Why did you pick up the bass?

[GnarwhalNick]

I was in a "band" in the 8th grade where I was the electric guitarist, and we had an acoustic guitarist and a drummer. That was it lol. Instead of looking for a bassist, I decided that I felt like looking into it, and now 5 or 6 years later and I haven't looked back. No regrets, I couldn't be happier. Obviously, we've all grown out of that musical ignorance we had going in middle school, and now that drummer is my guitarist and split frontman, and the acoustic guitar player is playing electric guitar in his own metal project. My music is taking off because of it, and I couldn't be happier.

 

[madmatt]

My cousin plays drums and said, "Hey, get a bass!"
The rest is history...

 

[JIO]

Oh, I forgot another hurtle. My dad made me a case made of 3/4" plywood. It had red velvet padded lining and vinyl contact paper on the outside that looked like wood. It looked great, but it literally weighed a ton w/o the bass. I carried it miles to lessons, stopping every 50 ft to switch hands. In winter. In the midwest. Luckily I didn't take lessons for too long and was mostly self taught. If I still had that bass in that case it would be a monument to the inner flame of my wanting to play bass.

 

[Mete]

Normally when people that think bass is a usess instrument ask
"why you're even playing bass ?"
i reply them
"Im a prophet of god, he thougt me all these stuff in a night"

Since im on this great forum here is the story ;

I played classic (i mean with techniques all that songs from manuel de falla, isaac albeniz, bach etc... Heitor villa lobos actually kicked my arse not simple rhythm, chords & singing) for 4 years after i watched victor wooten by chance on youtube. I got a fender V squier jazz bass, i continued for classic and bass for 2 years, now i'm playing bass for 4 years left the classic learning 2 years ago, man i love the bass.

 

[treekiller]

I don't think you ever choose to play bass, it chooses you......

Ok, here's my tale: I took piano lessons as a kid but when the chance to start band in the 5th grade I switched to trumpet. after about a year the band teacher(who was an old jazz guy) switched me to baritone. Yeah, it was just about as cool as it sounds..... Fast forward to my senior year, I got an accoustic guitar for an early graduation present. I played and played and eventually got my first(really crappy) electric. After years and years(and some much nicer guitars later) I could never quite get soloing and playing lead. I had always gravitated to playing rythym and(unknowingly at first) bass parts. Finally a few years ago a friend had a Squier P for sale and I realized this was what I had really been trying to do all along!!! Now I have 3 other(nicer) Fenders, I play in a really fun cover band and life is wonderful.......

 

[Upright4]

I agree with treekiller, that the bass chooses you.

I started playing in garage bands in the early 60's when I was in elementary school. (A typical lineup would be something like three or four department store guitars, a cheap drum set held together with duct tape, a sax, and an accordion - those were the days.) I played a Harmony guitar I bought at a pawn shop. Playing in a band was, like, me, but still I felt that all those little, skinny strings were not my thing.

Then one day we were jamming in my mother's living room, and a guy brought in a bass guitar. It was a Teisco, and was missing the G string. I saw it and instantly knew that bass was for me. Over time I tried different basses. Eventually I got a Precision with heavy flat wounds, and was home.

In my twenties, I bought an old Kay upright, and began taking music classes at a community college. Looking back, I believe I didn't make a conscious decision to play upright. Rather, it was like there was an upright player in me that came out.