When did you realize that you were a bass player?

redwingxix

redwingxix

Oct 21, 2015
1,394
3,807
4,551
51
detroit
#1
I've been a guitar player most of my life, but four years ago I picked up a fretless american deluxe jazz bass since we needed a bass player to round out a new band, so I've pretty much just considered myself a guitar player that plays bass. However, in the past month I have found myself bored at work looking through craigslist for basses not guitars ( I have the GAS pretty bad) and came across a Music Man stingray 4 string HH that I just had to have. Nothing new there; I see gear all time that I never knew existed a week ago that I suddenly can't live without, but this was the first time I caught myself lusting after a bass. After setting up a meeting to check it out it dawned on me that I was thinking of myself as a bass player. Anybody else have a moment like that where you suddenly realized that you had assumed a new musical identity and what prompted it?
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bassbubble11, McG, gregmon79 and 3 others
#3
When I was thirteen (mid '70s), my parents bought me a cheap electric guitar and a tiny amp for Christmas. It was a surprise, since I hadn't asked for it, but I played French horn in the school band and they knew I loved music. Right away, I started playing what I was hearing, which were the bass parts in the music I was listening to. About a month later, I sheepishly approached my dad and said, "I really appreciate the gift, but could we exchange it for a bass?". He agreed and I've been a bassist ever since. Thanks, dad!!
 
  • Like
Reactions: admh1972, Herrick, ICM and 15 others
#4
I realized it when a friend, another guitar player (as I was) asked if I knew a bass player, as he had a great gig coming up but the ensemble needed a bassist. Not only did I know one, I WAS one (or could be, anyway)! That great impulsive decision was about 14 years ago, now.
 
  • Like
Reactions: saabfender
#5
Over time I realized:
1. I no longer wanted to fight in the "volume" war.
2. I thought I needed to be a front man, then acknowledged it was in complete contrast to my personality.
3. My endless tuning/intonation problems disappeared overnight.
4. When I first got into the pocket with a drummer I grooved with, and all that goes with that, as you all probably well know
5. As a kid, I looked at the liner of my Def Leppard "High n Dry" LP and thought,
Man that guy looks cool...:)
Oh yeah and the day at church my to- be wife (though she didn’t know it yet) said, “there’s just something about a man slapping a bass...” ‘Sall I needed to hear...
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: admh1972, eddie16, Spidey2112 and 3 others
#6
When I started playing bass in the band for Swing Choir in high school. Playing the bass parts to all those late 60's and early 70's pop songs, songs by Jimmy Webb, Laura Nyro, and so on, lines by Joe Osborne, Max Bennett, Carol Kaye, and Lee Sklar, was so much better than either strumming chords or trying to play fast like Clapton or Bloomfield! After high school, I played bass in a trio with my guitarist brother (a great player), after which I got into a pro jazz group, and I was hooked! Have played guitar in bands since then, but always came back to bass.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2tonic and Artman
#8
In high school when I borrowed the kid's bass who wasn't going to be in the band with the guys because, well, he didn't know any music and didn't know how to play.

Although that instrument was... not something I'd ever buy, I knew kind of instinctively what I needed to do with it and what needed to be done. So maybe 16 years old or so?
 
  • Like
Reactions: admh1972, abruzzoj and 2boom
#9
I always considered myself a guitar player for several decades. Until a few years ago, I started really getting into the bass learning various styles of bass, studying the history of the styles, learning a bunch of cover tunes, and creating music. It wasn't until a friend of mine started calling me "Bass Player", that I realized it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Artman and JRA
#13
Not at "To Defy the Laws of Tradition", "Groundhog's Day" gave a little glimmer, "Too Many Puppies" showed enough light to see that there may be a path there, but by "Mr. Knowitall" I knew. Bass guitar was my instrument.
 
#16
Heh, yeah, Matzilla, when I first heard Primus' "Frizzle Fry" it kind of blew my mind, not enough to make me stop thinking of myself as a guitar player but enough to think that Claypool guy did some cool stuff with a bass.

I played guitar from junior high (early 80s), and got serious about when I joined a local band right after college (early 90s). I played guitar in a couple of bands through my 20s and early 30s, then got married, became a dad, and got out of band stuff for awhile. Picked up a pawnshop bass about ten years ago to dink around with at home and gradually got more and more into it. Started playing it with a couple of friends about a year and half ago, and that's become a original-music rock trio that practices weekly and may gig someday. I am fully into playing bass and figuring out how to bring the rock and roll, and only dink around on my guitar occasionally at home, now.

Guitar playing may become more prevalent again someday, but these days I wonder why I didn't get into bass sooner. I like focusing on bridging pitch and rhythm, rather than chords/syncopated flurries of guitar solo notes..
 
#17
When my alpha male buddy picked the instrument I wanted - drums - and only bass was left. So it was forced upon me, but not something I ever regretted. I dedicated myself to learn the bass and was the only one in that group of young men that went on to record an album. I never made a career playing, and actually found something I loved more, but in terms of music I feel lucky that bass found me.
 
  • Like
Reactions: admh1972
#20
I played guitar in a jazz guitar ensemble when my instructor, a great player from the big band era, asked me to play his pedal bass at one of our practices. The notes just seemed to come to me naturally and I decided then to find a bass to buy. I bought a used Gibson Grabber but was still busy playing guitar and didn't play it much.

Fast forward a couple of years and I moved across the country. I approached the guitar player at my new church to ask about joining him on guitar. He said "do you play bass?". That started my bass journey in earnest. Since then I have played bass in several bands, including filling in with my current band when our regular guy can't make it.

Thump on,

One_Dude
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back