When was your first??

[Guest TheBigBeefChief]

I've been playing for almost a year now and through a combination of lack of time to practice/intolerant girlfriend I'm still pretty terrible.

However, I think that my main issue is that I don't actually jam with anyone. I feel that I won't actually make any major improvements until I start doing this. However, I almost think its unfair to inflict my playing on others!

I was wondering how long people on here had been playing before they joined a band? Also how long until they actually gigged? What kind of level were you at when you first started playing with others/playing live?

[WarPig]

[quote name='TheBigBeefChief' post='101869' date='Dec 9 2007, 07:53 PM']However, I think that my main issue is that I don't actually jam with anyone.

I was wondering how long people on here had been playing before they joined a band? Also how long until they actually gigged? What kind of level were you at when you first started playing with others/playing live?[/quote]

Playing with others is a great way to improve, if you're worried about your ability, find musicians of the same level, and try and improve together.

I joined a band 18 months after starting bass, we gigged within about 3 months.
I was still a beginner (still am ) but since being in a band ive learnt alot, definately a big improvement.

[queenofthedepths]

I actually agreed to join my first band shortly before I even got my first bass... we had our first jam about a week after I'd been playing! Of course I was terrible at the time but it certainly pushed me a lot - we played our first gig after 5 months The great thing about bass is that nobody expects you to do anything complicated, but if you do, they think you're amazing so yeah, 'tis quite easy to advance your playing in a band situation - so join as many as possible!

[Happy Jack]

Jan'06 - Picked up a bass for the first time.
Jun'06 - First garage jam with a couple of novice guitarists.
Jan'07 - First bass lesson.
Jun'07 - First time on stage, at an Open Mic session.
Nov'07 - First steps towards forming a band.

I have a full-time job and a reasonably demanding family life, so playing bass comes a definite third for me. If I'd been young and single, I could have accelerated that timescale by a pretty large degree.

[martthebass]

About 6 weeks. I was bloody awful.

26 years later, some might say I still am. Don't care.

[ergon]

3 months, i found the first year was very important to get as much practice in as possable with or without anyone to jam with, a good way to improve is to force yourself to practice once a day for about an hour, it's hard work but pays off also playing alotng to CDs is a close to jamming way of practicing.

[stingrayfan]

[quote name='WarPig' post='101874' date='Dec 9 2007, 08:02 PM']Playing with others is a great way to improve, if you're worried about your ability, find musicians of the same level, and try and improve together.[/quote]
+1. Although you might want to stick some clothes on first BigBeefChief

[queenofthedepths]

[quote name='ergon' post='101907' date='Dec 9 2007, 09:04 PM']3 months, i found the first year was very important to get as much practice in as possable with or without anyone to jam with, a good way to improve is to force yourself to practice once a day for about an hour, it's hard work but pays off also playing alotng to CDs is a close to jamming way of practicing.[/quote]

The value of one hour, in terms of improving your playing:

Gig > Band rehearsal > Jam > Writing/practising songs by yourself > Fiddling around on bass by yourself

Learning to function with other musicians is a skill in itself (I'd say it's the most important of all), but it also focuses your playing, even when they're not around!

[JoeS]

First gig was some pretty simple church-style stuff after about 6 months. Can't remember how bad it was - probably very - but what I can remember was how good it felt to be up there, playing in front of people.

[Kiwi]

I went through most of the 90's without being in a band - pretty much became a Mark King clone apart from jamming with a load of jazz and blues musicians in NZ before I left in 1996. First band that started to gig properly was a motown band in 2003, followed by a soul band in 2005 and then my current band which is a disco/funk/soul function band.

Playing in a band made a tremendous difference to my consistency and timekeeping.

[spinynorman]

I got into my first band jamming around on guitar with friends and then switched to bass when it started to turn into a real band. Most people I know who play an instrument seem to be in a band with friends, or with people they've met while gigging. You'd have to be pretty confident to audition with complete strangers, without any band experience.

Having said that, my son picked up bass soon after I did, and all he would do was play along to Stone Roses tracks. Got good at those, then answered an ad for a bass player. Audition was more of a jam and he got on ok till they started talking about chords and keys and he hadn't a clue what they were on about. By then though they were getting on well enough that the other band members were prepared to hep him along. So it turned out ok, but he was lucky.

[Guest TheBigBeefChief]

So basically I need to get some friends first.

[BigRedX]

I started learning guitar when I was 13, armed with a very horrible acoustic with terrible action and a folk guitar song book. After 9 months I could still barely string two chords together. Then I met someone who could already play and he showed me how to play some songs that I actually liked. Result in 2 in weeks I went from almost no ability to being able to strum through some Beatles songs in a way that was recognisable to others. Formed a band the following term with 3 other people in my year at school, all of roughly equal levels of (in)competence. Playing with other people is the biggest driving force to getting better as a musician and songwriter. Even if you're all cr@p when you start, you'll find that improvements in ability of one of the group will help all the others.

Get out and start playing with other musicians as soon as possible. Don't worry too much about your abilities, go to some band auditions and you'll discover what level of ability is required - you might even be surprised!

[16Again]

First jam was in 1983 (with friends) 6 months after i picked up a acoustic guitar with 4 nylon strings, playing flux of pink indians,uk subs and exploited basslines (the early eighties where not an easy time for actually buying basses, well not for me anyway!)
first gig was 6 years later (1989)after many,many jams with various mates over the years and playing many different musical styles but after one practice with the band and practicing like a bastard to a live tape of the band so i could take over from the bass player in the band that nobody liked, and i was in that band for 8 years.

Edited December 9, 2007 by 16Again

[Ou7shined]

It's all a bit blurry for me. There were always guitars around the house when I was a kid coz my step dad was a gigging bass man and a session musician. Got my own 1st guitar when I was about 16. All my mates were musically orientated too and we had several bands but none that ever actually gigged or even had names. I got into travelling so did many a turn around the camp fire etc. then through necessity got into busking too. I would say that it was probably about 10 years on into playing guitar that I had my first actual paying gig.
I'm 41 now and still gigging and though find it hard to find time to practice every available minute of the day like I used to I still make time to practice at least every other day.

I hear what your saying about intolerant g/f's etc. It is hard to practice bass in the home and not be intruding into someone else's space. Lucky for me my g/f is so knackered from work that she usually falls asleep watching telly every night - cue practice time.

Maybe you could get one of those guitar trainer things that you can plug in headphones a jam along to CD's or if that seems too antisocial get an acoustic, chill out with your girlfriend on the sofa and while she's watching Corrie quietly plonk about then jam along to the adverts (sounds naff but I've been doing it for years - it hones your ability to pick out tunes), watch shows like Jools Holland (where you can see the musicians) and jam along to that too.

[b]edit[/b] : [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/TASCAM-CD-BT1-Mk2-bass-guitar-trainer-practice-BNIB_W0QQitemZ270194949866QQihZ017QQcategoryZ4713QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem"]This[/url] is the type of thing I was on about.

Edited December 10, 2007 by Ou7shined

[alexclaber]

Have you considered going to a jazz workshop?

Alex

[Bilbo]

Got my first bass (Hondo II Precision copy) in September 1980, gigging by December, in recording studio March '81, recording session for Radio One in April '82 (Tommy Vance's Friday Rock Show).

It's been downhill ever since. The music is better but the profile has never improved on the Radio One thing.

[thedontcarebear]

I first gigged 3 months after starting to play bass, I pretty much started as a mate asked me to play in his band.

[cheddatom]

I played guitar for ages and only got a bass 'cos a mate wanted someone to play in a band, and I always loved the sound of basses.

ou7shined sayed about playing along to the TV - I've been doing this all my life. I'm not particularly great, but I can generally play something that is at least in tune and in time with anything that comes on, and I find this helps me find my way around the fret board.

[Sparky]

i've been in bands for the best part of 15 years and my individual playing hasn't really improved that whole time! the band's good, but i aint. oh well, however simple the bass line, playing toight with the drummer always feels nice!

only in the past couple of months have i actually started 'practicing'... depending on the amount of time i have spare, that consists of 10-20mins working through my book and 10-20mins trying to learn stevie wonder bass lines

[s_u_y_*]

[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='101937' date='Dec 9 2007, 10:53 PM']Playing in a band made a tremendous difference to my consistency and timekeeping.[/quote]

+1.

My basstime line reads:
- Played piano. But picked up the school's bass when it was fixed after many years broken and take 4 lessons just before secondary school finished
- In the summer, a guy askes him to join his band and does recordings of covers. But loses his number and never hears the recordings.
- In college, meet several musicians. Play in two bands. Play College show for one of them.
- Just after college, join a friend's band. Play first proper gig at a venue, so roughly 2 years after I first pick up bass.

I'm still in that band, and is the one I really cut my teeth on, stopped being an egomanical bassist and learnt to be pretty tight.

[tauzero]

Guitar - a few months before joining a school band playing Glenn Miller covers to play rhythm guitar.

Bass - started playing bass after we put the band together at university and I was voted bass player. Played for a few months, did a practice gig and then the hall of residence end of year do (and got paid too!) and then dropped out of university and didn't play bass again for a few years.

[OldG]

Started playing bass at 25, and never felt 'good' enough to play in a band ( I even put the bass away and started playing guitar) - until this year, a good friend/singer made me go along and play bass with what turned out to be 'the band'.

I'm 44 now btw, and dearly wish I hadn't wasted all those years.... playing live is a superb rush!

Unfortunately, the band split and now my wife Lucy(guitar), Tracey (the aforementioned singer/gutarist) and myself (bass/guitar) play a nice mellow acoustic-ish set without the usual band ego/commitment hassles. Its all good - just play with others, I found it hard to keep interest without...

[bass_ferret]

I took up bass after joining a band - I could already play guitar and banjo. I had more gigging experience that the rest of the band - playing banjo in a jazz band and I just know you are gonna be impressed with that.

[Happy Jack]

[quote name='TheBigBeefChief' post='101943' date='Dec 9 2007, 11:11 PM']So basically I need to get some friends first.[/quote]

Nope!

I have friends - but mainly they're not musos.
I know musos - but mainly they're acquaintances rather than friends.

Another thread on Basschat led me to [url="http://www.formingbands.co.uk/site/index.php"]http://www.formingbands.co.uk/site/index.php[/url]

I posted my details and got really lucky ... a call within 48 hours which has led to a serious attempt to form a band by two friends, an acquaintance of theirs, plus two strangers (I'm one of them). So far so good.

If you want it, it's there for you.

By God I love the Internet!