Why did you start playing bass?

[cioppo]

I heard Cliff

 

[bassolp]

I started playing bass because I was made for her

loll

 

[Reaper Man]

have an excuse to hang out with my father more

 

[R. Laevinus]

I got into music because I had just A: dropped out of college, B: had my fiancé run off with another guy two weeks before the ceremony, and C: had just re-entered the world of legitimate employment *cough cough*.

So I figured I could use a reinvention of self, and what better way to do that than to start a kick-*** rock band?

Obvious problem being, I didn't play an instrument.

I was shopping for a guitar that fateful night, actually, but when I walked into the shop and saw that four-string on the wall, I knew she had to come home with me, and she did. At the time, all I knew about bass was that it was bigger than a guitar - and size matters, amirite?

I learned.

 

[jawzzz]

I finally listened to what my friends and family were telling me to do for years and bought a bass. I have since sold all of guitar gear and focus solely on bass. Like a lot of people here, I never realized how many cool bass lines there are in so many of my favorite songs( I too had them confused with guitar....doh!). I stuck with bass because i found it more challenging to play than guitar and it just feels better to me.

 

[cruzois]

HMMM....Beatles on Ed Sullivan,CKLW radio out of Detroit(The Hook),Beach Boys(that BIG guitar is WAY cooler than the little ones,and.....oh yeah..chicks. Then it was on to Wyman,Bruce,Redding,Jemmott(w/BB),Radle and on and on for almost 45 years.

 

[Mayers]

I started playing bass because :
1) My mother played classical guitar
2) I really like the 3rd voice that the bass add to the song.

 

[SoulReflection]

In my case, I wanted to entertain. But, I found I was less skilled in anything else.

I actually got away with it...for a while...

 

[Biffa]

I just LOVE Bass, pure and simple

 

[gln1955]

Bass is my natural instrument. I was just in denial for nearly 40 years and kept playing guitar.

 

[Oddly]

I'm a living cliche.
Friends in school wanted to start a band as a way to get girls.
Two guys already had some basic guitar skills...and actual guitars.
One guy reckoned he could do drums as he liked hitting stuff.
Me? I took the intelligent approach that bass had to be easier...4 strings, no chords, yes please. Also, it's cooler.

No regrets here.

 

[danesdad]

I listened to Black Sabbaths "Paranoid" album. That day I knew what my destiny was. That said, if it was really my destiny, you'd think I'd be better at it.

 

[pappabass]

I played a little guitar, banjo, keys, & horn. Bass was my 1st love but it just took some time for us to find each other!

 

[StyleOverShow]

Played guitar and sax in high school. While in college was offered audition as bass. Took job and six months in I realized what a great spot in rhythm section bass occupies. Never looked back.....Just started playing guitar again btw

 

[2saddleslab]

The role as bass player suits my personality. Never wanted to be center of attention, but sure wanted to be standing next to whoever was.

 

[seilerbird]

Paul

 

[Harold Runyan]

I didn’t take up the bass until I was almost 59 years old. My wife was/is the pianist for our church praise team. She was lamenting the fact that the bassist had quit. I told her I would give it a go since I had just retired and needed yet another hobby. I’m 64 now and have become a fair to midlin bassist. Always a prog rock type of guy who loved the bass lines in that type of music, I’ve shown amazing restraint when playing the contemporary christian genre! I used to supervise technicians for a petroleum control lab and as such was able to work on instrumentation. I’ve become very good at rescuing old basses in need of some TLC. I’ve “helped” Warwicks, Fenders, American Peaveys, Carvins, Ibanez, Laklands, a surprisingly fantastic Westone, among others. I’m currently trying to rectify some poor decisions someone made on a mid 70’s Musicmaster Bass. My problem is I’m increasingly reluctant to sell them once I’ve put them right! I just finished up a Lakland Skyline I don’t really want to return to the owner!

 

[Pizza1988]

Went to a buddies house in high school who was supposed to teach me guitar. Saw his bass. I told him nah I wanna play THAT. Sure I still picked up guitar through the years, along with drums, keyboards, DAW studio stuff, and DJing, but I really only play bass anymore. It is my #1. The other stuff is still fun but I love playing bass.

Ulitmately, I think the bass lines in motown and 70's music are what I fell so hard for

 

[lz4005]

When I was in jr high I started playing bass because one note at a time made sense to me. I had played alto sax in elementary school and couldn't wrap my head around the idea of mentally processing up to 6 notes at a time to play chords. I hadn't considered chords as shapes and that you didn't necessarily need to know the names of every note you were playing at all times.

 

[ThudThudThud]

A family friend gave me a 12 string guitar, and a bass amp. Then offered to sell me a Kay EB-3 style bass for $25 (this was the mid-70s). Another friend at the time was learning guitar, and encouraged me to play bass.