Why did you start playing bass?

[ursusaltered]

Two words: Les Claypool

 

[I-play-bass]

I started because my brother started playing guitar. I was lucky, because it's definitely my natural instrument, and reflects my personality pretty well. Backline most of the time, loud and upfront when I feel like it.

 

[Dincrest]

I played baritone/euphonium in the school band from 5th- 9th grade. In 5th grade, I wanted to either play drums or trumpet. I couldn't quite grasp drumming technique and could not get a sound out of a trumpet mouthpiece. I could get a sound out of a baritone horn mouthpiece, so I ended up playing that.

During my years in the school band as a bass clef instrumentalist, I learned to absolutely adore bass parts. And whenever kids around me would talk about wanting to play guitar and be rock stars, I always wanted to play bass.

I had a love/hate relationship with music during those school band years. After 9th grade, I quit the school band because I had a massive personality clash with the band directors. So in 10th grade, I got myself an after school job, saved up for a bass at a nearby mom 'n pop music store, took private lessons there... and I haven't looked back since. If I'm any good at bass, it's because of the wise gent who taught me. He was my Yoda and I learned very well under him about bass, life, music appreciation...

I know wind players feel that "mojo" of blowing the breath of their souls through their instruments, but that wasn't me. I love being a string player, especially bass because it's an instrument I can "hug." Playing bass just feels so right to me. It's part of my identity. I could never play guitar. The tiny necks feel like twigs in my hands and my hands get all crowded on the strings.

I'm 41 now. I'm nowhere near as good as I should be. There were lengthy periods of time when I stopped playing, but something always happened to inspire me to put the bass back in my hands.

 

[pawnshopbill]

I got tired of moving my drums.

 

[Slevage]

I felt it was the least I could do.

 

[Jon Lars]

I grew up listening to rock on the AM radio in the early '60's. Then my dad built a Heathkit receiver and the FM broadcasts of those same songs were a revelation. There's a whole 'nother frequency band in all those songs! My focus on the bass began.
Old enough to buy my own records, my first were Led Zeppelin II, CSN&Y Deja Vu, and Country Joe and the Fish. Cranked that stereo up to the irritation of my dad.
When an opportunity came along to contribute to a band I took the chance, bought a bass, and started this bass-playing life.

 

[Chrisk-K]

To join Talkbass

 

[Evan Ciambrone]

Because I don't like guitarists (generally)

And I still don't

 

[giacomobass]

I guess I just liked the sound of it.

 

[MCDufour]

I just love bass. Always have. And pretty sure I always will.
Took me 41 years to finally decide to learn it for real!

 

[brlottermann]

I was 12, and my family just moved us from Virginia to Singapore with two-weeks notice. I went from a small elementary school to a 3000-kid middle/high school and was totally lost in the masses. I noticed that a lot of people played guitar or drums, but nobody played the BASS. So I begged my parents to get me a bass guitar for Christmas that year so I could make some friends at this new school. Sure enough, within a couple weeks I had found my group of musicians/new friends, and we were covering Linkin Park and the White Stripes. It worked!

 

[bassbrad]

Punishment. Really. I already played cello for two years and guitar too but got caught playing bass lines on a string bass in orchestra class having the class guess the song when the new instructor was late for the first day of class. He said 'oh good we have a bass player after all', 'No' I said 'I play cello', he said 'we already have plenty cello players and I need a bass player so please stay on bass'. Same sad story. I played string bass in school, guitar in pro bands outside school that most of my schoolmates had no idea about. Years later I was to realize what good fortune that would turn out being.

 

[Andy Daventry]

Once I figured out it was a bass guitar, I knew it was for me. All credit to Dee Murray his work on that album is phenomenal.

All hail Dee Murray. It was his playing on "Don't shoot me" that got me started.

 

[twinjet]

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...

Women. I'm also lousy at anything that isn't music.

 

[Jazzish]

Chris Squire. Grateful I got to meet him and get his nod of approval when he came to one of our shows.

 

[Seashore]

For recording. At first it was only to fill out my guitar riffs, but I started taking the bass parts more and more seriously, wound up joining bands on bass here and there, and now it's my main instrument. I love guitar and I'm more fluent with it, but the challenges and tonal possibilities of bass inspire me a lot more these days.

 

[Smooth_bass88]

Because I’m smart.

 

[micguy]

A couple years ago, at a rehearsal, the FOH guy was cranking the low end. There was a water bottle on the stage in front of me - one of the singers had set it down behind her. Every note I played, the stage shook, and the water in the bottle did a different dance - there was a light positioned just right, so I could see the little patterns on the surface of the water that I was making by playing different notes.

You just can't do that with a guitar.

 

[ELG60]

I felt that it was the best way to get gear geeks to ask me questions about my kit.

In all seriousness, when I was a child, back in the 60's the popular music of the day seemed to me to have basslines that stood out to me. Then in 6th grade some classmates played for us and the bss looked cool.

Later, in high school, a friend was a very good bass player and since I had the desire to play an instrument, I chose the bass. Never had any affinity for an other instrument although I've always liked how the saxophone sounds.

 

[bassballs27]

My first band needed a bass player when I was 16. Ever since then, I’ve been hooked!