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Your light-bulb moment

#21
When I was a teenager playing guitar with someone else for the first time and he said "You know, you play that guitar like a bass". I didn't even really know what bass was (or most musical elements) in a functional sense, only that it was a deeper, lower version of what I was playing. But I was drawn to rhythmic elements and single-note groove lines (dashed my hopes of being a hotshot lead player!) and when someone put a bass in my hand and I felt the first thump in the middle of my chest I had found the instrument that most closely linked my hands with what I felt.

And I've been a music addict ever since.
 
#22
My 6th grade jazz teacher heard me play a lick that some how had some jaco in it ( at the time i was like jah-who?) so he said hey take a listen to him and he gave me his copy of heavy weather, Then for a year i tried to emulate him, But i didnt realize he was fretless... but know i play all fretless and have my own signiture Growl.
 
#28
Never had one relative to bass playing. I switched from violin to upright in Jr. High, then acquired an electric when i got tired of lugging the upright around. Simple logic, no "ahas".

And there's plenty of music I like, but no "ahas" there, either. I just listen to the music I like and play what I like.

IMO inspiration is not required.
 
#29
I diddled around playing trumpet, sax and violin in grade school bands and orchestras for a few years. I wanted to play drums, but by the time I tried to get into band every other guy in school had tried out for drums. I played these instruments well enough, but they didn't inspire me at all.

About 1979 (I was 11 or so) I got a guitar and played aimlessly for a few years, never better than average, never happy with any original stuff I tried to write and, again, not very inspired.

I was in a lame hardcore punk band around 1983 or 1984. One day during a break from rehearsing, we switched up instruments just for the hell of it. The bass player on drums, the drummer on guitar, and I picked up the bass.

It just clicked. I knew right then. I've continued messing around on the guitar and a bunch of other folk/acoustic instruments over the years, but bass has always been my first love and my favorite tool for composition.

Of everything I've played (or tried to play) bass always seemed the most natural and "right."
 
#30
One of my first paying jobs was a wedding reception. The band I was in shouldn't have taken it.
We saw it as a chance to play a concert. We were too loud, our music too obscure, and just completely inappropriate for the event. I was amazed that everyone at the reception didn't forget about the Bride & Groom and lavish all their attention on us. :rollno:
After several requests to turn down, the Bride's mother came up and asked us to stop playing. She was ready to pay us to leave.
The light bulb moment...someone is hiring you to do a job. It's not about you, it's about them.
 
#32
I'd say the first time I realized I needed lessons (after playing for 18 years already). Taking said lessons. Then actually HEARING my bass playing improve dramatically very quickly.

I was like, "DAMN! This is fun and I sound great! What took me so long?"

Alan
 
#36
Mine was when I was about 11 y.o. listening to the Stones-Probly "Between the buttons" or one other of their 1st 3 or 4 albums, I was already playing bass-learning w/ a good teacher, I used to sit & play albums & try & play the bass parts....... pretty typical. Then as I was working out one particular Stones version of an old R n B song, I noticed that Bill Wyman was playing the same notes & run, under differing guitar chords!!! Hoots Mon!!! Realising bass harmony notes & not just following the root note!! This was a great revelation to me at the time. I still try & use harmony notes & enjoy doing 'em in covers such as in some of Bacharach's songs.
Then hearing Sly & Robbie-with Grace Jones-( Nipple to the Bottle, My Jamaican Guy, Apple Stretching & yawning, Pull up to Bumper etc) gaps!!!!!!!! I already knew 'em , but hearing 'em played like this was a MAJOR "PING"! ;-)
 
#39
Albums that woke me up to bass originally though would probably be Who's Next/Quadrophenia and Tubular Bells. After I'd been playing for a while I learn't about tritone theory and usage from Roscoe Beck's video and it changed the way I played.
 
#40
There's been a few of them.

First one was when I went to a small jazz concert the first time (I think I was 16 then) and I was totally blown away by the musicianship. That concert woke my interest in jazz. I was like had seen God after that concert.. :) Before that, I thought jazz was mostly a total mess of notes with no structure whatsoever. Now it's been my favorite music for many years.

Another one was when I realized the importance of timing. Of course I had heard about timing before, but I thought it only meant to be able to follow a pulse somewhat. I also hated to play with a metronome back then. When my brother, who just had started studying on a music major program, told me that timing is THE most important thing in music, I realized what it really was about, and my timing improved quickly. Anyway, timing is something I still work on.

My first (and so far only) bass lessons 3-4 years ago made me realize the importance of good technique. The few left and right hand exercises I was given improved my technique a lot. I have posted those in the exercise sticky as well.

That's about it.
 

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