I started out trying to play guitar. I have to say, the one thing that really sticks out in my mind now that I'm looking back is something my friend, Michael, said to me. We worked together at a grocery store back in high school. He played bass, and I remember talking to him about music right after I started playing guitar. During our conversation, he said to me, "Everybody and their brother plays guitar, but you hardly ever find a good bass player." But, I didn't pay too much attention to what he said at the time. I was locked in to learning the guitar. Then, I heard Pino Palladino play. I was absolutely mesmerized and I bought my first bass very shortly after. I've been playing bass ever since, and I have more fun in a day of playing bass than I did in years of playing guitar. Michael was a smart man, I was just too dumb and closed minded to realize it at the time.
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Why did you pick up the bass?
- Thread starter bassgod76
- Start date
Ok so i always had wanted to play guitar. I always watched my brother play since i was a wee little lad and thought it was cool.
So never persuing anything musical i started working for the same brother scraping grease :/ After working for him for about a month he owed me $250 and couldnt afford to pay me. So as an act of "charity" i told him id call it even, if he gave me the old BC Rich warlock bass he had sitting in his closet.
Now almost 2 years later, music and bass has become my life lol.
So never persuing anything musical i started working for the same brother scraping grease :/ After working for him for about a month he owed me $250 and couldnt afford to pay me. So as an act of "charity" i told him id call it even, if he gave me the old BC Rich warlock bass he had sitting in his closet.
Now almost 2 years later, music and bass has become my life lol.
I began on piano, but I had a lot of difficulty with the bass clef.... so I thought, I'll take up bass to see if that helps!
Now I'm too good at bass to switch back to piano.....
Now I'm too good at bass to switch back to piano.....
why i picked up a bass... i love listening to music, so one day, i was in a music store, see a used bass for 100 and just said, "what the hell" i bought that, and thats how i started.
scottbass
Bass lines like a big, funky giant
McCartney. Nowhere Man. The first time I heard that song on a good stereo the bass line popped into my skull and never left. I took the top 2 strings off my crummiest guitar, tuned the others down an octave and went to town on that floppy-stringed short scale. (I was 10 years old and had access to TWO cheap acoustic guitars!) Saved my money, bought a real bass, the rest is history. Well, my history, anyway...
i chose the "none of the above" poll option....
i first picked up the bass during a demo session my band was doing waaay back when....our bassist wasn't a reader and it was much easier and faster(time is money) to play the part myself than try to communicate it to him....
i first picked up the bass during a demo session my band was doing waaay back when....our bassist wasn't a reader and it was much easier and faster(time is money) to play the part myself than try to communicate it to him....
I heard Hysteria 
I found guitars to sound kind of thin, almost fragile. The bass just sounded a lot more pleasing to my ears.
So I spent every day playing basslines on an accoustic guitar for a year and a half until I could afford a (decent) bass (I didn't want no squier).
I found guitars to sound kind of thin, almost fragile. The bass just sounded a lot more pleasing to my ears.
So I spent every day playing basslines on an accoustic guitar for a year and a half until I could afford a (decent) bass (I didn't want no squier).
My friend and neighbor who is a guitar teacher was having a concert with all of his students. They had a drummer lined up and needed a bass player. I've played guitar for years and had a Fender Bass VI in my closet and I offered to lend a hand.
From there my friend, the drummer and I former a little jam trio and I've since upgraded to a Jazz... and a P... and... Link Removed
From there my friend, the drummer and I former a little jam trio and I've since upgraded to a Jazz... and a P... and... Link Removed
An R&B bass player I really respected told me in high school:
"There just aren't enough good bass players out there. If you like to play music, stick with the bass, you'll always have a place to play."
I'm in a 3 guitar band and when our bass player would be gone, we would bring in an outside bass player to fill the spot. So as the rythme guy , I said I would do it. So I bought a cheap Peavy, I just played root notes and it was ok. Then one gig was just our singer/keys, lead guitar and me on bass, so we did something different. All right now by Free. I had a blast and started taking lessons, wife bought me a nice Schecter and I found another band to play bass in. I'm not a real bass player yet, but I'm sure working on it and having fun. I'm hooked.
I picked up bass and was content with it until I saw a video of Ed Friedland demoing the Musicman Bongo 6. What had me hooked was the slap. I thought that was the shiz. From that day I refused to play any other instrument.
Literally because it was there~ my high school had an excellent Aria Jazz Bass and a huge Fender Super Bassman amp and the only bass player around had just graduated the year before.
I saw a Fender ad for the Strat and Precision Special in the 80s and drooled.
I heard Sting with the Police, Jaco Pastorius with Weather Report and Abraham Laboriel with Lee Ritenour.
Someone was selling a 1966 Precision Bass kind of locally, to finance a double bass purchase.
Mum was in a generous mood.
The rest, as they say...
I heard Sting with the Police, Jaco Pastorius with Weather Report and Abraham Laboriel with Lee Ritenour.
Someone was selling a 1966 Precision Bass kind of locally, to finance a double bass purchase.
Mum was in a generous mood.
The rest, as they say...
I grew up with Mark Kramer. He was teaching me how to play bass, guitar and keyboards. I got off on this motocross passion/motorcycle racing mission that lasted 37 years. Dropped music completely during that time except for a small DJ thing I do. Mark went on to be somebody and I'm still riding dirt bikes(Ha!). Always loved the bass. So Jan 2010..I am learning to play. Studying music. I figure before I am dead I will actually be able to play with others.
Peter Tork now that's funny!
I took it up because my very cute girlfriend said that they needed a bassist in the school orchestra. I took an upright home and immediately tried to play the walking Peter Gunn theme.
At lunch at school my girl and I were supposed to practice basically made out in the music room. This set my music career back about 15 minutes.
Did I mention that she played first cello and all girls wore miniskirts in those days.
That was 45 years ago.
Have the bass, don't have the girl.
I took it up because my very cute girlfriend said that they needed a bassist in the school orchestra. I took an upright home and immediately tried to play the walking Peter Gunn theme.
At lunch at school my girl and I were supposed to practice basically made out in the music room. This set my music career back about 15 minutes.
Did I mention that she played first cello and all girls wore miniskirts in those days.
That was 45 years ago.
Have the bass, don't have the girl.
