What/Who Made Your Play Bass

[LukeFRC]

i had had a wee go, then my friend sat his 1988 5 string thumb bass in my lap and started me off.... lovely bass

[BarnacleBob]

Hearing 'Alright now' by Free first made me aware of Bass as an indiviual instrument
Then JPJ and Chis Squire got me actually playing.
The rest, as they say. is history.........


BB

[peteb]

Heard Physical Graffiti and then Rainbow Rising and decided that I wanted to be in a band that could produce that sound

I was drawn to bass I suppose from having heard Chris Squire in Yes and always liked the look of Fender Pbasses – also, I thought that most kids were learning to play guitar and if I started of as a specialised bass player I might have a head start and be offered more gigs!

Edited August 20, 2009 by peteb

[anthomp]

Not enough gigs as blues harp player

[northstreet]

John Entwhistle

[Sean]

Sting.
Stanley Sheldon (no, really).
The Ox.
Macca.

[peteb]

[quote name='anthomp' post='576155' date='Aug 20 2009, 10:18 PM']Not enough gigs as blues harp player[/quote]
A mate of mine is a really good blues harp player, but to say the least his gigging options are somewhat limited and he plays in about the only decent band round here that would possibly require his services

He was trying to learn to play bass a while ago!

[Jase]

I liked it because they looked and sounded big.

[v8bass]

Stranglers , JJ Burnell " Hanging Around "


Gary
v8

[Mr Fudge]

Geddy Lee

[MythSte]

I wanted to learn guitar, got to the shop and the bass just felt so much more normal in my hands. Never looked back!

[steve]

I started as a guitarist (classical lessons when I was about 11 - I had wanted to learn sax but those lessons were booked up) - did that for a few years then progressed to electric. when I was in my late 20's, I started jamming with another guitarist and I decided to buy a cheap bass so we could record some backing tracks on a four track. I started noodling with it and never really bothered with guitar again, that was around 17 or 18 years ago

[Cat Burrito]

As a teenager I liked the bass players best in the bands I liked at the time. So those people who inspired me are NOT the reason why I still play but I think Duff McKagan (GnR) and Nigel Mogg (Quireboys) are largely responsible for my initial interest.

[bassace]

Started at a new school and saw this double bass lying on its side on an empty stage. I thought, that's cool, must play that. (I don't think bass guitar was around in those days!)

[Killstarz]

Duff McKagen & Jason Newstead influenced me in my early days but it was probably my dad who got me to start learning to play.

[Chezz55]

John Entwistle.

The 4 bass-breaks in the original "My Generation" (the first 45rpm record I ever bought in 1965/6) were, are and evermore shall be sublime and seminal.

Chris.

[bluesparky]

I always wanted to play guitar from an early age, but didn't get one as a kid.
When i was at school doing my GCSE's i was the only pupil in my music class (!) and i pestered my music teacher to buy one.
He said he'd comprimise and buy a bass guitar, and also a drum kit as they could be used in the school orchestra.
I practiced bass at school and eventually managed to buy a guitar at home, but i soon realised, for whatever reason, that bass was more fun.
My best mate was an (awesome) guitarist at the time but thought drums were cooler so switched, then subsequently became an awesome drummer.. git!

It was around this time that i first heard BloodSugarSexMagik and at the time I actually did think Flea was the best bass player in the world became my number 1 inspiration.
The moment when i was able to play the whole album note for note was a monumental milestone for me.

Although i know he may not be technically the best, fastest, neatest, clinically perfect, most popular, best looking, coolest, bassist who can do all of the tricks, techniques, tipping, tapping, tweeting and walking that others can do on demand 24/7, he's still the man that got me into playing seriously, so in my books he's alright. (I feel this maybe for another thread though.. )

There is no best bass player in the world, it's all subjective - my mum thinks I am, but who am i to disappoint her!?!

[Bottle]

Crikey - no idea what first influenced me to pick up the bass, but could probably point to Paul Weller for inspiration - love the basslines on Wild Wood and Stanley Road - think it was Damon Minchella on both albums (but I believe Yolanda Charles also did some session work on Stanley Rd IIRC). Really liked how the whole ensemble fitted together, with the bass really underpinning the songs without being intrusive.

Also remember seeing a short documentary on bass luthiers - I think it may have been Yolanda (again) having a custom 5-string made, can't remember the maker though.

Muse (Chris Wolstenhume) has also been a big influence

About eight or so years ago I got talking with a mate of mine who'd built his own P-bass copy - so decided to give it a go, however didn't have the discipline to keep at it. Once I started going to a church here in Cambridge about two years ago, I got inspired to pick it up again, so took lessons from a local tutor and got back into it - plus the GAS is incurable now, already planning what I want to buy next year (Fretless 4-string MM/J Pup'd Fender, maybe also a hybrid MM/P tuned BEAD - one of the first threads I read here on BC was Tait's Taitycaster build, could be a plan).

Anyway, I've been inspired by all my fellow BC'ers, and I'm looking forward to meeting some of you at the Bass Bash in October

Take care

[Adrenochrome]

Phil Spector - he pulled out a gun and made me do it... i don't like to talk about it.

Real answer: Sting and Steve Harris

[alexclaber]

Having grown up on old rock it was then the likes of GnR, Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Metallica that made me want to play music. But it was Jack Bruce's performance on Crossroads that made me want to play bass. And it was my old dorm-mate, whose constant excuse for not practising being 'I can't find a pick', that made me start out fingerstyle!

Alex

[BigBeefChief]

3 words:

Gary Mounfield

[JTUK]

Good thread...but it is interesting on the influences listed here.

I never had 'heroes' as such but quickly graviated towards the likes of Marcus Miller as he could do just about everything..to my ears
and he is still pretty much at the top of the game 20 plus years later..

I loved Zep but never really got the english guys like JPJ, Bruce or Entwhistle, Squiers.. altho I thought he had a huge sound at the time..

I guess I never liked riffola that much..


but..Andy Fraser was hughley underated, I always thought...

I guess influences abound from a visual POV... like Lee ( Rush ) and such like, in popular bands and I always like the session guys
who you could hear and study but never saw much before the i-net.
.
Abe L
Chuck Rainey
W Lee
etc etc ...
N Stubenhaus
MM
Freddie W
Anthony Jackson
Randy Jackson

bla bla bla..

Or check out who Steely Dan were using on their latest album

[clauster]

From a very young age I was always into music and was made to learn piano, which I hated. Then a trip to see my American cousin when I was ten got me into Kiss and at that impressionable age I wanted to be like Gene Simmons (even now I'd rather learn to breathe fire than slap at 100 notes per second lol).

Fast forward a year and I was listening to Numan/Tubeway Army, Joy Division/New Order etc and I wanted to start playing - pestered my Dad into getting me a bass (tiny Satellite thing) for my 12th Birthday, but beyond learning the names of the notes in the first five frets didn't do much.

Jump forward another year and the Head of Music at school asked me to stay at the end of class (Nothing unusual there - I hated school and was usually in trouble). He told me he'd heard I had an electric bass and that he was looking to form a band to compliment the orchestra for the school's musical productions and would I like to the bass player. It was the only extra-curricular activity I ever voluntarily signed up for. By 4pm the following friday, he'd found out my bass was a toy, I couldn't read music very well and didn't understand chord charts and had no technical expertise at all! Over the summer holidays he went out and blew a significant part of his departmental budget on a US Fender Precision (sunburst, black scratchplate, maple neck - lovely) and spent friday afternoons starting to teach me to start to play. Later he blew more of his budget on the services of a proper electric bass teacher for half a dozen of us kids. The support and encouragement (and direct intervention he put in on my behalf to ensure I was still allowed to play after getting into serious trouble in my last year) went well beyond what I've ever experienced from any other teacher.

So in short - Gene Simmons, Paul Gardiner and Peter Hook inspired me to get a bass, but it was Jon Fielder who got me to actually play it - I owe that man a huge thank you.

[alexclaber]

[quote name='JTUK' post='576441' date='Aug 21 2009, 10:27 AM']Good thread...but it is interesting on the influences listed here.[/quote]

But isn't this about what/who made you take up bass playing, not who influenced you after you'd started?

Two very different lists I suspect!

Alex

Edited August 21, 2009 by alexclaber

[BigBeefChief]

[quote name='clauster' post='576456' date='Aug 21 2009, 10:38 AM']From a very young age I was always into music and was made to learn piano, which I hated. Then a trip to see my American cousin when I was ten got me into Kiss and at that impressionable age I wanted to be like Gene Simmons (even now I'd rather learn to breathe fire than slap at 100 notes per second lol).

Fast forward a year and I was listening to Numan/Tubeway Army, Joy Division/New Order etc and I wanted to start playing - pestered my Dad into getting me a bass (tiny Satellite thing) for my 12th Birthday, but beyond learning the names of the notes in the first five frets didn't do much.

Jump forward another year and the Head of Music at school asked me to stay at the end of class (Nothing unusual there - I hated school and was usually in trouble). He told me he'd heard I had an electric bass and that he was looking to form a band to compliment the orchestra for the school's musical productions and would I like to the bass player. It was the only extra-curricular activity I ever voluntarily signed up for. By 4pm the following friday, he'd found out my bass was a toy, I couldn't read music very well and didn't understand chord charts and had no technical expertise at all! Over the summer holidays he went out and blew a significant part of his departmental budget on a US Fender Precision (sunburst, black scratchplate, maple neck - lovely) and spent friday afternoons starting to teach me to start to play. Later he blew more of his budget on the services of a proper electric bass teacher for half a dozen of us kids. The support and encouragement (and direct intervention he put in on my behalf to ensure I was still allowed to play after getting into serious trouble in my last year) went well beyond what I've ever experienced from any other teacher.

So in short - Gene Simmons, Paul Gardiner and Peter Hook inspired me to get a bass, but it was Jon Fielder who got me to actually play it - I owe that man a huge thank you.[/quote]


Great story.