What else do you play?

[richbass939]

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

[crgaston]

Yep, trumpet first.
Then guitar, then bass.

[Bradley Young]

All bass, all the time.

[grynchin]

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!

[jet_powers]

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

[chuckc]

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.

[george_wright]

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.

[lbpesq]

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

[adriaan]

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.

[daveo]

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.

[rami]

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.

[olieoliver]

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.

[jlpicard]

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

[palembic]

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.

[jacko]

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