games. When the band played I really liked a few songs that featured the trombone. I really dug the tenor tone and the low end.

As a sophomore in high school I met a guitar player. He said he wanted to form a band and asked me if I could play bass. I agreed. I never wanted to play guitar. At the time I was actually saving up money to buy a drum set. I liked the idea of playing bass because I already had the musical mindset of those lower frequency instruments and counter melodies to compliment trumpets and flutes in marching and concert band. I guess I was just made to be a low ender.

 

[brfm]

I am now in my 60s, and finally got my first bass - a 1990 Ibanez SR400. Ever since the 60s I have always tuned into the bass when I have gone to concerts and listen to music. The bass hits my heart, and it can sound like a heart beating. I love its undercurrent role in compositions. The bass expresses me. I also love to hear melody parts on it.

 

[MikeD]

Because even in my teens I had more 'cool' - and less ego - than guitar players.

 

[dedindi]

i borned guitar player.
have started play bass in bands.
too much perfect guitarists, but real problem is to find a good bassman =)

 

[rocklee]

I started out playing the trombone. But I constantly found myself playing the bass parts to the funk and disco songs at that time. When I saw a the instrument that was responsible for making those sounds, that was it for me!!!

 

[rlro]

Andy Fraser and Steve Harris are the ones to blame

 

[Pierre Boucher]

I'm 68. At 17 took the bass for what it is in a blues/rock band. Few years later, put music down. Few decades later, I met the magic of Big Mama, the upright bass. Since, I'm in love.

No bass (any kind)? No groove, no ambiance, no mood.

 

[Swingin]

I’m a tuba player and when I was in grad school I thought that if I could double on bass guitar that I might actually have a chance to get more gigs. I’d also really wanted to play it for years prior but for reasons I don’t remember I never took the plunge then.

So glad I finally did! It’s really opened up my musical world, and yes I have gotten many more performing opportunities because of it. I’ve met a lot of great people too.