Alembic Guitars Club
Connecting => Miscellaneous => Topic started by: richbass939 on April 07, 2006, 04:59:31 PM
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I've noticed that a lot of interviews with bass players reveal that they started out playing trumpet as I did. It got me wondering, what was your first instrument and what other instruments have you played/do you currently play? This question is posed to bass AND guitar players, of course.
Rich
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Yep, trumpet first.
Then guitar, then bass.
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All bass, all the time.
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Started on guitar, now on bass and guitar. The other guitarist in the band I'm in (Old Hauntie), started on trumpet, then picked up guitar, then became the drum major for a marching band, then became a drummer, and now he is playing bass too. Oh yeah, he's got a dynamite voice too. Hoorah for trumpet players!
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I started on piano for a few years, then went to violin for six years, got a guitar then a bass. Now all I play in public is bass and occasionally the radio.
JP
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Let's see, started on drums at age 6, then piano and guitar in high school. Picked up bass around the college years, back to drums, then bass, then guitar, then keyboards, then drums again, then guitar and keys and now back to performing on bass. I have commitment issues, obviously.
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Does a recorder count? I used one ($3 from Dale Music in Silver Spring MD) to learn to read music. Then it was on to saxes---that was when all rock-'n-roll bands had saxes.
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I started in 2nd grade on a baritone ukelele strung backwards so I could play it left-handed even though I'm right-handed. Paul was my favorite Beatle at the time. (When I became older and wiser, my allegiance switched to John). Saxophone in 4th grade in school band. In 7th grade I discovered electric guitar and girls (not necessarily in order of importance) and gave up the sax. (A decision I regret to this day. Sax is the sexiest instrument there is. As a friend once opined, the person who invented the saxophone was naked at the time).
By the way, Phil Lesh played trumpet and violin before Jerry corrupted him with the bass!
Bill, tgo
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The person who invented the saxophone, Adolphe Sax, was a Belgian who invented a LOT of brass and reed instruments in the 19th century. I read a lot on 19th century cultlore, but as far as I can see Belgian nudism ca 1850 went unnoticed.
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I started on Recorder when I was 9 or 10 for a couple years, then flute, then a long break. I began guitar when I was 16.
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When I was 6, my folks wanted to expose me to music, so they signed me up for accordion lessons! I actually became pretty good at it but around age 8 I learned the recorder in elementary school. Around the age of 10 while hanging out with my best buddie at the time (today he's a bum) he gave me this old guitar with a broken neck that was barely hanging on by the wood fibers. He was drumming on the body. I took it home and tried to fix it by hammering a 4 nail through the fingerboard into the base of the neck. My parents felt sorry for me and laughed at the same time. They got me a shiney new Yamaha classical guitar which I played for a couple of years before I discovered the Bass. It was love from that point on. In high school, I also played first chair Trumpet. I really loved the trumpet and in later years I really regretted not pursuing it as well. But the Bass was and still is my true love. In the last few years I've been getting into Bach - which I find to be a refreshing departure from the mainstream. More impressive to others as to what can be played on a Bass.
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I started out on an old electric organ. I don't play it anymore. I started playing bass just before my 12th B-day. A freind of mine that live doen the alley from us had a band and needed a bass player. My parents (both pro-musicians)happened to have an old KIngston Jazz copy. He would show me the songs and it was just natural to me. I played my first gig on my 12th Birthday (now 43) and been going stong ever since. I also play guitar and drums.
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I started on drums as a fourth grader after hearing the Beatles because it was the only instrument taught in school that they also played! Once I hit High school there were a million drummers and no bass players to complete my band so I decided to sell my set and buy a bass! After all, back in Junior high, I used to take my friends acoustic guitar, turn it upside down,(lefty) and play the roots of every chord my friend would play. I thought, how hard could it be? I can do this! (Ah, the naivety of youth!) Bass has been my life ever since. I also noodled around with guitar for years on and off and then added keyboards to the repetoire because I got sick of playing in a power trio and not hearing all the missing parts. so I set out to develope the technique of tapping with one hand on the bass and playing the keyboard with the other. (nothing to do with Geddy,just neccessity, not a big Rush fan). To further complicate matters, I also sing lead and backup and control a Digitech Vocalist Workstation, all simultainiously. Whew! after many years we finally added a keyboardist so thankfully alI have to do is concentrate on Bass!! Mike
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Started on acoustic guitar ...strumming chords ...campfire singing ...you know.
When I was humming a song to my friends they said why do you always hum bass-lines??? (being a tenor that's weird).
Anyway ...a friend of mine who played piano lend me his bass and ...it fitted. I felt very comfortable.
So now ...bass and acoustic still is.
Though my acoustic guitar deserves more attention ...
Paul TBO
PS ...I am back from Denmark so I am happy to chime in again ...hello Bro's and sis's ...happy to see you all gathered.
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I started out on recorder in primary school then went on to learn clarinet which I ended up playing in my school orchestra. Gave it up when I was about 16 as I was starting to play guitar and thought it was a bit 'uncool'. Looking back of course, I wish I still played it;-(
Graeme
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Back-slidden piano player.
J o e y
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I started out on drums at the age of 3. An uncle of mine just graduated from Berkley School of music in Boston and I was his 1st drum student. Then I played piano. (my mother was a piano teacher)Then I learnt 6 string guitar. (Another uncle use to teach guitar) I played drums professionally on the road fresh out of high school in the mid 70s. In the 80's I got off the road, taught myself bass and played in a General business band (weddings) as the bass player/synth keyboard player for a decade. Now I play bass in a gigging weekend rock band part time and still do studio gigs as a drummer, bass player and keyboard player. I'm going into the studio to play drums for someone on April 22nd and 23rd and I'm using my Roland V-drums rather than my acoustic kit. should be interesting!
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I can't beleive NOBODY said X-BOX!
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I started out playing bass, then went to guitar. Put the bass down for about 20 years! Picked up accordion, mandolin, banjo, and keyboards along the way. Now I seem to only play bass, electric and upright (and some guitar now and then!).
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I started out playing bass, then went to guitar. Put the bass down for about 20 years! Picked up accordion, mandolin, banjo, and keyboards along the way. Now I seem to only play bass, electric and upright (and some guitar now and then!).
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Hmm.. lessee... 6th grade Trombone..by junior year in high school add baritone and tuba/sousaphone. Started Bass Guitar that year.. dabbled in Bassoon for a semeseter in college.
Currently? Bass, a little guitar, and starting to learn how to play Celtic Bouzouki.
--J
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Guitar first, then bass and guitar. Tried drums, keys and steel guitar, both with comical results, LOL!
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I started on bass (Rickenbacker 4001), though beforehand I noodled with an old acoustic guitar. Even then I think I only used the bottom four strings on it.
Some experiments with keyboards, I can do a beat on the drumkit, have worn a harmonica holder on my neck, recently I purchased a lapsteel guitar, and played a kazoo on our first indie CD.
I have never played an X-Box
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Bass has pretty much been central, though at times (lots of dabbling) I've been reasonably competent on:
Chapman Stick
Bagpipes
Saxophone
Euphonium
Cello
Mandolin
guitar
I wish I still had the Chapman Stick and Bagpipes...
John
oh, and drums, unless we're talking only about MUSICAL instruments... ;)
(Message edited by 811952 on April 11, 2006)
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Brother John ....I think you have yourself a goal for the next year ...decade ...whatever!
BACK TO THE BAGPIPES
LET'S TICK TOGETHER (goes for Chapman as for drums ...but that's a deep one)
Paul TBO
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I began playing classical piano at age 4. Played nothing but classical on piano until I was 17. Along the way (13-14) I picked up bass and never put it down. Fell off the piano bench at 17. Got back on at 47 and taught myself more...uuhhhh, contemporary music. Now I've got more keyboard gigs than bass gigs. I'm freelancing for 5 bands.
It's a lot of fun but I really miss the down & dirty bass gigs.
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Chapman Stick?? I had one for a few months. Thought it was cool but simply couldn't divote time to learn it. I had three songs under my belt playing bass and simple lead guitar parts on a few simply cover tunes with my band but I couldn't justify bringing my 6 string guitar amp AND bass rig to gigs to cover three songs. Still if i were a kid and could aford wood sheding time i'd pick it up again in a heartbeat. What an interesting instrument!
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I'd like to have a stick that's bass-only, I think. I really like the attack Tony Levin gets (though I recognize that a lot of it is his compression) and just that *tone* of the smack of string-on-fretwire at the far-end (from the pickup) of the instrument. The higher-register stuff sounds interesting, but I am too much of a neanderthal bass player to do it justice. As for portage of a buttload of gear, my rig seems to be full-range (8 tens and horns) and I guess now I'm curious how it would sound with a good clean (or dirty) guitar-ish signal run through it. Good grief, my spine suggests I should have chosen violin or some other small, unamplified instrument, but my heart says bass..
John
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The sell the Chapman BASS Stick! :-)
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I played oboe throughout jr high and high school. Wish I could still do it, but the regimen necessary for any chops at all is pretty extreme, not to mention those %%$^#&%@ reeds!
Edwin
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guitar, bass, mandolin, piano (keys), accordian, cello, flute, vocals, drums........
......if only I could figure out how to pull them all off live at the same time.......sigh.......
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Actually, trumpet and a simple bass part at the same time isn't all that hard. It's no harder than singing and playing (well, playing bass, anyway).
Rich
(Message edited by richbass939 on April 24, 2006)
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Voice, recorder, violin, now I split between guitar 90% and bass about 10%.
Jazzyvee
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started on recorder, played some piano, bought a guitar, dabble in bass and drums, as well as harmonica.
Basically, I play whatever people will let me play, heh. When I'm at home, its usually guitar.
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started on recorder, played some piano, bought a guitar, dabble in bass and drums, as well as harmonica.
Basically, I play whatever people will let me play, heh. When I'm at home, its usually guitar.
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Recorder, violin, guitar. Now I play both guitar and bass depending on the gig.
I bought some tabla a couple of years ago for my birthday and still not had lessons yet. I love their sound but need to learn to play them properly.
Jazzyvee
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Started on Cornet as a child....Did not like it!
Switched to guitar. then Bass then keyboards back to Bass and Harmonica. Have played Bass for 42 yrs.
Howierd