What's Your "Connection"?

[AnthonyD]

So... We're all here because we absolutely LOVE our MM bass guitars (and I have noticed an un-natural affection for Bongos, to be addressed elsewhere ).

Seriously, though - I am new to the forum and would like a bit of insight re: the follks I am meeting here.

First, what's your style(s)? Fingers, pick, both? Holding the line (ala Cliff Williams) or out in front (ala Graham Maby). Gotta be some slap/funk out there too...

Second, what are you using your bass for? Working musician? Hobbiest? Wannabe star?

And lastly, what drove you to play bass? What's your preferred type of music to play? Favorite songs/artists to play?

I'll share mine if you share yours!

 

[JB1]

First, what's your style(s)?

Fingers
Holding the line

Second, what are you using your bass for? Working musician? Hobbiest? Wannabe star?

Bit of all three!

And lastly, what drove you to play bass? What's your preferred type of music to play? Favorite songs/artists to play?

A friend lent me his & I was hooked. Also played cello for 10 years up until then.
Prefer rock
Like pretty much anything except most folk/country

 

[midopa]

Style: Fingerstyle, doing a little bit of both (holding line and being out front).

Use: Hobbes!

Oops! I mean hobbyist!

Beginnings: Filled in for the chronically late bassist for my church's youth group praise team. And then did the same for my church's English Ministry when their bassist stopped showing up. Like JB, I also played cello prior to the bass guitar, although only for four years.

Fav. Genre: I'm open to just about anything. I can't think of any particular genre that I really dislike.

Now share yours!

 

[SteveB]

First, what's your style(s)? Fingers, pick, both?

Both.

Holding the line (ala Cliff Williams) or out in front (ala Graham Maby). Gotta be some slap/funk out there too...

out in front quite often, holding the line when appropriate

Second, what are you using your bass for? Working musician? Hobbiest? Wannabe star?

Hobbyist

what drove you to play bass?

unskilled bass players (present company excluded)

What's your preferred type of music to play?

Original Rock.

I'll share mine if you share yours!

*blush*

 

[AnthonyD]

Any friend of Hobbes is a friend of mine!

These days I play with my fingers, though in my first incarnation I was all pick. (Got frustrated when my right hand could not keep-up with my left!). I play out in front - always. That's not to say I am over-active, but I have always demanded the bass clearly cut-through the mix...

I'd like to slap - just cause it seems so cool - but I'm a mess!

Used to be a wannabe star, but these days it's all a hobby. There are a few guys (excellent guitar players, way more musically advanced that I) that I jam semi-regularly with. There is the occassional church fill-in and coffee-house sessions (few times a year). And there's the "virtual band" that I play with (CD & MP3 based) on a very regular basis.

Got started at 12 thanks to Gene Simmons. Spent the first bunch of years playing in a "Kissamania" band - way before "tribute" bands were popular. Influences also included Steve Harris and of course, Geddy Lee & Paul McCartney. After about 8 years I hung it up completely until about 5 years ago. Now I am back for good!

I guess I'm rooted in rock but then again, it's an extremely eclectic mix for me. I'm easy - so long as it's music that has a great bass presence, usually balanced with stuff that people love to sing along to.

Some of the favorites we play include Wild Nights (John Mellencamp version), Brown Eyed Girl (Van Morrison), Listen to Our Hearts (Geoff Moore), Your Smiling Face (James Taylor) and Long Train Running (Doobie Brothers).

 

[oldbluebassman]

Style:

Fingers, touch of slap - Holding it all together. Allegedly I'm the only one who knows what happens next so it's a bit of a responsibilty, which limits any out-front opportunities.


Use:

Started as a hobby and now it's about all I do so I guess it's working musician.


What drove you to play bass?

Jet Harris with The Shadows, Ventures, Pirates and other pre-Beatles artists/groups. Many of my friends played guitar but no-one played bass. There was a market opportunity so I made a bass and started a band. Gave up in 1967 and got a career. Took it up again 23 years later. Saw John Mayall in 1990 with Rick Cortez playing an SR5. Got hooked on the sound and converted to MM thereafter. The GAS never stops.

What's your preferred type of music to play? Anything and everything as long as I'm having fun.

Favorite songs/artists to play? Nothing specific however I do like the challenge of working with my current Guvnor on original material. The creativity is very satisfying.

 

[Morrow]

Sometimes I use a pick but I usually do the finger thing.

I have been a gigging bassist since the early 70's and have never been without at least one gig.I generally play in three or four different lineups and sub in others.I get to do the odd session gig as well as the bars.Thankfully the phone still rings.I am one of the fixtures in the local roots scene.We have some wonderfull players up here.

I mostly play blues,R&B and roots music.I have been known to do the odd bluegrass gig on the upright and play upright on many blues gigs.I am tenacious with a groove.

In the daytime I do advertising and commercial photography.No weddings or baby pictures....I run my own studio .I have always done a mix of photography and music.

I gave up any dreams of rock stardom when I became interested in playing blues and roots music.Just a basic working musician - I like my life and the people around me. I get to play with some very good musicians.

I love my Ray but I also play and use a variety of other basses.

 

[AnthonyD]

That sounds awesome! I respect and envy your place in the world - good for you!

Thanks for sharing!

 

[Freddy-G.]

I'm very new to the forum, so I feel compelled to join in. Just bought a new Bongo yesterday (it's soooo bad as*!). The tone from the double hummers just kills me!

Chris Squire inspired me to learn bass (I still have my '73 Rick). I've played in bands off and on, sometimes full-time. Now, it's more of a hobby (I also ride mountain bikes). I'm mostly a in-the-pocket, finger pluck player.

I'm a sucker for a good pop song that everyone knows and loves to hear live. That makes for some fun gigs. At home I listen to Coldplay, U2, Steely Dan (old and new stuff), Radiohead, Beck, Train, Sarah McLaughlan, Aimee Mann, etc., etc.

Occasionally, I'll pick up a training video (I have an old Stu Hamm tape, Vic Wooten, Flea (with his MM)) and just marvel at how gifted these guys are.

 

[SterlingFan]

Now at this point in my life I play as a hobby and always finger style. Back when I was in my band I had to use a pick on 3 songs, as per guitarist request. After all, he did write them. Not that the pick was bad, only finger style feels more natural to me. Our style was Contemporary Christian. Who inspired me want to play bass was Peter Cetera of Chicago. Loved his style.

 

[Freddy-G.]

Now at this point in my life I play as a hobby and always finger style. Back when I was in my band I had to use a pick on 3 songs, as per guitarist request. After all, he did write them. Not that the pick was bad, only finger style feels more natural to me. Our style was Contemporary Christian. Who inspired me want to play bass was Peter Cetera of Chicago. Loved his style.

Peter Cetera was such an underrated bass player!

 

[Figjam]

Fingers, slap. Funk/slap stuff mostly, some normal alt rock stuff.

 

[Mobay45]

Peter Cetera was such an underrated bass player!

Pete Cetera is a good bass player, but I think Jason Scheff can smoke him.

 

[AnthonyD]

I'm a sucker for a good pop song that everyone knows and loves to hear live.

Only the Good Die Young - Billy Joel

One of my favorites to play, and it rocks acoustically too!

 

[jongitarz]

I was in a band a few(many) years ago, and they would let me re-write songs sorta like a punk version of weird Al..As I recall, the musical play "Evita" was huge at the time. I altered "Don't cry for me Argentina" so it was a song about getting a record contract. It was called " Don't Cry for me Ike and Tina" I also re-did a Billy Joel song called " It's Still Rock and Roll to Me". I changed it to "It's Still BillyJoel to Me"

It still is Billy Joel to me.

 

[bovinehost]

I occasionally perform "Wild Thing" to the tune of "Blackbird".

"....wild thing singing in the dead of night....."


If I can't rearrange it, I don't want to play it, usually. We do the Beatles "Revolution" as straight reggae.

Style: the second coming, or perhaps the undead zombie version of Jamerson's "hook".

Use: I go back and forth between being good and sucking.

What drove you to play bass? A 1950s Studebaker. No, no, I mean of course it was Paul McCartney.
'
What's your preferred type of music to play? In an ideal world, I would be in an XTC tribute band. Or, better yet, I would be in XTC. As it is, I play mostly stuff that's at least rooted in 60s pop.

Favorite songs/artists to play? Around the house, Steely Dan, Norah Jones, the Tubes, XTC, Todd Rundgren, anything but blues. I mean I like blues and will play that stuff live, but don't ask me to rehearse it.

 

[phatduckk]

First, what's your style(s)?
* in bands i always use a pick. but when i practice at home I play finger style 60% of the time,
slap 30% and use a pick the other 10%. ive always been self conscious of being a pick player so i figured i had to be able to play finger style and slap so i could shut people up
i also screw around with tapping but ive still got a hellofa lot to learn about that technique

* Second, what are you using your bass for? Working musician? Hobbiest? Wannabe star?
like someone else said ... all three. mostly as therapy tho after a hard day i go home and abuse my instruments

* And lastly, what drove you to play bass? What's your preferred type of music to play? Favorite songs/artists to play?
i started playing bass b/c i heard Cliff Burton's solo Anesthesia ... then the moddy ass bass solo in Orion. So that got me started as a metal bassist. but then I heard Rancid and Matt Freeman's influence sent me downt the punk rock path.

Now i mostly play punk. It gives you the chance to get out front and go nuts and play fast and show off (like some Rancid stuff) ... but then you can hold it steady too + the energy of the music is awesome. I really enjoy playing ska lines too ... they're way fun.

I barely play other peoples' songs. i know about 20% of a million songs but nothing really completely .... im always writing my own stuff and/or working on bass parts for a song a bandmate wrote

 

[AnthonyD]

I occasionally perform "Wild Thing" to the tune of "Blackbird".

"....wild thing singing in the dead of night....."

Funny... My cousin sings lead and we regularly do "Brown Eyed Girl" - he consistently changes two lines in the last verse to:

"I saw THEM just the other day, my how THEY have grown"

It's been going on for so long that this is how I have come to know the song.

Always gets a smile!

 

[cgworkman]

**What's your style?**

Mainly fingerpicking and slapping. Never could use a pick. I use the "muted-palm/plucking thumb" technique. I'm kind of out front - but I DO know how to lay in the pocket. Which, in my old age, is becoming a passion of mine. I love those Tower of Power/R&B type basslines. Rhythmic, but not ignorant.

**What are you using your bass for?**

To play/create basslines.

I play in church (unpaid) mainly. I also do a lot of session work for several studios in my area. I'm also on call to do gigs, shows, etc. with a few dozen "artists" in my area also. These, of course, are all paid. Playing bass is unfortunately not my day job. But it's nice.

Of course I want to be a star.

**What drove you to play bass?**

I started playing bass because of old 50's music, etc. Elvis, Jerry Lee, Ray Charles, etc. Then I got into Rush, Stanley, Victor, (never Jaco though...), Sting, Hendrix (yes, Jimi), Tony Levin, Marcus Miller, James Jamerson, Bootsy, Funk music in general - Especially George Clinton and the likes. The list goes on and on. It changes from day to day too!

 

[Mobay45]

"What's your style?"

I play almost exclusively finger style. I've never been able to get the hang of a pick either and I do slap/pop every once in a while.

"What are you playing bass for?"

I really enjoy a good bass line. I played piano, then trumpet, a little bit of drums and then onto bass. I have always liked the bass and for some reason had a real easy time learning to play because of my music background and having a good ear. Another thing that I really enjoy is playing in front of a crowd. I like the adrenaline rush I get from it.

"What drove you to play bass?"

I was inspired by the bass players of the late sixties and the early seventies. I played around with drums for a while back then and naturally, I had to lock in with the bass lines. (Why I didn't play bass back then I'll never know.) In '80, my Dad was in a country band that had a bass guitar, but nobody to play it. He invited me to sit in and try it out. The next week, I bought a bass and amp and started playing regularly with them. Later, after I left that band because they didn't want to play any progressive country, I taught my Dad to play bass. Those were some of the best times I ever had with him. I was so glad we had the opportunity since he passed away in '85. I still have the bass he bought. It's a '80 P bass. I had always thought it was a '79 until yesterday.