I went the other way @401Blues,
I learnt bass many years ago and then crossed over to drums for a couple of terms, but only to help out with my bass playing.
Bass is Best😎
Cheers Brian
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Whoa, interesting - what phase did Ministry regularly have two basses? It was just Paul Barker most of the time I thought?
They had a constant rotation of guests (especially in the RevCo era) so yeah I am sure they did on and off.
One of those bands where I like every phase of their very diverse career. Get around, get around, Al gets around 
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I had totally forgotten about Cop Shoot Cop. Thanks for the reminder!
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Mostly the rotation, and mostly when playing live. Live, they have people coming on and off the stage, sometimes 2 drummers, I have seen up to 3 guitars, and multiple characters on stage singing or acting, or Timothy Leary climbing a chain link fence…
Gott a love them.
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Hi!
I have to go back a little…
I started playing guitar in 1989 - the year I graduated High School. Played in a Thrash Metal band (loved basically anything that came out of the Bay Area of California). I had the long hair, jean jacket and leather jacket that fit the image 
But, that all kind of went away in 1993 when I decided that I actually needed to make some real money to survive, so off came the hair and, wouldn’t you know it, met a girl and went off and got married
So I put my gear down, sold everything except my B.C. Rich Mockingbird (still have and love that guitar…it turns 37 this year - N.J. Series, for those who want to know). I played a little (very little) and dabbled, but really didn’t do anything at all.
Fast forward to 2 years ago (September 2018), I get a call from a work colleague, that knew I played (there’s a video of me on YouTube from back in the day - I’m actually singing, too!). He said, “Hey, can you play Bass in the work band we’re putting together?”
I said, “Sure, but I don’t have a Bass or an Amp; haven’t played in x number of years; and never played a Bass.”
He said, “No problem, we got everything you need.”
My internal monologue was racing. Nervous, because I haven’t played in years, have never played a Bass. I didn’t have any guitar chops to lean on.
BUT…
I was able to learn the 5 songs that we played (Misirlou, Just What I Needed, Blue On Black, Kryptonite, Mad World and Smells Like Teen Spirit) in the 3 weeks I had to do it. To say I was rusty was an understatement. No amount of WD-40 was going to fix this
So I learned many of the notes I needed and plucked my way through the music.
This was for a gig that was put on by a very large company where a lot of people get together and talk and learn for a week. Long story short, this night of music is where a bunch of people get together from around the globe and Jam (with pre-selected songs). So…my first gig in 30-ish years was at the Aztec Theater in San Antonio, Texas for around 1000 People.
OMG. It was such a rush. We didn’t actually go to sleep after. Now I remember why we played. For that 40 minutes on stage.
Fast Forward to 2019. Nashville. I’d had a year to grow and learn and, thanks to folks like Josh, I felt better about playing. And we had 2 hours of music.
And just a side note–one of the best things to come out of that Phone Call, I now have a fantastic guitar player, who I never knew before the call, who is now one of my best friends and play with on a regular basis. And a drummer, that, much to everybody’s chagrin, is incredibly good without actually needing to practice. And is a great friend.
So now, I play a lot (especially with COVID and staying home), and really feel I’ve come a long way. I’ve been learning music theory (something I never did as a kid) and have tried to learn as much and as many techniques as possible.
At this point, I would say I’m intermediate in my playing? I’ve got reasonably good self-awareness and know when I mess up (usually that’s what I remember when I gig). But it’s been a blast learning.
TMI?
Also…the profile pic is me playing in Nashville last year.
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Welcome to Bass Buzz @numberman2000.
Your story fit mine pretty exact right up to the point of getting a job and getting married. I was a year behind you in High School, and same with metal / punk band, but I never picked it back up until this year, and have not band or folks to jam with yet, and have not played in front of people again, yet. but I stress the yet.
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Welcome @numberman2000
That’s a hell of a story ! I can sort of relate to the first part especially the long hair and denim cut over a leather jacket ( oh how I miss having hair 
)
Sounds like you’re well on your bass journey. Hopefully you can give us newbies a help up the ladder
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As much as I liked my long hair, the day I cut it off was one of the best days of my life.
I equate owning a head of long hair to owning a boat, cuz you know what the two best days in a boat owners life are…
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I’ve gone the shaved look now especially after getting the tattoos. Takes as much looking after as having long hair !
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I cut it short, wait til I can’t stand how long it’s gotten, then cut it short again.
What determines when I can’t stand it is when I wake up and my hair is all over the place, so couple months.
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Welcome to the course and the forum Kevin @doylecb! Glad you’re digging it.
Welcome @401Blues! Bassists definitely bass.
Welcome @numberman2000, thanks for sharing your story! Cool that you just jumped into playing bass with a band like that.
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Thank you, everybody, for the kind words!
It really has been one crazy two-year period. I actually had a gig, just pre-COVID, with another band that I met through a friend. It was on Valentines Day 
. At a smoky, smoky bar (we still have some of those in the Houston area). I was sort of a stunt-bassist, as their regular was out sick.
What I found is that, for me, the pressure of having to learn songs (I didn’t know all of the catalog) and knowing I’m about to play in front of people really, really motivates me.
Personally, the harder I make it on myself (by not just stepping out of, but abandoning, my comfort zone) makes me focus on learning. Frankly, we played a lot of 90’s and 00’s ‘rock’ music that I really didn’t know. So having to learn the songs, then the bass parts, really put me in a good place. Focus, goals, etc.
I know that’s not everybody’s bit, but for me, it works. If I’m left to my own designs, I’ll noodle around and not really put in the work. But under pressure to perform, it ‘flips the switch’.
A benefit of that other band was that the drummer was a stunt-drummer as well, with a TON of experience. He was groovy and we clicked pretty good.
I don’t know what I can offer, if much. What I know is that practice works. Even my wife is noticing, which is saying something (this isn’t her bag, totally). A perfect example is that I started working on Hysteria (Muse) last week…first slowly getting the notes in the right place, then slowly working and working and working to the point where I can play at speed, with most of the notes in the right place 
- and for that, a huge thank you to Josh…the work you put in to help us is awesome and I really, really appreciate it. Can’t imagine what I’d be like as a player if I’d had the internet 30 years ago.
With Hysteria, I am practicing every day. I’d get frustrated and play something I know how to play (my favorite ‘hard’ song to play is Interstate Love Song - plus it’s quick). And then I’d go back, working on the parts I knew I was struggling with.
For me, the entire process is iterative. I break down bits and pieces to learn the music. Trying to bite the whole thing is really hard. So a riff, run, or a piece that I can get-down is a success that I can build on.
Anyway…still not ready for slap-bass…not sure I will ever be…but who knows…
Thank you all again. I really do appreciate the notes.
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I like that, Hysteria is my song I use to play when I am breaking off from being frustrated by the song I am learning at the moment, but only because I committed it to memory a while back. and it was a song I did not know as a song, I just kept hearing the bass line in a bunch of pedal demo’s I was watching on YouTube. I asked Josh, he gave me the tab and link to his video tutorial, and off I went.
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Hi, I am really excited about starting the Beginner course. I am completely new to bass and have never played an instrument.
My goal is to eventually learn how to play along with the music I listen to, by getting the music sheet and fret tabs for various songs. And I hope this course will teach me how to do this.
Cheers.
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