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Born bassists?


lowdowner
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It's sunday evening and I've embided a fair amount of 'medicine', but I've been wondering...

Does anyone else feel that you may have been born (or raised, or whatever the correct 'nurture vs. nature' term might be) to play bass, or a bass-type instrument?

I was wondering if people become attuned to particular types of musical instrument for some reason whilst they are forming e.g. to be attuned to rhythm and bass, or melody, or choral, or whatever?

Do you feel that when you found your 'inner bass player' you'd come home in some way, or even that you don't yet think you've found what you're looking for?

Were you born to be a bassist?

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Yes. Tried those 6 string cheese graters, but never got on with them. Picked up a mate's bass and it just felt right.

Also listening to The Yes Album aged 13 helped. I know the R word is not flavour of the month around here at the mo, but listening to Mr Squire knocking lumps out of his, set me on the path to 4 string heaven

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I've always loved music and wanted to make it, though I was not fortunate enough to have the chance to play anything until I could afford it through working , but I've always picked out baselines in music, and it felt the natural instrument to want to buy, that's why I'm a bass player.

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[quote name='lojo' timestamp='1371413687' post='2113664']
I've always loved music and wanted to make it, though I was not fortunate enough to have the chance to play anything until I could afford it through working , but I've always picked out baselines in music, and it felt the natural instrument to want to buy, that's why I'm a bass player.
[/quote]

Yup - i'm with you on this one. I suspect the majority of people pick out the melody, or the drum beat, but it's only us slightly weird people who pick out the baseline...

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[quote name='lowdowner' timestamp='1371413682' post='2113663']
so you're a 'born bassist'? Do you ever think about playing anything else?
[/quote]

Hell yeah, I sure feel that I was a born bassist. I play other instruments but bass is the only one where I can really tap into my inner core and feelings. I can express myself the best on a bass and I feel 100% natural and honest.

In 16 years of working in guitar shops I saw alot of guys who had learnt great technical ability, but their groove and ability to put a piece of themselves into their style was almost always non existent in these guys. That's why the bass greats are so great, they can put themselves [b][u]and[/u][/b] technicality into their art.

It was only after I picked up bass I realised how many bass lines were stored in my memory since childhood, I had been listening and following bass and rhythms sub consciously. My instrument found me by 'chance' perhaps?

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Loved being a musician, was quite an accomplished Oboeist, but as much as people enjoyed my playing, it never felt like "me".

When I accepted my love of low notes and found the bass I knew I was home :D

Would still like to be able to play the sax though, but think I was born to be a bassist!

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Most Definately not to do with my upbringing. There was little musical consistency to my childhood, there were moment of brilliance drowned out by masses of what can only be described as torture. Beatles, beach boys, deep purple, and bob Marley drowned out my the likes of the carpenters 😳 it s a wonder I made it through!!!!
I too started on a 6 string and loved it for a time, but it never quite clicked (possibly attributed to to my lack of patience and short attention span) but always liked what flea and cliff burton did. Then when I was about 20, I went on tour with "the Dixie chicks" as a lighting tech, and that's when it changed. I can still remember sitting side of stage at the dimmer racks and watching Jerry Flowers (also played for the ranch and Keith urban for your country boys n girls) absolutely grooving along on bass, and looking f#€@ing cool doing it. I got back off tour and went to to local music shop and bought my first 4 string. Enough said.
Occasionally I start to think about what it would be like to be a lead guitarist or a singer, and have people actually take notice of what I do, but deep down I know where I want to be.... Deep in the pocket, locked in with the drummer and making the room shake with the low end!

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[quote name='Damonjames' timestamp='1371414879' post='2113703']
Most Definately not to do with my upbringing. There was little musical consistency to my childhood, there were moment of brilliance drowned out by masses of what can only be described as torture. Beatles, beach boys, deep purple, and bob Marley drowned out my the likes of the carpenters it s a wonder I made it through!!!!
I too started on a 6 string and loved it for a time, but it never quite clicked (possibly attributed to to my lack of patience and short attention span) but always liked what flea and cliff burton did. Then when I was about 20, I went on tour with "the Dixie chicks" as a lighting tech, and that's when it changed. I can still remember sitting side of stage at the dimmer racks and watching Jerry Flowers (also played for the ranch and Keith urban for your country boys n girls) absolutely grooving along on bass, and looking f#€@ing cool doing it. I got back off tour and went to to local music shop and bought my first 4 string. Enough said.
Occasionally I start to think about what it would be like to be a lead guitarist or a singer, and have people actually take notice of what I do, but deep down I know where I want to be.... Deep in the pocket, locked in with the drummer and making the room shake with the low end!
[/quote]

Wow - great story... great stuff :)

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No, I don't gather I was born a bassist, but I was certainly "born" a musician, and I've always loved bass frequencies.

Brought up on Bach, Beethoven & Brahms, I noticed I loved Bach's basslines more than most stuff.

Then, Chris Squire happened, and I finally heard popular music with interesting bass parts. Loved his sound, and loved the bass from that moment. Yes music was what immediately steered me towards rock music.

Skip a decade and a girlfriend noticed I was always constructing bass sounds on my synths, just as she was herself.

Skip several decades, and both she and me now play bass (or try to, in my case).


best,
bert

Edited by BassTractor
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Well, my background was always 6-strings, and then tenor and alto sax - all of which I generally play in our old-gits' band (oh, and also the bongos. Everyone laughs at my bongos but they're the only ones I've got and I'm quietly proud of them :lol: ).

BUT, as a band we swop around quite a lot and our bassist fancies himself as a lead player (he's pretty good, though we don't tell him that). During those numbers, I get to play his fretless bass and I JUST LOVE playing it. The tenor sax just takes the edge, but playing the bass beats all the other instruments hands down. Could not explain why and I'd never played one before a couple of years ago but it is just great to play bass.

This is the bass, by the way...I built it for him based on the fabulous Jack Bruce Thumb 4. It came out well :)
[attachment=137045:IMG_2562smenh.jpg]

[attachment=137046:IMG_2563smenh.jpg]

Andy

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I'm relatively new to it but my son's been playing guitar for about 5 years and is grade 5.
Last September he started secondary school and was asked to join the only band, on bass.
Straight away, hearing him play --- his choice of notes, timing, phrasing, everything really --- juat made me wonder if it's going to be his 'thing'.
Personally, i had a big Fender poster on my wall (age 7, given by an uncle) and was always fascinated by the bigger guitars. Watching Top of the Pops would find me staring at the quiet ones and as my teens approached i'd be humming the line from Rio or Avalon.
Shame i didn't start then!

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[quote name='lowdowner' timestamp='1371413810' post='2113670']
Yup - i'm with you on this one. I suspect the majority of people pick out the melody, or the drum beat, but it's only us [i][b]slightly weird people who pick out the baseline...[/b][/i]
[/quote]

This.

When I was a little kid here was always music around the house,but I can remember the bass lines always stood out to me. I even tried to make a tea chest bass like I'd seen the skiffle bands I saw on TV used..

Edited by BILL POSTERS
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I'm just obsessed, in my own small way, with music. Some instruments I adore, some less so. I'm a frustrated drummer, but I love guitar, and bass is my current voice, I love bass. But I don't think anyone is born a bassist anymore than I think anyone is born a butcher.

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[quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1371429708' post='2113904']
I'm just obsessed, in my own small way, with music. Some instruments I adore, some less so. I'm a frustrated drummer, but I love guitar, and bass is my current voice, I love bass. But I don't think anyone is born a bassist anymore than I think anyone is born a butcher.
[/quote]

Oh,I don't know, I've butchered many a bass line over the years. Must have been born to it. :P[size=4] [/size]

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Not sure about "born" for bass but I'd definitely agree with "nurtured".
I was born in '72 and grew up in a household where records just weren't played. Instead, the music I was exposed to was tv shows with the American shows being most notable.
So my first favourite music was probably (with hindsight) Carol Kaye
riding a bass heavy mix out of our old wooly analogue telly.
Add to that the fact that when I was about 8, the first band I noticed on my own and got obsessed with was The Police - I wanted to be just like Sting!
Additionally, the only other instruments I have been interested in learning from a very young age (and still would like to) are the piano and trombone. Both fun sounding bassy instruments kinda.

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[quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1371429708' post='2113904']
I'm just obsessed, in my own small way, with music. Some instruments I adore, some less so. I'm a frustrated drummer, but I love guitar, and bass is my current voice, I love bass. But I don't think anyone is born a bassist anymore than I think anyone is born a butcher.
[/quote]

You must meet my local butcher

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I've always had a theory that the 'great' bass players don't start off on that instrument...for example Jaco started as a drummer ( and was also a great keyboard player), so did Mark King, (drums), Jack Bruce (cello) etc. I think they come at bass playing from a different angle than the rest of us.

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I did the old family tree a few months ago and found out the a couple of generations back we had a professor of Music, a musical director and a music teacher in our family, so wondered if it's hidden dormant in the genes awaiting a "Trigger".

I always wanted to play guitar from the age of 13 but we could not afford one let alone the cost of lessons.

It was not until I was 16/17 when I bought a guitar and started to learn and after a few months I was getting on okay with it until a friend of mine who was learning bass and was not getting anywhere with it asked if I wanted to buy it. So I gave it a try and the only way to describe the feeling was it was like being lost for years then accidentally stumbling across you home again, felt so wonderful and natural.

My son (11) plays guitar quite well and has lessons and my daughter (6) has just started to learn the keyboard, both love music but it is more than likely influenced by me rather than a "Natural" need to learn.

My son annoys me in the fact he has a real talent for guitar and has stood up in front of the school and played on his own with so much confidence and ability but he's a really lazy learner and getting him to practice is a trauma in itself, but I don't push it as he is still quite young and could rebel if he feels pressured etc. I actually think he'd be an excellent bass player.

Oddly enough my eldest brother (65) has just started to learn keyboards after wanting to for so many years but never did.

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[quote name='lowdowner' timestamp='1371413253' post='2113648']
It's sunday evening and I've embided a fair amount of 'medicine', but I've been wondering...

Does anyone else feel that you may have been born (or raised, or whatever the correct 'nurture vs. nature' term might be) to play bass, or a bass-type instrument?

I was wondering if people become attuned to particular types of musical instrument for some reason whilst they are forming e.g. to be attuned to rhythm and bass, or melody, or choral, or whatever?

Do you feel that when you found your 'inner bass player' you'd come home in some way, or even that you don't yet think you've found what you're looking for?

Were you born to be a bassist?
[/quote]

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