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Why did you start playing bass?

#321
I have always been in love with the bass since I was a little girl. I used to love funk music but didn't know what that sound was. Growing up, the songs that I liked, that were my favorite, always had some sort of bass line that stood out. I know now cause I went back and listened to the songs later and noticed this. In Jr. High I used to love Michael Jackson and Duran Duran. I had a portable tape player and used to lay on the speaker to listen to the bass in Billie Jean. In high school, despite the fact I played piano and keyboard, I used had a string tied around a yardstick and pretend to be John taylor and "play" the bass. But IDK why I didn't pick the bass instead the keys. I had a acoustic guitar that I tried learning...but there was always a piano in the house.
Several years ago, I developed a crush on a friend, who was a bass player of a local band. I noticed I was fascinated watching his fingers as he played bass. When his band broke apart, and they no longer played at the club I hung out. Three years ago I found a bass at a local flea market. Although it was pink, it was a precision bass (his was a P&J five string Squier, that had the body like a P bass), it reminded me of him. I didn't think I would ever learn to play it. It sat from like April to Oct then I finally picked it up and started playing it by ear.
When I met my current bf, Feb 2008, I was just a few months shy of just learning the bass. He was the bass player of his band. When I walked into the club he gigged at, I didn't notice him, so I didn't know he was a bassist. He didn't know I was either. He came up talking. Later, after I found out he was a bass player, I told him I was one too. Several months later, I played the bass in front of him. He seemed impressed. He is the one that gave me the opportunity to play with his band from time to time.
Ironically I do not know all the notes on the bass. I can just "feel" where the note is at. It's like automatic. He's tried showing me the number system, but I just can't seem to get that either. But I listen to the song and find it and play.
I still can't slap (gawd, he can, and I can just sit for hours listening to him slap and play) nor can I walk. He told me the other night he was going to show me how to walk the bass. I am still learning but I really think that I was born to play bass. It's a passion of mine and if you have the passion, you can do it. That is what I tell others that say "I want to play guitar or bass or drums etc". Some people, I think, was born with it. If you are passionate enough it is possible! :)
 
#322
I was playing violin in highschool jazz ensemble. Kid on guitar got hold of an upright bass and practiced it at home until one day he came to rehearsal with bass instead of guitar.

He played a walkdown segue from the intro into the head and holy cow, that was the coolest thing I ever heard. Hooked on bass from that instant.
 
#323
BegBass said:
Well, I started because I wanted to try out a musical instrument. I thought the bass would be easy because it only had four strings. Silly me. :hiding:
Click to expand...

Just thought it would be fun to play bass, be a more knowledgeable musician, and play along to some bass parts I enjoyed on recordings (CD, tape) I owned. Nothing more than that.

No "trying to get the girls" or "be like artist/hero x, y and z" or anything like that...
 
#327
SelenaBassGirl said:
I have always been in love with the bass since I was a little girl. I used to love funk music but didn't know what that sound was. Growing up, the songs that I liked, that were my favorite, always had some sort of bass line that stood out. I know now cause I went back and listened to the songs later and noticed this. In Jr. High I used to love Michael Jackson and Duran Duran. I had a portable tape player and used to lay on the speaker to listen to the bass in Billie Jean. In high school, despite the fact I played piano and keyboard, I used had a string tied around a yardstick and pretend to be John taylor and "play" the bass. But IDK why I didn't pick the bass instead the keys. I had a acoustic guitar that I tried learning...but there was always a piano in the house.
Several years ago, I developed a crush on a friend, who was a bass player of a local band. I noticed I was fascinated watching his fingers as he played bass. When his band broke apart, and they no longer played at the club I hung out. Three years ago I found a bass at a local flea market. Although it was pink, it was a precision bass (his was a P&J five string Squier, that had the body like a P bass), it reminded me of him. I didn't think I would ever learn to play it. It sat from like April to Oct then I finally picked it up and started playing it by ear.
When I met my current bf, Feb 2008, I was just a few months shy of just learning the bass. He was the bass player of his band. When I walked into the club he gigged at, I didn't notice him, so I didn't know he was a bassist. He didn't know I was either. He came up talking. Later, after I found out he was a bass player, I told him I was one too. Several months later, I played the bass in front of him. He seemed impressed. He is the one that gave me the opportunity to play with his band from time to time.
Ironically I do not know all the notes on the bass. I can just "feel" where the note is at. It's like automatic. He's tried showing me the number system, but I just can't seem to get that either. But I listen to the song and find it and play.
I still can't slap (gawd, he can, and I can just sit for hours listening to him slap and play) nor can I walk. He told me the other night he was going to show me how to walk the bass. I am still learning but I really think that I was born to play bass. It's a passion of mine and if you have the passion, you can do it. That is what I tell others that say "I want to play guitar or bass or drums etc". Some people, I think, was born with it. If you are passionate enough it is possible! :)
Click to expand...

Cool story..thanks.
 
#328
I was in the tenth grade and my brother took me to my first concert, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. I left that concert knowing I was going to play guitar. A few decades later, 4 of us at work decide we want to play together. 4 guitar players, one guy also played drums, became the drummer. Out of the three of us remaining, one guy graduated GIT and the other didn't have the ego/disposition to be a bass player. I volunteered, went to ebay and started bidding.
After a while it was down to me and one of the guitar players, we decided to form a band. I agreed to play bass until we found one,then I would switch back to guitar. Needless to say, I actually found myself liking playing the bass better. 4 years later I wouldn't give up my spot as the bass player for anything. :bassist::bassist:
 
#331
I was a freshman in high school. A friend of mine that was learning guitar knew I was in the school band playing saxophone and wanted to see if I'd be interested in trying to play bass in a band. Went to this church where another one of our friends played drums and there was a Peavey T-40 there that I tried out. After we hacked through a few tunes I was hooked.
 
#333
'cause i wanted to get ALL the booty at shows. and that's the bass player's role right? /sarcasm

i'm about 6'4", have been since i was thirteen, wanted to do a band and cover speed metal like DRI and such, picked up a guitar, thought i looked like a kid playing with a toy, got a bass and fell in love with Cliff and Les's playing.

yay being tall! the whole instrument = personality thing? i HOPE i fall under the stereotype for a bass player WAY more than a guitarist.
 
#334
I started playing bass because at my very 1st band practice in high school in 1980, we had 3 guitar players and I was the worst, plus I thought it might be interesting and it only had four strings! I went out the next week and traded my git for a Peavey T-40 bass - and that's all she wrote. I might add that I have since become a competent guitar player but bass is where it's at for me. Long live the 4 string!!
 
#335
Almost every musician I knew in high school played guitar or drums (other than the schools band members of course) Everyone needed a bass player so it was very easy for me to get people to teach me songs that I could play easily.

Then out of high school I ended up in a job with a lot of people that like to sing. I some how always just fell into singing the bass parts, it felt natural to me. The funny thing is my crew was the only crew that did this singing while working and we were blowing away production records at the place we worked. We all ended up getting decent raises as we were producing more than any other crew they had with much better quality.

So as you see, I just kind of fell into it and its been a wild ride ever since!
 
#340
I was playing trumpet in a blues band. Our Bass player got fired so we were left without a bass player, but we had a bass and an amp that belonged to the guitar player.

I played a little bit of guitar so I knew where the notes where. I said that I'd give it a shot. Trial by fire I guess. We launched into a song and it was pretty empty and gooveless without the bass.

As soon as I started to play simple root 8th notes, the floor shook and our cute lead singer started to dance. That was it for me. I went out, bought a bass and haven't looked back.
 

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