What made you play bass?

Lounge
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Greetings fellow E- and B-string chuggers,

Just a random lounge-ish topic: What made you play bass?

Mine (summarized):

  • Former drummer and I sucked (never did my homework, just like Lars Ulrich)
  • Tried to join local music college/insitute, but failed big time
  • Secretly loved bass more since my teens and pretty much dabbled with cheap basses and no lessons untill my late 20’s**
  • Severe videogame addiction for +20 years (especially World of Warcraft)
  • The felling that half my life’s been thrown away with bad decisions and now I wanna do that I’ve always wanted: Play bass, rock hard, trying to live the dream.

Sounds a bit dramatic I guess, but I’m comfortable enough here to share.

**=Thanks to bassists like Fat Mike (NOFX), Matt Freeman (Rancid), Joe Principe (Rise Against) and Mark Hoppus (Blink 182).

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Previously asked a while back (probably multiple times).

Search function is on top right of page

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I got into a regular lesson with a singing coach who’s inspirational. She’s from a jazz background. She’s become a close friend and, when my voice isn’t having a good time I go anyway and we just goof around with music. She has a huge tech setup and awesome speakers. Listening to some of my fave music with her, and hearing it afresh from her commentary, I started to see a theme. Everything I’ve ever liked has prominent, good bass. I started to hear bass more and more, and lightbulb moments started happening. I’d been trying to concentrate on keyboards, but after violin as a child I was finding it curiously unexpressive - my level of skill no doubt. The minute my first bass arrived I couldn’t put it down. Literally. It felt part of me, in a really good way :slight_smile: I started cheap with an Ibanez mikro - which was surprisingly good! Now, I have a short scale Sterling Stingray I call Sidney, which is in my hands at every available moment, even while cooking dinner :laughing:

Now Sidney comes to my voice lessons, and we’re working on singing while playing. Simple stuff with not a lot of syncopation seems fine, but the minute the beat separates … :zany_face:. Coach is genius as spotting what songs’ll be a good start. Currently trying to nail Broken Wings (I’m still beginnerish, and an 80s child!). I’m completely loving it, and it provides one hell of an effective distraction from life’s stresses. Given that I’m struggling with an elderly parent with dementia, I’m hoping it’ll keep my brain healthy too.

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