When was your first??

[Guest TheBigBeefChief]

where else would you meet overweight married women for no strings day time sex?

[Mobius]

I was in a band right from the start as I did a McCartney and switched from guitar to bass. Had a gig with a different band after I had been playing 2 or 3 years. You don't need to be great at playing to jam with other people, and I would recommend it as it does improve your playing, but more importantly gives you a huge boost to your motivation to practice. And it's a lot of fun.

[Breakfast]

I first jammed with my friends when I was 17 then realised there was one guitarist better than me and one worse so I switched to bass, traded in my six-string and started using that. I mostly played with the band and we played in front of other people (but only friends at a party) a couple of months later. We were young and thought we were awesome, but looking back now I realised that we had a great drummer, an ok lead guitarist and the rest of us were absolutely rubbish.

That was back in 1993, but I've been in bands pretty regularly since then. I doubt that even now I'm a quarter as good as most of the regular posters on here, but i've played a lot of gigs and really enjoyed them, which is what matters as far as I'm concerned.

[blamelouis]

Put on the radio and play along with everything , it'll get you used to chord progresions and playing in time ,plus loads of different styles of music.
Learn a bit of theory scales and modes.

And then you'll start to realise how many songs are alike, and your ear will be very well developed and then put out an advert for a band!!!!



And then stand back and AGOG at how many bad drummers and awful guitarists there are!

[Bananaman]

Played 6 string acoustic guitar for a year, just learning from tab & books while i was hungover (the only productive thing i found i could do in that state!). A year later me a work friend told me he was getting a band together and told me with authority that i was in said band on bass. he lent me a bass only the night before my our practice & one month before the comp!

We won the BOTB but probably more down to great choices of covers, an amazing guitarist, singer and drummer which carried me!

I would definitely recommend you get in a band of some sort (look out on local music forums for people of a similar standard.)
Being in a band puts pressure on you to play lots and push yourself to improve. It also makes you develop so much faster in terms of thinking on your feet.

Also- play along to as much music as you can, try making your own stuff up as well as working out the way they did it/playing the
tab.

But i'm no expert!

[elom]

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='102394' date='Dec 10 2007, 09:15 PM']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][/quote]

+1 for formingbands.co.uk that's how our band got together.

Knowing my limitations as a new/returning musician I found it easier to start one up myself rather than join an established band looking for a bassist.

[OldGit]

I would suggest reading this thread about what people wished they had done as a beginner
[url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=5663&st=0"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=5663&st=0[/url]

Mostly it's "get the technique right and learn to read and some theory"
I'd strongly suggest you find a tutor and plan on having a year's worth of lessons .. at least. Sure you can play in a band in 5 days from gettinga bass - it's wonderful for that - but you really don't want to have the same regrets as those of us who have posted on that thread.

Nail the foundations well now and you'll be great in 2 years time and fantastic in 5 years rather than still playing the same old stuff.

But alongside that (but not instead of) play with other people. Either a band or an evening class or a jam session or just advertise on Gumteree, the bandfinder websites or local freeads, music shops etc (or wherever your local musicians advertise) for a jamming partner.

"Improving bass player [age] seeks others to play with. I'm open minded but interested in [musical genre] or anything else."
That way you'll find other beginners to develop with.

Having said that, if you can get a gig with an established band you will progress your playing (and all the other stuff that goes with gigging) so much faster

Just promise yourself a year's worth of lessons as well though.

[queenofthedepths]

[quote name='OldGit' post='103196' date='Dec 12 2007, 12:45 PM']"Improving bass player [age] seeks others to play with. I'm open minded but interested in [musical genre] [b]or anything else[/b]."[/quote]
Except jazz
+1 on the whole post, though - don't do as I did and spend all your money on basses! Spend it on lessons

[Guest TheBigBeefChief]

Thankfully, I've been having lessons for about 10 months now. Without them, I would be worse that the atrocious level I'm currently at.

[hogman]

[quote name='TheBigBeefChief' post='101869' date='Dec 9 2007, 07:53 PM']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?[/quote]

Started playing in ernest just after my 16th birthday then got my first regular gig a couple of months later when i learnt some more open chords...

Started gigging when I was 15 though not many about 15 -20 strumming acoustic in a country band.

Swaped to bass at 18 best thing I have ever done.....

Last count done over 3600 gigs approx

Edited December 12, 2007 by hogman

[Dr.Dave]

I'd had a cheapo spanish guitar kicking about since I was about 10 - but really only started playing when I was 16 , when I bought a Hofner violin bass after going out looking for a telecaster guitar. Did my first gig at 17 just after buying my Precision from a guy at work.
I got a good sense of timing very quickly but it was pretty much root notes and the odd riff. I started to copy folk like Geddy Lee and that helped me build more technique and I started to figure out my own runs to fit into the songs I wasn't able to play 'properly'. I also decided I wasn't going to be a clone and largely rejected bass 'hero's' in favour of great bass performances.
I got better over the next few years and I honestly can't remember what it's like not to be able to play.

I bought an electric guitar for the first time in my 20s. I could play chords but taught myself to solo using simple blues scales. No doubt in my mind that doing that helped me become a better bass player , partic when it came to jamming with others.

I was into my late 20s when I really felt I was halfway decent , and no longer in awe of many players I saw.

I'm 46 now - no idea how many gigs I've played but it must be in the thousands.

I'm not a 'natural' - wish I was , then I wouldn't have to practise.

[iamthewalrus]

Got my first bass guitar June '85 & played my first gig in August '86.

Makes me wonder where the yers have gone...have lost count of how many gigs I've done between then & last Saturday night.

Cheers,
iamthewalrus

[obbm]

Back in the dim and distant past around 1961 several of us at school decided to form a band. I'd been to see some of the top US artists on tour and really fancied the bass, especially a Fender Precision but as a 15 year old with 5 shillings a week pocket money (25p) there was no way I could afford one (£80) so I made a copy. It was rubbish, but it worked, so I got about the only tutorial book available, Shirley Douglas and Chas McDevitt, and taught myself. My memory is a bit hazy but I think did our first gig after 'O' levels in June/July 1962.

[Jono Bolton]

I can't remember when I started playing bass. It was late in primary school, I'll say I was 10 as a safe bet, which was 10 years ago I didn't start my first band til I was about 15/16, and we were appualing. That lasted about a year or so, just playing covers. I didn't start my first "real" band until last December. I took over from another of my friends on bass because he was already in two other bands It's been pretty good so far, just gigging around Glasgow and Edinburgh, although we did get to go to Germany earlier this year. Hopefully we're going back next May, and then Spain later in the summer

[Faithless]

I'm probably the second mate in this "topic", who accepted for a band, when he didn't even have the bass

So, I wasn't serious about the bass at the very beggining, though, I've made a call to "some" bass player-teacher in my music school, who's been playing "jazz", and I've asked to teach me some basic technique things( In fact, when he asked, what I'm gonna play, I said - "Metal!!!", he answered: "Ooh, rock, you say.." - when I remember this now, after playing Amerika's and Teen Town's, I feel sooo embarassed, but we got a good laugh of "those" times with teacher now ).

But even when i started to go to the lessons, I still didn't take the thing seriously. One problem was - I didn't have a practice amp, the other - the "playing", that interested me, interested only when playing by teacher's eye..

I took bass more seriously just after picking practice amp, so I'm playing for Real about 8 months. Got a rock/metal band, but I'm not Very satisfied with that whole music, though, it satisfies me enough for now. The problem is, I can't pay a lotta attention to technique things, different styles of music, cuz I got a lot stuff to learn in band.. Well, it's " a lot of stuff with comparison with free-time", of course..

But playing with other people is the Key. You'll simply get a lot things, that will help in future life.

Cheers

[thebassmandave]

Took me a few years of playing before I played my first gig.

Started playing bass by taking lessons at the beginning of 1985.

Within 2 or 3 months I was playing in my first band whilst attending college.

Parental pressure ("this is all very well for a hobby, but you need to concentrate on a proper job, career, qualifications etc.."), and a severe lack of confidence in my abilities, put the mockers on my bass playing activities (even sold all my gear), until my wife at the time (bless her) gave me full support and encouragement to go out there and get another bass and play.


This was at the end of 1991.

I started taking lessons with a guitar teacher who also taught bass.

The good thing with that was that he had guitar students who were looking for a bass player and so he would pass me their phone numbers and we would get togther and play.

Played in 2 bands through this teacher, who also taught me some 12 bar blues patterns and other bits and pieces and would record guitar accompanyment on a tape so I could practice along with it.

Those bands didn't last too long and I wanted to gain more playing experience, so I would check out "bassist wanted" ads in the local music shops and the classified sections of things like The Loot and Guitarist Magazine.

I got to play in quite a few bands that way, but all of them were at the rehearsal stage, always talk of gigs, but they never materialised.

A couple of years later, my Dad had a band play at his 60th Birthday Party.

The band was made up of some cousins and friends who were all very experienced and had been playing and gigging for many years.

Beforehand they suggested I bring my bass along to the party and maybe jam with them on a song or two.

I agreed to do this, and when it came time, I was called up onto the stage to play.

Now this was scary enough for me as I'd never played in front of an audience before, but even more scary was that I didn't know what we were going to play and had never rehearsed with these guys before.

I wanted to back out, but couldn't - it really felt like sink or swim and I felt I was setting myself up for a fall which was being videotaped for all to see - fluffs 'n' all!

Anyway, I went up there, plugged in and we started to play some rock and roll numbers.

I quickly pulled out and made best use out of all the standard 12 bar blues patterns I had been taught and surprised myself somewhat when, it seemed to be working, all these people in front of the stage were dancing away, we must be doing something right!

I felt so relieved that I had got through what seemed a mini ordeal at the time, and managed to get through everything including "Move It" by Cliff Richard - a song I had never heard or played before.

I think someone must have been watching out for me that night.

Fast forward a couple more years and a few more bands.

In 1995 I audition for an original band who were a lot more experienced players than me.

They had written a bunch of songs complete with some fairly tricky bass parts which I needed to learn.

The singer/songwriter/bandleader etc was very particular about everything being exactly note for note how he wanted it and if a note was played wrong, he heard it straight away, and would pull on his small sulky child face and attack the culprit with dirty looks.


I really wanted to play with this band and it felt like a stretch for me to learn their songs - I also learned about patience and being a team player within a band as there were a few "hairy moments" here and there.

That same year I got to play my first gigs with this band.

I had already decided through my small baptism of fire (a couple of years before), that I loved being up there and playing onstage with a band, and although it took me a long time to get there, I was really pleased once I had.

I also found that I made some of my most noticeable progress when playing with musicians who were a lot better than me - took me out of my comfort zone and gave me a challenge, something to reach for.


I know this is a long winded reply, but I just wanted to say (and use 200 hundred words when a few would do ) that it takes some people longer than others to get there, but IMO it's about all the things you learn along the way.

In my case I was glad because it gave me quite a bit of playing experience beforehand so I felt a little more prepared.

Worked for me then and still does to this day.


Good Luck!

Dave

[thumb4bob]

my first gig was with my first proper band, id been playing for about a year prior to it, I had a week to learn an hour's worth of quite technical funk/rock/metal, needles to say I practiced my proverbial behind off but still wasnt ready. Combined with the fact it was my first ever gig I was kaking myself before we started so I decided to very quickly write the entire set out in tab before I went on, which I managed with my guitarists help. When it was time I took to the stage stacks of paper in hand and feeling much more confortable, unfortunatly there was a fan set up to stop the drummers from overheating at the side of the stage. My pile of paper managed to stay completely unaffected by the fan until the band kicked in and I hit my first note, when a collection of paper rained down upon the audience. I forgot parts and had to freestyle several bits from watching the left hand of my guitarist but all in all it went ok p.s. it was the only time ive ever thanked a soundman for thinking bass should be an inaudible rumble in the back of the mix

[bassmandan]

my first band was named "Wednesday" after the day in the week on which we formed..... first gig was Friday of the same week! Can't begin to imagine how bad we actually were; the part of my brain that handles such memories is currently refusing access to those files!

[bassninja]

My guitarist brother (12 yrs older than me) had been gigging for several years in various bands. When I was 16 he gave me a ghastly copy of a Burns Bison (but short scale if that makes sense) and three months to learn his set of covers.

Been gigging ever since. Cheers Steve.

Fortunately, the gigs I've got since have been through luck, chance meetings, word of mouth and personal recommendation. So I'm pleased to be able to say I've been in at least three bands at a time since I was about 18 (many, many, [i]many [/i] years ago)...

So how come I'm so skint?

Edited December 19, 2007 by bassninja

[OldGit]

[quote name='bassninja' date='Dec 19 2007, 05:05 PM' post='106582'

So how come I'm so skint?
[/quote]

"From: SEUK"
probably responsible for most of your poverty

[The Funk]

[quote name='TheBigBeefChief' post='101869' date='Dec 9 2007, 07:53 PM']intolerant girlfriend[/quote]

Dump her


[quote name='TheBigBeefChief' post='101869' date='Dec 9 2007, 07:53 PM']I almost think its unfair to inflict my playing on others![/quote]

They'll decide that for themselves


[quote name='TheBigBeefChief' post='101869' date='Dec 9 2007, 07:53 PM']I was wondering how long people on here had been playing before they joined a band?[/quote]

One day


[quote name='TheBigBeefChief' post='101869' date='Dec 9 2007, 07:53 PM']Also how long until they actually gigged?[/quote]

A year or two


[quote name='TheBigBeefChief' post='101869' date='Dec 9 2007, 07:53 PM']What kind of level were you at when you first started playing with others/playing live?[/quote]

Novice

[bassninja]

[quote name='OldGit' post='106587' date='Dec 19 2007, 05:15 PM']So how come I'm so skint?


"From: SEUK"
probably responsible for most of your poverty [/quote]

Ahh, you are wise OldGit. I've had to fire the butler just so I can have powdered gold on my cornflakes again.

[Freuds_Cat]

[quote name='TheBigBeefChief' post='101943' date='Dec 10 2007, 08:41 AM']So basically I need to get some friends first.[/quote]

Nah, I've been in plenty of bands with people I would never call friends, just a common interest. In fact after 25 years the band I'm in now is probably the closest thing I've had to socializing outside the musical context with band mates.

Myself and 2 mates started teaching each other how to play acoustic guit4r aged 11.
3 months later we went into the school music room and the other 2 guys picked up the only 2 guitars in the room, I picked up the bass. Destiny
Bought my 1st bass aged 13 (sh*tty Coronet EB ) and have never really been out of a band scenario of some kind since.
Started gigging aged 16
started making a living aged 17.
Burned out aged 24 went to UK and still ended up Jamming with guys there on and off for 3 years.

One thing I found is that your playing will improve quickly when playing with guys of superior abilities and even if you can play reasonably well then you tend to play worse than you are capable of when playing with guys of lesser abilities. This seems to be a general consensus amongst those musicians that I do call friends.

[charic]

Id been playing 4 weeks. I learn 10 songs for the occasion and loved it. Played infront of approx 200 ppl and got plenty of compliments. Havnt rele stopped playing since. However for that gig i was just fillin in as bassist unfortunately and since my band hasnt got giggin yet

[Funkmaster]

I was invited to join the band from my year in school as bass player when I was 15. I got the invite cause I could play a bit of piano and 'knew a bit about music'.

I went to Leeds with my new band mates the following Saturday and got my first bass, a horrible Jedson short scale thing.

On the bus on the way home the band told me that they had a gig that night and I could play if I wanted.

I'd got the basics of 'Sunshine of your love' off by the time the bus pulled into Ossett station and was force fed a basic idea of the 12 bar sequence by the end of the afternoon.

So I did the gig that night.

It was chaotic rubbish of course. I'm not sure that it was entirely a good thing to do as the need to make an effective noise led me to use a pick, which I stuck with for the next 25 years. I've only learned finger style in the last 10 years or so.

But one thing doing a gig on the first day playing did do I think was that it got rid of 'stage fright' for life.


David
The 'second best bass player in Wakefield'! (Happy New Year Dr Dave - if you read this - I hope 2008 is a great one!)