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Why did you start playing bass?

#41
I started out filling out the bass part for a band my friends started it on the keyboard.
but then i finially decided to go for REAL bass. also it was a good alternative to guitar.


i eventually left that "band" becuase i didnt like the guitarist, because he just expected everyone to think of riffs that magically fit. also nobody made the effort to actually get any songs to cover, or to WRITE any new songs.
 
#44
I started because all my friends were learning how to play guitar, and I always liked to be a bit different. I figured I would learn the bass to accompany them, and I'm so glad I did. Long live the bass.
 
#46
Its a combination of things I guess. At first I decided I want to do bass because the general idea was theres too many guitarists and not enough bassists lol. Although my view is different now, I found bass to be a much more relaxing instrument, mainly because of the fact you mainly play one note at a time. I was also influenced by alot of great bassists such as Mike Gordon from Phish. I soon realized how amazing the instrument could be and how underrated it was, so I want to get out there and show people otherwise.
 
#47
I was studying keyboards at the players school of music and was surrounded with bassists all the time. I enjoyed it.

Then I bought Herbie Hancock's Thrust and never looked back.
Paul Jackson forced me to take it up!

Now I play both, professionally.
 
#48
For me, it was "love at first riff."

Always loved the bottom end, always a sucker for a good walking bass line, but never gave the first thought to actually playing bass. (Still kicking myself over that one.)

Grew up playing sax then moved to keys. Picked up blues harp and recorder and a few other things along the way. Enjoyed all of it, played in a couple of bands, but nothing ever really spoke to me on a deep level.

Came into posession of a cheap Kramer bass through weird circumstances. Picked it up and started noodling around on it (again with no thought of actually playing one) and instantly it was like... "This is where I'm supposed to be!"

Why I couldn't have realized that, oh, 40 or so years ago, I'll never know. :rolleyes:

'rick
 
#49
I was a rythm guitarist in two bands. And decided with a good friend (singer/lead guitarist) of mine to play some Metallica songs, again I would be the rythm guitarist. But on the day of our first rehearsel called the guy who would play the bass that he couldn't come....
Luckely for us, there happened to be a drummer at my house at the time and the guy who would drum could play some excellent guitar. Well, only thing left to do to let everything fall into place was me saying 'I'll handle the bass'.
That's how I started playing bass, I got stuck with it (and quit the guitar) because I play it better (according to others, and I agree), I'm more confident playing it live, because I'm less in the spotlight and plainly because it actually was my first love. Why I did start on guitar is another story...
 
#50
seachange...

I had played guitar for 20 years and has an acoustic bass that i pretended on. I also had an electric that i bought and never really played properly.

Kids, work and travel stopped me completely for 8 years, and some guys at work started hassling me to play again, and they needed a bass player.

I hummed and hahed for a year and a half, then decided I wanted my hobby back, and thought that bass would be a complete change and a challenge.

... and here I am, a bass player (still awful but no longer pretending).
 
#51
My brother played bass when I was younger (13-15). I thought it was a cool instrument, but I had the young kid rockstar dream, so I started playing guitar. I planned to start a band with my brother, but I couldn't play a guitar to save my life.
I started messing around with my brother's basses and within a few days I was playing some old Metallica songs. It was just a natural fit, so I stuck with it.
 
#53
Micolao said:
Simon gallup is the Guilty one:

Link Removed
Click to expand...

Ha ha! That would do it! I really like hearing about the guys that saw everybody playing guitar, so they "went the other way" just because they wanted to be different - that's very cool, but it's amazing the variety of different reasons and ways we all ended up as bass players - usually not by design, but our heros are just exactly like us....only rich and famous. I have to wonder if there really are an equal number of bass players than there are guitar players. When I was a guitar player I couldn't find a decent bass player to save my life.

Skel
 
#55
In elementary school, my music teacher demonstrated her ability to play various instruments in front of the class. When she got around to playing the double bass, my eyes lit up with excitement when I heard the sound. I was just so amazed by it.

Although I also play guitar and piano, since that day, I primarily wanted to be a bassist.

Ted
 
#56
These characters:
 

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#58
I told Santa I wanted a Sega Genesis...and Santa brought me a four string Yamaha w/ a 10" Peavey Amp (my father was a bass player ;))...though owner of bigger and better bass equipment, I'm still waiting for my Sega Genesis...
 
#59
I play bass because I wanted to start playing again, and I met up with a guy at work who is a drummer. His dad is a guitar player and song writer. He's an alcoholic, never had a job in his life, had no equipment, but he's a song writer. I went through about 20 different Marshalls, Fenders, Bogners, Hughes & Kettners to get him the sound I had in my head for him. To my surprise, we settled, believe it or not, on a common, everyday Marshall DSL100 half stack - it had the perfect tone for him. I gave him a 1985 MIA '62 reissue sunburst Strat. I buy him strings, otherwise he would *never* change them. He has perfect pitch, so he doesn't need a tuner, and he never needs a pick because he plays with his fingers in some weird way. Did I mention he's a natural born, gifted song writer? His son is a fabulous drummer. I bought a nice PA system, so I own everything except the drums and the songs. We would *NEVER* play anybody elses material. I wanted the challenge of seeing if I could develop this guy into his full potential, plus I loved the challenge of becoming a very good finger style bass player at the same time. After 1.5 years, we have come a long way, but still have much to do. My exact goal is to be an opening act for touring acts that come to my city - that's it. When we get there, I've achieved my goal.

Skel
 
#60
This sounds like such stereotypical BS lol.. but I started playing bass because a friend of mine Played Jaco's self titled album for me. I bought a bass and amp 2 days later lol. And now own 17 Jaco albums! lol and working on his entire catalog
 

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