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Why do you play bass ??

#281
I played clarinet in high school but reading wasn't coming along. Made up my own parts mostly by ear
And eventually got kicked out for not being able to sight read for my grade. Never picked up an instrument again
until a junior in college. Dad had an old acoustic guitar that had terrible action, so I tuned down the lower 4 strings
an octave and started making up bass lines by ear. Then started playing with records and loved the bass. Finally bought
my first bass, a Hondo P bass copy and took it from there. Fast forward 30 years and I'm still enjoying it. Started on drums
a couple of years ago and it really opened my eyes to how important the rhythm section is.
 
#284
anton m said:
because this guy.

jack-bruce-cream-bass-player.jpg
Click to expand...

This is true but even before this it was the default thing - all else was taken haha

but there is a personality type that goes with bass - organized, dependable, more introverted, supportive, don't need validation all the time, humble w/small ego, etc. etc.

it's mostly true
 
#285
I started playing drums at age 8, but by the time I was ready to gig with a band I didn't have a car, so it was impossible to move my gear, and not too many bars had drums at that time... Some time later I was waking on Hight-Ashbury Street and saw a beautiful white/black Squire P-bass on Music Center, it was love at first sight... So got the P-Bass, learned to play it and started gigging... Almost 30 years later I'm still learning and gigging every week..
 
#287
pnchad said:
This is true but even before this it was the default thing - all else was taken haha

but there is a personality type that goes with bass - organized, dependable, more introverted, supportive, don't need validation all the time, humble w/small ego, etc. etc.

it's mostly true
Click to expand...
I didn't get the memo about being organized.... Unless having a pile of clothes that I use and a pile of clothes I do not use counts.
 
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#292
My oldest brother gave me one of his basses when I was in fifth or sixth grade, and then gave me a mix tape that a had lot of early punk rock on it, along with some oddities like Terry Waldo's I Got Stoned and I Missed it. Anyhow, that lit a fire and I taught myself how to play by playing along to that tape and other records I picked up subsequently and then was in my first band in eighth grade. I've been doing it ever since. Why do I still play? I just kind of have to. Some people play golf, or softball, or they paint or do whatever they do. I make music. It's just my thing.
 
#293
I took bass over guitar for the fame and the chicks; duh!

In all seriousness, I don't know why the idea of the bass appealed to me more than the guitar. I like groove, I like low end, I like the physicality of playing with my fingers.
I don't want it to seem like I picked the bass as a "what else is there" but drums are stupidly expensive, hard to move, and hard to practice with, I can't sing to save my life, and growing up everyone wanted to play guitar so playing bass seemed like a smarter option.
When I rented Live After Death, I just knew I wanted to do what Steve Harris was doing. I wanted to make the sound that he, Geezer Butler and Duff McKagen were making.
 
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#295
I started out on guitar.. was taught my first bit of theory by a bassist who had been going to college as a jazz major. While I wasn't horrible I mostly played rhythms. It wasn't easy finding bands who needed another guitarist however.. and over the years I'd ended up playing a 7 string and was looking at 8 strings because I always really loved that crunchy low end. So a couple years ago I very bought a very cheap bass off a buddy who never used it. It wasn't long before I bought my sr500.. and as it turns out, my playing style on guitar is more suited for the bass. I ended up taking lessons - from a guitar teacher. ;\ In both cases I had to develop my own right hand technique and I'm still working on it, but I've got some theory under my belt.. and I LOVE the low end. I do want a 5 string some day for that low B, but - I'm loving my 4 string.. and I think that perhaps my chase for extra strings on guitars was hinting that bass is my calling.

I also like being part of the rhythm section. My drummer and I re responsible for keeping people dancing at a show.
 
#299
The bass lines were what I listened to in a song, and what I played on my acoustic guitar. I tended to play melodies on the bottom strings.

I thought Steve Curry, Steve Priest and Bill Wyman were cool, wanted to play the bass line to "Lady Madonna" and "Don't Be Cruel", like watching ladies dancing.
 
#300
Honestly because I didn't want to play violin. Our school had a very good string program, and my brother was playing cello and my sister was playing viola. So bass was the obvious choice. It was two years later that I discovered that by knowing how to play string bass, by extension I knew how to play electric bass. Joy!
 

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