Who/What inspired you pick up your first bass?

Dolphinbass · Last edited by Dolphinbass on Tue Jul 01, 2003 10:15 am; edited 1 time in total

I was thinking about this and wondered if it happened to any of you guys?

I was watching Rikki Lee Jones playing 'Chuck E's In Love' on a British TV show called 'The Old Grey Whistle Test' (many moons ago) and it was that moment when I decided, almost out of the blue, to play bass.
Tell us your story... Even if it was a trivial thing that first inspired you?
Thanks Very Happy

bassman80189 · Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2003 4:35 pm Post subject:

I started with cello and moved to double bass, but when I saw Flea I really wanted to play electric. So I'd say Flea inspired me to start playing, and I'm glad that he did.

Rufio · Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2003 6:33 pm Post subject:

I've always liked the sound of bass and I like using my hands. I started listening to more songs and I heard some wicked(yes I'm from new england lol) cool bass parts and I decided to get one.

BassMan02 · Tiger Joined: 15 May 2003 Posts: 848

I was driving in a car with my friend. He had just started playing guitar. We were listening to "Wheels of Fire" by Cream. I was blown away for some reason. My buddy said that I should start playing bass so we could start a band. The rest is history.
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Sometimes we ride on your horses
Sometimes we walk alone
Sometimes the songs that we hear
are just songs of our own

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supermau · Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2003 7:35 am Post subject:

Well, I started my musical journey on guitar. But it goes like this.

My older brother was in the Army and he'd come home every few months to stay a couple of weeks. This was around 1978. I heard him playing "Stairway to Heaven" one night and I was pretty sure I needed to play guitar after that. I was blown away.

Fast forward twenty years. I'd been in many bands playing guitar and was currently not in a band when I found myself at a party watching my friends band "Nick Dastardly". They had since lost their original bass player and were using a stand-in for the gig. He was good but didn't really fit the bands style.

It hit me like a ton of bricks. I realized that I should be the bass player in this band. I'm the right guy! So I posed the question, started practicing, bought a crappy little Squier and I went for it.

So it's five years later now. We did an album together, hundreds of gigs. I got pretty good at bass and I'm having a ball.

bfspunk · Pit Bull Joined: 20 Apr 2003 Posts: 351

ive always liked music and i just figured playing it would be fun too
Also i tried guitar because my dad played but i could never finger the chords right and i got big fingers so that didnt help much either. one day i saw flea in a Chili Peppers video and playing bass looked fun, so i bought a squier p-bass and it really fun Very Happy

jaybird · Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2003 7:50 pm Post subject:

KIP WINGER!!! HA, HA, HA!!

Nah, seriously though, I knew too many guitarists, and a guitarist buddy of mine had a bass lying around. The lead guitarist (himself) could play better than I could, and the rhythm guitarist wouldn't part with his precious Fender Bullet and his amazing Peavey prectice amp, so I volunteered for bass duties.

Where are they now? WHo cares, I'm still banging away on the bass!!!

PS: I was kidding about Winger...
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MAZ :-[ · Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2003 12:55 am Post subject:

Started on guitar but found that I was always picking up on Bass melodies. Tried playing old style on the EADG strings of my guitar and thought that the feel was right but not deep enough - bought a second hand EB-0 a few months back and I'm doing OK.

Always thought that Cliff Burton was amazing and that Lemmy was good too. I'm a singer and thought it would be easier to sing and play bass rather than sing and play guitar (got it wrong but I'm getting there now) Twisted Evil

beef54 · Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2003 9:09 pm Post subject:

At age 14 (many many years ago). I woke up one morning and knew I wanted to be a professional guitarist. I did not play guitar then and to this day I do not know why I knew I "should" be a professional guitarist. 6 years later, my brother's band was playing a company picnic. During set break a guy asked if he could sing a few country songs. The band said Ok. The singer then asked if they would back him up. My brother's bass player didn't want to play with him. I had never played bass but knew enough theory and lead guitar to think I could fake it. I learned during that set that I was a bass player.

Dolphinbass · Posted: Sat Jun 14, 2003 9:02 am Post subject:

Thanks BassDogs,

So a song can change your life (Bassman02 and Supermau).
Thanks for you answers so far...

I never found out who the bass player from that line-up of the Rickie Lee Jones Band was.
He was a big black guy in a white suit (maybe Anthony Jackson?).
The Guys on the record are the legendary Willie Weeks (A skinny guy)
and the God-like Red Callender (on upright bass and 150 years older) Very Happy

Red Callender (by the way) played TUBA with Charlie Mingus...

Does anyone know her touring bands names?
I've tried everything. Shocked

Danny · Sea Monkey Joined: 12 Jun 2003 Posts: 12

Hmmm..probably hearing Squire play "Roundabout". My first bass was a natural 4001 Rick. But more likely it was Paulie's playing on the White Album and Pepper's that did it for me. I also remember thrilling to Sting's first three outings with the Police. I'm a bass n drums kind guy...
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OneDrop · Posted: Sun Jun 15, 2003 1:15 pm Post subject:

i've had a real on and off relationship w/ the bass. i was taking guitar lessons for a month in 8th grade('89) and then heard flea play the lick from "higher ground" on mother's milk and knew that that was the instrument i wanted to play. i played until about '92 and then sold my bass. i picked it up 8 years later when a friend gave me one and learning tony kanal's bass lines from no doubt really inspired me to play again. i've been in a playing rut for a while now but robbie skakespeare is giving me some new found inspiration.

Danny · Sea Monkey Joined: 12 Jun 2003 Posts: 12

I got a hold of a Best of Black Uhuru and spent three months mooning over Robbie Shakespeare! Beautiful, beautiful lines and big, fat sound! Sigh...some great stuff to be sure. I need to check out
Family Man next. Any suggestions on where to start?
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OneDrop · Posted: Sun Jun 15, 2003 3:33 pm Post subject: Re: Robbie Shakespeare

woodchuck · Posted: Thu Jun 19, 2003 4:01 am Post subject: Who inspired me?

Stuart Zender! I the chorus to "High Times" and went right to a pawn shop and bought a $50 Lotus P copy. BTW, I'm new here, how's everybody?
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