it here.

Dedicated To The Memories of:Domenico Dragonetti (10-04-1763 - 16-04-1846)
Franz Simandl (01-08-1840 – 15-12-1912)
Willie Dixon (01-07-1915 - 29-01-1992)
Jimmy Blanton (05-10-1918 - 30-07-1942)
Scott LaFaro (03-04-1936 - 04-07-1961)
Jaco Pastorius (01-12-1951 - 21-09-1987)
Leo Fender (10-08-1909 - 21-03-1991)
John Alec Entwistle (09-10-1944 - 27-06-2002)
Gito Baloi (30-09-1964 -04-04-2004)
Sipho Gumede (1957 – 26-07-2004)
Jaco Pastorius
Gito Baloi
John Alec Entwistle
Sipho Gumede
On Monday the twenty fifth of October 2004, a few bass players
went along to the monthly South African Bass Players Collective’s
Bass evening that was being held at The School for the Performing
Arts in Kensington (JHB). The events of that evening inspired me to
write this piece, which started out as an article but over the years, has
grown into the size of a small book.
As usual, the attendance at this particular venue wasn’t that
encouraging but never the less, we got down to business and Jason
Green presented us with a workshop on playing different styles. He’d
brought a drummer along called Marcio and together, the two of
them went through a few routines, covering Rock, Blues, Funk and
Pop. Concord was asked to play something for the half dozen or so
attendees and he went through a reggae routine with Marcio, which
then moved into a Jazz routine. Young Nick Cook volunteered to get
up with his fretless bass and went through a kind of rock / blues type
of routine.
All three bassists had given us something in completely different styles and it was very interesting to see
the contrasts between them.
Jason is a schooled musician that reads very well and is the bass teacher at the School. His playing is
extremely solid and he can play quite comfortably in a number of styles. Like me, he isn’t shy to point out
which styles he hasn’t really mastered.
Concord is also a schooled musician and has worked at being more than competent in just about all
musical styles, as he doesn’t want to restrict himself to working in one genre.
In contrast to these two guys, Nick isn’t a professional bassist. Although a competent bassist with pretty
good intonation, his playing is a little rough around the edges here and there which is probably due to the
fact that he isn’t able to spend as much time playing his instrument each week as Jason and Concord.
Nick plays bass in a band called Miseriecord and although they play Heavy rock / Metal type material,
Nick prefers fretless to fretted – a very curious decision.
Having watched these three guys in action I asked myself, where did bass playing fit in my life? Why do I
play bass and why do my bass playing friends actually play bass? So I sent out e-mails asking them this
question and received almost four hundred replies!
In 2007, The Limit bassist, Todd Grosberg commented on what he thought of the article – thanks Todd!!!
This inspired me to contact other bassists and ask them for a comment. I’d like to thank Trish Bailey,
Vuyani Wakaba, Barry Irwin, Judy Foxcroft, Joseph Patrick Moore, Andrew Warneke, Richard Sims,
Gareth Sherwood, Jason Marsh, Mark Egan, Jim Stinnett, Damian Erskine, Michael Manring, Bryan
Beller, Marten Andersson, Richard Bodkin, Leon Bosch, Chris Badynee, Dave Meros, Kirwan Brown,
Dereck Walstra, Alan Goldstein, Mary-Anne Ray, Graham Jacobs, Edo Castro, Bob Skeat, Phil Peters,
Bruce Gertz, Adam Nitti, Steve Doner, Joseph Milstein, Schalk Joubert, Virgilio Venditti, Martin Motnik
& Anthony Scelba for their positive comments that I’ve placed towards the end of the book.
In 2010, with some help from Yvette Nash, I learned how to insert photos into the book and this took
things to a whole new level but also posed a few problems – especially with the people that had supplied
one liners – their photos would be tiny!! I got around this by creating the One Liners Re-Visited section
at the end – this gave me the opportunity to insert decent sized photos. A big thank you to Marco Schoots
& Steve Doner who supplied me with a number of photos.
I added a Photographic Acknowledgement section at the back and noticed that a number of the photos had
actually been taken either by the bassists Spouses or another relative (father, sister etc) and there were a
few photos that had actually been taken by other musicians – notably, the photos of Brian Lawrence, Tom
Kennedy and Denson Angulo, who’s pics were taken by other musos that were on the gig with them and
some bassists had their photos taken by other bassists that had also given contributions – notably Jimi
Glenister and Trish Bailey who took the posed photos of each other, Julian Mayer, who took the photo of
Mary Anne Ray, Grant Stinnett, who took the photo of Rob Gourlay, Dave Askes, who took the photo of
his son Miles, Graeme Currie who took the photo of Marius Liebenberg, Al Garcia, Peter Tambroni &
Delton Daniels who managed to take photos of themselves (clever fellows) Gary van Zyl who took the
photo of Kai Horsthemke, Dylan Harbour who took the pic of Ronald Pillay, Myself, who took the photo
of William Slimmerts and Michael Brown who took the Photo of Dave Askes presenting a SABPC Bass
workshop in 2008 and the photos of Garth de Meillon and me on stage in 2007.
Most of the people that responded to my inquiries were bass guitarists, and why this was, isn’t very clear,
but I’d like to thank Double / Contra bassists, Fred Charlton, John Goldsby, Seamus Doyle, Taylor, Peter
Tambroni (and his students), Leon Bosch, Hilton Vermaas, Benoit Grigaut, Dr. Donovan Stokes, Mark
Neuenschwander, Anthony Scelba and Nico Kruger for their involvement. It must be said that without
the Internet and websites like MySpace, Facebook, The Cape Town Bass Centre, Linked In and the Bass
Musician Magazine’s Bass Community website, an article of this size just wouldn’t have been possible. I
was genuinely moved by many bassist’s humility – a great number of these bassists are from South Africa
and I know them (and their playing) personally – people like Bert Askes, who’s an incredible bassist,
spoke as though they themselves weren’t really that proficient. This was what I was told.
Randy Kertz : I play bass because I am drawn
to it. I have played on and off over the years and
been through a ridiculous amount of gear
according to how I feel my chops are at the
moment, good chops, more gear, not so hot,
liquidate. At this point in my life I am happiest
with my playing- I am playing better but often
playing less note wise. I am supporting rather
than stepping on the rest of the band. I am
playing bass. It took long enough to learn this,
but the timing is right. I have just started
playing upright, and I really feel the pulse, the
bass, the factor that makes us bass players
vibrate through my body. I have been able to
translate this new understanding; this feeling to
my electric playing and it is thoroughly
satisfying. This is what I have been looking for. This is why I play bass.
Rudo Pieterse : I love music and I love sitting in the sweet pocket of any groove.
Denis Lalouette : I started off on guitar at age 8. I went onto drums at age 13.
When I was 16, a guy at school came to me and said: "You play drums, right?' I
said yes. He said: "Good. We need a bass player; will you come and play with us?"
I said: "I told you I play drums". He said: "If you can play drums, you can play
bass, so will you come and play?" I thought about it for a few seconds and
said:"Ok." I have never looked back since...
Chris Ainley : Why do I play bass??...... the world is full of average guitar players but a good bass player
is worth his weight in gold.
Adam Nitti : "At the beginning, my
decision to become a bass player was
purely experimental, at best... The
garage band I was playing keyboards in
at the time lost its bass player. I thought
it might be a challenge to try and double
on both instruments, so I started to pluck
around on a borrowed bass. I still
remember the very first bass line I
learned: "Carry On, Wayward Son", by
Kansas. Once I developed a little bit of
facility on the instrument, I instantly fell
in love with it and never turned back.
My affinity for the bass eventually
would influence me to drop the
keyboards completely as a main
performance instrument. I love the fact
that the bass can simultaneously convey
harmony, rhythm, and melody, and I
love the fact that my bass can make the
walls shake. At this point in my life, my
bass has become my primary tool for
sharing my life and experiences with others. It's the gift that I want to give back, and that's my primary
reason for playing".
Shawn L. Hale : I don’t mean to sound profound, I’m just attempting to state this as simply and honestly
as I can. Music defines me, as I tend to look at everything in life in a poetic way. When I have the
opportunity to speak or act, ‘the bass’ is simply the voice and the personality I connect with, more often
than not.
Quintin Berry : I started playing the bass at the young
age of 12 because I didn't understand or know the
difference between bass and guitar, so I chose bass. I
am glad that I did because it helped me understand
music in a way that I never thought I could. Plus it’s
the coolest instrument you could ever play. Even
though it has brought me to learn about different types
of music and made me go back and forth from the old
school of playing to listen to the new school because
you have to keep up with the times if you want to stick
around in the music business. My real reason for
playing bass is I love the sound of the instrument, it
takes me to another place no matter what type of music
it is. I think it’s very cool.
Andy Gonzalez : During the mid ‘50s, I went to an
excellent elementary school in the Bronx that had a good
music programme. In the third grade, I passed a musical
aptitude test and started playing violin. Two years later,
one of the two bassists in our orchestra, moved away; I
was the tallest violinist, so they asked me if I wanted to try
bass. I liked it and I took to it very seriously. My dad got
me an Ampeg baby bass and I started playing in Latin and
Jazz groups with my older brother (trumpeter / conga
drummer) Jerry. By junior high I was already playing
Latin gigs and studying with Steve Swallow, who helped
me gain entrance to the High School of Music & Art.
While there I joined Monguito Santamaria’s band and did my first recording at age 16.
(Taken from Bass Player Magazine April 1998)
Lee Barker : It took years to fully appreciate the good fortune offered me when a Tuba was thrust into
my hands in the 6th grade.
I never forgot the feeling in the soles of my feet when I heard those low, rumbling notes. When,
similarly, a Fender Precision Bass was handed me at age 21, that feeling came back and I've been plugged
in since. Life, like music, has lots of changes: from playing regularly to suffering wrist pain that
prevented me playing to developing a new instrument, the Barker Bass, which now I play with great joy.
Dean Barbour : I play the bass, because there’s just something about bass that
allows such freedom, even though you’re the one keeping the groove! The way you
play isn’t limited. It’s one of those instruments where you’re constantly discovering
new things to play and try …… Luv it man
Steve Bailey : Growing up in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, I played piano and then trombone in my
junior high school band. One day when I was 12, some kid came up to me in school and said, “You know
how to play trombone – how about playing bass in our rock band?” I went to his house that day and
played “All
Along The
Watchtower”
with one finger
of my right hand
and one finger
of my left. I
came home with
two blisters –
and a blistering
desire to play
rock & roll. My
early influences
were Jack Bruce
and Noel
Redding and the
bands Jethro
Tull, Lynyrd
Skynyrd, Black
Sabbath, Led
Zepplin and
Yes. Later on someone gave me a copy of Chic Corea’s Light as a Feather (Polydor), with Stanley Clarke
on bass and I plunged headlong into Jazz.
(Taken from Bass Player Magazine January 1996)
Bryan Beller : I started playing bass - upright at age 10 because it was the most obnoxious
instrument in the orchestra, I started electric bass
at age 13 because my hands hurt from playing
upright. I continued through music school
because it was the easiest instrument for me to
get around on, and bassists were in higher
demand than other instrumentalists. But over the
years, as my petulant youth burned out into a
mellower middle age, I came to appreciate why I
really play bass - to serve as the natural and
unique bridge between the rhythm and the
harmony in a modern rhythm section, and to
serve the music as wholly and unselfishly as possible. Bass allows me to do that...so I play bass.
Bill Teags : Over the past few years, the question of “why do I play bass?” has become easier to answer,
than when I first pondered the matter some years ago. Since beginning this journey that has spanned
some 40-years I have managed to find myself employed in myriad musical genre – from smoky blues, to
funk, rock, and even piano trio! Along the way, I have been blessed to meet such luminaries as the likes
of Stan Kenton, Muddy Waters, and Maynard Ferguson! It has been a thrilling ride, and maybe that
answers the question in itself.
So why is the question easier to answer now, than in times past? It may have something to do with my
decision some years ago to work in the corporate world
while raising my family. Having made that choice, I feel
that I made a mistake. Though, I don’t completely regret
my choice – especially as my family is, and has always
been, wonderfully supportive of my musical efforts!
During those years away from pursuing music as either
vocation or hobby, I felt a great deal of loss that
manifested in feelings of jealousy and depression and a
desire to be the one on the stage, instead of watching from
the audience. That feeling eventually led me to avoid
attending live shows for several years.
In time, I relocated my family to an area that proved to be
culturally and artistically wealthier than where we had
been living. Because of the vibrant music-scene in my
area, I was presented with opportunities to play, and those
opportunities have grown to the point that I’m playing
nearly every night! Playing energizes me, and I feel more
alive now than I’ve felt in many years! The need to
express oneself through music never goes away. At least,
it refuses to do so in my case.
Though I can play several musical instruments, I really
love the challenge and responsibility of holding the
musical foundation. When the bass suddenly stops…
everyone takes notice! For my tastes, no other musical
instrument has the “magic” the bass possesses! It is my
“voice of choice”, ever since I spent my entire life savings, at 13 (and against my parents’ wishes) to buy
a Gibson Kalamazoo and Sears Silvertone amplifier. I play bass, because bass is the foundation… and
that fact goes beyond the cliché!
Steve Crozet : There is no other modern instrument that resonates with me as much as a bass, whether it
is acoustic or electric so I have naturally gravitated towards playing it. For me, a well played bass sets up
the rest of the music and is totally responsible for the sound of the music that I enjoy.
Victor Bailey : It happened strictly by chance.
I had been a drummer since I was ten years old
and I was doing gigs and sessions by the time I
was twelve. In December 1975, when I was
fifteen, I was rehearsing in the basement with a
band my brother and I had. In the middle of
rehearsal, our bass player said “ I don’t want to
be in a band anymore.” I said, “Okay, I’ll play
bass. May I use your bass and amp?” One of
my best friends, Johnny Harrison got behind
the drums and I took the bass. It was
immediately evident that this was what I
should be doing with my life. Though I had
never played bass before, I could play all the
songs and improvise; I instantly understood the
whole neck, from first fret to the last! My
father, who never came downstairs when I played with my friends, came running down the steps yelling,
“Who is that playing bass?” When he saw it was me, he said “You should be a bass player”. I said, “I
know!”
(Taken from Bass Player Magazine: January 1997)
Fran Kennedy : Well, first of all, I'm a fossil, meaning that I started playing guitar back in the early '60s.
To be honest, my friend Frank made much quicker progress than I did so when it came to forming our
first band, The Omegas, I got the "goalkeeper's" job! You know how in the schoolyard soccer game, the
worst player is stuck in goal!
I might be old-fashioned but I see the bass as a "foundation" instrument rather than a solo instrument. It's
the load of rocks that's thrown into a hole in the ground before the floor is put in and the solo-players start
building the walls. Many modern bassists would disagree with me here. I enjoy keeping the ship upright.
I played bass for about four years while still honing my guitar playing and in 1975 began a 20-year run as
a guitarist. In the past year, as the gigs became less frequent, my love for bass playing returned and I'm
back in 1972 again trying to improve my bass-skills.
By the way, that house never fell down around us!
Pino Palladino : I began playing guitar after seeing a priest
playone at a folk mass and I worked my way up to a local rock
band. One day, when I was about 16, I strapped on our bass
player’s Rickenbacker, just to mess about and I felt at home
immediately. So I got my dad to buy me a Fender Precision and
made the switch to bass.
(Taken from Bass Player Magazine: November 1996)
Matthew Moss : As a young player I feel honoured to even have an entry here. For me I feel I didn’t
have a choice and that the bass guitar found me. No one in my family played anything. I mean what a
jump to make something happen, but once I randomly picked one up, my knowledge and hunger for
music grew rapidly. Everything I learned melodically and rhythmically, I wanted to play on my bass.
As I grew with my instrument so did the reasons why I play. I agree with the few above that said it is a
new and exciting instrument that has already seen so many changes, yet so many more to come!
Graham Jacobs : Why bass? Because bass is the glue
in the mix. Because playing bass helps me to listen
better – I refer to what the band is producing, rather
than just what I’m playing. I have played a number of
instruments starting with piano, and then moving to
drums while still at school. I picked up my first bass
before I could play a chord on a guitar, and it was love
at first sight. This was despite the instrument being
home-made and sounding horrible. I went on to play
guitar and a number of other stringed and wind
instruments in bands during the next few years, but
always found myself gravitating back to bass. I guess
that’s because I enjoy being at the juncture of the
rhythm and harmony. I also like the fact that of all
band instruments, the bass is the one most bands can least afford to be without. Think about it – actually
I’m sure you have.
Reinhardt Martinho : A long time ago ....... when I was a 14/15 year old kid, I used to listen to EWF,
Luther Vandross and other soul artists. Then later on, as I got more mature (I think!), my interest in music
developed. First, I discovered Luther’s bass player, Marcus Miller and disco-scene freaks like the brothers
Johnson and Stanley Clarke. Then I discovered a brand new style - the Fretless Bass sound, like Jaco and
Alphonso. That changed my vision of bass playing! I no longer wanted to imitate, but .... create! I even
named my first son, Alphonso! I used to play in a band of friends just for fun and jamming. Today I
create my own songs, mostly in the jazz-fusion style, to express myself and for the joy (I wish we had the
software back then).
I’m now working with bass samples that I create in my own studio. It’s much easier than before and you
can be your own band, but in my heart still lies my bass guitar. Peace to all the Bass Players around the
world
Kevin Brandon : When I was 4 I started playing my sister’s
Piano then went to my brother ’s saxophone.
When I was 9, my father told me it was my turn to have my
own instrument. I wanted to play drums but because of my
handicap, he told me to pick an instrument that was less
physical on my legs so I wouldn’t get discouraged down the
line. He brought back home, that Christmas, a St George bass
from the swap meet. The rest was history; my Career started at
that point playing bass in my family band.
Werner Ainslie : Why do I play bass…? I started playing bass about 2 years ago. I was playing acoustic
at that time in a band called Apparently Greenwood when the bassist fell ill. So I stood in for him.
When I played that first chord with the whole band and that weird feeling came running up my spine I
knew that this was what I’m going to do…Two weeks after that, I got my Ibanez gsr 200/ 4 string and I
was set. I just love the way it sounds and the way it feels. I played all kinds of instruments - Acoustic 6
and 12 string, piano, trumpet, drums, but the bass still is and will always be the instrument I prefer. It’s
nice to know that there are people that feel the same out there……
Billy Sheehan : When I was very young (around 10 or 11), there was a "teen explosion" of music &
bands. I had an older brother & sisters who were of
course, caught up in it. As the youngest of four, I tried
to get into things that were meant for the older kids.
Hearing The Everly Brothers, The Beach Boys & a
zillion other early 60's bands and music was exciting
and inspiring. Around the corner from my house lived
my friend Joe Hesse who actually had a band, and
they rehearsed in the basement. At that time there
were bands everywhere. On summer nights you could
hear rehearsals and jams all over town. As you walked
down the street, and the sounds faded, another band
further down would come to your ears. Joe was a bass
player & one of the coolest guys around. I wanted to
be like him. He let me pick up his bass one time--it
was huge & heavy. The strings were giant and thick.
Just a few plucks and I was blistered, but I knew that
was the thing for me. Soon after, a band called "The
Beatles" played on Ed Sullivan. I saw all the girls
screaming, and instantly knew that was the job I
wanted. I used to sit in my room with my bass and
listen to the hit radio stations, and learn how to figure
out by ear, every song that I heard. To me, bass is the
coolest instrument. It links rhythm and melody,
holding together the sound of the band. It gives the
time a pitch. Very early on I learned it was unlimited
in scope. No less than a grand piano. From the simplest groove to the most complicated nonsense. After
over 40 years, I'm still learning every single day.
Loedi van Reenen : When I play live, I am IN CHARGE!!! I can't imagine any other instrument giving
me that feeling of divine power! It grips me by the stomach, sticks it's arm through my gut upwards to my
brain where it cuts my oxygen supply and I die smiling. It's robust, powerful and indestructible. Even
though I might not be the focal point on stage, it's MY bass that picks the crowd up off their Asses and
onto the dance floor where for one moment everyone's a rock star! God gave us this low frequency. Use it
wisely.
Sting : The bass feels strange in your hands when you've been used to the smaller instrument with its
narrow strings and short neck. The bass has a weight and a heft to it that feels like a weapon, yet there is
a quiet beauty to it as well. This instrument is
the root of all harmony, the bedrock at the
bottom of the stave upon which music is
constructed. When I accompanied Ken, I
realized that whatever he played was
harmonically defined by the notes on the bass.
If he were to play the upper partials of a C
chord on the guitar, it would only be a C chord
if I played C in the bass. So I began to form in
my mind what I can only describe as a
strategy. A vague one, but nonetheless a
strategy that the bass, while being far from
flashy, would suit the covert side of my
personality much better than the guitar. It
would be a quieter heroism I would seek, stoic
and grounded like my father's. My ambitions
would become concrete from the ground up,
hidden yet effective. I would suppress my desire to shine spectacularly in favour of digging deep and
marking time in what I somehow knew would become a long campaign.
Excerpt from "Broken Music"
David Hughes : I started to
develop a more serious interest
in music when I discovered the
Beatles. McCartney's wonderful
basslines, that are melodic yet
supportive and often serve as a
sort of counterpoint to the
melody drew me to the bass. I
loved the sound of some of the
Swedish studio bass players in
the 80's (e.g. Rutger Gunnarson,
Christian Weltman), growly,
compressed and up-front in the
mix. It is also an instrument that
gives you a lot of control of the
music, but being a somewhat
shy person, it lets me hide
behind the frontman of the band.
Without a great deal of natural affinity for the instrument, I probably wouldn't have stuck with it for this
long.
Tiffany Lynn Morris : I play the bass because I love the feeling of bass music when the low notes
rumble in my chest and throat. also, I hate it when a bass player plays badly, so I want to play because I
know I have an anointing for it that makes me play extra good...or well. Plus, it’s a lot of fun to surprise
people with my skills. There aren’t a whole lot of female bass players out there.
I also play the bass because I like how it sounds, and it is easy for me to play. I also like learning new
techniques and playing new music. The bass is good because it has that low sound that makes any music
sound better. Hip hop guys put big BASS speakers in their cars. all the clubs keep the bass sound turned
up so the beat can move people. I like being the foundation of the music I play, and pumping good energy
into the songs.
Stanley Clarke : Violin was the first instrument that I started playing in
school. I sort of liked the idea of playing violin, but it was really tiny.
Man, I was tall at 12. It was like seeing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar playing a
piccolo trumpet – it just didn’t fit. I had a great teacher named Mr. Birch,
who was really good. He was so good that when I said, “Look, man, this
violin stuff is really not good for me, “ he said “Well, we’ll go one more
up.” So he gave me a cello. That wasn’t happening, either, and then after
about two months with that I went to the acoustic bass. I loved the sound
of the cello, but the one that I had in school was simply too small. String
bass was the perfect size for me – tall – so I got it. I remember my first
remark about it was, “Well, the sound is a little rough, but what the hell,
I guess I’ll be able to work with it.” I was always a melody-minded
person, but I just had to find the instrument that fit best with the size of
my body.
Excerpt from “Bass Heroes”
Greg Olwell : Why I play bass is both a simple and difficult question to answer. The short answer is that
it’s endlessly fun and gratifying. To me, the resulting emotional response is the most important part; the
why of the response is the difficult part to answer. Upright and electric bass are powerful, elemental
instruments that can shake buildings and hips. Of course, there are plenty of talented musicians working
the bass as a solo instrument, but I feel that it works best with other instruments and in the process, fosters
a sense of community and support, whether it’s a duo or an orchestra. Doing that, requires a sense of
selflessness that forces me to place myself in the overall picture of the music. By playing such
foundational notes, I can exert so much power on the music. And, have fun.
Mark Egan : My first instrument was guitar at age 10 then at 11; I started playing trumpet, which was
my main instrument from junior high school into college at The U. of Miami in Florida. Even though I
was a trumpet player I was always attracted to the bass. The popular music in my teenage years was rock,
soul and R&B and
the bass was usually
prominent in the
mix. Bands like
Jimi Hendrix,
Cream, the Beatles,
Led Zeppelin and
the Motown sound
was blasting
through my car
radio speakers.
I can remember
visiting the local
music store in
Brockton Mass.
every Saturday and
looking in the
display case at a
fender jazz bass.
For some reason I
tuned into the bass. At 15 I bought my first bass, a Delray, and studied with a guitar teacher named Mike
Lalli. He taught me scales, arpeggios and ways to play through chord progressions that made musical
sense of which I still apply today.
While at the U. of Miami I became completely involved with bass to the extent that it became my major
instrument rather than trumpet.
The reason why I play bass is that I love to be in the moment of the constant flow of rhythm and
harmony. I’m drawn melodically to the cello like sound of the bass and I can never get enough of playing
in a groove with inspired musicians.
Rufus Reid : I played trumpet in junior high and high school, and later in
the air force band. In high school, I was drawn just to touch the bass, to
fool with it in some manner; while I was in the military, I began to teach
myself and very quickly found that the bass satisfied something in me the
trumpet never could. Listening to live performances and such records as
Miles Davis’s Walkin’ (Prestige) with Percy Heath, Oscr Peterson’s
albums with Ray Brown, and ones by the Dwight Mitchell/Willie Ruff
Duo, I was convinced the bass was for me.
(Taken from Bass Player Magazine July 1996)
Chris Preyser : I started playing bass because a friend of mine got me into it. At the time it seemed really
cool to be in a band and stuff like that and to be different. How little I knew, 5 years ago, shows in this
comment. I now play bass because it is a way of challenging myself creatively and allowing myself to
express what goes on in my own little world. Playing bass to me is not just about playing an instrument
rather it is a lifestyle.
Glenn Letsch : The bass speaks to me like no other
instrument
I intuitively gravitate to bass first when listening to
music
Always have, and always will
I can try and intellectualize why I play bass but I just
love playing bass
It is the nucleus and the one instrument that can
singlehandedly make a song "dance"
Playing bass is my way of dancing, I suppose.
Chris Garner : It just feels great.
Victor L. Wooten : I am the youngest of five brothers who all play music. My four brothers have been
playing pretty much since I was born. Regi plays guitar, Roy plays drums, Rudy plays Sax, and Joseph
plays keyboards. My oldest brother, Regi, realized that if there was a bass player in the family, we would
have a complete band.
That ended up being me.
So, I became a bass
player because of them.
I like the bass because its
main role is a supportive
one. Its job is to make
the other instruments
sound good. I like that. U
must be a good listener
to play the bass properly.
There are many other
reasons why I enjoy
playing the bass. Here
are a few:
First of all, I really enjoy
it. The instrument as well
as the music that comes
through it makes me
happy. It can also make
me sad or any other
emotion. That is a wonderful thing. These emotions can be transferred to the listener so that they feel and
experience it too. That can be very powerful.
The instrument is still very young and changing fast. It feels very good to be a part of the growth of the
instrument. We are still in an age where some of the first people to play the electric bass are still around.
That's very cool. I can only imagine where the instrument will be in a few years.
The bass is an instrument that people are still surprised to hear played well. We are used to hearing a
piano or guitar player perform a complete song on their instruments. It is still rare to hear that from a bass
player so, when it is done, it is responded to in a big way. that works in our favor.
The bass is my way of expressing music. I thank the bass for providing me with such a wonderful
doorway into this beautiful world. I don't know how I would enter into music without it.
I could keep going but I will conclude with this thought.
In their own way, all people are musical, but not all people have an instrument to express it through. An
electric bass allows others to hear my musicality. Without it, my music might be locked inside forever.
So, in a sense, the bass is my musical saviour. I am thankful for that.
Peace,
Jean-Bertrand Carbou : I had my first bass after my dad made me
listen to the Stanley Clarke Album “School Days”. I was amazed and I
switched from drums to bass at age 15. Bass is the foundation of
music and bass is in every style of music. Plus, it’s a rhythmic,
harmonic and melodic instrument. It has everything! That’s why I like
it, it’s the versatility
Derek Oliver : It was Paul McCartney and John Paul Jones that gave me the bass bug. Although I loved
music and bands from the moment I became aware of it, as a toddler, I was always most impressed by the
(usually bearded) guy at the back next to the drummer. The one with the far off look in his eyes. The bass
is the defining instrument in any band. It bridges the gap between the drums and guitars etc. When well
played it makes a band sound hot, without even being visible. I love the feeling you get when your bass
causes the rest of the band to rock and the beautiful melodic sound when playing a solo line.
Adrian Davison : I started playing at age 16....I played bass
because our band needed a bass player. We were 2 guitarists with
a drummer and singer,...and we didn't need 2 guitarists.........it
was unanimous ........ The other guitarist knew all the songs and
was a better player, so I went out and bought a bass.... a blonde
Rickenbacker 1977/ 4001 ..........I think I played my first gig a
few days later!!!!!!!! Also, later on I added Hipshot d tuners and
an ABM bridge as well as waxing and re-wiring the pick-ups...I
probably played about 3000 gigs with that bass!!!
Jay Terrien : "Because Bassists RULE!!!"
Concord Nkabinde : “…do I play bass?” Oh! I guess I
don’t see myself primarily as a bass player but a
musician. I could have been a pianist, a drummer or a
dancer for that matter. However, I believe the BASS
chose me. Circumstances and fate may have been
instrumental in that process. I have no regrets for having
been chosen to play bass, as it gives me an opportunity to
be highly effective whilst I am in the background.
Affording me the power to influence without being too
upfront. Bass has helped me develop a strong sense of
harmony and rhythm.
Andrew Buntain : I play bass in order to get It out. Bass releases It, and therefore playing bass releases
me from the tyranny of conscious thought. When I'm playing the instrument, nothing else really matters.
The bass is not just an escape mechanism from ordinary life, that's too much of a cliché. I'm talking about
what matters when you're playing a song - dynamics, tempo, rhythm, notes - they're all so important. I'm
communicating with others in the band, and the audience the whole time I'm on stage. And you can't do
that until It gets out.
Michael Manring : I just love the sound of this instrument. To me,
it seems full of passion, beauty and limitless possibility. There's
something about the message the instrument has to convey that I
find very compelling. I often dream about the sound of the bass and
even after all the years I've been playing, I still wake up every day
just itching to play.
Frank Leprich : I play bass, because I like the deep tones. When I
was young, I always stood next to the bass speakers in a discotheque. Before playing bass I had some
experience with the electric guitar, but it was too fickle for me.
Randy Coven : My answer is very simple and there’s nothing philosophical
about it….
I started playing bass for two reasons #1 There were no bass players when I
was in high school, just drummers and guitar players. I was, of course, one of
the drummers. #2. I wanted to stand up and play so I satisfied both of my
needs. I got gigs and I could move around the stage. Now, of course, many
years later, I’m glad I was such a knucklehead back then because bass guitar
is such a big part of who I am.
Dave Segall : I play bass for the chics, man!! Bass is just so mysterious, and I’m a mysterious guy!
Jeff Berlin : I supposed I started playing the bass out of sheer laziness.
When I was 14 years old, I was into my eighth year of intense violin
studies and frankly, I was tired of working so hard to make play this
instrument. I figured that the electric bass would be an easy instrument to
play, which it really was. The hard part came when I later began to seek
out different music that was unusual for a bass player to pursue.
Exercises, transcriptions, and compositions that mostly belonged on
other instruments became the concept that I lived by as a bass player for
nearly 40 years. There's nothing mystical about my initial attraction to
the bass. It was convenient to play, and I didn't have to work hard to
make it sound good.
Tim Seisser : I play bass because it is my voice. It is my tool to express myself musically. It is truth for
me. It is all I know and it is all I want to do in life. I play bass because it allows me to connect with other
people on a level that cannot be matched by any other experience.
Shaun Moseley : Why do I play bass? Well, I thought about
becoming a drummer but having to carry those drums &
symbol stands around everywhere changed my mind very
quickly. I enjoy hearing stupid jokes from guitarists as well,
what's that very "funny" one I have heard literally about a
million times? Oh yes, bass players can only count up to four.
That's funny but do you know what is really funny? It's when
that bass stops playing, you can literally feel the soul & the
heart beat being ripped right out of that song. I am
proud to be a bass player! I am proud to be the soul & heart
beat of the band! That is why I love playing bass.
Rob Blakey : When I was deciding which musical instrument to start on, I had three options really:
drums, guitar and bass. I can't sing so that option was quickly discarded. I don't have enough coordination to play drums and I think electric guitarists are a dime-a-dozen. So playing the bass seemed the
easier and less common option and I'm all for not following the crowd. After seeing the bassist from
Counting Crows playing his double bass, I decided I wanted one and spent a few years improving my
skill on electric bass before I bought my double bass. I'm now in love with my double bass. Why I love
bass? The bassist always looks so cool and calm (except Paul McCartney) and just lays down the
foundation of the whole song - and there's nothing like a bowed open E!
Ross Pickford : It all began with the usual
story: I wanted to be the cool guitar guy but
was too average on that instrument. Our
‘band’ needed a bassist and I knew someone
who had one lying around. So being the nice
guy, I volunteered to give it a go, knowing
all of 3 chords at the time. That was 14
years ago, the rest is history I guess. I love
the emotion and feeling you can bring to a
song with a bass. It really can be the heart
and soul of a song, or the driving force. The
longer I play, the less I try to play, and
rather let the bass fill the gaps between
guitars, vocals and the drummer. If you let
that be the guide, a whole world of space is
opened for you. I still only know about 3 chords...
Winton Palmer : If Music is the ephemeral, temporal and infinite expression of the Divine in the
material reality, then the bass is the expression of the thoughtless, all pervading and powerful dark matter
that moves between each particle in the universe.
Brian Ogawa : As I said in Bass Player Magazine, I started when I
saw a bass player at Disneyland; play the song, "Do I Do" by Stevie
Wonder. When I heard the bass player play the unison line with the
horn players and I realized you could play rhythm and melody at the
same time I said “that is the instrument for me”. I started on
Trumpet and played that from age 8 to 17. At about 15 it became
more bass and less trumpet. For me, Bass and Drums are the
foundation on which all the great music that I love is built upon.
Incidentally, Jeff Berlin was one of my teachers.
Quinn Hawley : Music has helped me to understand the world better and through music, I discovered
bass. I began playing bass at my grandfathers urging when I was sixteen. I’ve been playing ever since. It’s
like an addiction and my ultimate satisfaction. I love being a bass player on stage – it’s taught me to hide
my needs and show my skill.
When you’re a bass player, groove is something you live every day. Time is our most valuable asset, yet
we tend to waste it, kill it, but playing bass is my way of investing in it. That’s Why I Play Bass!!!
Francois Marais : I got my license to resonate from a friend of a
friend who needed a bassist. So I too, was Chosen and I never listened
to a song in the same old way again. A bassist feels what to play,
understands the mood of the song and glues the melody and rhythm
into one. That, and the feel of thick, elastic coils at my fingertips are the
root notes to my fetish...Oh Whatever! Next time people move at your
command, you’ll know what I mean.
Ray Riendeau : I play bass because it is my other voice for expressing myself. It can convey feelings and
statements that mere words cannot express. Music IS the universal language and my "voice" is the bass.
Darius Willemse : My girlfriend, who’s also a bassist, always says you
can spot a bassist a mile off, which is of course very true! What makes us
so different then? I think it’s basically the fact that, unlike the rest of the
band, we don’t need to show off. In fact, like all bassists know, it’s when
you’re NOT playing that everyone hears the difference. We’re content just
to be a part of the music, without trying to overpower the rest of the band,
because we know that without us, they’d just be noise. Therein lies our
strength, knowing that your part of something bigger, laying, along with
the drums of course, the foundation for great music.
Oh, and of course it’s just so big and heavy and pretty and…!
A great bass line makes a song, and I want to be the one playing that line.
Nick Bellinger : I play bass primarily because I wanted to hide at the back but now I do it because it’s so
darn funky!! Oh and there’s only 4 strings to worry about too!!
Llewellyn “Buzz” Bethwaite : The fist time I knew I wanted to play
bass was hearing Cliff Burton’s playing on Metallica’s For Whom the
Bell tolls…that’s when I knew I wanted to be a bass player! NO other
instrument has the presence and quiet power of the bass on stage. It
fits my personality as someone that likes to be in control, but at the
same time, I can stand back and let someone else take the lead. I love
the simplicity and power that comes from a thundering bassline and
that growl of a well-fed dinosaur as it dominates the low end. WE
DON’T NEED NO TREBLE!
Andre van Zyl : Bass is Ace! Sending Vibrations down your spine - something no other instrument is
capable of doing. The quiet tone of firm strong rhythm! It’s drums – without the bang. A guitar without
the twang. The lead singer – by merely the slap of a finger! There’s just no doubt that I have to shout that:
Bass is King.
John Goldsby : I started out playing just about everything else before I finally found the bass: piano,
clarinet, trumpet, and guitar. It wasn't until I started
playing guitar in rock bands in about the 7th grade that I
even considered the function of the bass at all. There we
were, the typical garage band with three guitars, drums,
lead singer, and no bass. I met an old trucker who was
passing through our neighborhood and had a Goya bass
guitar for sale - which became my first instrument, and
which completed the instrumentation for our garage
band. The Goya was stolen shortly thereafter (anybody
seen it?!?) and I picked up a '65 Fender Jazz bass, which
I still like to play today. After the rock and fusion phase,
I found the proverbial "upright bass in the corner" of the
school band room. That really changed everything - I
found the sound that I was hearing in my head. My life as a bass player was signed and sealed at that
point and I've never looked back since.
Andrew Pfaff : I started playing piano at about six or so, and later took up some other instruments, but in
my later teens I began playing bass and quickly realized two important things: a), that I enjoyed the
influence I could have over the sound of an ensemble as a bass player, and b), if you can play a bass even
a little, lots of people will want you to play in their bands.
This meant that I could enjoy a position of power and influence in the music I played, AND be more
employable than players of almost any other instrument. I quickly became aware that good bass players
are more rare and coveted than good guitarists.
As a bass player, I enjoy a position of incredible power over the rhythmic and harmonic dimensions of the
music. With bass, one note can change everything.
Eelke van der Hak : After running a jazz cafe for
seven years (near Amsterdam - Holland) I was so
inspired by all the musicians who played at my place,
that I wanted to play an instrument for myself.
The first jazz hero of mine is Miles Davis and I was
thinking about playing trumpet but after every gig in
my cafe, I was always talking about the bassplayer, so
my wife said; why don't you start playing the bass?
and so I did and I am very happy to now play the bass
in a gipsy band called; Peu de Feu and can't imagine a
life without playing the bass, with special thanks to
people around me for their support
Andre Brzek Le Roux : One of my best friends had a nice Gibson and always rocked on it, It got me to
the point of getting a bass guitar to join him, and so the first band started with a couple more friends, I
went for a few lessons just for the basics. I had a real "Pick n Pay" special bassguitar when I started, lol.
From there, just loved it so much that it got me studying music at a college, I like the studio work, but
love the stage and a random jam is one of the best things ever since. I think bass, for me, is a place to let
go of all the crap and frustrations we face in life, it releases me to be free in a way. Therefore I guess I’ll
enjoy it for as long as I possibly can.
Al Turner : I started playing bass when I was 12 years old. I wanted to play drums but my
parents didn’t want to hear the noise in the house. My older brother plays guitar and he
suggested that I play bass. I began learning the bass lines from the many Motown artists that
I heard on the radio. James Jamerson was a huge inspiration for me. I love the way that the
bass moves a song along. It's all about the bass. Where would the world be without Bass?
Adam Engela : Because it’s cooler than guitar.
Chuck Bianchi : It is hard to recall what drew
me to the bass guitar. In the beginning it may
have been the personalities of the bassists in my
favorite bands as much as it was the sound of the
instrument. Of course my reasons for playing the
bass when I was 14 are different than my reasons
today, but it was always the melodic aspect of the
instrument that attracted and intrigued me, and
that is still true today. It is no secret that the bass
is the foundation of nearly any ensemble, any
genre, but I believe that the full melodic potential
of the bass is just beginning to be realized. And it
is the idea of unlocking the puzzles and
discovering the mysteries that lie within the
fretboard that motivates me to compose, perform
and teach today.
Dave Broido : .Mmm, that’s easy, less strings to think about!
I started out as a guitar player and realised, one day in a pool club, that, while I was waiting for my shot, I
would hold the cue and groove along to the bass lines.
Finally I got a shot (excuse the pun) in my first year out of school when a friend’s band needed a bass
player. They say when the glove fits… I never picked up my six string again. Bass has it all, you can be
felt and heard, you get some rhythm, melody and harmony, and you’re the unsung hero that ties it all
together.
Yves Carbonne : Bass guitar is the best way to express myself
through music. It has the good physical proportions for me. It’s a
young instrument, so its evolution is not finished and I play an active
role in its development with my sub-basses. As I was a kid, I used to
sing in my head, the bass parts of all the music I had the chance to
hear… I love to assume the bassist’s role in music, and I love also
singing with my bass or playing chords
Riaan Hefer : Well…my reason for playing bass…firstly, the Bass is such an exceptional instrument in
its contribution to the feel of any song in whatever style! Growing up playing rhythm guitar, I realized
after some 10 years, that there’s something better…playing the bass! But my obvious reason would
probably be the satisfying and fulfilling emotion that is expressed, through playing what you feel…that
sensation of expressing yourself by using your instrument! And experiencing what lies beyond that line is
what motivates me even more!
Clement (Mr Crazy fingerz) Georges : I really didn’t
have a choice in the matter. I had two friends that both
played guitar and they asked me if I could play bass- my
answer to their question was no I can’t, so they showed me
the fundamentals of playing bass, which in their way was
playing root notes. I found this very disturbing and boring,
so I evolved it to my way of playing and by that, started
really enjoying playing bass because there was just so much
space to play in. So after five years of playing bass, I still
enjoy playing and I've come across so many good bass
players with such diverse playing styles and ideas and by
that, I never felt left out as a bass player with a weird sense
of approaching the bass.
Dino Fiorenza : I play the bass. It’s my very reason to live….
Bernhard Lackner : When I started listening to bands like Toto and Simply Red....at the age of 13 or 14
I was really fascinated by the fact that, that single note which the bass played could make a song sound so
full and powerful. There and then, I knew that that was the role I wanted to play in a band. Of course,
later on in my development I also was fascinated by the fact that you can do so many things on the bass
(comping, soloing, solobass...).
Tammy Wilson : My mom is a music teacher and
I have fiddled around with instruments my whole
life, guitar, piano and cello but never really got
hooked until I heard John Paul Jones on the bass.
He made me realize that the bass could be used to
keep a groove down while being creative at the
same time. The different dynamics and dimensions
of music have always blown me away and I feel
that the bass is the key instrument holding
everything together even if it isn’t up front in the
mix. Also playing bass is more of a "team sport",
you cant just go on your own mission, you have to
consider where the drummer is going. I am always
more impressed by tight rhythm sections rather
than flash bassists for example John Paul Jones
and John Bonham (Led Zepellin) and Tim
Commerford and Brad Wilk ( Rage against the machine).
Adrian Lay : To meet chicks and make money!................Why am I still single and penniless?
………uuuhh…. I dunno,……. (thinks, with think bubble) yes, why am I still single and penniless?
……. (sudden self realization moment)…… Oh no!! AAAAARRRGGG! I’m a failure,………a
miserable (sob) useless failure! (groan)……forget me, forget all of this,…….damn you, you cool funky
bassists of the Bass Collective and your stupid dumb secret handshakes!.....Damn yoooooooouuuuu!!!
Victor Masondo : Bass is the only instrument that has the last
word. You see, if you are a bass player you have so much that
you command. Other instruments are really there to hang with
the bass, you know? - so they can be recognised!! On a serious
note, I fell in love with this instrument when my brother who
was a bass player decided not to go on stage because he had a
couple of problems then. Opportunity was not knocking it was
shouting loud at me. So yeah, right now I could not have any
other instrument as my main one more that the bass. It is the
essence of rhythm…if played right of course!!
Andrew Nelson : Bass tickles that elusive spot in my stomach that only the greatest longing or a simple
drop in elevation* can. Playing a double bass exaggerates the sensation as you are in contact with the
body as it resonates.
*cresting a sharp hill in a fast car
Joseph Patrick Moore : When I was a freshman in high school, I decided
to quit the saxophone partly out of my frustration of trying to sound good
with braces. I decided to switch to the bass drum because I thought that
the drummers we're the coolest people in the marching band:) During this
time, I realized that it wasn't just the drums that interested me, it was the
low frequencies and tones of the big bass drum that turned me on. During
my sophomore year, I started having reoccurring dreams of holding an
electric bass guitar although I had no concept of what that meant. I'd
never had dreams like this before or since and I know it sounds corny, but
I decided to sell that dusty saxophone for a bass at the local music store.
That was it; I was hooked on the low rumble and thunder of the bass.
While I continued playing drums throughout the marching band and
beyond, it was the bass that made me want to become a musician. Soon, I
knew that I had found my home.
Thabang “King” Moshoeshoe : The main thing about deciding on an instrument to play is finding
passion. I loved drums as a kid but my sense of harmony was well developed to the surprise of many
elderly musical people and I even made a 5l oil tin guitar for myself. I enjoy percussive sounds as much
as I enjoy harmony and playing bass gives me double fulfilment. I also enjoy the musical link between
harmony and rhythm sections caused by the bass player. I love making the sound of the roaring wood.
Alexander Kalinovski (State Orchestra of Belarus) : I like the low sound of
a bass. I played guitar during my childhood but not chords – I played bass
lines, having inclined a head to the body of an acoustic guitar and played on
the low strings. I prefer the lower sound of a bass to that of the violin, which I
studied at Musical School.
Harald Weinkum : I sort of have to blame Paul McCartney: becoming a die-hard Beatles fan in my
high-school years, I realised that playing piano and guitar is not enough, if I want to go “McCartney all
the way”. By the time I realised that that practicing bass was also the worst economic investment in my
life, I already enjoyed it way too much.
Still, getting paid to make people listen or even dance is not the worst occupation in the world, so I am
grateful that it worked out for me, and the experience of putting together the “bass bolero” (featuring 14
of today’s most gifted bassists) was a once in a lifetime treat!
Jonathan Dimond : I was first attracted to the recorded sound of the electric bass on radio - hearing
recordings of Jaco Pastorius and the likes during Junior High School. As a trombone player and composer
I was really attracted to the sound and function of the instrument. I feel ever-inspired about the ability of
the bass to solo, direct chord progressions and of course groove with the percussion instruments.
Chris Badynee : I play bass because no one else
played bass in my Detroit neighbourhood back
1974. We didn’t play sports because the Catholic
schools in my neighbourhood didn’t have sports
programs. We were children of low income
artists. We had banjos, guitars, violins,
accordions, drums, ukuleles, paints, paper and
pencils everywhere. We were child poets and
storytellers (creative liars). I was frustrated as a
guitarist because I could actually hear the bass
lines that I wanted to hear as I played guitar. I
decided to become the bassist that I’ve always
wanted in a bass player. It’s been 32 years since I
made that decision, and I can remember the
feeling I got when I hit that first G note on the A
string. It was more of a successful discovery than
it was a choice. And it filled my spirit with joy.
Jade Abbott : Besides the fact that there are large numbers of bands lacking
decent bassists it’s a long story involving the fact my dad and sister were
guitarists, my cousins were guitarists and drummers… but no bassist in sight! I
struggled to perform with them with only the cunning use of classical piano
training, so I suppose my original reason was just so I could play with them!
Bass felt right! I could FEEL it more than any other instrument…it seems to hit
me in my lungs and heart. When I feel upset, my bass is upset with me, when I
am flying over the moon, the notes sing through the air along side me. I don’t
play bass, I play WITH my bass.
Graeme Currie : Because I can!!!!!
Franc O’Shea : I play the bass
because as a composer it gives you an
amazing power to shape the way an
entire composition sounds. You can
create dynamics, invert chords, play
basslines that are laid back or pushed,
busy and driving or floating and
spacey. Play counterpoint melodies,
add chords, lock with the drummer,
and punctuate someone’s solo. The list
is as endless as your imagination. You
can turn a song inside out, upside
down, left, right, centre. You have a
creative power that can take
compositions to higher levels. You are
the link between all the instruments
and you can also sometimes play the
role of each instrument. I also like the
way the bass hits my third eye and soul simultaneously, the link between the earth and the skies and with
my fretless I can channel the heart of the universe.
Philipp Rehm : It’s the power of the instrument, the tons of sound I move. When I play a tone, it’s that
place down there in the belly, where you feel the instrument. It’s the universality of the bass - the variety
of music styles that use this instrument. No matter, if you hear juicy fat funk, African dance, pop or
Russian folklore - the bass is always the gravitational center of the music. It’s the variety of sounds that
you can create with fingering, slapping, tapping and picking - and of course, I like the understatement, a
bassist makes. He has the big hidden power in the band, that not everybody recognizes - but everybody
feels it.
Wayne Fox : I don’t play bass, my bass plays me. When I have my
bass plugged in I am a different person. I’m lucky I play bass, coz
most other instruments couldn’t survive the suffering my bass makes
me inflict upon it. But seriously, bass is what holds the music
together, it makes what the drums are doing fit with what the guitar is
doing. Initially I started playing bass for two reasons : coz I liked
playing low notes, and no-one ever notices a bass player, which is just
how I wanted it to be. But now I play bass coz the thought of playing
anything else just seems wrong.
Patrick Cousins : Just over a year ago I had thoughts of learning to play the drums. My buddies had a
three-piece band, “The Uninvited” they had been practicing for a gig at my place and had left a set of
drums there for collection. So one morning after the gig I was bashing around a bit on the drums and the
doorbell rang. On answering I found one of the lead guitarists standing there with a bass in his hand
saying, “here try this”, so I did. It’s a big learning curve for me and I still have a lot to learn but it is great
fun
Joe Penn : “Stuart Zender, Return of The Space Cowboy” is all that I can say. Since then I
have discovered a million and one amazing players that keep me inspired to pick the damn
thing up, but it was Stuart Zender’s fluid melodic lines on the 2nd Jamiroquai album that
kicked my hiney off the white picket fence and forced me to buy my first bass, a cherry red
Fender Squire P-Bass – warped neck, terrible action and busted pick-ups; but it rocked.
Zuzo Moussawer : Before playing bass I played a bit of drums and guitar. When I was a
young teen, a band I played drums in, needed a bassist so I tried it. Naturally, I loved the bass sound even
though I had no idea about the tuning – I played just by ear and played some tunes with crazy tunings just
because I didn't know how to tune up. After that, I liked the idea of being in the background. Since 1994 I
have hade a solo career but I still like to groove in the background, conversing with drummers and
percussionists.
Nik Felbab : Bass is the instrument with the most groove, and it really is the most
versatile instrument. Can you slap and pop on a guitar? I think not! Bass is the
keystone in a band – it provides melody and rhythm. You've heard of drum and bass
bands... Ever heard of drum and guitar bands? (And no, not the White Stripes,
because Meg White's drumming is too crap to count!). And anyway, it seems that
circumstance forced me to play bass, so I guess it was just meant to be, right?
Stefan Henrico : Why do I play bass? Well, how long is a piece of string? I can’t tell you why I play
bass, I just do.
Darren Michaels : Electric bass is too young to have a
solidified tradition. It resists definitions and transcends
boundaries we have spent centuries creating. For electric bass,
there is no dogma. No one can validly say that I am playing
wrong. Playing the electric bass is like exploring an unspoiled
land without checkpoints or borders. Bass gives me a bigger
world.
I speak a voice with my bass that approaches a universal
tongue. My listener understands. Between us, we mouth a
wordless language that whispers what it is to be alive and
human. I am compelled to continue along this path of playing
bass because it enriches my life with wonder, humility, passion, humor, challenge, and healing. It is not
about how I change my playing, but how it changes me.
Alfred Kallfass : I never learned anything else, so I have to.
Christoph Victor Kaiser : After playing the classical piano and violoncello
in my childhood the bass just felt more natural to me – it was the instrument
that gave me the possibility to find the perfect spot in the music for me. The
bass primarily supports other players and connects the rhythm with the
harmony – it is the musical melting point in the band and you have a lot of
possibilities to sculpt the music with the way you play. Other than that…. I
love low notes ;-)
Neil Weir-Smith : Let's be honest, it all started in a drunken stupor after a R2.50 a shot tequila party
night. I was waiting to be picked up by my father, yes I was under age at the time, and talking to a friend
of mine. He was starting a band and currently had two guitarists but needed a drummer and a bassist.
"Bass?" I said, "I could do that." so we made plans to go out the next day and shop for a bass guitar for
me. The next day I called him to see if he was still keen to go shopping, he was surprised I remembered
that conversation...obviously the drunken stupor wasn't quite so drunken :)...From there we got together
and bought a bass later that day. I'm sure my parents thought that this was just a passing phase but the
whole thing took off for me and I've never looked back. Seven and a half years later and I'm probably
more in love with my bass than I was when I started. Passing phase? HA, is what I say to that idea.
Bassists of the world unite!!!!
Shaun Esterhuizen : I had always wanted to play an instrument all through high school but my folks had
been burned by a sibling in that they invested money in gear that turned out to be a passing interest, thus
when I showed an interest they were less than forthcoming with the financial means.
So anyway in 2003 I finally scraped some funds together for a purchase of some sort. At this point I knew
2 things, I loved the lower frequency spectrum, I have always invested money in getting good hi fi
equipment so that I can get the full richness of the sound as nothing bugs me more than "tinny" sound,
and I have never had any real interest in guitar as it often is too piercing (hang over I think from sitting in
one too many friends cars, listening to music through cheap speakers). So I flipped a coin, Heads = Bass,
Tails = Drums. Well you can see where I wound up and I have never looked back.
I just love the playability that the bass offers and the "richness" of the sound it offers, prime example of
this would be the bass tone that Timmy C of Rage Against The Machine and now Audioslave manages to
get. Sheer listening pleasure.
Cobus Keyser : I developed an affinity for the bass, its sound and the role it plays in the band setup. I
moved away from bass after a year (I moved to Botswana) and decided to focus my energy on guitar
playing for a while, since there was no
band to play for. In that time, I always had
the wish to play the bass again, but
persisted with guitar. Bass still amazed me
during that dry spell. It was only when I
played my first audition after I moved to
Cape Town – where I auditioned for a
guitar-playing spot – when the guy told
me that they also have a spot open on the
bass and asked me if I would be
interested. I jumped at the chance to play
the bass again.
Being in the background and yet playing
such a vital role in the sound of the band,
is one of the thrills I enjoy from playing
the bass. The understated importance of a bass player is a thought I really enjoy.
Sometimes you find that there are tiny movements in certain songs that sound so cool, you get chills
down your spine. Personally, a lot of these moments have been created by a bassist doing something out
of the ordinary.
I also like the idea that a bassist can “commute” between musical genres. OK, all other instrumentalists
can also do it, but it seems that we, as bassists like to expose ourselves to as many styles as possible. With
the one band, you are a rocker and with the next one, you play groovy jazz bass lines.
So, there you have it. That’s why I play bass.
David van Zyl : How I got started on the bass is an interesting story but to cut it short, I started on the
classical guitar when I was 13 years old, which was fun for a while but it didn’t last for long. Five years
later, being exposed to a lot of hard death metal, I soon realized that electric guitar and fast power riffs
was the way to go. Then one day, I went to a friend’s house to try out some of my “power riffs” with
some bass lines my friend had composed during the week. As the day came to it’s end, I saw an old
session bass standing in the corner of the room and so I insisted taking it home just to fiddle a bit and see
what it’s all about. At the time, I was playing a right handed guitar and so my friend’s session bass was
also right handed but the moment I started jamming on the bass, something convinced me to play it
upside down, so I changed the strings around and it’s funny but the moment I started playing it left
handed I could not put it down, so much that I never played the guitar again, my parents on the other hand
were furious for having to get me a bass guitar now after just having bought a bunch of guitar stuff, haha.
Bass gave me the power I was looking for I suppose, the power to express what’s inside. Nothing else
really could! Low frequencies!!
Cleo Moneyedao : Irrespective of it's sex (the bass) I can pick on it and slap the Sh#t out of it without
getting into trouble with the law, never mind the fingering.
Edo Castro : I started playing bass because it only had
4 strings on and I didn't have to deal with chording.
(Boy was I in for a big surprise). Piano and Guitar was
very lovely but I didn't have the chops to be in a band as
a guitarist or pianist. It seemed easy at first, you know,
4 strings and all. But as you all know, the bass, its part
in the band and its function are gravely overlooked. Not
to mention quite challenging. (Plus no one paid much
attention to the bass anyway). The real attraction was
really how it felt against my body, the big strings under
my fingers and the big Baddah boom you got when you
played. I think it's a great time to be a bassist. With all
the new building techniques, improvements on
Amplification, electronics, Midi and Multiple strings,
the modern bassist can explore timbres that were only
known on the Guitar and Piano.
When the 7 String bass came onto the scene, I
immediately took to it. (Prior to that I had been playing
5 & 6 string bass, including the Chapman Stick.) From
that point on
the 7 string bass became my voice and more
importantly an instrument from which to compose from.
I play 7 string bass because of its tonal range and
harmonic possibilities, yet at the same time
I can still fulfil the role of the traditional bassist. I've
tried 9 strings but a 7-string neck is about as wide a
neck that I am willing to deal with!
I also sold my Chapman Stick because I was able to do the same thing on my 7 String basses without
reinventing my technique. (it's not fair to compare the Stick to Electric bass. So I'd say I can tap upper
registers of the 7-string to give me another timbre to work with and at the same time tap with the left hand
to emulate the Chapman Stick sound. I would say Emmet Chapman gave us the tapping sound, but Billy
Sheehan and Stu Hamm made it ubiquitous to the bass community)
I've recently returned to playing 4 string Electric upright because of the gorgeous sound you get with a
longer scale/string length. The most difficult part was to find one that was suitable for my playing needs,
yet at the same time give you that "other worldly" sound of the Electric Upright bass. Besides that you
have the advantages of bowing that you can't do on Electric Bass Guitar.
Steve Becker : In 7th grade, I received a six-string electric guitar as a hand-me-down from my older
brother. I played it for about a month before realizing that I knew seven people that played guitar, five
drummers and no bassists. So I guess I started playing to be different. I learned how to play by listening
to my favourite music and picking out the bass lines. Once I started playing sports in school, free time
was a rarity. I played somewhat infrequently for the next four years until what I call my “Bass Epiphany”.
During my senior year of high school, a buddy of mine lent me his copies of Jamiroquai’s “Emergency
On Planet Earth”, “The Return Of The Space Cowboy”, and “Travelling Without Moving”. Hearing
Stuart Zender’s bass lines on those albums… realizing how it was his playing that held all of their songs
together and provided them with their grooves and funkiness… realizing how FUN his bass lines were to
play… I was sold. By listening to him, I understood a bassist’s true role: being the bridge between the
rhythm and the melody, incorporating both into your playing, and being the glue that holds everything
together… and I LOVE playing this role. There is another aspect of playing the bass, however, that I
believe is the main reason I’ve stuck with it. Playing my bass is my release. If I’ve had a rough day at
work I pick up my bass. Bad mood? I pick up my bass. Argument with a girlfriend? I pick up my bass.
My bass has always had the ability to bring me out of any bad funk and put me into the good funk. It’s
my most trustworthy friend and companion. My bass is my soul mate.
YoYo Buys : I started playing bass ‘cos I thought a certain bass
player looked cool – I’ve realized since that I’ll never look as cool,
so now hopefully it’s all about the music.
I suppose the real reason is that, I’ve always been drawn to the lowend of the spectrum, and low frequencies have a soothing effect on
me – there’s a certain tactile sense to the sound of a bass whereby
one can almost physically grab a big juicy note out of the air. I love
being able to combine that with other instruments to make it all
sound complete.
Mark Wood : I'm not sure why I play the bass... It's just something that's visceral, which cannot really be
put into words. It's that undefinable something holding a band together, driving the music and filling in
the blanks, that stimulates something deep within me. Maybe it’s a feeling of being part of the soul of a
piece of music.
Rob Gourlay : I began playing bass for a simple reason, a gig! I was a
guitar player and my brother’s band needed a bass player for their big upcoming gig and I was more than happy to give it a try. I thought I was only
going to play the one gig, but I loved it so much and had a lot of
opportunities to play so it was an easy decision to continue with bass. It’s
been such an amazing instrument to play and there is always so much
more to learn. The ability to constantly learn and grow with the instrument
is what keeps me playing. God has blessed me with so many great
opportunities and with a very supportive wife and family and after many
years of playing I feel like I’m just getting started!
Wan Abdullah Wan Salleh : Bass is a unique instrument – it’s the best instrument ever created. The
sound of the bass is so deep and soulful, it should be played with your heart and must be felt not heard –
it’s all about vibration. The big bottom sound will fill the room with its groove. When I'm on stage,
nothing gives me more satisfaction than to play the groove and create the vibe, without over-playing, of
course. Groove is everything in the music world. I LOVE BASS - It makes me happy, having fun on
stage or playing alone at home
Richard Sims : I can't say with traditional certainty why I am a bassist. I didn't choose the instrument out
of necessity (a garage band
needed a bassist) and I had
no particular penchant for
bass players (or their
supposed role in a band) as
a whole, never been very
interested in learning
someone's parts, any of
that... Even today, my
relationship with the bass
is always in a state of flux.
I believe in the presence of
divinity when this
instrument (or its
variations) is in my hands.
I have come to think of the
music cosmogenously.
Have rid myself of the
need to posess it - to compare it - to think I must be a master of any one particular style, let alone many choosing rather to accept its presence as a musical indication of my progress in life. I do know
intrinsically that it is the instrument I was meant to use for the conveyance of the sounds and vibrations I
hear and feel.
Ulf"Rockis"Ivarsson : For me, it’s really simple. I love basslines!! And there are too many egos out
there in the guitar territory!
From the beginning, in the post-punk days 1978-79, when I started to play bass, I bought a bass guitar in
January, started a band in February and had my first gig in March! It probably sounded dreadful but it
was fun!! I think that was the main thing with the punk rock scene, you didn’t need to be a virtuoso on
your instrument, and the choice of bass guitar was a coincidence for me. My music teacher told me that
he only taught bass and guitar, so I chose bass in one minute. It could have been guitar or drums - there
was never any smartness about my decision regarding this. Then of course, after a couple of gigs with untuned instruments and bad sounding songs, I started to take my bass-playing more "serious". I’m listening
to all kinds of different music styles and bass-players to get on top of my chops! So there you go, I’m still
growing as a musician because I’m constantly working on being a better listener rather than a "good bassplayer". That’s why I’m playing so many different styles of music!!
Mark Meadows (a.k.a. The Bass cowboy) : I started playing bass for the same reasons most guys
did....1)....GIRLS, GIRLS, and more GIRLS!!! Any guy (sorry girls...this isn't about you) who says
otherwise is either not telling the truth or is
in denial! 2) Because everybody else wanted
to play guitar.... playing bass made me
different...which meant...MORE GIRLS (see
reason #1)! I was already singing bass in
church and school choir so I knew the
awesome power of the low end. I also knew
that I could be as good as I wanted to be on
any instrument, so.... why not use "the force"
to get more chicks! Of course I later grew
into the fun of mastering the instrument and
all that came with it, but...the question was
"why did I start playing bass?"...right? Let's
be real here shall we! My low-end groove
makes the girl's low-end groove, which
keeps the world a happier place. :) I feel I
can "hold my own" in any bass situation, but.... I also prefer to be called a bass player as opposed to a
bassist, 'cause there are more important things in life than bass..... sometimes that is. :)
Gonzo : The Bass Guitar is my first weapon of choice. What instrument is more responsible for makin'
the necks work and the butts shake, truly defines the 'funk' in funky, the 'groove' in groovy, can add both a
'smooth' and 'cool' swing to jazz, puts the 'walking' in walkin' blues and brings the true meaning of
POWER to the term power chord? What instrument can you pick up by its E string? Able to take a solid
punch or a throw to the floor, but is just the right size
and shape to gently put your arms around. Mighty
enough to move sound reinforcement equipment and
amplifiers from an 18" speaker down to a tweeter.
Possessing dynamics as subtle as a whisper, while
still capable of being as rude and belligerent as an
airhorn on Sunday morning, and also covers
everywhere in between. As effective at mimicking
the piano and the guitar as it is at coloring the drums
in its role as a member of the 'rhythm section'.
Sublimely competent at holding the band together
like glue when it's needed, but independently it can
keep 'em dancing through an unaccompanied solo.
Dressed up pretty in gold hardware and a little chorus
or with one foot in the gutter in stickers and
distortion. Fretless and round-toned with flatwounds
or popping high and compressed with roundwound
lights. As simple as root-five and pounding eighth
notes, however qualified for something as complex as
Bach or Beethoven. And let's not forget - also
available in piccolo, acoustic, semi-acoustic, solid
acoustic, hollow body, semi-hollow body, electric
upright, baby upright and the awesome traditional
upright...with ARCO!!! HipShots, E-Bows,
Subwoofers, Biamps, Optical pickups, blendable
Piezo pickups, active, passive, coated strings,
wrapped strings, nickel, steel, nylon strings,
flatwound, roundwound, half-round and even double-ball-end-headless strings! Oh, and while we're on
strings: How about 2 or 3? 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10? 12?!!! Low, lower, lowest to high, higher highest!!! Bomp!
P-Kank! Humm. Pling! Ba-doom-doom-doom-doom. Woooosh. Chug-chug-chug! Dunta-dunta-dunta.
Mwah. Chang-a-lang-a-lang. Rrt! Nah-nah-nah. Mmm. Screech! Booga-da-bop! K-chunk! Wah-wah!
Dun-dun-dun-dun-dun-dun. Brang!!! Ooo... It's all there. It can't be the hours or the pay...
Jeff Schmidt : The practical reason I play bass is because it's the instrument my friends needed covered
in order to join their band when I was 13. Over the years I've come to love it's sound and the way it feels
in certain forms of music. Much of what I'm dong currently travels very far away from "standard" bass
playing - but I still enjoy the foundational nature of an inspired bass part.
Daniel Gray : I had been messing around on
a battered, borrowed acoustic guitar when I
started high school and when my musical
interest developed, I had always liked the
sound of the bass and wanted to try out the
instrument. Then something very interesting
happened. My school friend Gina Mombelli
invited me to one of her Dads gigs. Little did I
know, after seeing a German band Triosphere I
would see the great Carlo Mombelli play with
his band, The Prisoners of Strange. It sounds
cheesy, but my life has never been the same
ever since. Something happened to my head
that night, (and at the tender age if 14) I think
Carlo took us all to another planet. I will never
view music in the same way, and I fell in love with the bass. My parents would not give in to me begging
for a bass and an amp.Tthey couldn't understand why I couldn't just play guitar. I eventually managed to
earn money by selling honey to anyone who would buy it and getting about R6.00 commission for every
bottle. After about 8 months of selling honey and tuning my guitar strings as low they would go
I could eventually afford a Cort Action bass and a little Ashdown practice amp. I haven't looked back
since. I’m finishing high school now, ready to see what the world of music can offer me, or what I can
offer to the world of music.
I love how bass tone can be so crisp and clean, yet so full and warm. I love how sometimes when it’s
really cranked up, you feel the sound thump in your chest - it feels like the sound is inside you, coming
out of you and surrounding you. I love how fat the strings feel under my fingers. I love how a walking
bass line can paint a picture in your head. I love how some slap can wake something inside you.
Cause involuntary movement. I love how much fun it is to jam. I love how impossible it is to get sick of. I
love hearing other bassists. I love th... I could go on forever.......
If you have played bass you know what I mean. I can’t place my finger on it, but there’s just something
about it that only bassists would get.
Pete Ball aka Bones : While doing
keys and rhythm guitar in Germany
a thousand years ago, I fancied the 4
stringed instrument, mainly because
our bass player wasn't too hot, and I
fancied I could do better, so I
jumped in when we did a comedy
skit, did the Hammond thing for a
while with brothers Denny, (ex
Baldry Band, now in Oz,) and Dave,
(ex Procul Harum, now in NZ) Got
asked to play bass in a cabaret band
out of Manchester, which was fun,
but I was heavily policed by the
boss man, like, no fingers, use a
plec!!
Came to South Africa in '74 and got the freedom to play with a great 6 piece band, Copperfield, and yes,
used my fingers!!
Long story short, during my semi pro years doing all sorts, ended up on the Jewish wedding scene on
keys, (again) till Dave Abbott (Abbott & Crabb) and Dave Dale (ex Copperfield) formed Double Dave &
Bones, and I was back on my favourite instrument, and 3 years later, having more fun than ever, doing
our 2 nights per week, doing stuff we like, and our regular punters like too. It's a win-win.
They say the guitar is for the head, the keys are for the heart, but the bass is for the ba--s. I agree.
Andre Abrahamse : I started out on violin as a child at CT College of music & private tuition. Then I
left RSA with my family to go to Zambia. I really liked the sound of the bass in kwassa kwassa bands
there. Melodic and rhythmic - a real voice. I played in a school band doing Beatles, Stones, Sly & the
family..etc. Jumped in the deep end in London. in the early 70s as Fela kuti's bassplayer/basslines, they
moved the earth! Osibisa, Dudu Pukwana gave me the comfort to be edgy or at least try to be!Fretless !!
what can I say...! A young & clear voice that speaks with authority, sympathy, soothes & jars, heals &
hurts, the voice of reason & confusion thru a fuzz pedal! That’s why I love to play bass..
Kevin Charles McGinnis : I started playing trumpet and marching in the high school band when I was
in the 4th grade. I ended up playing almost all of the brass instruments over my school years and even
played in the drum-line. At the age of 13, I picked up an electric bass in a local music store and soon
after bought my first P-Bass and a Kustom 100 amp. Even though I was a trumpet player, I had always
been attracted to the bass. The music that got me started was rock, R&B and soul/funk. Bands like
Cream, the Beatles, Led
Zeppelin, Chicago,
Tower of Power, Chase
and the classic Motown
sounds.
I have truly been
blessed to have played
with 5 great guys for 11
years in a fun, show
band from 1974-1985,
playing all around the
Midwest. I continue to
be blessed today and
play out several times a
month with some of my
best buddies and
brothers in the world.
The bass is really the
“center” of my life – I
look forward with anticipation all week to the Friday or Saturday night gig or jam session. I am 51 years
young and when I am playing the bass, I feel like I am 16 again. There is no better feeling in your bones
and medicine for your soul, than when you are locked into the pocket of a great groove and your bass
becomes an extension of you. That is why I play the bass, or the bass plays me?
Cesare Cassarino : My initial attraction to the bass was that I found it to be the easiest way to string a
sequence of notes together that made musical sense. So I suppose it was the instant gratification. After
years of paying the bills with adventures into the land of guitar, voice, synth bass, upright bass and
computers, the bass guitar still feels good to me... like it did in the beginning.
Jan Olof Strandberg : I always did love the strong sound from a
bass. One of my favourite records were/is Abbey Road by the Beatles!
That record has some amazing bass playing, strong melodic bass lines
and great music! Abbey Road was actually the first LP record I ever
owned, and to this day I think it's the best POP record ever made.
Soon after, I got into Led Zeppelin and what a great bass player that
band had as well!
I knew Bass was my instrument and bought my first bass guitar. I did
study upright bass as well as a suggestion of my teacher in the -70`s. I
did love that instrument too and discovered how melodic an
instrument, the bass could be.
Many of the great classical bass concertos and chamber music pieces
had nice bass lines. Then things started to happen in the Jazz/Rock
world and people like Steve Swallow, Larry Graham, Stanley Clarke,
Louis Johnson, and Jaco Pastorius did put the bass in a different light.
Not changing the role of the instrument but opened new doors and
gave the bass more respect! Bass is definitely my instrument I just
love the bass and the whole bass community, great people all over the
world dedicated to bass!
Delton Daniels : Being the underdog! This is the character most preferred by most human beings but yet
when faced with the opportunity of getting into the limelight they go for it thus discarding the underdog
character like a used condom. Bass players are the ultimate underdogs… they keep the band together,
they introduce and compliment the chords, they create the beat for the drummer and not visa versa and
suddenly the limelight has grabbed all bassists around the world and urgently required them to play solos
longer than 15 seconds, yes my friend the ultimate underdog has come to the front and yet remains in the
back. This is something that only bass players understand and the ultimate reason why I play bass.
Scott Kungha Drengsen : I'm sure you will get as many
answers as there are bass players -and, this is how it
should be. My simplest answer is my most complete and
the most true; I love fretless bass (especially my 12
string)... On some fundamental level, it completes my
voice. It fits my body, my emotions, my sensuality and my
spirit. I created what I could not find. Other instruments
feel like afterthoughts, or toys. It's easy to get impressive
results on guitar, keyboards or oud. It's just not as
physically satisfying as playing the bass!
But your question also reminds me of having to "explain
myself" as a bass player. It saddens me that almost 30
years after Jaco, bassist's can still almost assume being a
unique artist or an assertive soloist, is a bad career move in most areas of popular music. I feel obligated
to explain on my CD's that most or all the sounds were done on a bass, because I see bass as a complete
instrument that can do anything..
Graeme van der Schyff : I started playing acoustic guitar when I was around 14 years old. A couple of
years later, I met a guy who played the bass and he started teaching me a couple of things about it.
Haven't look back since, it just seemed to grab me and has never let go. I think there'd be a big hole if
bass playing were taken away from me. Anyway, my bass is calling ("Coming dear!"). Cheers!!
Hilton Vermaas : Started because of a show I wanted to be a part
of that didn’t have a bass player – and ended up discovering a
whole new world of music.
The bass has me in the engine-room - driving; playing solo-like
without having to compete; constantly listening and adapting to
the sound and the soul of the music.
The instruments are big, so comfortable for my size, the range is
down the bottom end - that’s where all the good shit happens.
Playing/working with a good drummer is a whole trip in itself,
playing with a good guitarist/pianist/horn-player/etc and feeding
off each other likewise. Playing bass gives me the opportunity to
be off out of the spotlight having a groove laying down a base –
but still being part of the whole.
The bass is a wondrously primal instrument requiring sound
theoretical skills – what a combination!
Clive Woodvine : From my pimple-free, pre-pubescent days, I was fascinated by the mop-headed blokes
who appeared on “Top of the Pops” and “Ready, steady, go!” playing guitars. I loved them and they
drove my old man daft !! Noise is in the ear of the listener. On the verge of my growing up in England in
the swinging 60’s my family moved to South Africa .
Denied access to seeing these newfound idols on TV, I had to settle for second-best: LM radio!! Primary
school made way to high school and in the first week I forgot what homework I had, so I walked to the
home of the class monitor who lived just a few streets away. From the confines of his bedroom came
sounds similar to wasps in a jam-jar. It was actually a Guyatone through an 8-watt Meazzi amp – he
played guitar!! Sod the homework, did I play guitar? No? Would I like to play? Yes? Would I like to play
Bass? Whatsit??
From the depths of a cupboard, a dilapidated jumbo-bodied acoustic was produced and the four bottom
strings were strung. . We were a band!!
That was Vanderbijlpark, January 1968. Thereafter followed many evenings and weekends spent honing
my craft, while the world waited with baited breath for me to conquer it. Fast forward to the present - I’ve
just turned 50 and have only ever missed one gig.
I’ve played in dance bands and club bands; played at concerts and corporate functions; played to full
houses and to tables-and-chairs; played pop, rock, reggae, blues, jazz, punk, gospel and latin. I’ve played
Japanese copies to American customs; fretted, fretless and foot pedals; through combo’s to double stacks;
choruses to cry-babies. I’ve been rewarded and ripped off; been professional and been penniless.
I’ve picked it, plucked it, snapped it, and slapped it.
Why do I play bass? Because I forgot my homework when I was 11 . . . .
Jitka Brzek : To me, playing the bass is about
having a passion for music, the love of performing,
the love of that connection you have between your
band members and the audience when you're on
stage, the freedom of expressing yourself. Of all
instruments the bass is the one that allows me to do
the above things in the most suitable way, I have
never picked up any other instrument and felt as
comfortable and confident. In a band, the bass is
the only instrument that forms such a fundamental
role in such a subtle way. Vusi Mahlasela:
"between the bass and the drums there is a silence
that forms a part of the music".
Seamus Doyle : I started playing the double bass out of ignorance. My school brass band conductor also
led the local orchestra and as I could already do bum-bum on the tuba he thought I could give it a go on
the double bass. I didn’t know what a double bass was so I said ok - only discovering afterwards the
awful truth!! However 30 years later I am still playing and making a living from it too. To me there is
nothing more satisfying than playing a great piece of music well, and the knowledge that if there's a big C
major chord there I'll be rooted there on that wonderful tonic - especially if I can use my low C extension!
For many years I thought I was a humble orchestra member, but now I know I am the most important
person in that band, and I am in the driving seat as regards the rhythm.
Chris Chard : I find the connection between rhythm and melody/harmony completely fascinating. I
began playing the bass and it took some time to really connect and find a comfortable place bridging
those two worlds. Once that connection was made and I was off to the races! Playing the bass has been
the longest and most gratifying relationship I've ever been in.
Bert Askes : Well, from the moment I
understood what bass was I knew this was the
instrument for me. I seem to have the necessary
attributes to be a bass player, a good ear, am
disciplined & have reasonable rhythm (in my
head only, can’t dance to save my life!). I don’t
get bored playing the same things over & over
as long as I can keep the groove & help make
the band sound tight, I’m happy, which is
really where it’s at, isn’t it? I’m not much of a
musician though, can’t read & don’t endlessly
practice scales & stuff, that would mean taking
this too seriously! I do regret not doing these
things now, suppose it’s never too late to learn,
just too lazy, anyway I always just wanted to
play for fun.
For me, one of the greatest things about playing bass is that you are able to feel your way around the
music & can often stand back & listen to the band as a whole, which, as we all know, most guitarists
seem unable to do! The feeling of being the driving force behind a band is just too good to describe, that’s
what keeps me going, been playing bass for ±30 years now & love it more than ever!
Dave Askes : “Because it’s easy” I guess
was the original reason. In the 70’s, I played a
bit of guitar and enjoyed playing in bands,
however there were so many guitarists around
and very few bassists and I did not have a
great chord knowledge at the time so I
decided to give bass a try. I mean, what could
be easier than playing the root and fifth (I
didn’t even know that is what it was called at
the time). I started this when my brother
(Bert), a fellow bassist that had been playing
for a few years, had to go for his 2 year
military service, so I took his place in one of
the bands he played in. I slowly learned more
and more and enjoyed it more, I even tried
giving it up at one stage but I almost died with
the craving to play, so fortunately started again. I am so impressed with the vast styles, tones and
dynamics of the bass, to me it has more than any other instrument.
At least now I know a lot more musically now (I can play more chords on the bass than some guitarists I
know) and will take this passion of mine to the grave.
Miles Askes : The reason I play bass
would be, well I’m not really sure, it
just happened, when I was still
growing up I used to switch a lot
between bass and guitar, but then I
found that my ego was most probably
too small to be a guitarist, so I
became a bass player… But I guess
my main influence would be because
my dad is a bass player and I got to
use his equipment, so I had a choice
of using a not so good guitar or to
play a kinda proper bass, but also I
can say I don’t actually play bass, I
say that because I am not very good, I
keep it fun and just learn what I can,
Maybe one day I will be able to say I
can play bass, then when that day
comes, I will be able to answer the question “why do I play bass?”.
Jeroen Paul Thesseling : "Playing fretless bass gives me a tremendous amount of musical freedom".
Simone Vignola : I started playing guitar when I was a child, then I moved
to the bass just So that I could play in a band. I was really lucky!
The first thing I found incredible with the bass (as well as the fact that I was
really having fun with it) is the part it has in a band: When the bass is
working, nobody hears it but when the bass is not working, everybody says
"where is the bass?".
The bass, from its sound, to the way it’s played, can be the main factor in
what kind of music you're playing, too.
I also realise that the bass guitar is a very young instrument and its best has
yet to come!
When I’m writing songs and singing, it’s the bass that’s the instrument that
best suits my voice. I'll never move away from it!
Shane Forbes : I noticed that the part of the song that made the ladies shake their Asses was always the
bassline. It’s true. Peeps love the sound that a bass gives off. So I figured, “Hey…If I played bass, I could
contribute my small part of making girls shake their asses more often!!” It sounds selfish I know, but I
assure you my reasons were noble…
I love this instrument and wouldn’t wanna play anything else... Oh, and if ya don’t believe me about girls
loving bass. Do me, and yourself a favour and go out and rent “Howard Sterns Private Parts.”…
Keep it Gangsta, and stay Metal!
Julian Mayer : I used to play folk guitar in restaurants
bored out of my mind. One fine day, a friend, a classical
pianist, told me he'd been asked to form a band to play on
a three-week cruise to Mauritius. He'd already pinned
down an excellent drummer and female vocalist and
needed a bass player to complete the combo. Did I play
bass, he asked. Of course, said I, lying shamelessly. Warp
3 down to Darters Music to take an Ibanez Beatle Bass
(R50:00 new) out on appro and Mel Bay's "How to Play
Bass". Practiced the whole weekend to the album "Super
Sessions" to the tunes of Al Cooper, Mike Bloomfield and
Steve Stills. Auditioned on Monday, stank, but managed
to whinge my way into the band. We played on the ship
Europa, mainly to a great group of pensioners who were
travelling steerage. We cooked. The first class passengers
sneaked into our lounge because the Italian band, up in first class, were stodgy. This was 1972, I was an
eager young stripling and it was the start of a long and happy bass-playing career. Nowadays I see no
reason to return to folk guitar.
Errol “Bong” Strachan : The frequency range that is produced by either upright or
electric bass gives my soul peace and harmony. The rhythm that bass implies in the context
of a song and the role it plays within that song, is a direct parallel to every breath that I
take, the very relationship between life and breathing. How can I deny this feeling?
Lloyd Wilke : I play bass for the enjoyment of the instrument as well as a way to relax and
because of great guys and teachers like Graeme Currie who are such an inspiration to listen too, and who
show that nothing is impossible.
Lars Lehmann : That is a funny story! A friend of my father owned an electric guitar and a bass. When
we came to see him, I would be totally
fascinated by the electric guitars tremolo-system
and the sound you would get out of it. 15-yearold Lars decided he had to become a guitar
player a.s.a.p.! I told my friends at school about
my plans. They were really cool cats because
they were playing in our school big band at that
time already. Since the band was still in need of
a bass player, they convinced me I had to learn
bass, not guitar. So far, I think this was one of
the best decisions I have ever made in my life –
the bass has led me to a great number of foreign
countries, countless cities and stages. At times I
think I have experienced more things in say one
month than other people do in one year! After
playing for so many years now, I still discover
new things on the instrument almost every day. The great thing is that through my playing I can also see
how I, as a person, have changed over the years. I’m really looking forward to whatever will be
happening to me and this “beloved” instrument in the future!
Phil Kloppers : To say it short and sweet, playing bass is like riding a Harley Chopper. Not the quickest
way to move - it’s loud and bulky, but once you get her moving, you’re the bad kid on the block. Totally
offbeat and free to move where you like.
Edward Victor : There are a number of reasons Why I play the Bass Guitar: It really appeals to me.
I just have that innate ability for it.
I really derive a lot of inspiration from it when I’m picking my notes.
Joy exudes out of me whenever I’m holding my chords on it.
Barry Irwin : I play the bass because it always represents a huge emotional
involvement, excitement and a challenge to me. I really love the instrument. It’s
been a lot to me, and with me for so long, I just can’t see life without it. Of course
my first love is the music, but how better to serve music than through the bass.
Being a bass player gives one an opportunity to play so many kinds of music and
with so many kinds of musicians. For me that’s very enriching. Also probably
because it keeps me sane. It’s the place to go. The closest to the womb actually, for
me anyway. It feels safe and it inspires the gift of life. No one can give you that.
Barry Sparks : I originally started playing bass because, well, I wanted to be just like Gene Simmons of
Kiss! When I was ten years old, Kiss were like super heroes to me, but it didn't take long for me to fall in
love with being a musician, for the sake of playing music as best as I could and I think music is the
ultimate way for me to express myself. To this day I put my heart and soul into every note I play and if I
fall short of my expectations, it really bums me out, it sounds kind of silly, but playing well and always
struggling to become a better player is what motivates me and keeps it interesting, I guess always having
a goal keeps the drive of being a musician alive inside of me, besides, what is better than playing bass
with drummers like Tommy Aldridge? It’s pure inspiration!
Kai Horsthemke : ‘Am shy, have long
fingers’ is the commonplace reason offered
for taking up the bass. But as with all
clichés, there is more than a kernel of truth
in this: playing bass suits both my
temperament and my physique. With regard
to the former, I rather like fulfilling a
musical function that is at the same time
‘just out of the limelight’ and
indispensable. Only a few people actually
listen to the bass – but everyone knows
something’s missing when there is no bass.
Yet, I’m not into the ‘merely functional’
aspect of bass-playing either: I love the
sound of wood, I love melody – which
explains my lasting infatuation with fretless
basses, both vertical and horizontal. But my
main reason for playing bass must be that
this enables me to hang out with drummers.
Some of my best friends are drummers – and that’s not a joke.
William Slimmerts : There was no one else at Church to do the job!!!
Darren McGregor : Reading through all the comments by all the different bassists it looks like we all
started playing bass for the same reasons. I was "pushed" into playing bass in '97. Birdhouse had just
started, they had their first gig coming up in a few days and they had no bass player. I said, "I’ll give it a
bash." Standing there on stage, trying to keep up and playing with one finger on the frets, I thought
"Woooo, this is hard..." It was love at first note. Never quit since and now use two fingers. It just gets
better.
Roald Nel : I believe that music is a channel that is meant
to reach the inner psyche of its listeners and create
meaning and importance. The reason I play bass is simply
that it is and has always has been the instrument I can
accurately and effectively use to convey these messages
on a satisfactory level. It is also the most rewarding
experience on a physical level since it is one of few
instruments that you can actually feel the sound emitted
from it. My bass signifies my passion for music.
Josh Dowlut-Beard : The same reason I drive a 328 rear wheel HP Camaro. Because it is a man's
instrument.
Reggie Washington : There were a few factors working @ or
around the time I started playing. (11 yrs. old) (1) I met
Reggie Workman when I was 5-6 yrs. old. I saw him play &
my father used to play jazz & other genres of music in the
house via a huge record collection. (33, 45 & 78's)
This was ALL DAY!!
(2) My father also ran the Staten Island (New York) Music
Workshop in the early 70's.
Instruments were left @ my house & I would plunder inside
& mess with them.
One of them was a 1969 Fender Precision Bass. I was in the
school orchestra & city youth orchestras playing cello. I was a
gifted cellist playing the front of the section & I was maybe
12 yrs old. (3) Conductor Anthony Diaz asked me to switch
from cello to bass to help out the sad ass bass section until
they auditioned more students. I never went back to the cello
section. (4) During the mid-late 70's, 16 yr old Marcus Miller
use to come to my house over the weekend with my brother
Kenny to learn & listen to jazz.
I would mess with his Sunburst Jazz Bass & watch and listen
to them talk music.
All of these things together made me settle into bass! I also have a thing for control!! The bass controls so
many aspects of the music. I love to support the music with my sound... from the bottom!
Keep the Bottom.
Marius Liebenberg : I have been playing the guitar since the age of 12
and still enjoy the guitar but something about the bass always grabbed me.
I guess it is in your blood, or not. I always find myself turning the low end
up. It speaks to our innermost being. I went through a dry spell, not
playing music at all, when a guy I worked with before on a two-piece,
invited me to come to a gig. I think he wanted me to get a taste again, for
the stage I mean. Well the next week I got invited to play the bass in that
outfit. I had never played the bass before, but being hungry to play, I went
to Jurie’s and got a second hand Fender Precision Jazz Bass and a 400watt
PV bass amp. I never looked back from there. The band was called True
Blue and we worked the circuit extensively at the time. The thrill to
culminate the harmonies with the rhythm section is just too much. The
drums, lead and keys are like the skeleton of the body and the bass is the
flesh.
Scott Hubbell : I chose to play bass because I want to be the one controlling the
music. Bass is a complete instrument. Rhythm? Check! Harmony? Check!
Melody? Check! How cool is it that the bass covers all those things? Very cool.
Take for instance Country music. Country folk love to 2-step. Without bass, there is
no 2-step. Funk? C’mon! Bass IS funk! Bass IS music!
Andy Pietropaolo : The reason why I started is as simple and casual as starting a band in high school.
Why I actually still play the bass after 17 years I think has to do with my personality and the way I tend to
express my emotions. Musically, I like to support and interact with my band mates. At the same time I'm
aware of the extremely powerful role that the bass covers within a band, the power of changing the
harmonic, rhythmic, and melodic direction of the music like no other instrument, in my opinion. When I
play, I feel that power and the responsibility that goes with it.
Jacques Steyn (aka Stoomtrein
Steyn) : I can play guitar, keys, drums
and some brass instruments I would
not mention in the company of
bassists, but why I prefer bass?:
Sometimes the right note at the right
time makes absolutely ALL the
difference in a song.
Places where the keys player uses
chords/effects, the guitarist
chords/licks, the drummer uses fills,
and you can use only one note to make
it happen!! One note! And I guess it’s
the thrill of “pulling it off” (interesting
coincidence) that keeps me clinging to
my bass! I love laying the foundation
for others to build on. My rhythm
section partner, drummer Iwan Kemp,
and I have a saying whenever we
session for different artists: “Let’s make these guys sound good!”
Bill Parish : Bass is the most subtle of instruments in the band, whilst it contributes so much. The deep
resonance is felt as much as it is heard without any loud banging and crashing or screaming feedback.
Bass sets the pace.
A uniquely, versatile instrument that
can produce a range of different sounds
as diverse and numerous as the skills of
the performing artist.
Bass is at home in all genres of music,
and would be conspicuous by its
absence from any assembly of
instruments engaged in the production
music.
Most people wanting to play an
instrument, at least a stringed
instrument, will head straight for a
guitar, wanting to emulate their musical
heroes…. another Hendrix or Clapton, Alvin Lee or Stevie Ray Vaughn.
No matter where you go in the world, there will always be a glut of guitarists, ranging from barely able to
strum; to magnificent, yet the Bassist will always be in demand.
Donné Dowlman : Why I Play Bass???
Because if I don’t play bass, you might as well cut off my oxygen supply! I have to play bass, it’s that
simple.
I fell in love with the bass and the
sound of jazz when I was about 18 or
19. The passion to learn the instrument
took over and I eventually came to
study under Marc Duby at PTA Tech in
1997.
The reason I have stuck to the bass is
because of the immense satisfaction I
get from holding down a solid groove
with the drummer, the way the bass is
the glue that keeps a band together and
the sheer utter funkiness of the
instrument.
On a more serious note – I believe
music is a gift from God and is given
for our enjoyment. Playing bass allows my soul to express itself where words don’t suffice……….That’s
why I play bass.
Willem Perold : The reason I play bass is: We could never find a bassist. But now I wouldn’t trade
playing bass for guitar or drums. Bass is the thing that gets the people going at live shows. Guitar just
gives the band colour! But bass and drums make or break a band!
Short and sweet! Playing music is not a hobby it’s a lifestyle!
That is what bass means to me!
Paul “Bass-Ace” Martin : It’s not so much about what you hear; it’s
what you feel… When you’re playing that exquisite creation in wood,
your inner being thrills to the timbre. When you can feel the music inside
of you before your ears hear it, that’s when you are truly alive! As that
magic moment unfolds, your fellow musicians and your audience will
know, I assure you. Whatever the future may hold, life and music will
always remain bland without the essential sounds of the bass. Peace…
Sue Condie Stephenson : - My first “Bass Experience” was sitting in my fathers’ car listening to
Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain” in very loud stereo. That was a long time ago and I was in the process of
becoming a very proficient acoustic guitarist. I never thought about actually playing bass myself, that was
always left to someone else in the various bands I played in. I was playing in a three piece in 1998-a
drummer Steve, Gene on bass and lead and myself on rhythm and vocals. One night at practice we had a
problem because Gene wanted to do lead on Black Magic Woman but it sounded bare with no bass so he
told me to play it. He put his very heavy Gibson bass onto my lap and showed me how to do the riff….
And that was me! Sold! The very next day I purchased a Samic 5 string electric bass that I virtually slept
with for the next few years. In line with the type of music I play, I swapped my 5 string for a fretless
acoustic, which I play until I have blisters and holes on my fingers! I love the full vibrations and the
resonance that this instrument grants me. (It doesn’t feel the same playing an electric bass.) I can FEEL
the acoustic with my whole body when I play it. It truly moves me. Another thing I love about bass is, it
can be as simple or as difficult as you want it to be, anytime..
Bass is about rhythm with your fingers like tap dancing is rhythm with your feet. I love my bass…
Mark Roberts : Bass, in particular, an extended-range bass, to me, is like an artist’s palette with my
fingers as brushes. Vivid colors as sound from sub-contra to piccolo bass to be stroked upon a waiting
canvas from an instrument that easily communicates an artist's touch. I play the instrument because I
enjoy communicating the textures and passion it can bring to music. I enjoy the challenge of the
instrument knowing that I will never be done learning with it.
Abel Stoltz : The sound of a bass guitar just touches
everything in my feeling for music. The look of the fat
strings and size of the amps is just amazing. When I
heard my first live band doing some numbers of the
"Shadows" I immediately knew that the guitar with the 4
strings is the instrument I wanted to play. Also, most
bass guitarists are backstage boys, well, I am one of
them. I love to be part of the backbone of a band (drums
and bass). The tighter the drums and bass play together,
the better the band. The sound and feel of a bass guitar
is, to me, far beyond any other instrument.
Brian Buckham : So why do I play bass? I use to play drums but find the bass more rewarding. Many
say that the drums are the backbone of a song; if this is so then the bass is the spinal cord. I enjoy the
relationship between the bass and drums. The electric bass is one of the youngest instruments out there so
in my opinion, there is no “right” way or “wrong” way to play. There is so much open to interpretation
and experimentation. I’m not very good, but I play for the love of it.
Glenn Topping : I started playing pots and pans at the age of about 3. I made a broomstick-bass at the
age of 4, and that’s when the music
bug bit my bum properly.
At age 10 I started playing guitar,
and that was my main instrument
until the age of 19 when I started
messing around with percussion
instruments, which I loved. I picked
up our bass players guitar at band
practice one day, and felt that
percussive, melodic, beautiful
groove that we all love. I was sold!
The zip on my guitar’s gig bag was
heard less frequently as my new
mistress ruled my life: Bass Guitar!
It was as if I had been born with a
missing limb, and Doctor Bass was
the perfect prosthesis.
Bass is so versatile, with its boundless techniques and constantly evolving sound that it holds me tightly
in its grip.
I truly love my big bottomed mistress, Bass guitar!
Joe Smith : Nothing intricate about my answer. I love the power! Since I started playing bass (when I
was about 15) and got hooked, I've never once gotten bored with it – the musical possibilities of bass are
just endless. I've gone from rock to punk to metal, and every genre requires a different style of playing,
making the instrument so much fun and so interesting. I also like the fact that we are a very rare breed of
people, and therefore it seems quite original to be a bassist. But yeah, it's such a big part of my life now...
Gary Walker : I started playing guitar at age 14, and started my first band with some mates a few months
later. We had a drummer but no kit, and it must have frustrated the hell out of the guy, banging away on
assorted cardboard boxes and plastic buckets, because he quit soon after. Eventually, we clubbed together
and bought a kit and I took up the sticks for a while but then two important things happened to me. I
heard “Closer to Home” by Grand Funk Railroad, with Mel Schacher’s wonderfully fluid bass line, and I
fell in love – with a hybrid Fender Bass (basically a Precision body with a Jazz neck). It didn’t take me
long to convince the bass player to switch instruments – I think he was getting tired of blisters on his
fingers anyway – and I haven’t looked back since. There is just no substitute for having your bones rattled
by an open E!
Andréa (Fuzz) Reitz : My good friend Nathan Ro (Lonehill
estate) started his first rock band in high school and I thought it
was such a silly fantasy. I mean how cliché, everyone was
starting a band and I wanted nothing to do with it. Then one day
I visited him after school during one of his rehearsals. His bass
player didn't pitch up and he begged me to help him out, so he
gave me his beat up old ELK bass guitar and taught me how to
pluck away to the tune of the Zombie by the Cranberries. I have
never put the damn thing down since. I play bass because it is
such an expressive instrument, it can tell a story in a way that
no other instrument can. I have dabbled with other instruments
as my musical interest grew over the years but nothing makes
me feel more in control of the songs feel then when I get behind
my old 4 string. Suzi Quatro said it best "Guitar is for the head,
drums are for the chest, but bass gets you in the groin" Its the
glue of any good song and sadly most people wouldn't know
that until you pull the bass level down. I feel like I'm a ninja in
the musical empire, kicking ass in secret.
Johann Kruger (1) : It’s all in the groove, man, all in the groove……but seriously, isn’t the bass really
THE instrument that drives a song/band along? A good bass & drum combination can make virtually
ANYBODY sound good. There’s something physical and emotional in the groove when it happens. A
g****r player without bass is just fiddling around. A keyboard player without bass is just showing off. A
singer without bass is just floating by. A drum without bass is just noise. Bass brings it all together.
Johann Kruger (2) : Passion! I was a (not very
accomplished) guitar player for many, many years. Most
of the time, I played with my intellect and not my heart.
Then there came a time – the onset of which is rather
vague – that when I listened to music I heard the bass and
drum interaction, and not the guitars wailing in the
background. Then, to clinch matters, I developed a nerve
problem in my right hand which made it difficult to hold
the plectrum. Since my perception was that a bassist does
not do the intricate right-hand stuff that guitarists do, I
started switching to bass guitar. Man, was I ever
wrong……….
Then, as I grew into my bass playing, I discovered
something new: playing with a natural passion for the
music! Currently, I think I’ve developed a substance
dependency called drum-and-bass-synergy. With a good,
grooving drummer I can play for hours, I can even endure
so-so singers/guitarists/violinists/whatever. But the energy
that comes from the low frequencies locking with a kick
and a snare – that’s something rather special.
Hey, Mr Soundman, can I please have some more kick in my monitor…………
Igor Satsevich : At school, it was fashionable to create groups. Certainly, It was more prestigious to play
guitar and do the solos. I appear to have been more modest and the bass has got to me...
Chris S. Harris : Although I’d love to say that a watery damsel thrust a gilded bass at me from the
depths of a mighty lake, while the heavens opened and a choir of angels heralded the occasion, the real
reason is not quite so spectacular. At the age of
ten I was a contented guitarist with my own
band of similarly aged musicians. Unfortunately
my days as a guitar hero wannanbe were
numbered when an eleven year old guitarist
came on the scene and started jamming with us.
He had worked out Dire Strait’s “Sultans of
swing” note perfect. He was asked to join the
band and I was “demoted” to bass.
I accepted my fate and dutifully removed two of
the strings on my acoustic guitar. I thought then
that having only four strings on your axe made
you a bassist. After watching a lot of bands and
paying attention to what the bass player was
doing, the roll of the bassist became apparent to
me. Fortunately it wasn’t too long before I was
given my first electric bass.
We have the honour of linking the melodic with
the rhythmic elements of a band. I have never
looked back at that day of my demotion with
anything other than joy and pride. Great guitarists are pretty plentiful but a great bass player is a rare
beast indeed.
Happily I have returned to six strings but these strings are quite a bit thicker now and they’re attached to a
beautiful hand made bass.
Jaime David Vazquez : I play bass because I love the low frequencies in music. The bass is still a young
instrument with lots of possibilities that have not been explored enough. You can hear the bass in all
styles of music. Playing bass for me is a lifestyle, a religion, a passion, etc. The bass is a very versatile
instrument - as a soloist or accompanist. I love it!
Ed Friedland : My reason for playing bass has changed over the years. Originally, it was
because the strings were the same as the bottom 4 on a guitar, which I already knew how
to play. It was also because my mother, in her infinite wisdom decided she couldn't bear
to listen to me learning how to play violin.
At some point I played it because it was a source of income, and a way to define myself
in the world. Saying "I'm a bass player" gave me a sense of identity. Now, I play mostly
because it's fun. Playing the bass is the most fun you can have without smiling. There are
more profound reasons too, but describing them tends to take on a ponderous, selfindulgent tone, which I'd like to avoid.
Bob Moore : To me, structure is more important than cosmetics. The best bass players lay the
foundation. They provide the support that allows fellow musicians to build their finest work. I make
their work easier. When I lay it down, it's simple, it's solid and I try to make it speak. When I'm playing
with other musicians I want them to feel and know that they are able to depend on me 100%.
I feel that this style of playing allows everyone the endless freedom to be creative. This is true in all
genres of music.
Lex Futshane : Well, Bass was the only instrument I could lay
my hand oops! Sorry, fingers on without risking giving my
parents heart attacks by asking them to buy me a musical
instrument let alone disclosing to them that I wanted to be a
musician. I don't regret the encounter, as Bass is the pillar of all
music, whether it is there or not one cannot escape its ghostly
presence in the music. It’s like driving a car from the back seat.
It’s the easiest instrument to play "wrong" so every time I touch
it, the challenge is to play it "right".
Michelle Ohlhoff : Bass kinda found me - and I decided to keep it! Standing in front of the bass amp
makes me feel like I'm in the arms of something bigger. It's an exceptionally satisfying instrument to
play, because I'm really into harmony and by merely changing/sustaining the bass, the entire flavour of
the progression changes. It's a thinking instrument (although you can get away with not thinking).
There's always an opportunity to do something clever (fancy yet discreet)! There's also a mysterious
synergy between the drums and bass I love. But frankly? I enjoy the attention (and the opportunity to
surprise).
Marten Andersson : I switched from
guitar to bass when I saw Gene Simmons
in a kiss video as a kid, I had no idea
how to play the bass at that point but I
knew that was instrument for me. People
kept telling me how restricted I would be
but I saw Chris Glen (bass player from
MSG) do his bass solo in "Into the
Arena" and I went, "yeah that sounds so
cool". The weight and proportions on a
bass are so powerful, hell compare that
to some dinky guitar, its truly like you
run the show with those bass
frequencies, it's like you have the AK47 of musical instruments. Don't screw with me when I have my big
gun around my neck. It definitely takes a special personality to handle the bass; did you get the (bass)
clearance? No, I didn't think so..
Ernie Leblanc : At age 3, I listened to everything for hours. The sound I remember the most is the bass
(which could be increased with the turn of a knob), especially from the LP and title track 'A Taste of
Honey' by Herb Alpert. The wildness of the other instruments, and those hypnotic horns, really grabbed
this toddler's ears. But, I knew intuitively that the bass made it all work.
Eleven years later, I got my first bass. I actually wanted to play electric guitar, but my first band said,
"BASS!" Things got on and in a very
short time my reputation grew. Many
players to this day pay me
complements such as 'your the reason
I play bass.' I was never satisfied with
any of the bass books on the market all inadequate! I turned to trombone
music by chance and found that these
players spoke my language.
When I was seventeen, my jazz piano
teacher heard me play bass one night
and remarked, 'You remind me of
Jaco.' Jaco? What's that?, I asked.
After fourteen years of playing, I
quit. Fourteen years later, I missed
my bass. It's good to be back. These
days I've stayed with only two of the
instruments I taught myself to play. I
compose songs primarily on a sixstring acoustic guitar but keep the
compositions simple so that my bass
can have a big back yard to play in.
“Why Do I Play Bass?” Because it is
a “GREAT AND EXCITING QUEST OF EXPRESSING THROUGH MUSIC MY LOVE OF LIFE
AND PEOPLE!”
“Bass is the Voice of My Imagination Dancing on Strings!” But, as was the case many years ago, the
voice is restless with curiosity and amazed by the incidental occurrences that spring to life when I ponder
upon the “Bass-ics” with only the intention being to refresh my memory. The experiments I was creating
in secret back in 1978 (secret because if you didn’t groove, the money didn’t move) were abandoned
when I heard “Dance the Night Away” by Van Halen. He was playing his guitar the way I was
developing my bass playing - Go Figure! Well, who’s gonna believe me now? There goes developing a
first.
Imagination dreams, performance dances, but, individual “Feel” delivers the real deal by bridging and
bonding the abstract with the arpeggios regardless of how we chose to execute them. “Alright Now”
written by the great Paul Rogers and recorded by a band call “Free” back in 1970 is one of my favorite
songs both on my play list and on stage. The techniques are so basic but the results are brilliant! Lots of
space and a groove with nothing to lose derived from the pentatonic place with very little waste!
Many musicians have said, and subsequently asked, “I’ve never heard anyone play like that. How’d you
learn to play and sing like that?” My reply, “That’s God’s Love! I Exclaim! Which is usually followed by
my favorite prayer, "I Know You Love Me Lord, but Please Save Some for the Rest.” I Love Everything
About Bass: The Spirit, The Music, The Dancing, The Playing, "MAKING PEOPLE HAPPY!" with
Sounds and Other Unexplainable Sonic Mysteries and look forward to many more moments of
possibilities and beyond! But, the techniques, be they “Bass-ic” or “Dis·com·bass·u·la·ting!” feel
restricting to me if they interfere with my stage show. I don’t want to blaze the neck with tapping if it
takes away from my singing and change the feeling I get when I play a song my way with my friends for
my fans.
My greatest dislike is learning other people's songs: Very boring! Why copy what's already been done?
Challenge yourself and your infinite creativity to create something that's at least different, be it in the
context of orchestral music or solo-bass That and being compared to someone else when I've been playing
like me all my life causes me to ask, "Why should someone else take my bow and credit for my hard
work?" The less I study the works of others, the more I learn from the music itself and the more unique
my style remains. As for being accused of being a "solo-bassist" it reduces down to this: Think of your
favorite solo?...Now, think of your favorite song! The Song Remains in the Brain! The solo and the
soloist are soon forgotten.
And the band played on!
Lorenzo Feliciati : It's easy,: my brother was singing and playing guitar and a
friend of ours was playing some sort of drum kit that he crafted from some pieces
of wood (but for us, it was the best drum kit in the history of rock'n roll...) so all
we needed was some bass notes...but I think the reason is, I discovered that
playing the Bass means that you have to glue together the harmonic and rhythmic
elements in Music, a very big responsibility but also a very big chance to drive
the band. When I'm playing my music with my band, I can change the dynamics
of all the musicians very fast by just modifying my approach and my volume.... It
will be a Cmajor, only if I play a C and if I play an A, you will immediately hear
an A minor.... isn’t it great?
And of course, seeing Weather Report with Jaco when I was in my early years of
playing, changed my life....... forever.
Celéste Reyneke : During my high school years, a bunch of my
(girl) friends and I, decided to start an all-girl band, and because
none of us really played music, we just assigned ourselves to
instruments. I got bass and it stuck.(Side note: I always liked
bassy sounds, but back then I didn't even know the difference
between a guitar and a bass guitar, let alone what a bass player is
supposed to do).
I must say I love it as an instrument - it adds so much soul to
music and…. well, a girl with a bass guitar just works! Yet, the
one thing I've learned (in the words of a wise friend), bass might be the easiest instrument to initially pick
up, but it’s the most difficult to master!
Todd Johnson : I've always been attracted to the "bottom" of the chord for
some reason. I also remember my mom calling me into the house because
Ray Brown was going to do a solo piece on "The Merv Griffin Show". I
don't remember exactly what piece he played, but I do remember that it was
the coolest thing I'd ever heard up to that point. It had a profound effect on
me. After that, it was all over.........except for all the practicing!
Emil Nysschens : Basses were on sale, the day I went to the music store.
Alex Davison : I always wanted to play something, so I started
off on guitar, then trumpet, then bagpipes. But I found that
whenever I thought about a song, I thought about the bass-line.
So I got a bass and became a bass player. I suppose I could
philosophise about how a bass player’s perspective is more
holistic, or how bass is the thing that makes music groove, or
any one of a number of bird’s-eye-view reasons for being
attracted to bass, but I’d be misleading you. I’m really a bass
player because it’s more fun than any other instrument I’ve
tried.
David Neubert : When I was 10 years old, my best friend played the cello, so naturally I had to play one
too. Our clever public school music teacher told me she had checked out all the cellos but there was a
nice, large bass gathering dust that was ready to go if I wanted to play in the orchestra. So here I am, 42
years later still playing and teaching the bass – what a ride. It was playing a low Bb with the bow that
hooked me; just feeling those low notes resonate. Seeing Gary Karr when he first began his solo career
play at our local junior high in 1965 sealed my fate. Now I get the same rush watching François Rabbath,
Edgar Meyer, Rufus Reid, Brian Bromberg and the list goes on.
Theo Klassen : I know it’s been said before, but the bass really chose
me. I always loved music and I knew that one day I will be a muso.
So, at the age of 12, I started playing the guitar and at age 16, I had to
stand in for the bassist one night and never looked back since. It has
been an amazing 23 years. There is an indescribable feeling I get
when I touch the bass, listen to it and when someone else plays it
really well.
Kerry Lathon (Lathon Bass Wear) : I started playing Bass at the age of 15 after my Cousin told me that
I look like a Bass Player. He’s a Sax Player and after going with him to his Top 40 Band rehearsals I got
interested in maybe wanting to play but after not being able to get a Sax he uttered that famous line!. I
first started to listen to Bassist like Stanley Clarke, Bootsy, Larry Graham, and then Marcus Miller, Brian
Bromberg and Victor Wooten. I had the pleasure of playing in the same Band with my Cousin after their
Bassist left the group and they had a gig to do. So I would go to School during the day and the Club at
night. It was GREAT! I also had the pleasure of playing in Japan. I now own and run Lathon Bass Wear a clothing line for Bass Players and for those who just Loves the Bass.
www.myspace.com/lathonbasswear
Mo’ Bass Makes It Mo’ Betta
Nicola Lori : I started playing with my brother Elio, at a classic guitar studio but
found my real passion was for the bass. I found that I could form an entity with the
drums of Daniele Lacono, Angelo Strizzi and Gavin Harrison.
Playing bass, I have a more rhythmic vision than when I play acoustic or electric
guitar, thanks to having the freedom of expression of having the use of a fretless
instrument.
Cladio Juliano : Music in general is something that I always loved and listened to growing up. When I
first heard this instrument by its self, I was 14 and I didn't hear it in its traditional form I heard it being
played with the slap style and I could not believe what I was hearing. I've never heard anything like this
before. Guitar licks always caught my ear but it was nothing like this. From that point on I knew this was
the instrument I was searching for. I grew up around many musical players and without them I would
have never been blessed on hearing the capabilities of this instrument. From the 4th grade to 9th I played
the alto sax. In a way it felt forced it just didn’t seem to have the passion that I have when playing the
bass. For me, music is the ultimate form of self-expression and the bass is my way of showing it. It's a
musical instrument that anyone can be drawn to and it's gotten me where only in dreams I thought I
would be. This is my 6th year of playing and I've been featured in the 2005 Hartke catalogue and it blows
my mind to know that my love of bass has already gotten me this far. Playing in a band and solo has
given me so many ideas for music and has showed me the greatest musical power, which I think, is an
open mind and I think that's something all bass players can relate to.. Haha and it's gotten my rhythm so
good I can almost dance now. The instrument is still young and so am I and together we have a great
quest to accomplish.
Pierre Schnehage : I play bass because it expresses a part of me that can’t be expressed in words.
I play guitar for the same reason.
I suppose it all started with the need to be recognised and accepted. It developed into much more than
that. I describe bass as my soul
instrument and guitar as my heart. I
cry, shout and laugh with guitar. I
sing, meditate and fly with the
bass.
Music is a language of that which
is unutterable. Without it I would
be a cripple.
I also know that humans function
metaphysically as their bodies are
constructed. Together, in healthy
group energy, creativity always
allows a result that is joyful and
unexpected. If we, as humans and
part of one universal body, could
emulate the way music happens, I
believe the human race could heal.
At the moment all the notes are sounding at once. Harmony is a mystery.
Martin Engelien : Why do I play Bass? Is there another reason to live?
Colin Moorkey : I play Bass because it plays such an important role in any music. I always say that,
taking bass out of music is the same as Taking Christ out of Christianity. Even business people
understand the BOTTOM LINE.
Gareth Sherwood : The reason I started on bass was a simple supply & demand,
as a guitarist in the UK I needed work and bassists are rarer than guitarists.
The reason it's my main instrument of choice is:
We get along well, nobody really bothers me unless they've really thought about
the bass line, this gives both me and the song a LOT of freedom, mostly "below"
the radar where it's most effective :)
It leads me to listen to the other instruments in order to hear what's missing.
Lastly it's just that rhythm groove thang, when it's right you know it, and it's
better than any kinda drugs.
Michael Brown : I have not been playing bass for long and cannot really say that I am much more than a
serial one-note bassist looking for a good mentor. It has however taught me a lot about the structure and
rhythm of music and to feel the groove rather than anticipate it (which never works). Every time I have to
play bass at church (which is not that often - I usually play rhythm guitar and mandolin) I have a slight
dread beforehand (of my own incompetence) and by the end of the set I don't want to put it down - It is so
cool because it immerses you in the music rather than just adding to it (a bit like swimming in a beautiful
place versus standing on the edge of a dam and throwing some crumbs in to the ducks). I also like the
bass because the people I have met that play bass are so nice! I have had the privilege of meeting and
being "allowed" to talk to (so many other musos are too aloof or too intimidating) some great bassists in
the last few months and have been struck by their general lack of ego. They are good, solid people content
to work in the background and move the universe (musically) whilst everyone else wonders what
happened and who did it! My type of people...
Nikolai Neronski : I was introduced to music at the
age of 16. I learned three chords on a guitar, and a year
later began a professional career, playing bass because
the band needed a bassist.
I had been switching from bass to guitar for the next 15
years, until I finally decided that playing bass is my
life. Four years ago I took up bass in earnest, got into a
jazz band and that changed me completely.
I had been playing funk before that and knew little
about jazz. In Belarus it is hard for a musician to
express himself, there are no specialized colleges or
knowledgeable instructors. I had to discover everything
myself. Fused in me now, are jazz, funk and soul, and
my technique has largely been affected by my guitar playing.
I am happy to have chosen bass as I consider it to be a most important instrument in music. It is the basis
for all other parts. And the drums, of course, if the drums and the bass play it right, success is 80%
guaranteed. Every arrangement I make, I begin with the drum part.
I now have enough power under my belt to play with the world's best musicians. I don't know how to do
this but I feel God will assist me somehow.
Greg Cavanaugh : What a great question! I started my life as a guitar player. Oddly enough I should
have known better! I grew up listening to the music of my fathers Big Band. I was always mesmerized
as a child by how he played the bass with his
feet…(he was not a circus act, but a organ player). I
actually started life as a drummer and quickly decided
that was not for me. I then played guitar for 8 years, it
wasn’t until college when I realized everyone was a
guitar player!! I always found myself listening to bass
lines anyways, so I went out and bought a bass. I am
still playing that bass today, although I have pretty
much outgrown it. I became really inspired when I
first saw Victor Wooten in concert, he blew me away
and I knew I had made the right choice. My favorite
part about playing bass is the way the bass drives and
shapes music. If I want to turn a blues tune into
country, all I have to do is change the bassline!
Besides the drums I don’t think any other instrument
has that power. I also love the tone down low and the
power that it has. What a marvelous instrument, it can
go from the very bottom of the frequency range and way up too. The sounds from this instrument are
tremendous, from fingerstyle to slap, to tapping, fretless…it just keeps going!
A.L. "Artie" Terry : I play the bass mainly for two reasons: 1. It's a big contribution
to my church and 2. I LOVE sittin' in the pocket and holdin' down the groove, Baby!
THAT'S what I'm talkin' about! After having given up music entirely for over 20
years its so refreshing to discover this instrument. No matter what kind of music you
play, there's always another level to explore on the low end! It's an instrument of
much more possibility than people realize. I can't tell you how much I love to play
and the feeling I get when I do!
Peter Tambroni : Because my students make me! Just
kidding. I began playing the double bass at the age of 16
(after playing the clarinet since elementary school) when the
director of my high school jazz ensemble asked if anyone
would be interested in playing bass. After playing electric
bass it was suggested that I learn the string bass. When my
teacher introduced the bow to me, I completely fell in love
with the bass and have been spreading my bass addiction
ever since! These are some of the comments from my
students.
Henry (13) : For the fun of it! I like jazz and classical and I
like listening to different kinds of music.
David (13) : My dad plays the bass (and owns a Pollmann!!).
It's a beautiful instrument.
Wesley (13) : (David's twin): Because it's cool.
Alex (11) : I love the notes and how the strings sound.
Ray (13) : Because it's original and not many other students play it. I like listening to jazz.
Eric (9) : Because it's big and fun to play.
Joey (12) : It teaches great discipline and I like being yelled at.
Todd (12) : I don't know. I like getting yelled at to curve my fingers. It's big and fun. It can play high
notes even though it's a low instrument.
Mattheus (10) : It's big and low.
Grace (8) : I like to play the bass because I don't have to carry it around.
Mitch (11) : I like the low sounds.
Valery Bashkov : Why I play bass? I started, as a
guitarist. In 1983, I heard fusion for the first time - Brand
X "Product". Magnificent, fantastic music. Beautiful,
original bass lines and a sound I fell in love with. I’ve
now fallen in love with this instrument. A low sound, so
powerful! On this instrument it’s possible to play silently
and loudly. It’s possible to play with your fingers or with
a plectrum. It’s possible to play slap, tapping, mute and
fretless bass! This sound bewitches. I don’t go anywhere
without a bass guitar.
Oliver K Mataka : The instrument is exciting. It simply brings a whole new feeling to music. The bass is
not my main instrument but I know its wonders. I started on acoustic guitars then went electric. I play
Piano and keyboards too in church. I have ventured into playing all the basic band instruments and of
course my experiences with the bass have been splendid. Instruments in Zambia are hard and very
expensive to get and this has forced musicians like me, to try to know how to play many instruments
when we get the chance because not many people get that chance. There is, therefore, not so much
specialization in our Country.
The sound of the bass is not the only deep, sweet and amazing thing about the bass. The shape is just
beautiful. I have just been admiring a picture of the Ibanez EDA series. My friend actually says, “she is
beautiful”
Reggie Worthy : Bass is one of the most natural and easiest of the string instruments to play as a
beginner because it has only 4 strings and has got mainly a
single note, often-repetitive melodic approach. That’s what
many of us and I, thought when we first started playing and
in many ways it’s true. But that also brings us to the
challenge. Somewhere down the road it got boring for the
bassman to have to play the root and the fifth. And in his
search to fulfill his creative musical desires, totally
transformed the instrument.
Today, the sky is the limit for what you can do with the
bass. I mean, melodically, we can play the same stuff that
Coltrane and Bird played on the saxophone, thanks to
Stanley and Jaco for leading the way. Rhythmically, we
can beat the bass like a drum, thanks to Larry Graham for
that awakening. And with chords, harmonics, tapping, and
5 string, 6 string, 7 string, 8 string, 12 string basses, and all
the effects and pedals, there’s just so much one can do.
That’s the dual nature of the bass, it’s the easy way and at
the same time it’s an amazing creative challenge. That’s
why I love it.
Wilbert van Niekerk : It's amazing to see how many people there are that share the same passion for
bass!
I started playing bass in 1996 when my friends made me play in a garage band! It was awesome and still
is! Just the pure power of the instrument is insane! When you want to say something, I can't think of a
better way than to describe it with the bass, the change of one note can change the atmosphere. Pure,
heartfelt, raw emotion.
Bruce Gertz : I play bass because it is a fun way to experience
spiritual growth. For me it is always a work in progress, evolving.
Each day is a chance to learn and enjoy new grooves and melodies
on a beautiful sounding instrument. What a gift! I also love the
bass community and teaching.
What drew me to the bass at age 14 was the feeling of vibration in
my gut when I heard a good bass groove. That can set your whole
being in motion.
Anton Marshall : I guess the bass as a part, a role or an instrument has come the closest to connecting
with my "intuitive" nature. I actually started learning the bass and its mechanics on a double bass, and
picked up the techniques of country and rockabilly first. Soon thereafter, I bought my first electric bass
and hooked up with a progressive metal/rock outfit. Huge learning curve! But useful to push yourself,
playing somewhat advanced runs and progressions with musos who were far more proficient at their
instruments than you were at yours. Anyway, the rockabilly and country roots didn't rot, and soon I was
back into that with minor excursions into improvisational and freestyle.
At present the music my band produces allows me to dabble in country, rockabilly and blues variations,
which all suit my preferred style well.
Mark Neuenschwander : I took music store guitar lessons until I was told I couldn't learn anymore
unless I bought an electric guitar & amp. A couple of years later my 6th grade music aptitude test
pronounced me a clarinet (rather than trumpet)
player. The next fall I was told to go to the music
store and rent a clarinet. Reluctant to deal with a
music store again, I asked what the school would
provide (oboe, bassoon, french horn, tuba.) Thus
began a very serious French horn career, which I
pursued into college.
My band director was a very hip jazz trombonist,
who did many studio dates in Memphis with Isaac
Hayes, Booker T et al., and started a school jazz
band. I was immediately looking for a way to
participate in the jazz band (did I mention how
much I despised marching band?), beyond the
couple of Kenton charts with French horn parts.
The tuba player playing bass in the jazz band graduated and there was no replacement. I immediately
began to teach myself to play the school upright and soon purchased a Hagstrom electric for the
obligatory garage bands.
Luckily, one of my clueless (I liked those fancy CTI covers) early jazz record purchases was Freddie
Hubbard's "Red Clay." When I heard Ron Carter's opening bass line on 'Intrepid Fox' the die was cast.....
I was a double bass player......and I now know why my band director said "if you want to be a bass player,
learn every tune ever written!! "
Vuyani Wakaba : All my life I have
been drawn to songs by their bass lines.
Even as a non-bassist, the bass line was
the sweetest part of the song, even
though I couldn't define it. Once I
discovered the bass, I felt like I had
finally found my voice and I could
finally speak after years of silence. The
next epiphany was in discovering the
power of the bass, as part of a rhythm
section, and how it can move people.
This discovery deepened my respect for
the instrument and I learned the high
responsibility that comes with playing it.
Although I've been fortunate enough to
make money as a bassist over the years,
my playing the bass never was, never is, and it never will be about money. It is just about the love and I
feel blessed enough to have been directed to the instrument.
Wes Watson : I started out playing the flute as my main instrument – and as the only guy flute player I
was mocked incessantly. I suppose I took up the absolute other end of the musical spectrum in response!
I continued with bass when I started listening, really listening to music. Bass drives rock. I’m not sure
who said it first – but folks may sing with the singer, may watch the guitar player, may dance to the beat
of the drummer – but they shake their behind to the bass player! I love being able to provide that – within
the context of melody and harmony – to be the engine room of the song.
I absolutely love the sounds I can create with bass. And listening to other artists – those who play solo
bass – just blows me away. I’m proud and honored to play the same instrument as they do.
We’re also different – those of us that play bass. We understand each other – we have a camaraderie that
other instrument players don’t. We connect on a deeper level.
And we can shake the walls with just . . . one . . . note.
Justin Maree : I think let’s start with the main reason. I love it and of course,
bass keeps us alive or loved (you know what I mean). When you’re down and out,
bass is all you need! Secondly, I found that I could make an acceptable living out
of it. Thirdly, I think you just get to meet some of the greatest people on planet
Earth. There’s a whole lot more but I’m supposed to fit all this into only 100
words. Lastly I can say that I’ve dedicated my whole life to music so I don’t know
what it’s like doing anything else really. I’m not very good at being a
housewife………
Roy Melville : Because I love it.
Dave Jenkins : Learning the bass in the context of a church worship group- I play the guitar but there are
too many guitar players around!
I really enjoy the instrument – the ability to be part of the rhythm section and to “fill in bits” really
inspires me!
The bass truly enhances the music and I enjoy the sound
Al Garcia : My first instrument was the flute, but that didn't last very long. Shortly after, a friend of mine
got the bright idea to put a band together. Since he
had already started to learn guitar, I became the bass
player by default, a fate familiar to many bassists, I
suppose. My very first 'bass' was a plastic toy guitar.
I removed the high E and B strings to simulate the
feel of a real bass. That and a Mel Bay method book
got me started. I developed an unusually strong
melodic sensibility for a bass player right from the
start, which is why I developed an interest in the
guitar. I dabbled but didn't take it seriously until
years later when I saw Allan Holdsworth play with
I.O.U. I was so blown away by his guitar playing
that I couldn't sleep that night. I kept thinking, "It's
impossible, it's impossible..." I believe that my bass
playing informs my guitar playing and vice versa.
Being a bass player makes me more aware of rhythm
and feel when I play guitar. Being a guitar player makes me more aware of melody, harmony, and the
importance of using a wide range of techniques when I play bass. Each instrument allows me to express
myself in different, yet complementary ways.
Matthew Stolk : Firstly, bass is such a more manly instrument that those short-necked guitars; it's big
and heavy and long. Secondly, after watching Andre Liebenburg of Sacrifist play at Roxy's a few years
ago I just knew that bass was for me. You can do so many things with a bass and get so many different
sounds out of it it's an amazing instrument. I just wish I could play it properly.
Dave Angelotti : Why do I play bass? Well, it wasn't my first choice. I started on trumpet, but due to
some childhood asthma problems, it became obvious that my inability to breathe probably made the
trumpet a poor choice. So, like all good moms, my mother "chose" the bass for me. At first I hated it. It
was big, it had strings, and I had to listen real close for intonation problems - but I soon realized that it
was the right instrument for me. The fact that I could play so many different styles of music has always
been a plus. I started 30 years ago this month and I wouldn't trade it for anything. I'm not merely a
musician - I'm a bass player!!
Herbert Smith : My mom, a singer from Bermuda, bought me a guitar for my 10th birthday. As I listened
to the radio, in Chicago, Illinois, to the music of
the day, Temptations, James Brown, Beatles,
Miracles, Brenton Wood, Archie Bell and the
Drells, the bass lines instead of guitar riffs
reached out and grabbed my ear. My brother,
Darrell, went to the local pawnshop and for
$39.00, bought a huge Kingston Bass. The
instrument had terrible action but it was my first.
By the way, my friend from the next block,
Steven Palmore and I, traded instruments. Steve is
now a bassist living in New York and an alumnus
of the Ellington Orchestra. I didn’t develop a
love for the acoustic bass until high school, when
I saw the bass in the band room.
As I look Back, the bass and its traditional role in
a band fit my personality perfect. Not necessarily
the one out front, but a strong ingredient w/ good
people skills. Rufus Reid, Steve Rodby, Reggie
Willis and Bob Stoltenberg all gave me
encouragement and guidance. This comradery
was also very special to me. It’s too bad I had to
wait till I got to California, to study privately with
Carol Kaye on electric bass and Fred Tinsley on
acoustic bass. With Carol, I got to hear how bass
lines worked with chord changes, as she teaches
with the guitar as well as the bass. She rescued me from being a scale player. I’m forever grateful. Fred
took me through the tradition classically trained bass repertoire. He taught me to not fear the instrument.
Take it slow and repetiously you will get through the difficult passages. I’m also forever grateful.
In my current band, Rumba Menco, the role of the bass is different from its role in traditional music.
There I mark the route of the chords and its changes. I’m not a time keeper. The guitars create the tempo.
It’s a very special sound. We have five Nationalities in our band: Iraq, Iran, Mexico, Puerto Rico and
United States. I play acoustic, upright electric, Fender Precision and Jazz bass with the band. It’s great!!!!
Brian Lawrence : The power
is in the low end!!! I see the
bass as the leading instrument
in a band, bringing rhythm and
harmony together, even though
the conventional bassist is
never on the foreground. One
phrase to describe a good
bassist is: “Follow me, I’m
right behind you!!!” I also
don’t like to be the centre of
attraction, so playing bass
really fits my personality. The
fact that you can let your
creativity rip, without the
normal listener even noticing
what you did is also kinda
cool. I have tried a couple of other instruments but none can compare with the feeling of playing bass. It’s
like coming home!!!
Nico Kruger : I truly get a kick out of it. I have been playing since I was thirteen years old. (I am 42
now). I just love being at the "bottom" end of the orchestra. I also love the instruments. I can sit and stare
at a beautiful double bass. Bass players also stick together.
My very favourite thing is to play a Brahms symphony in the orchestra.
Al Caldwell : I play the bass because it brings me joy. I’ve
always loved the power that’s associated with the bottom.
Barry White’s voice thrills most women. The God like tone
of a bass is commanding. I love playing my 11-string
Benavente/Caldwell bass model. It allows me to play lower
and higher than I ever thought possible. In a musical
conversation, I’m allowed many voices with this midi
instrument. I’m on a quest to find my voice. I have the right
tool, but the content of your conversation is what you are
judged by. The Bass teaches me about Life! The
Foundation of everything starts with the root.
Danie Burger (aka Unholy Terror) : “Why I play bass” has never had an easy answer for me. Is it the
power, the groove, the growl deep down below, or the steam-train thump? Was it the godly Geezer
Butler, the brilliant Steve Harris, or the sleazy Nikki Sixx? Is the answer clichéd, like “its an extension of
me”? Or is it merely that any other instrument just does not feel right?
I have not played ‘actively’ for some time, especially since assuming the role of front man over a year
ago. But it never takes much to remember why I strapped on my bass the first time. So, then, why do I
play bass? Simple: because I am a bass guitarist.
Kerry Blewett : I changed from playing guitar to playing bass
a an early stage of my playing career. I think my natural feel
for rhythm and a good sense of timing led me in this direction.
Over the years I’ve become excited by the dynamic interaction
between bass and the other instruments in a (mainly) rock band.
I thrive on being able to drive the band and set the mood of the
music provided of course that the other musos are good at
listening to what’s happening around them. I relate especially
well to drummers and I believe that I feel the music from a
drummer’s point of view, which can make for some tight
rhythm section playing. In short I find the sound of the bass,
especially electric bass, incredibly exciting.
Sander Huiberts : I played the piano at first. When you walk away from a double bass, it falls down and
breaks. The piano just stands there. The feeling that the bass needs me to hold it combined with the low
vibrations appeal to me so much that I take the heavy instrument and amplifier into the bargain...
Daniel van Niekerk : Well, replacing the top E A & D’strings on my 1st ever Ibanez Blazer Electric
guitar became a bit expensive! Yep, started playing “down-tuned” on a vintage electric through our
Yamaha Electone B-805 organ! Yeeehaaa! Well as you all know, there is simply no other instrument like
it…many other instrument players don’t realise it, (they’re totally oblivious to the fact actually)…it’s
something only a real knight of the 4+ string axe knows deep inside. I mean, throughout the general
music spectrum…try and take subs/woofers out of cars, taxis, pimp mobiles, or your ride (if you have
subs)…imagine a world without bass?!! If you could edit any track…ie take the guitar out…. you’ll hear
more?? BASS! Take the drums out…. still there’s the?? BASS!! …. Take ALL instrumentation besides
the bass out…you’re left with?? BASS !! Take out the bass?? C’mon…are you nuts !!!?? Then there’s
nothing left !! Who designed graphic eq’s? Probably a bass player who couldn’t get enough BASS out of
his music system!! Hahahaa. Why I play it?? Well I don’t just play it…. I live it!
Albey Balgochian : Bass is the voice of the Great Mystery. It is the rhythm that
connects the heartbeat of the drums to the song being sung on top. I've always
loved every aspect of the bass, the way they look...cool, warm, sexy; the
sound...so organic; the feel...and what that feel can do to the psyche. There is no
greater feeling than coming to a musical environment fully prepared so that the
spirits may flow through you...out your bass...and into the hearts of your listeners.
Peace
Tom Trancez : Is that a serious question? Haha. I like it because it’s low and groovy. What makes your
booty move? Bass groove! It’s a way to express my feelings. Come on all of you, play by feeling, play by
heart. Don’t let tunings or scales hold you down. Explore, bend, Ebow, slap, whatever. Freedom is what
you get in return for respect for your instrument, if you are willing to see it. Greetz.
Brogan Thompson : Why I play bass, the question should
be why not! Because bass is such a versatile instrument
every genre uses bass and that is just such an appealing
point, the minute I layed my finger on a “PHAT” e-string I
was in love.. it’s just so low and has the balls that a guitar
will never have! As a bassist I have opened my doors to all
genres of music, I could be a jazz bassist a metal bassist a
punk bassist a double bassist, that is why I play bass,
because I want to play every genre on one guitar.. The Bass
guitar!
Alliston Europa : What's a band without a bass? If there's no groove there's no soul. What a GREAT
feeling to know that you’re the most important person in the band. It's a kinda cool feeling to know that
everybody is following you while the band is playing. Imagine a band without the LOW FREQUENCY
hey? Bass helped me develop a strong sense for harmony and rhythm.... Bass brings it all together so
ya...Keep Groovin...
Frederick Charlton : When in able hands, the double bass is the most beautiful, sonorous sounding of all
the bowed string instruments. However,
that is not the reason that I finally
decided to choose the (possibly) most
difficult instrument in an orchestra.
By the time I was in the sixth grade, I
had already been playing the piano for
many years. I had had a six-month stint
with the violin in the third grade (why
anyone would want to put such a high
pitched, shrill instrument that close to
one’s ear is beyond me). But finally at
the age of twelve, I found myself tall
enough to play my Father’s double bass.
One day after I’d only been playing a
few months, I was carrying the bass from
the orchestra room to the auditorium
when a very cute girl saw me. She stopped right in her tracks and said, “Wow! That’s a really big
instrument you got there!
”Well…that did it for me. I knew from that moment on that the double bass was my destiny.
And by the way, all these years later I still enjoy impressing the girls.
John Flitcraft : I started playing bass because I loved the power of the low end (and I still do). As I
progressed, it was the attraction of playing grooves for other people to solo over. Then I got into soloing
myself. Now I love it because of the interaction with other players, creating grooves, improvising and just
having fun.
Roy C. Vogt : Like a lot of bassists, I
started when I was 14 years old. I was
too shy and a terrible dancer, but I
thought that if I could be in a band with
my friend who played guitar both
problems would be solved. Ironically,
we didn't ever play together except for a
few "one off" gigs in high school. I
started with a mother-of-particle-board
Kalamazoo EBO copy (I worked on the
loading dock of my father's plumbing
supply to get that bass) and wanted to
be Jack Bruce and Harvey Brooks on
the Super Session record. From there it
was lessons, gigs, better basses, Chris
Squire, Greg Lake, Stanley Clarke,
Jaco, Jeff Berlin and the long slow
descent into music school and a career in the Biz.
Duncan Bell (LIBIDO) : I started my musical journey at the age of 5 on piano, but got bored pretty
quickly, through all the instruments I have tried, bass just seemed to grab my by the bollocks and held on
like a pit bull!! Being responsible for the bottom end of a hard rock band has enabled me to take my
playing to a new level and the bass just seems to look at me and say… “So where to next?”…
Pat Cullen : Because man…when it comes down to it, bass is the
essence of Funk. And all music comes back to funk it’s the groove. For
example, is there anything better than playing slap bass…seriously?
Okay I can think of one thing BUT THAT DOESN’T COUNT! Bass is
all about funkability how u can get into a groove the way no guitarist or
drummer can, that’s why I play bass. And besides all that…. it’s really
cool!
Moses Andrew ‘Rixi’ Roman : If you listen to two people, one with a deep voice and the other just
normal, usually the deeper voice just commands you to listen to it. Well the bass has got four strings only,
but what you can achieve with it both rhythmically and Harmonically is just so amazing. I suppose that is
the most appealing thing to me about the bass...Take the least and make the most from it.
Today I feel blessed to make a living doing what I love. A bad day of playing music is still better than a
good day of doing any other job some 35 years later!
Stefan Held : I started on piano when I was 5.It still is a great foundation to me so I’m glad it happened,.
but piano never felt quite right to me. When I was 13, I started to play drums. I liked it a lot and it still
helps me to this day, but it also didn't feel a 100% right. When I finally picked up a bass 20 years ago, it
immediately felt perfect (even though it was a ‘piece of @%$&’ bass). I guess it really is the
glue/connection of the melodic/harmonic side of things (piano) and rhythmic aspect (drums) that makes
this instrument so special to me.
Adrian Maruszczyk : It seems to me, that the idea of becoming a musician caught me, when our local
band was looking for a bassplayer. It was a huge challenge for me, because as a 15 year old guy, I had
become completely independent and responsible for the work I had to do. For the first time in my life, I
had experienced this magic thrill and the joy of making yourself better, working on your own weaknesses.
For about 30 Years now, it still hasn’t changed. I feel the same thrill everyday.
Arlyn Culwick : I play bass because it’s the instrument
that most naturally lends itself to the expression of what
I consider the ideal of music, where every part in a
piece has been brought to its fullest, illimitable identity,
complete in itself, not inhibiting any other part, and yet
deeply dependent on every other part for its meaning.
Bass exists at a unique confluence of rhythm, melody,
and harmony; it is neither saddled with the burden of
‘leading’ a song (as a vocal part would), nor does it
subordinate other parts for the sake of its agenda. The
converse is also important: bass is never its true self as
mere ‘backing’, and whenever music contains a
prescriptive part that requires all other parts to follow it,
then the music cripples itself by its own internal
dynamic. Bass, better than any other instrument,
facilitates the pursuit of such a full interdependent
selfhood. Lead instruments, in contrast, do not have to
pay such close attention to the rest of the music, but are
free to break off and depart (or just widdle away
inanely). Rhythm guitar is too often a brute imperialist
that eliminates space and freedom for expression, and
must be followed at all costs. Drums embody rhythm
too singly, at the neglect of other elements of music.
Keyboards have great potential, but in their massive versatility there is not the scarcity necessary to
push one to distil a single unique part; they are too easily watered down. Bass, on the other hand, holds
the potential to revolutionise musical consciousness, to raise awareness of the possibility that music can
embody such deep freedom and such deep interrelation (without conflict), and to suggest the daring
possibility of cultural forms that emulate such a structure, freed of the oppression and rigidity of life as
we know it.
Brenda Morales Álvarez : I play bass because it’s the most amazing instrument. I like the sound of the
strings, it’s deep, it gives “sabor” to the music. I can’t describe the emotion I feel when I play a song. I’m
glad bass is in my life.
Norm Stockton : My older brother (a guitar player) used to tell me that good
guitarists are dime-a-dozen, while good bassists will always have work. Years
later, I had become an absolute Beatles nut, and wanted to get deeper into their
music. At least from the tunes I was listening to at the time, Paul McCartney’s
lines seemed sing-able and fairly simple. With my brother’s words still
echoing in my head, I promptly removed a few strings from an old classical
guitar, and learned the bass lines to “I Should Have Known Better” and “Can’t
Buy Me Love” within the first few days. I was hooked from that point on. I
still absolutely love it, although my motivation for playing has completely
changed since those early days. I’ve come to believe that music is an
enormous gift, and I play today to simply offer everything that I am (musical
and otherwise) back to God with my gratitude.
Anthea Buys : Why do I play bass? Hmm… this is one of those questions to which one is certain one
knows the answer until, a nicely articulated answer is actually required. I have only been playing bass for
about two (and-a-little-bit) years, and prior to that I had played guitar for about eight years out of my
fledgling, twenty-something year life. I became intrigued by the somewhat exclusively bassist notion of
“groove” while going through a huge Sting phase in 2002. I later heard Gito Baloi play, realised I was at
the tip of a very large ice-burg, hijacked an ex-boyfriend’s bass, and I have not been much of a guitarist
since. What I love most about the bass is its ability to define a piece of music harmonically, rhythmically
and atmospherically and yet remain discreet (some people don’t notice what you’re playing until you
botch it up horribly). I feel it is a powerful instrument to play because it is the musical intersection of pure
rhythm and pure melody. I am now a firm believer that once the groove finds its way into your hands and
head, there is no turning back!
Craig Bissell : To be totally totally honest, I grew up always wanting to be a guitarist. Yes, I loved the
powering guitar riffs, the gut
wrenching solos, the amazing array of
sounds and the way you could
manipulate them on the Electric
guitar. Jimi Hendrix, Slash and Billy
Corgan’s guitaring immortality are
probably the main reasons why music
is the main influence of my life.
But before every single bassist here
snaps my vertebrae in 187 pieces, I
have to say, this obsession was
immediately displaced after I picked
up a Bass Guitar and started grooving
out a few Bob Marley tunes. DOES–
IT-GET-ANY-BETTER-THANTHIS-HUH??? No is still the
answer… Bass is melody, groove, lust
and feel; it’s the hip in hip-hop. It’s that one instrument that hasn’t quiet reached its full potential and is
probably the reason I‘m so in love with its sound and power…. Oh, and chicks dig it…
Donovan Tose : I started playing drums at the age of thirteen. For high school, I went to a boarding
school and this made it impossible to continue drumming. Due to my love for percussion and rhythm I
picked up an old Ibanez bass with a bent neck for R850.00 at a second hand store. I used a capo to bring
the strings closer to the neck and well.. I've loved the instrument ever since and have advanced to a five
string and own a number of basses and amps now. Still enjoying the groove..
Johann Eicher : I started playing guitar when I was about 11 and couldn't seem to make it work for me.
My hands just would NOT obey! Only after
picking up a bass guitar at the age of 14, music
started making sense to me. I appreciate all
instruments but bass seems to have a richness, a
smoothness that no other instrument can capture.
A single bass note can sometimes exude so much
more than a guitar. Bass for me is all about
versatility and dynamic: the versatility to write
songs including sounds with the instrument that
it wasn't actually designed for and the dynamic
of being able to play the same song 10 different
ways and thus create 10 different fundamental
moods. But besides all of that, I guess the most
important reasons are still simply that I can play
bass (and enjoy it) and of course all the
wonderful people I get to jam with.
Eric Owens : I have a simple approach to playing the bass that has worked for me and has allowed me to
grow in my playing and in my life. Have fun with it. Move things around change styles absorb all the
knowledge you can from every source possible. I approach the bass like a child approaches life.
Constantly absorbing information from everything around them. Ask questions, experiment and let your
imagination and creativity be you guide. In every language on earth, there are slang words that have
different interpretations. That is a great example of having fun with music. Remember to listen, learn and
most importantly, groove.
Jess Handley : Bass…..hmm…we live in a society of rules and regulations (without them it would
fall apart) But bass gives you the freedom to just live! There are no limits. That’s what makes it so
appealing. But just the deep sound that makes it so mysterious and dark… other instruments can be
figured out easily, bass is a complex instrument with many levels…
Robbie Sanna : I play bass because I was forced into switching from lead guitar to bass by a strange
situation - 4 of my friends and I decided to start a band
in 1982 but 2 of them didn't get on with the other 2, so
we decide to make 2 bands, however we only had 1
drummer, so he had to play drums for both bands.
Because the rest of us were all guitarists, 2 of us had to
switch to bass for the respective bands. So the one band
featured Jimmy Gomez on lead, Mike (I can't
remember the surname) on bass and Wayne Edgerton
on drums, the other band (EXP) featured Tony O Dwire
on lead, myself on bass and Wayne on drums. Needless
to say, the schedule got too heavy for Wayne so he had
to drop out of Jimmy's band and concentrate on EXP.
We played our final gig at Plum Crazy about 2 years
later and smashed up a 63 Strat on stage. What a bunch
of idiots!!
The bands I played for after that, all had better, more established guitarists than myself so I have
continued playing bass until the present.
Dillon Govender : Why do I play bass? I guess, for the same hundred and one reasons that every other
bass player does. One, because it’s the first thing I think about when walking through the door. Two,
because when things just don’t seem to go your way, or life is just too hard to swallow, you always head
for the bass. It just seems to tell you what you want to hear. Three, it’s the same thing you do when the
world is great and you couldn’t be happier, its always close at hand. (Everyone has their own four to a
hundred). One hundred and one is just that thing inside, that lets you know there is nothing else in the
world that you would rather be doing.
Max Theron : As a child, my dad played bass for a while
and later guitar. I grew up knowing the difference
between the two. For some reason still unknown to me, I
was always drawn to the low frequency notes of the bass.
Later on in my childhood I "drifted" away from music for
a while, but despite hearing blistering guitar solos and
distortion guitars on radio which were great, it was always
the songs with creative and innovative basslines, that
caught my attention most and these basslines REALLY
caught my attention and stuck with me, despite the fact
that I did not fully understand what these musicians were
doing at the time. Then there were also bass riffs' like the
break in "You can call me Al" from Paul Simon. I had no
clue what Bakhithi Kumalo was doing (I didn’t know the
difference between slapbass and finger style), but it really
caught my attention!
When I eventually decided to take up a musical
instrument (back in 1991) there was just one instrument for me - the bass. I didn’t even give the guitar a
second thought, and I've never looked back.
I've always been a more rhythmic orientated musician and therefore I feel most comfortable holding
down the bassline and keeping a consistant groove going.
Shane Sepkit : Being a bass player is like being the heart of the motor of a vehicle. Bass players
constantly work and are really the backbone of any band.
We’re also called the groove regulator. Man, we can move an audience or we can put them to sleep. It’s
so much fun keeping a tight groove together with a drummer. We like to put smiles on the other
musician’s faces, even though the pianist, guitarist or saxophonist like to play the melodies or even take
solos. The bass has never been an instrument that plays melodies, but the day we take a solo, it shakes a
place and lifts a show to a new level.
I love being the backbone cos it’s the strongest part of the body
Enjoy your bass and keep working hard. It pays off at the end.
Peace.
Bill Harrison : It began as a matter of fate, I suppose. I wanted to play drums and escape "music
appreciation" class in school. But there were too many drummers already so I was given the choice of a
brass instrument (you gotta be kidding, I remember thinking) or "one of those big things"- which turned
out to be a double bass. So I took the shiny fibreglass thing home and began sawing and hacking away at
it.
After many years, instruments (I found out they're usually made of wood), hours of practicing and gigs
I'm still living out my destiny as a maker of low notes. I still like being, in Harvey Swartz's words,
"underneath it all." And now I'm very much enjoying passing on what I've learned in the past 30 years to
my students.
Monk Montgomery : I was a firm family man, a hard worker, and had held my foundry job for years. It
wasn’t enough. One night when I was hanging out at a local jazz joint where Wes had a group, I heard his
bass player work and suddenly just simply said to myself, “I can do better.” I beat it down to Fidd’s
Fiddle Shop in Indianapolis, bought an old $75 Czech upright and began practicing That was the beautiful
beginning and it’s something I’m still saying to myself. Life is constant growth, man.
Excerpt from “Bass Heroes”
Leon Bosch : It wasn’t really so much a question of me choosing to play the double bass; it was more a
case of the double bass capturing me.
At the age of 16, I entered the South African College of
Music, University of Cape Town as a cellist and my dear
cello teacher, Edna Elphick, suggested that I should give
some consideration to the idea of learning the double bass
as a second study. The very suggestion seemed
preposterous to me of course, but that was probably
Edna’s sophisticated way of telling me that my chances of
earning a living as a cellist were somewhat slim. Early one
morning, in the University coffee shop, she introduced me
to Zoltan Kovats, who was then principal double bassist of
The Cape Town Symphony Orchestra, in what was clearly
a pre-arranged ambush.
Zoltan, an imposing figure of a man, asked me a few
seemingly innocuous questions, and after taking a cursory
look at my left hand, announced, sternly, that my studies
with him would begin the following morning….. I
appeared not to have any choice in the matter and for
whatever reason I didn’t protest…. but instead meekly
turned up for my first bass lesson the next day.
Within a few months of commencing double bass lessons
however, Zoltan’s exceptional teaching revealed that I did
have some musical talent after all. Thus began my love
affair with the double bass, a love affair which quickly
turned into an all-consuming passion, which endures to this day.
David Geschke : Well, my ORIGINAL reason for picking bass
might not be as honourable as some. When I was younger - like
13 years old - I told people I played bass. In reality I had never
even SEEN one! Then, one day the call came - our bass player
quit, you want the gig? (it's THAT easy to get a gig when
you're 13... Actually by then I was 14)... So I bought a $20
Kingston bass, the guitar player came over and showed me how
to play the 5 songs they knew and I became a bass player. That
was 31 years ago! I fell in love with bass right away, though started practicing 2 hours a day, learning by ear playing along
with records. By the time I was 17 I was in bands playing clubs.
I love playing bass; to me it's always been the coolest
instrument in rock and roll. When I listen back to my favourite
songs of the 60s almost all of them have killer bass lines, I think
I was predestined to play bass! I love it!
Paul Vosloo : When listening to music, I always end up focusing on the bass line of the song. I guess it’s
because the bass is connecting with me. I love to create that same feeling when playing Bass and having
control of the song. It’s as if the bass is the backbone to all other sounds.
Prof. Marc Duby : My earliest influences were the great rock bass players of the
sixties like Jack Bruce, John Paul Jones and many others. Later on I discovered jazz and
really listened hard to such great musicians as Jimmy Garrison (with Coltrane), Charles
Mingus, Dave Holland, and Eberhard Weber. Most of these players also were active as
composers and their different ways of seeing or hearing music have been a lasting
influence on my activities as a musician and composer.
Stephan Wessels : To me it’s all about finding your voice musically. It’s finding the most comfortable
way to communicate. And as a wise friend once said; your personality tends to resonate more with a
specific instrument. To me that’s the lower frequencies.
Colin Brown : I used to, and still do, play the guitar, but it was
only when I heard Denis Lallouette play bass at the Branch Office,
in Jeppe Street, Jhb in 1979 with a group called Theta, that I sat up
and took notice. The kind of things he was doing on the bass, I had
never heard before. This was the kind of stuff that was either going
to make you quit because, you'll never be that good or it'll inspire
you. Obviously, in my case, the latter applied and although I don't
think I'll ever be as good as Denis, it doesn't matter, I love playing
bass. The bassist, together with the drummer get to set the feel /
groove / ambience / mood or whatever you want to call it and can
evoke all sorts of emotions, from funky to sad, even though people
are not always aware of it until it’s missing. I see myself firstly as a
musician, but primarily as a bassist, even though I also play the
bagpipes, guitar and am currently experimenting with the sax.
Lowell Jeffery : Destiny, I guess! I was doing my military service as a 19 year old & coincidently got
into the military band in Kimberly to stay away from being sent away to the border. I joined for about a
week playing rhythm guitar and a short, but angry sergeant major shouted at the top of his voice
"Jeffery’s Jy speel more in Ermelo die bass-speler van die band klaar uit vandag". I of course, could not
even spell the word bass but I guess the challenge of Ermelo has lead me to the Technikon for five years,
well over 70 albums and 6 years a professional now! I had the honour to dep for Victor Masondo playing with Joseph Garlington and John Canon was on keyboards! He runs the school where Brandford
& Winton Marsalis are his co-lecturers and he made a statement that has changed my mindset! "Son, the
standard is to learn 250 bebop heads with 4-7 transcripted solos in all 12 keys then your vocabulary is
acceptable on your instrument! In my case, the bass! I am currently on 12 heads with 7 solos in all 12
keys and a lifetime of set practice with gigs! Why do I play? Purpose! To achieve this goal and rev it up
to at least a1000 in my life and who knows where it’ll lead me! Beats a day job I guess..
Michael Auer : I like to think the bass chose me, possibly for my large
hands. I started and still play guitar and drums and dabble with various
other instruments, but the bass
has always stuck with me as the instrument of choice. Not many kids
my age played bass growing up , and I seemed to fill the gap in bands
looking for members .
I've played in Metal bands to alternative to acoustic jams to my 'at
present' ska, reggae, rock band 7th Son. My preference in music has
expanded over the years and draw from a wide range of musical
influences, and find that 7th Son gives me a wide area to explore these
inspirations as the bass is quite prominent in the overall sound .
There is nothing in the world that can beat the feeling and not many
ways to describe those moments where you are totally in sync with your
band, when the music takes you deep in the moment and out of it at the
same time . Moments like that are what I live for and why I play music
and why I play the bass .
Mlungisi Gegana : The first time I touched the bass; I fell in love with it immediately. After I tried
various other instruments like drums, guitar and piano, I realised I liked the deep sound and the freedom
you get when you improvise. For me, as an artist, I also make a bass a lead instrument as sometimes I
play melodies and solos.
Julian Fairall : I had been playing drums for 16 years when I first
really picked up a bass. The worship team at church was suddenly
without a bass player and as I could play guitar, I figured that I could
play bass. Boy was I ever wrong, but the journey to that discovery,
and the knowledge that I have as a result has been incredible. Bass
players have always been the “other guy” in the band, but without
bass, music is lifeless and lacks any of the passion that makes people
nod their heads. In short, bass is the power behind music. That and a
really good triangle player!
Sue Both Fourie : Since I was very small I have always had a good appreciation for the bass in any
music. I used to listen to the male voices in choirs and I heard the melody there. I am a qualified piano
teacher but somehow I have never felt at ease playing the piano - it was always a sort of distant
instrument. At school I used to sing with the male bass voices in the choir in order to help them keep the
note - I have always had a very good ear - very beneficial if you play a threadless instrument. After
school I established myself as a jazz vocalist and played with various bands including the late Gerry
Bosman and his big band. As a vocalist I also, always depended on the bass section of a band in order to
keep the melody. Later I moved to Bloem and was one of the founding members of the B-Flat Jazz Band.
The band sometimes did some instrumental tracks and I became bored with doing bits and pieces of
percussion in between. I wanted to play a more substantial musical role. Then I got the opportunity to
actually rent a double bass and I jumped at it. In no time, I managed to grasp the basic principles and
fingering and I was on my way.
I feel very comfortable playing the double bass. It becomes an extension of the self - such a huge
instrument has to! Also from a stage point of view, it works very well. The chick with the short dress and
high heels playing the double bass is something unique and it draws a lot of attention - I wouldn't say that
I don't like the attention either. I just love those deep vibrations of the double bass - also the fact that it’s
a threadless instrument opens up more musical opportunities. We have also used the bow with the jazz
and it gives, yet again, another sound and dimension.
What can I say – I’m hooked!
Richard Bodkin : Bass players were
short to come by in high school. Any
man and his dog wanted to be a singer
or a lead guitarist. Even drummers
were relatively easy to come by.
Although, years later, I have found
that good drummers are exceedingly
rare (as are good singers). The laws of
supply and demand persuaded me to
pursue bass playing. As soon as word
was out that I was playing bass, school
bands were asking me to join them,
even though my first bass was only
acquired months after my saying that I
was playing bass. Disillusioned by one
shocking school band after another I
chose to equip myself with as much skill to become a better bass player. The rest, rock 'n roll history...
not quite!
Kevin F. Bolembach : My mom forced me to! I wanted to play guitar originally, but our school gave
free lessons on the upright Bass. We were pretty poor and couldn't afford private guitar lessons, so my
mom said "you will learn the Bass instead!" I didn't even know what a Bass was but she's German, so
you better listen when she talks! Anyway, after playing in the string orchestra for about 4 years, I
figured out that the upright and the electric Bass were pretty much the same thing, so I traded in my
Double Bass for a '73 Fender P and never looked back!
Llewellyn John : My mom always
tells everyone this story. When I was
in the womb my mom went to watch
my dad and his band play the battle of
the bands. As the first note of his bass
guitar and kick drum started the show I
kicked my mom really hard.
Throughout the show I was kicking
along with the rhythms. Music has
never left my passionate soul. I love
expressing myself through the bass
guitar.
Daniel Sher : It all started in a dusty garage, I was jamming on a guitar along with another
guitarist/singer and a drummer. After making a terrible amount of noise on our instruments we realised
that something was missing, so as a band, we made an outing to a local club in Namibia to see a small
band playing. The first person I saw was a tall woman holding a massive guitar with four, thick strings.
As her fingers plucked at these strings I heard a wonderful sound, a deep, thunderous vibration which ran
through the ground, up my legs and straight into my chest making it vibrate.
Suddenly I realised what was missing from my band, shortly afterwards I started learning to play the bass.
I bought a cheap bass guitar second hand and every night I would plug into my brothers little P.A system
and enjoy the deep tone that would course through my body and which caused my fingers to become
calloused and blistered.
Today every time I look through the classifieds and see “WANTED: bassist to join established band”
repeated again and again I appreciate the fact that I play the bass guitar!
I have now grown to love this instrument, the way it completes the sound of a band, the way it sounds
when my bass is in time with the drummers bass drum, and the way my scales pass over the guitarists
chords adding melodious stability and a great beat to the bands sound!
William Maxwell : Bass is the ultimate unifier and perhaps the
most flexible of all instruments. It blends seamlessly into about
every conceivable genre, into just about every conceivable
ensemble, and effortlessly blends with just about every conceivable
sound. It can be as rhythmic and powerful as drums and as mellow
and melodic as the French horn. It functions well in an ensemble
and as a solo instrument. It doesn't require the spotlight, but can
happily play the role of featured instrument. Its tone is a unique
combination of power and beauty. In short, it’s the ultimate
instrument!
Shaun Dutton : Just because I love it, I suppose is my best answer, but I think as for most bassists it’s a
passion/love that grows as one’s talent grows. And I think for me and for many other bassists (again)
playing bass started as a ’coincidence’ or ‘mistake’. Being a bassist is great it’s the one position in the
band where your involvement is so critical yet not noticed by the average listener, it’s an instrument that
binds the rhythm and melody together so perfectly. It’s like and engine in a car, so many people take it for
granted, but when it’s gone you’ll notice, and only mechanics (musicians) notice and appreciate the
difference and quality. Bassically (ha, I said Bass!) it’s an instrument that holds such power and we the
players control it. Exciting!
Jake Kot : Well, I wish I had the story of
playing since 3 years old, but the truth is I
was 21, never played a note, and someone
gave me a bass and an amp. I figured what
the hell, I'll try it. After a few years of just
enjoying being a musician, I had 3 musical
experiences that changed my life
musically, as well as my appreciation for
the bass. First was hearing a duo record by
Bill Evans and Eddie Gomez. Gomez’s
playing on that record was brilliant and I
saw the bass in a whole new light. Then I
heard the Mahavishnu Orchestra--unbelievable musicianship, all anchored
with incredible harmonic integrity by Rick
Laird on bass. Then Jaco came out with his debut record and I haven't put the bass down for more than
one day since then, which has now evolved into the solo career I now embrace as a bassist.
Willem Samuel : Well, the story of how one begins to play bass is kind of like a love story.
My first ventures into music making was when I was 13. We had an acoustic guitar at home and my
brother (excellent blues guitarist) taught me a few chords. Back then I wanted to play the drums - but my
brother said I should rather play bass because bands are always looking for bassists. So I just stuck with
acoustic guitar for the mean time. I still stick to acoustics in fact – it’s been very influential on how I play
bass - like a guitar.
In std. 5 me and two friends would go after school and jam at my house - each with his own acoustic - we
would write these two chord songs and record them on a tape player - we used to think they were
brilliant! So we also started to go and check out guitars at music shops - and that's when the bass caught
my eye. It was an acoustic bass and I just couldn't help but marvel at its raw simplicity. Yet it was a
bigger, meaner instrument, the strings being so thick and when I played on it, it was so low I could
scarcely hear it. It was a very strange instrument to me - that's maybe why I loved it.
By then we were convincing another guy at school to get a drum kit. It would still be a year before I got
my first electric bass guitar. In the mean time we just jammed with three electrics (I used my brother's)
and drums, covering Nirvana, Ash and Springbok Nudegirls songs!
But the next year I went to a different school - and I found out through the grapevine that the drummer
and I were left / kicked out of the "new" band. (they found a better drummer and a guy with a bass guitar).
I was very p#**$d off. But instead of leaving my musical ambitions behind I went ahead and got a
second hand bass guitar a week later. My first year of playing bass was just by myself in my room with a
little amp. Yeah, and it still felt great even without a band. At my new school there were some musicians
and a few times I would bring my amp and guitar and we would jam a bit and it was great. I was the kid
with the coolest toy. Electrics just didn't impress people anymore. So I went on and got better, had a few
lessons at jazz workshop. It was easy for me because I knew the guitar and before long, my brother and I
would jam the blues. The next year one of my old band mates heard me play bass and he couldn't believe
it. He told me he had no respect for bass as an instrument because the other guy has been playing it like a
Dorris. A week later we started jamming as a three piece and then onwards I had the greatest high school
career of band playing ever!
To finish off; I've heard it said and I do agree: "It's easy to play a bass - but to play it well is hard". For
me, when I look at a guitar I can never see myself mastering it, or even wanting to. But when I look at a
bass, I feel challenged by it - it's something I long to conquer – it’s an intimate relationship and it reveals
new things to me every time I play her. As time goes on I just realize how big an effect bass has in music
and what an effect you can have as a bass player in a band. I feel sorry for these bands where the bass
player just copies the guitar notes (especially in Metal or Hardcore). I have always tried to make sure that
my guitar delivers the presence it is deserving and capeable of - accentuating the vocals, supporting great
leads, rolling with the drums. I play bass because I love it - and it loves me - very important for any
relationship you would wish to continue in for the rest of your life.
Stewart McKinsey : Music has been a
part of my life since before I can
remember and I tried several
instruments as a boy, but none of them
felt right. It wasn't until I was 14 or so
that I really wanted to play. At that point
2 things happened. First, I saw a friend
of mine's brother playing bass in a punk
band. Second and at about the same
time, I realized that the way I learned
songs I heard on the radio was through
the bass line.
I talked my father into renting me a bass
and he agreed as long as I took some
lessons. I was gigging almost as soon as
I picked up the instrument and have only fallen deeper in love with the bass since then.
To my way of thinking there is no more expressive instrument and nothing that resonates with me
physically, emotionally, and psychically than the electric bass. I realize this more and more each day and
have no desire to stray elsewhere musically!
Kerry Hiles : Hmmm. It's by default, really, that I started. But something about
being the bridge between melody and beat just appealed to me. I'm also a fan of the
underdog, and who could be more "underdog" than the bass player? That understated
(often unnoticed by the audience) musician has - in my bottom-end opinion - one of the
most important parts to play in any piece of music: expressing the groove. The
drummer can beat away for days, the soloists can play their fingers to the bone, but few
feet tap until the bass glues it all together.
Djordje Stijepovic : From the day I started listening to music, I liked "the bottom end". When I was 12 I
got hooked on the slapping sound of the first Elvis Presley Sun records and the Stray Cats. From that time
I started enjoying and loving different music styles from all around the world. I realized that solid bass
plays an elemental role in its construction. That foundation is very important in almost any genre.
Derek Fenner : F u u u n k !!, I wasn’t able to get through it all, but lets bass it, when we pick up our
groove-string-sticks and delve into the fullness of the sound WE live that moment in time. United in an
aural consciousness we gently love that piece of music into the final movement in time when WE end the
journey in either frenzied ecstasy or more subtler tones and hues. It’s about how we do it, RIGHT?
Tommie Rademeyer : Playing bass isn’t something you do or don’t , it’s who you are Only a bassist can
truly tell you how those low frequencies makes him/her smile from the inside out, makes him/her get up 5
o’clock in the mornings to practice and keep us willing to play and play and play. That’s why I play bass.
Not because it looks cool, not because it sounds great, not because I give substance and colour to the song
I’m playing, but because it’s the best thing there is to do, and it’s who I am.
Ashley John Long : The bass for me is just a way of telling stories through sound. The instrument has so
many sonorities and inflections available to it that makes it so versatile that it can be used in most
contexts. I’m just really attracted to the overall sound more than anything!
Evan Marien : Be creative. That is what I strive to do every time I pick up the bass.
Bass has the ability to do what most instruments can't or have a hard time doing, it can
carry both the melody and the bass notes at the same time. I can't think of an instrument
that I love more than the bass. Whenever I pick up my fender jazz, it just feels right ya
know, like it belongs with my hands. With all the slapping, tapping and thumb
technique stuff around today, the bass can be a complete solo instrument for me. Plus it
is a nice feeling when you get up in front of a crowd of people and you can hear them
muttering "He's doing that on BASS??"
Colin Deacon : - “Cos I love it when my Nuts rattle on stage”
Anderson Santos : I play bass because I love to be the groove maker - the ground! I started playing bass
in 1993. I started with flute when I was 6 years old, my father was my teacher, he plays saxophone. I
really like the sound of the bass in jazz, country, funk, rock, fusion, and it’s fantastic when I do what I
like to listen to.
Ilze Fourie : I guess I started playing bass in 2001 by just being at the right place at the right time...
Alistair Andrews : I started out at on violin at the age of five. Violin then
was regarded as a ”girly” instrument so I soon took up guitar. I grew up in a
jazz family and playing walking bass-lines on guitar was not uncommon.
During my first year at university, two guitarist friends and myself started a
band, one of us had to play bass. I made the switch and never looked backed.
Derron Ferreira : I could just go on about how magnificent the bass is, for
pages and pages, however due the fact that a lot of great players in this article
have already covered a great deal of it in fine words I shall try to keep this succinct. As a child I was
listening to the Jimi Hendrix Experience and suddenly a lightning bolt of understanding struck me- I was
hearing Jimi play an awesome solo but then suddenly I heard what the bass was doing underneath him
and how the totally different counterpoint of the bass made what he was playing sound a lot hipper. This
was when I started hearing music differently: I started hearing the various parts. My ears never tire of the
sound of the bass; those frequencies are just pleasing to my ears and body. If I listen to fast, shrill violins
or incessant high piano tinkling or screeching shred guitar I soon tire and start becoming annoyed (I
respect and enjoy those instruments and styles in moderation). Not the bass, I can listen to sub-sonic
rumbles all day long! The bass has a unique quality to me- if it is played in a solid, deep, looping groove
it has the ability to become extremely hypnotic and trance inducing. Just watch what a killer bass line
does to people – the eyes close, the heads start bobbing and the bodies start moving. If drums are the
rhythm of the waves on the ocean and all other instruments are plankton, debris, floating plants etc. on the
surface of the water then the bass is a colossal sea monster lurking just below the surface moving
smoothly with grace and power. That’s why I play the damn bass!
Llewellyn Alberts : When I lay me down to groove (fire in the blood) I die for the song dance. I am the
cause of the hole, dig, dig, dig. Irresistible drive into the core, dig, dig, dig. Dying to live, love; This bass
is my death and you can dance on my grave. Dig?
Shaun Scott : I play bass because my schoolmates were starting a band and
needed a bass player. 4 strings sounded easier than 6 so I decided to give it a
go. (I'm sure I'm not the only one who started like this). In retrospect, my dad
played drums and helped me build a solid rhythm foundation - bass also fits to
my personality better. I gave up playing for around 20 years and started again
when the same guys approached me to restart the band. It wasn't too difficult
starting again because I found that I'd been listening to the bass lines in my
music and I could remember the theory. It took some time for the fingers to
loosen up and gain strength. Things have changed dramatically in 20 years and
a whole new bass world has opened up to me. Not only is there a massive
amount of info and services on the Internet, but also training techniques and
disciplines have changed. I no longer cram practice before band practice and
find myself working on a daily basis on techniques I pick up from web training
courses, videos, DVD and clinics. My love for bass is growing. It’s not the easy
4-string, just follow the chords, instrument I used to know. It’s my enjoyment,
my escape, and my challenge.
Chris Tarry : I started playing bass in about 1987 while I was in high school. I had been playing
saxophone in the stage band and wanted to start playing some of the rock music I was listening to at the
time. I bought a guitar and joined a band with a bunch of friends called Molotov Cocktail. When I showed
up to the first rehearsal, there were about 10 guitar players all with shiny, brand new guitars and no bass
player so I decided if I was going to make this band and meet girls by being in that band, I better trade the
guitar in for a bass. I took up the bass chair and was hooked right away; I never did meet any of the girls.
Grant Stinnett : I started playing the bass when I was about 14 years old. My father (Jim Sinnett) had
been teaching music lessons in the house for as long
as I could remember but for some reason I never got
into music. I had owned two CDs in all of my life.
A few years before I started playing, my father began
putting on these things called Bass Workouts. At the
Bass Workout anywhere from five to fifteen people
would show up at my house and hang out and learn
how to play bass from my dad for a three-day
weekend. They turned out to be like small bass boot
camps. These would happen every few months and I
was always on the sidelines. I brought the coffee and
brownies. Everybody at the Bass Workouts always
seemed to be having so much fun that I felt left out.
One day my dad said, “Why don’t you learn how to
play so you can join in?” So I did. My first bass
workout was incredibly fun. I couldn’t do everything
because I had only been playing for a few months at
that time but that didn’t matter. It was such a fun
experience that when it was over I couldn’t wait for
the next one in a few months. My father in his
infinite wisdom said “why don’t you learn some of
those things we worked on over the weekend so you
can sound better next time?” Ever since then the Bass Workout has been one of the only reasons I keep
playing bass. This next Workout will be my twenty-third and I am still trying to learn new things for it.
Nick Cook : It’s hard to put into suitable words why I feel drawn to the bass guitar above any other
instrument. In some ways it’s like that old mountaineering cliché - "because it’s there". I climb it because
it’s there, because it’s a means to reach the summit. Stumbling, falling, and losing my breath
sometimes.... and yet I climb
Sometimes I look around and see other mountains and hills that look easier to climb and wonder perhaps
they have a better view. But even though there are others there are none like this... I take a moment to
catch my breath, look at the beautiful scenery, look back up to the summit -determined. Aware that I am
not alone, with the help of my fellow mountaineers, begin to climb again.
Jamie Canivet : I wasn't always a bass player. I started off playing piano because the Beatles didn't have
a piano player and in my 8 year-old mind that was the way to get their attention. The fact that they were
in England and I was in Canada
made no difference, I was 8. I also
wanted to be a singer and as
everyone was playing guitar or was a
lead singer, I thought keyboard
might be a good alternative. Then
came rhythm guitar as well as keys.
Sometime north of my 40th birthday
there came what I must call divine
intervention. The worship team at
my new church need a substitute
bass player. I told her that I wasn't a
bass player but Janice said "that's
okay. My brother, the drummer, has
a bass you can use." I said "Okay but
I'm not a bass player” About a week
later a drummer friend of mine called
and asked if I might come over and jam some keyboard bass with this guy who was putting together an
ELP tribute. Well my answer was no, I'm not a bass player, especially not with the keyboard. Kevin, my
friend wouldn't take no for an answer so I borrowed the bass that the church worship team had and the
rest is now history. After one jam with Steve and Kevin I became the new bass player, singer and
acoustic guitarist for Seven Virgins and a Mule, Canada's only ELP tribute act. Three years later we are
starting to gig and I’m having a blast playing some very technical bass!! Check us out at
www.sevenvirgins.com. I'm also heard world-wide on the internet and on short wave every Sunday
playing bass for Good Friends Fellowship church out of Orangeville Ontario Canada.
Carlos del Pino : My first inspiration came from my father Rafael del Pino who was also an
excellent bass player. He showed me the first steps and with him I learned the discipline and
the passion for the instrument. I have been playing bass for almost 35 years and still I am
studying and finding new techniques. My dream is to be known all over the world to show my
new sound and my new way of playing pizzicato and to contribute to the development of the
Double Bass. I want everybody to enjoy my music.
Keri Moore : I can’t even remember what possessed me to wanna start bass, I’ve just always been
obsessed with that awesome sound that grabs you from the inside. I’m still learning all about my bass and
the more I learn, the more I love it!
Corné Dannhauser : I guess the bottom line is divine intervention. I was on my own
plug, studying B.Sc when I saw an advertisement for a bass player. For no apparent
reason I answered the call, got a bass and amp and started playing. It was love at first
sight!! My first performance with the band was at Hoëskool Garsfontein. I was still
looking at my hands the whole time, but at some stage I looked up and saw all the
kids on their chairs partying away. That was it. I’ve been hooked on playing ever
since and started studying music the next year. It’s not just cool. Somewhere deep in
my soul I really believe this is part of what I should be doing. I also get to hang out
with amazing people and it even pay my bills. What more do you need?
Adam Manning : Why do I play Bass? 'Cause I love it! Need I say more?.. It’s
harmony, melody and power all in one instrument. It can be felt as well as heard. It gives me the freedom
to express myself. Bass is an extension of my soul.
Siyabonga Ngubane : When I wanted to learn an instrument I was seriously considering the lead guitar,
until Ron Kenoly & Don Moen (with
Abe Laboriel on bass) came to
Durban. I was blown away, from
that moment; I decided I was going
to play bass. Then another challenge
was to find a teacher. I met Concord
(at varsity). I begged him to take me
on as a bass student; eventually I
ended up with a friend (who's been
trying to shake me off lately, with no
success). Over time, during my
playing, listening and observing, I've
realised that my imagination is more
rhythmic than melodic, so being on
the bass gives me that sense of security. Another nice thing about the bass is to be at the back of a song
and still drive it, only being noticed when you choose to, commanding the feel and the direction of the
song, that's awesome. What I enjoy lately is playing songs only on bass, that takes my imagination to
another level.
William Japhta : I play bass for a variety of reasons.
One of the reasons is that I am fairly good at it.
Playing bass gives you the opportunity to create something. Although you are using keys that already
exist you can combine them in very unique ways.
In a lot of musical pieces the bass forms a foundation where upon the other instruments can build and
maneuver around. When I play guitar sometimes, I realise how important a bass is.
With the bass, the standard of the music being played is raised immediately.
Music and bass playing is an art and there always seems to be something that you haven’t played or
discovered yet.
You develop your musical talent in general when you play in a band. Playing the bass does exactly that.
I’ve met a lot of people just because I’m a bass player.
You are also in the limelight a lot. Youngsters and sometimes-even grown-ups look up to you.
Playing bass can be a fulltime commitment and it can pay your salary. This is an option that a player has.
Bass skills are in demand and it travels well.
James Sunney :
Well I started
playing guitar in
high school nothing serious (a
camp fire
guitarist - for
want of a better
description). One
day, I walked into
my local music
store to replace
my 6 month old
guitar strings and
there she was. If I
remember correctly, it was a Tobias - the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. So I started playing bass with the dream of one day owning her. A couple of months down the line I happened to hear a self-titled
album by a character called Jaco Pastorius. That was that!! I was hooked, have been ever since and will
be forever! Gotta love the crunch!
P.S. I still don’t own the Tobias!!!
Anthony Scelba : Why do I play double bass? That is a very
big question whose answer could run on indefinitely. I would
rather state it, “Why am I a double bassist?” because being a
bassist is the central identifying attribute of my life. It affects my
family, my career, my very identity. My father is a pianist with
whom I used to perform. I married a violinist whose sister was a
pianist and with whom we formed the Yardarm Trio. My
profession has always been that of a double bassist whether I had
orchestra or college faculty positions. Ultimately, the best
answer to why I play the double bass is “because I can.”
Although music has always been my passion and I’ve always
considered myself a musician (I began composing, arranging,
and improvising at the keyboard very young), I didn’t take up an
instrument seriously until I was in my mid teens. The double
bass is an instrument that will accommodate late acquaintance
and still permit a career in the classical field. Once I became a
conservatory student and recognized the versatility of the
instrument and the possibility of my making a significant
contribution to its repertoire, I was hooked. As I look back on
my life, the opportunities given me for being a double bassist
were magnificent. I have been able to make a good living at a
most interesting and demanding profession that has brought me
around the world and has allowed me to interact regularly with
great artists performing musical masterpieces. Why wouldn’t I play the double bass? It is a privilege to
do so.
Paul DeLano : It is the first instrument I was able to pick out in a song and still the first instrument I hear
when I listen to a song.
Vaughan Ross : “A fascination borne of Ignorance” is how I got my
start in the art of bass:
I considered myself an avid and concerted vocalist/lyricist for many
years though never made it to Pro; then later realising (at 33yrs) that
this small factor in itself, did not constitute a musician or even
embody the broader celestial spectrum of musicianship. Though I’d
tried and attempted to seek the “deeper meaning” of classical guitar
with various patient tutors, I didn’t grasp the sense of it all. Maybe it
was too dainty an instrument; or my insufferable musical intellect? I
needed to experience something that suited my temperament:
Something that could be tapped, plucked, hammered & even
stroked. I chose to seek the sense in senselessness, as my biggest
quest was to resolve this burning question: “What is the true purpose
of this instrument”?
Some of you may spit or even hurl abuse at what I’m tentative to
share here, but of all the musicians of any of the bands I’ve played
with; this was the least desirable instrument to me! Yet my intrigue
has grown along with my willingness to learn and practice a new art
form and warm a new passion, and grow in my extended love for
music within the realms of the bass. In understanding; I have found
appreciation. I am discovering new keys to the secret understanding
of songs or instrumentals.
My mentors, are 2 fascinating yet vastly different players, and have sown many deep hours of intrigue
and insight into the amazing wonder of this instrument’s world. I’ve also found Wooten astounding; rediscovered the funkiness of Flea; the genius of Carbonne and the awe of Pastorius’ music.
The bass: Sometimes illusive; sometimes sullen; sometimes brazen; and many a time – less than none:
being that low steamy-tone that drives the locomotive out of the station and gets it flying and merging
with the surrounding sounds….. To its destination….. The inner seat of the soul.
Sometimes humble and sometimes upfrontly arrogant (especially when in the hands of an xlnt vocalist)!
Though subliminal, the tone that drives and brings each song to life is that which I am now am able to
dissect in my comprehension for certain types of music, in each song that has made its presence known
both past and present:
I’ve divulged many a pleasurable hour in bands such as The Cure; Zeppelin; Boo; Morphine. Though
these are artist that grabbed my musical intellect, it was rather the older classics played with the bluesy
moan of the contra-bass that I remember best.
Yes, somewhere in the recesses of my mind; a deeper understanding had already been birthed for, the
blessing of the bassist!
Christo Groenewald : Many other bass-players have said it before: the reason is that it is immensely
gratifying. From playing basic rhythms to intricate pieces, to the "voice" of a well built bass guitar or
double bass, to fully understanding the sound of the music and to support other instruments. Bass playing
is more than just churning out low frequencies; it's also an integral part of providing the harmony of
communicating via music. Just like some individuals will drive conversations by talking non-stop and
others only add interesting trivia that stimulates conversation; others create the harmony and sets the
mood of a conversation. It is here that I feel I can add valuable input and is where I feel comfortable. Bass
playing provides me the opportunity to set moods, drive dynamics and say what I feel. It's my voice.
Ronald John Pillay : Well I’ve tried
many other instruments and they all
have their own unique sounds and
playability, BUT the bass is the
ultimate in musical greatness as it
brings all of these instruments
together…All you have to do is
modify your technique a bit and hit the
strings and frets differently…
-Piano/Keyboard: apping/Harmonics
-Percussion/Drums: Slap-Pop
-Lead and Rhythm Guitar:
Fingering, picking and strumming
chords
…And there you have it…living
proof the bass is the most awesome
instrument in the world
PS: CHICKS LOVE US BASS PLAYERS
Arnoux Barnard (Barras) : I started playing the bass because it is the hardest instrument to really
master, and besides, nobody looks cooler than when they are playing the bass!!
Jerome Robinson : Why do I play bass? Well.., I can kinda feel the essence of
the song in the bass, the bass being the foundation along with the drums. I also
enjoy the role of supporting the various guitar players I’ve come across. Each one
has a different approach to their music, which enables me to see each song
differently, even when it’s the same piece of music!
Andrew Warneke : growing up in a very musical family, I
was always nervous that if I tried music, I may be the black
sheep who was tone-deaf or something. As I grew, I began to
appreciate the ability of music to influence the way people
felt in a given situation, both for good and bad, and listening
to music began to become an important emotional outlet for
me. At the age of 14 I found a REALLY old bass in a
cupboard (had belonged to my grandfather), and decided to
learn to play. I got a lesson on the basics, and taught myself
from there.
Since then, music has become an all-encompassing part of my
life. It is the way in which I am most free to express myself
both spiritually and emotionally. I believe that I connect with
the function of the bass in its role of groove creation, as the
foundation for others to play on top of. It does not stop here
though. I desire to play my bass with freedom in all areas of
music. I want to play rhythms like a drummer, chords like a
pianist, and melodies like a saxophone (as well as grooves
like a bass player). The bass enables me to do all these things.
I do not play “the bass” though, I play music. The bass is
merely the means for this music to come out. I desire to play
music because I have a passion for it, which I believe comes from God. I believe that He chose the bass
for me, and I doubt that my music would be the same were I not using the bass, as the tool used to
produce art does add its own individual flavour, and lead the artist in his work.
John Archer : I was a teenager in the 80's. Big hair. Shoulder-pads. Baggy breakdance-trousers. What a
tool! We looked ridiculous, but the music was great! (Well I'm biased, so bite me!)
Initially it was wall to wall synthesizers which I couldn't relate to very well, but I was caught by the
whiplash in the tail-end of punk and it's various offshoots and permutations: Joe Jackson, The Clash, The
Police (early albums) and they were the bomb! They played real instruments (ah, the arrogance of youth!)
and I just knew I was destined to play music - you always think you're gonna be a rock-star when you’re
young.
My buddy at school, Matt, he played guitar and convinced me to buy a bass so that we could 'rock and be
cool’.
My first bass stared
back at me from a shopwindow in the seriously
un-hip town of George
one afternoon; it was a
cheapo baby blue
Westone which I played
through an orange and
black Specialist Audio
bass-amp. I bought the
amp from the troglodyte
who owned the local
music shop.
(Strangely enough, he
and his shop are still
there, unchanged,
twenty-five years later shows you that being
involved in music is
beneficial to your
health! Either that or he
has a pact with The
Dark Dude downstairs!)
That damn Westone sliced my fingers to ribbons until I grew calluses hard enough to withstand carelessly
finished frets and cheap round-wound strings, but I persevered. We ruined cassettes by the dozen with
constant re-winding, pulling the basslines and guitar solos from the 'band of the moment'.
And we did learn to rock. (I don't think we've ever been 'cool' though.)
We started a full-on rock band - a goofy keyboard player, guitar, bass and Sukiyaki - the Japanese drum machine. We started getting gigs. We got drunk. We got stoned. Sometimes we even got laid.
Ten years passed and we were still doing it, despite minor inconveniences like National Service.
We played clubs, restaurants, bars; hell we even played for beer and pizza a few times. Sometimes we'd
get paid and sometimes our bar-tabs were higher than our earnings, but we were paying our dues.
We found an experienced drummer and canned the drum-machine. We moved to Jo'burg with big dreams.
We played in dives, we starved, our equipment broke and our car was stolen. We borrowed another and
kept grinding away. We were good, experienced, rock and roll kids but nobody cared. We turned into
vampires looking for that ‘edge’, taking speed to stay awake all night at the gig and drinking so that we
could sleep all day. The band was tight. We shared E.S.P., telepathy; I knew exactly what the drummer
was going to do before he knew himself. I made minor adjustments, I knew he’d slow down if he partook
of the ‘green stuff’ and I knew he'd speed up if one of his cocaine buddies were around. Matt played
guitar like Jimmy Page. We rocked places. Nobody gave a damn.
Fifteen years after I bought that dodgy Westone, I walked out, all hopes and dreams shattered by my
experiences. Burnt out. Strung out. Out.
I had no money, no trade and my wife was pregnant, Time to get a life.
I gave it all up for ten years. Went to work, got paid, raised my daughter and hummed nostalgically to all
those songs we played on my way to work.
But something was very missing in my life. I would wake in the night, in a cold sweat, from a dream
where I was back on stage and I swear I could see the imprint of those round-wounds on my now uncalloused fingertips.
I bought a bass-rig again. My wife freaked. I calmed her down a week later and explained that it was
something I physically needed - it wasn't the booze or the speed or the hangers-on; it was the music.
She understands now and smiles sweetly when I trundle my bass-amp out onto the deck for a practicesession. My daughter twangs one of my bass-strings every now and again, smiling indulgently at her
crazy old dad - then she plugs her I-Pod into her brain and zones out to the music. Just like her old man
used to do all those years ago.
I see Matt the guitarist from time to time, he teaches a few kids guitar in the evenings and has a day-job He drinks too much, has a seriously receding hairline and a string of ex-wives and kids. (But maybe that's
just a lead-guitarist trait?) Our ex-drummer drives call girls to their clients around Homburg.
I play to soothe something inside me now, and I feel whole again.
You want to know why I play the Bass? The soundtrack of my life was played on that instrument, the
good and the bad and the downright desperate. What more can I say? I wouldn't change a thing.
Maxim Starcke : This is just a small window of my musical journey and one of the various instruments I
perform on. I am
originally a saxophonist
but played classical guitar
as a second instrument in
high school. I was into
metal at the time so I
joined a thrash metal
group and ended up being
handed the bass (the other
two guys were already hot
electric lead guitarists so I
thought "Why not...?"). It
slowly 'grew on me' and I
discovered that I had a
natural affinity to groove
like a motha%#*$er really
well and with that machine-like accuracy that was so important in the death metal genre. I then soon took
the lead vocal position as well in the band called Damnatia, those were the days... Around the same time
my father introduced me to the music of Eberhard Weber, Miroslav Vitous and of course Jaco Pastorius
with his ECM LP collection (amongst others) and that made me think: "...that’s really beautiful, one
doesn't have to just play the foundation and groove on bass, it works well as a melodic instrument too - if
played in the right way – or even both at the same time!". After high school I entered the South African
College of Music and studied Classical Guitar. So I was now delving into subtlety, control, almost
silence, space, resonance and delicate sounds as opposed to speed-picking and sub-frequency mayhem.
Finally I started fusing the detail and control I learnt from the Classical and South American guitar
repertoire onto the electric bass and incorporating this where I could in various projects, some still in
progress. The tone of the bass reminds me of certain images and feelings...so difficult to put into
words...a natural substance or landscape represented in sound, like wood or stone. I love the trance-like
groove aspect and the bass's deep resonance as well as the untapped possibilities of its tone (recently
explored by Carlo Mombelli) especially when accompanying in a duo or trio. An instrument of high range
and the depth of the bass together creates space in between to breathe and imagine. I also love the feeling
of the strings under my fingers and the thickness of the neck. I feel solid, supported and content with a
bass and holding a great band together with the deep groove of the bass is exhilarating, I am transported.
www.myspace.com/maxstarcke
Andre Liebenberg : Well, I couldn’t afford plectrums. Also, I am a great fan of Jamie Oliver and had
just got myself a new apron when I read somewhere that, if you boiled your old bass strings in a pot,
they’d be good as new! Seriously, I guess I was always attracted to it, though I wasn’t conscious of it
until I started jamming! I love the fact that on the surface it appears the easiest instrument to master when
it is actually one of the most complex, on so many levels. Also, there is certain coolness in being the
unsung hero - that shadow next to the drum kit - the groove that holds everything together, whilst the
screaming masses are showering Mr Guitarist with adoration, bras, panties and assorted lace.
Trish Bailey : Musings on Why I play Bass;
I play Bass because
It's easy to play and yet impossible to master
It flows from my soul
It’s like a direct connection to the Universal muso mind
In the traditional role of a Bass, it’s like a Mother, and the Band is akin
to
the family ...thus, in the way a mother holds the family together, does
the
bass bind the band. As she plays the supportive role to husband and
children, so supports the bass the other instruments. As she puts the
needs
of her family first, so the bassist allows the soloists their heads without
having the need to do the same.
No family is complete without the Mother, nor a band without a bass.
Of course that was in the good ole’ days.
Seems these days, few marriages stay together, resulting in those delinquent bassists who wanna be the
front men showoffs…take up lead guitar, dudes! ;-)
Bob Walker Campbell : At age 13, my best friend Mark and I went and saw Rabbit in concert at the old
Coloseum, we knew after the concert we had to become pop stars, so both of us started to learn how to
play guitar. We soon found a drummer and started a band. I kind of lost the toss and I had to get a bass (at
the time, I would have rather been on guitar, like Trevor Rabin). Anyway, I never looked back and I can’t
think of anything I'd rather play in a band. However, I do wish I had spent all those years perfecting guitar
instead, as I now play the odd pub gig, singing/guitar and have discovered I'm an okay singer. I never
sang in a full band as I can't sing and play bass at the same time - unlike McCartney or Sting. I'm just at
the age/circumstance where I couldn't be bothered, trying to get a whole band together so I'll play and
sing and as an emergency, have those horrid backing tracks and do a sort of semi karioke if I need to.
I will always, I reckon, prefer the bass, but this way, at least, I get to entertain without worrying about
other band members being available.
Lorne Peakman : I couldn't get a grand piano on the bus ha ha ha.
In reality, I didn't care for the widdley diddley "I
wanna be Satriani" guitarists, plus I had a habit of
breaking the strings with my heavy handedness.
Drums - I do not have the right amount of Epilepsy for
and I can't sing to save my life
Steve Harris was also a big influence
I became a Bassist as my fingers seem too fat to play
those silly little cheese wire strings that guitars use, I
also hated the tinny sound that emitted from guitars,
but loved the deep booming sound a bass provides.
It's also very hard to play Slap on a guitar ha ha ha
Ponkey Reilly : While I was in the army in 1963, I learned how to play guitar. On coming back to
Bloemfontein, after my 9 Months army stint, a band approached me to play bass for them and I refused
because I was a rhythm guitarist. After many weeks of nagging, I finally decided to try it. It was the
BEST
change I have made in my life. That day, I used a homemade bass guitar, which I had borrowed from a
pal, and the strings were about 2cm from the neck. That first note which came out of that “Guitar” gave
me gooseflesh and I was hooked. We were rehearsing at the tearoom of the newspaper, “The Friend”
where I worked, and this 2-hour practice turned out to be a marathon 8 hrs. I ended up wrapping masking
tape around my fingers,
which were almost bleeding
from the punishment they
had received that day, but I
couldn’t stop. I ended up
using that “homemade” for
about 4 Yrs, after buying it
for R7.50c (You should
have seen my fingers)
Why do I play Bass? I
play, because of the feeling
I get when the low,
beautiful, big, warm bass
notes vibrate through your
body. I play, because of the
independence I experience
while other musicians have
to stick to a script. I play, to
have the ability to change
the mood, and power of the
music, just by what I play.
I play, to enjoy that other world I enter, when playing in a really hot Jazz trio, or Rock Band, and blow
your mind on the music and nothing else.
I could carry on forever, but Martin will throw a thrommy, and ban me from this honorable association.
You guys out there, who are thinking of maybe taking up bass, go out, and get into the amazing, beautiful
world of bass playing. You won’t regret it! I’ve been there for 46 years.
Matt Brinkworth : The reason I became a bassist originally was perhaps quite a pathetic reason. I
wanted to play something that few (that I knew) did. I would walk into guitar shops and look at the
notices for band members and everywhere I would see "Bassist wanted". It seemed like every sod played
guitar and bassists were in high demand.
When I actually got into bass however I discovered a whole new world of stuff I never knew about the
instruments, the music and the bass community. My first perception of bass was simple dull riffs of open
e over and over again. When I met my teacher my head was blown away. Now I'm an addict and you can
take my bass when you pry it from my cold dead hands.
Dave Meros : I started out on piano when I was 9. Switched to various brass instruments when I hit 7th
or 8th grade and that was the cool thing to do, gradually working my way down in pitch. Started with
trumpet, moved to French Horn, then trombone, and finally bass trombone and tuba. Played bass
trombone throughout my college years.
When I was 20 years old a friend asked me to be in his new band. I thought I would be playing a horn,
but he said no, it was a rock band. I figured then that it would be keyboards. He said no, they had a
keyboard player, and that I would be playing bass!
I had taken exactly two guitar lessons
in high school, so I was familiar with
how the strings were laid out and
how the whole thing worked, but that
was it. I hated guitar. .. I completely
admire a good guitar player but it
feels completely foreign and
uncomfortable in my hands and still
only know those three chords that I
learned in high school.
Anyway, I told him that would be
fantastic, but I didn’t know how to
play bass. He told me I play all these
other instruments so of course I could
play bass. I then told him that I
didn’t have a bass. He said the guitar
player had a really nice ’62 Fender
Jazz Bass that I could use. I told him
I didn’t have an amp. He said the
guitar player also had a bass amp that I could use. I then was out of excuses and became a bass player.
To this day I still haven’t decided if I should thank him or curse him for that.
The funny thing is that I have always been a bass player. It just took 20 years and 5 or 6 other
instruments to figure that out. As soon as I picked it up I automatically somehow knew how to play it and
I had every bass part already imprinted in my brain because that was what I always focused on when I
listened to music, even as a kid. This sounds like bullshit, but it’s absolutely true. The time it took from
that first bass encounter to my first gig as a bass player was less than three weeks.
Hans Jonker : I grew up as a child with only a Harmonica, given to me by my late Grandpa, he taught
me how to play since as far back as I can remember and I think I'm pretty good at playing it. I also have
an acoustic guitar that I just love to play around the campfire and at the river, when I’m fishing
One Saturday morning, a guy knocks on my door, standing with this guitar case, and asks if I would lend
him some money. In return I could keep the guitar as security. Inside was this Red/white Stagg Bass and
it looks quite new. He never returned and I never saw him again. After more than a year I decided to try
my hand on this guitar not to resell it again to recover the debt. Since then I've been HOOKED.. I just
love the sound, the vibration and the way it "speaks" with my inner. Thanks to Martin who wrote back
when I asked for direction and to Alistair Andrews (whom I also contacted), who has a DVD on how to
play Bass. I've learned a lot from this DVD. - (Alistair, I'm looking forward to a follow up, this is the only
way I can learn :-) ) Still struggling on my own, but I definitely know nearly all the chords. Gimme
another week !!
So for all you Bassists out there "there's a new kid on the block".. – struggling, but will eventually win
!!
Hope to join you all soon at a gig/meeting
Keep Bassin'
Vic Bergh : As with many bass players I started off as a guitarist and changed to bass due to the band not
being able to find a bassist. Once I
understood the function of the bass, in
relation to the rhythm section, it became a
journey of fun. Bass players are generally
humble people and don’t express ego when
it comes to sharing info on techniques and
playing styles. I think it will take a few
more years before the other string players
understand what it’s all about. I think the
only way to explain how much I enjoy my
bass is with the answer I gave my wife. She
said I had to choose, her or the bass, to
which I replied, babe, I’m gonna miss you
and take good care of the kids. My wounds
are healing well and the doctor said I should be able to use my right hand soon.
Find the “groove” and you will find your bass.
Ariel Zamonsky : I’m not really quite sure why I play bass, I guess I have nothing else to do.
Jiggs Downing : Went to the Entertainment Unit in the army as a classical guitarist and was ordered to
play bass guitar by the Major for a Nurses Dance, and as they say, the rest is……. hysterical!
I mean really, rather the bass clef than the trouble clef! The bass IS the soul!
Peter Murray : One reason I play bass is that I relate to the role of the
instrument—the way it’s extremely powerful and yet understated at the
same time. That’s a mysterious and seemingly paradoxical role, but I
think that bass players tend to revel in it whenever they’re truly
musically engaged and interacting with a band. Bass players like
having this huge impact on the music, and knowing how indispensable
they are, but they derive their sense of self-worth from the knowledge
of this fact, as opposed to attention and adulation (although attention
and adulation are always welcome perks!). I also love playing bass for
physical reasons. I love the vibrations through the floor (and
sometimes sit on my amp to enhance this pleasure), and the way the
bass feels when it coincides with the bass drum... And I love the fact
that it can sound good with the bass drum in so many different and
subtle ways… ahead, behind, totally locked in… Loving those “little”
yet huge things allows you to enjoy any music, no matter how simple.
In fact, when you’re playing simple music, it becomes more about the
little things, which are in fact the hugest things.
Simon Cox : I play bass 'cos it fits. On a superficial level that is the answer.
The more in depth answer would take more years than I have left, to explain fully ... but I suspect another
bass player will instinctively know what I'd say.
Matt Gradwell : I was always passionate about music in general at a young age, but never found an
instrument I could really feel one with. I tried out guitar, keyboard, even recorder – hated it. Then later in
my mid-teenage years, I discovered metal. It inspired me to do something with myself, and a little voice
in the back of my head said “BASS GUITAR! BASS GUITAR! ” So I picked up a bass and haven’t
stopped rocking since… \m/, (*_*) ,\m/
Jauqo III-X. : For me, bass embodies all that
is enormously beautiful and sacred about
sharing. Bass is definitely a being in and of
itself. It has a way of commanding control
without being obtrusive and if it is, it shouldn't
matter at all because it only gives what it is
allowed. For me, bass just has a way of asking,
how can it be of help to you and those who
care to listen and feel? Bass massages the heart
with a pulse that is the life line unto the
threshold of the groove. It looks to marry the
groove and take the listener onto heights
beyond the highest of highs. I first picked up
bass because it spoke to me but at the time I
had no clue what this entity was called but I liked what it was saying and each time I listened, I always
walked away with something.
Lloyd Engelbrecht : I started playing bass by a stroke of luck. Growing up, my parents sent me for
piano lessons, which I didn’t enjoy, I moved on to guitar lessons, which I didn’t enjoy. I played the sax
and clarinet, and also didn’t enjoy that. Then our church instruments were kept at our house during the
week while the building was still being built. I started playing with the bass guitar when I used to get
home from school. It became like a drug and I couldn’t wait to get home after school for my afternoon
fix. It got to a point where even on weekends I would just want to stay home and play.
To boil it down is easy. Bass controls the music. Eg when you hear music from a car with serious
decibels pumping out of it, the bass is the first thing you hear.
Lucas Senyatso : I started off stealing my mother’s strings that she used for
curtains when I was still very young. Well, you see, my mom couldn't afford
to buy me a guitar, so I had to improvise by making my own. So, when I put
the finishing touch to my tin guitar by putting on the strings, the result was a
bass sound which I fell in love with immediately. Bass guitar is one beautiful
instrument that lays the carpet for the entire rhythm section. The fact that you
can strum just one bottom note underneath a particular chord, and
automatically give everyone direction as to where they are, that, to me, is the
equivalent of the king of the jungle, a LION. What would this world be like
without bassists? Groundless...
Dirk Klut : Started playing bass 10 years ago. Probably not the most difficult instrument to learn, but one
that leaves you with that deep down “feel good” feeling. Something you can’t describe…
Dereck Walstra : Why do I play bass? Simple- I’ve played rhythm
and lead guitar for many years and found there was always some
thing missing in my musical career but could never place what it
was until one, not so fine day I was attacked by criminals which lead
me to being 60 % paralysed. I could no longer play the rhythm
guitar my fingers were no longer able to move, I forced myself to
continue playing the guitar. Slowly my fingers started coming right
but still with difficulty. I was auditioning a bass player, who didn’t
seem to know much about basses. He asked whether I could tune his
bass guitar. From the time I had his bass guitar in my paws and
played a few notes I fell in love with the bass, of course not his bass
because it was not far from being a bow just short of an arrow to
lead him on his way, and it was then that I decided to trade in the
guitar and amp for a bass guitar, of course very unwise I had a
choice between a Cort action and a 70’s Fender Jazz bass, like the raw idiot I was at the time about bass
guitars. I chose the Cort.I eventually discovered that the missing link in my musical career was that I got
more enjoyment and played bass better than the old rhythm guitar. What a price a price to pay to discover
the missing link in my music career. I have been playing bass now for 12 years..
Trevor Smith : I suppose my earliest recollection of playing a four stringed instrument was beginning
ukelele in primary school as part of music education. The melodic lines always stuck out for me above the
one-fingered chords and I always wanted to be in the group that played those. From there I moved to the
trumpet cause I thought everyone else was doing the sax. I continued with that all the way through to
university whereupon wanting to play with a friend of mine who was writing songs I decided to grab an
acoustic bass I had seen. (The four strings were back!) I quickly proceeded to learn lines of favourite
songs and have never looked back. What an experience to lock down a groove, the thrill of pulsating
eighths or the warm floating cushion of a sustained note.
Taylor : Double Bass was
an arranged marriage for
me – at the time it was on
the “endangered
instruments” list, which
meant that the schools were
willing to get as many kids
as possible playing bass,
Tuba, Bassoon etc. I had
been playing the violin.
I’ve grown to love the
instrument, but to be honest
I didn’t give her the respect
that she deserves for a long
time. Yes, my basses are
all female. They’re named
Sandy, Flossy and Macy. I love them all because for years they sat patiently in corners of my room,
waiting for the day that I might be able to understand the nature of their beauty. It’s not what you love,
it’s who loves you.
Mike Campbell : I began playing bass because I thought being in a band would be a good way to meet
girls. However, many years subsequent experience proved that while you were busy playing, other guys
met the girls and took them home before the gig was over. Also, I loved listening to Jim Fielder who was
with “Blood Sweat & Tears” in the early 70s, and tried to copy what he was doing – also the jazz guys
like Ray Brown and Ron Carter.
Pappie Maleke : Why I play bass WOW, Bass determines the genre or style of music. You don’t have to
be in front of the stage for your presence to be felt. When I play in church, I always say it brings the
"PRESENCE OF GOD"
Corrado Canonici : 9 years old, already mad about
music. 10 years old, I discover prog-rock: Emerson,
Lake & Palmer, Genesis, etc etc. I bother my parents
to death for an acoustic guitar, my first ever
instrument. I bother them again one year later for a
bass guitar; including a staggering 30W amplifier,
considered in 1972 a pretty loud one… I start playing
in bands, and double as the lead singer (I know you
cannot believe it!). 16 years old: classical music and
jazz sink in, I opt for a life in music and enter the
Rossini Conservatoire in Pesaro, Italy. I study
composition, and then I notice that a pretty famous
Italian jazz bassist of that time starts teaching in my
College: Bruno Tommaso (later recording for ECM as the band leader and founder of the Italian Instabile
Orchestra). I go to his class, touch the double-bass, and cannot go back anymore. I am hooked.
I was born and educated in Italy, and it’s there where everything started. I then moved to London UK a
long time ago, and now London is my city (happily).
Lenny Padayachee : I started playing bass
when I was 14 years of age, purely because
the church I was attending, needed one. A
friend who was a guitarist, offered to show
me the basics over a weekend; I started
with just playing that and was happy doing
it until I saw Abraham Laboriel live at
Rhema sometime in the 90’s! He changed
my perspective on bass playing, don’t even
mention Mark King from Level 42, with
the LED’s on the neck of his bass! Since
then, my passion for playing bass has never
died.
Robert Quick : I became a Bassist mostly because of a lack of gigs; I am what you call a "Failed
guitarist" Although this is usually sneered at by other bassists for me it was for the best! I would call
myself a very proficient BASSIST, who also plays guitar on the side. I find bass more exciting, I play in a
different way, and I like to do different things not usually seen on a bass, Such as using extended range
Basses.
I predominantly play 6 strings with fingers, I utilise a lot of Slapping, Harmonics and tapping when it is
needed, this makes for interesting bass playing that usually wouldn’t be seen unless it was on a guitar. I
play a lot of Technical stuff AND Funk/Jazz. I am a big fan of progressive rock. Decent guitarists are a
dime a dozen, But I would call myself one of the best bassists in my town. In the three short years I have
been playing, I have been on tour twice, recorded 5 full length CDS and have worked as a Studio bassist
for various projects.
Jim Stinnett : I started on guitar, and like many of us,
I moved to the bass because someone had to hold down
the bottom. As I became a better player, I liked the
strength and power of my role as the bassist in a band.
Playing the bass just felt right.
When I went off to college and heard real jazz, I fell in
love with the double bass violin and spent 25 years
with the dog-house.
Today, I play the bass because it is so much fun
working with my students. I now spend far more time
teaching than playing professionally. The role of the
bass has broadened so that all things are possible and
we continually explore new sounds.
Lastly, and not the least, I play bass because bass
players are easy-going folks. I love how we can get
along. I am fortunate to be a part of a large bass
community that loves the bass.
Charles Adams : Why do I play the bass as opposed to another instrument? Well, if left to my own
devices I would probably have been blissfully playing classical guitar right now, but that, it seems, was
not my destiny. My brother and I became interested in playing the guitar at about the same time – shortly
after, out of curiosity, listening to some of my dad’s old Jimi Hendrix records. He took more to the idea of
making music than I and before long was writing brilliant songs which he then wished to share with other
people and for that, of course, he needed a band. The long and short of it is that I was basically coerced
into buying a bass guitar and playing in his band (I’ve been keeping my nails short ever since). Why do I
play the bass? While I don’t consider myself a musician and will probably not contribute anything
meaningful to the world of music, I cannot help but want to celebrate all the aural beauty and pleasure
experienced throughout my life. From the first time hearing Jimi to Jaco, Pat, Ornette and countless
others; when I pluck the strings of my Ibanez I imagine that I’m experiencing a resonance of what they
know about sound and what it means.
Jimi Glenister : There are all sorts of reasons why I play bass, some of the very same reasons as other
bass players have mentioned, but the essential starting point, the initial impetus that had me pick up an
instrument can be the only reason I play. Because no one in their right mind can turn away from a bass
once first played successfully. The music world is populated by bass players and frustrated bass players frustrated because they'd rather be playing bass than sax or guitar or whatever.
So, that starting point; back in 1970 two friends and
I joined the school choir so that we could get out of
marching around as cadets. Back then the schools
had these cadet parades with everyone dressed up in
brown uniforms and boots, marching up and down
very military like - not pleasant. Anyway we
discovered the choir was easy for us, no real
surprise to us though, we could sing in tune and
made up the entire bass/baritone section of the choir
at the time. As one can expect, we decided to start a
band and after much discussion about what to call
the band we decided who would play what. The one
guy from a very musical family said he'd play lead
guitar, flute and backing vocals. The other guy with
a reasonable voice wanted to be lead vocal and
rhythm guitar. Me, I was tall (back then 6 foot was
tall) and skinny with big hands and long fingers there was only one choice - no, not drums. It
clinched the deal when the guy I went to for lessons
said that with those fingers he's going to have me
on TV playing bass. It was only then when I started
to focus on the bass part in all my favourite music I
started to realise that I was perfectly suited for that
musical roll - an accompanist, not a lead/front-man
type, an essential element marrying the percussion/drums rhythm with the melodic "chordal" elements of
a tune. Also, echoing what several other bassists say, I'd somehow always heard the bass in a mix even
way before choosing the instrument. Take the bass away from a line-up and the sound seems to become
soulless, the sound loses its definition somehow and I was told that a vocalist in many contexts listens to
the bass for their queue. Wow - at last I seemed to be indispensable!
Okay, so fair-enough to all of that, but I'm also basically a lazy bloke and although to do the job properly
one needs to know the notes on the neck, play the scales and use all the fingers, man, other instruments,
all those notes at the same time in a chord and all that melody widdling was just too much work and much
too much to remember, as for remembering words to a song - forget it.
A sax player I played with once told me that in his experience bass players are some of the few musicians
that actually choose their instrument rather than falling into it by accident - well in my case I think the
instrument and its idiom chose me!
I have just recently developed arthritis in both my hands which causes quite some pain when playing
bass, but you know, there is no way I can part with my bass, particularly this one - I first saw one on the
cover of Bassist magazine with Jack Bruce's ugly mug resting on the body of a beautiful chocolate brown
oil rubbed, smoothed no-sharp-edges ergonomic shape, comfy but business-like - and then I got to play
one and, of course, I heard the 'growl' and, as they say, it was love for life - my Warwick Thumb and I.
Okay so the Double Bass standing in the corner of the living room also needs attention!
Daniel Rezant : The Bass guitar to me is a very interesting, creative, innovative and versatile instrument
I fell in love with the Bass at the age of 11 at that time I only watched the guy that inspired me to play Mr Abraham Laboriel. He was
totally, the best for me at that time.
I started playing at the age of 14
and when at the age of 15, I did my
first major gig, I realised why he
has and show’s such great stage
performance because the Bass is
something you feel. When you play
it, every little sense of your body
shuts down and it gives a great
feeling both inside your soul and
externally .I absolutely love the
sound of the Bass, especially when
I’ve put on new strings - the sound
of fresh strings, bouncing of my fret
board when I slap & pop is the best
ever, an interesting fact about why I
love playing it is that before I could
play any chord I could slap & pop –
why? I don’t know?
Something else discovered is that when people ask me what instrument I play and I reply, saying “bass
guitar” they say at times (those who don’t know) “oh nice, a guitar!” It really irritates me coz I don’t play
guitar like they know it - they always think of George Benson. I then have to explain to them that’s
something that irritates me. A band can go without a guitarist, vocalist or keyboard player but not a
Bassist, with the bass you can literally play anything from harmonics to low bass notes to full chords, to
leading like a solo guitarist that’s wot I love about it. Like the Gangsters say, A BULLET MAY KILL,
A FIRE MAY BURN BUT A TRUE BASSIST WILL ALWAYS RETURN!!!!!! Much Love and
Respect to the late EDDIE JOOSTE the guy with the Biggest Heart and love for all bassists and
musicians all over - especially in CAPE TOWN!!!!!!
Pippo Matino : I just started to play the bass because in my first band, at the age of13, there was a
drummer, guitar player and piano player, but...there wasn’t a bass player! So, I started to play some “bass
lines” on my guitar and then I bought my first bass guitar (it may have been an EKO from Italy based on
the Fender Precision bass).But then I found some albums from Mr. Pastorius and Mr Clarke.....and that
was the reason......
Rob O’Brien : I never set out to play bass actually. I was always
going to be the singer. Seemingly someone upstaged me in the
vocal stakes and I was “awarded” the opportunity to play bass. It
was never an instrument that I felt limited by, from the onset. I
pushed it very far when I was younger (in an almost Jack Bruce
sense). I soon began to lean more into the groove of whatever
drummer I was playing with and realised the power and command
a solid rhythm section could exude. I’ve been playing now for
over 15 years and have been through many bands and performed
with some truly exceptional musicians. Why do I play bass then?
Because it commands so many musical colours, it drives, it
grooves, it’s the thinking mans instrument. Because I could never
have achieved any of these musical goals without it and still feel
the same way about this instrument as I did 15 years ago. Without
it there would be nothing. Amen.
Stef Neumeyer : The reason why I play bass is that I believe that the instrument keeps the bottom ends
together.. nothing nicer than sitting in the pocket with a simple groove or working out a serious lick and
you crack it and all is done with awesome tone...even better when you lock in with a good drummer and I
say that with respect :-) because I play by ear I have taken shortcuts and copied all my life and only since
getting educated have I really come to know the BASS better, for me that’s awesome and I have realised
that it’s what you don’t do that counts big time. It’s lekka for me to put up a nice tone and get the smiles
from the band and the sound engineer asking for more volume because it creates an atmosphere only the
bass player can initiate. Another reason is because it’s so simple yet so complex and you get rewarded for
work and time spent exploring the bass.
Tom Kennedy : I was next in line behind my Sister and Brother to study Piano, but somehow the
instrument just didn't speak to me.
My parents told me, many times,
that I used to run around the house
at 2 or 3 years old, singing bass
notes to anything that was being
played on the stereo........ my
sister's Beatles records, my Mom's
musicals, or my Dad's jazz
recordings. When I was 8 years
old, my brother brought home an
upright Bass to practice, as he had
decided to play in the school
Orchestra. I'll never forget the day
I was allowed to try it
.........feeling the incredible
vibration as I plucked the strings,
and hearing that deep resonance.
I was hooked! In a matter of just
a few minutes, I realized that this
was the instrument for me.........
almost 40 years later, it's STILL the instrument for me!
Judy Foxcroft (GrannyBass) : I have always wanted to play bass guitar since my young days (I only
started in my 40’s) Hence the nickname “Grannybass”. After attending a worship team seminar, which
exposed me to my first Christian
upbeat band, I was so excited that my
husband bought me a bass guitar for
Christmas. For me, the bass guitar is
the most expressive instrument and
has awesome impact. You can either
make or break the song. Without the
bass, there is that emptiness in the
music that only a bass guitar can fill.
I love the way you get to express
your feelings through the instrument
and of course, it’s soooooo cool to be
a bass player and when mixing with
other bassists, you get to feel so special, whether you are good or not. Bass players are a very special
breed of muso.
Marco Castelli : Why I play the Bass? Because music is never an island. Music is like the sea and I love
sailing it on the board of my Bass!
Gareth Langdon : Why did I start to play bass? Honestly?? Well, mainly because I couldn't get my hand
around chords, so I just started playing the notes on Electric Guitar. I was about 17 at the time! My friend
told me I should try a Bass... I didn't even know it existed! But since then I've never looked back! I've
been playing in various Christian Rock outfits now for about 15 years, including Church worship and
session bassing, although probably only the past 7 years have been of any real depth!! Although I'm
currently not in any bands, since my arrival in Cape Town, I really feel I've matured as a player! I'm so
keen to get back into the scene again! I can't read music as I'm Dyslexic, so everything I play is from the
ear via the heart and soul! I just love it! Improvisation rules! Well, most of the time! Everyone I know
says I'm the best bassist they know, so I keep telling them, “they obviously don't know many bassists”!
Still it’s nice to have the encouragement! If you don't already play bass, go for it! you'll be hooked and
will never regret it!
Benoit Grigaut : Why I play Bass? I have been blessed with the love of music
and jazz listening especially through my father from the days when you can't
speak yet... The headphones were falling off my head! I then listened to music
for many years but without any sense of direction... Direction fell upon me when
I was living in Berlin and my best friend was a bass player, I went to his gigs and
I will never forget the huge smile on his face on stage with his big fender bass... I
never let down the bass since then and would love to play with him one day! I
then received the ultimate inspiration boost listening to Bass Players such as
Ntsooleng Stetso 'BIGCITI' in Botswana, Concord Nkabinde, Bongani Sokhela,
and many more in SA and abroad... I play Bass because Bass is like me :
demanding, beautiful, grooving : I ultimately want to contribute into making
people happy through music! Music without bass does not touch anyone, I
believe.
Gary van Zyl : In 1964 I was a drummer in a little band in Uitenhage (Eastern Cape) The band members
said I looked like Jet Harris of the Shadows and decided (For me) that I buy a Sunburst Fender Precision
Bass. (Named Daisy and has had surgery to be a 5 string) which to this day has paid for everything I own
and has taken me to quite a few countries in the world. I love the Bass and will never stop laying down
the Groove as long as my gift serves me!
Clive Jackson : I enjoy playing bass as it allows me to express myself as a musician.
Antonella Mazza : I really don’t know why I play bass. I wonder
if I chose bass for a special reason or just for a destiny joke! The
only thing I know is, it’s that, bass makes me special, makes me
happy, gave me the opportunity to grow up, makes me smile
everyday when I wake up! It’s like the Aladdin’s lamp for me. I
can realize every desire thanks to it!
I’m not a real bass player, I’m just a musician and I express
myself through an instrument… in this case, it happens to be
bass!!
Peace ∆
Theo Josias : Well, it started with a few friends of mine who could play guitar and wanted to do pieces in
church, I was roped in on the bass (without ever touching the instrument before) and that was it. My view
on the bass changed when I realised that I was the instrument and the bass simply an extension of who I
am. Today every gig is an opportunity to create my rhythm, my harmony and blend it with those of my
fellow musicians. What an awesome connection when it all comes together…………..
Jimi Curve : It all started in Port Elizabeth, where myself and mates were studying at 1st and 2nd year
level at varsity and PE Technikon .We would hang out a lot after a day’s lectures and catch up to normal
mischief making a fire, getting intoxicated and talking about the world around us. One day I picked up
my mate’s acoustic guitar and started strumming, realizing that I had some rhythm and soon there were
more guitars, more friends and more intoxication. Within months, it led to a jam spot in the industrial area
of PE, and even an electric guitar and drums came into the works. It was great fun and awesomely loud.
We’d be at the factory 3 to 4 times a week making music and having parties on the weekend. Within in a
month or so, a mate of mine, Ian, bought a Samick bass guitar and amp and when he brought it that night
for the first time, I was mesmerized, and just watched him taking this guitar on, but he wasn’t too good at
it. The next day, I knew I had to try it and that next jam, I asked to have a go. Wow, it felt so natural and
sounded so warm and full and filling the jamming with groove. Within a few days I was designated bass
player. It was so exciting. The other interesting thing was realizing that all those years of listening to
music which I loved doing, and then picking up the bass, I figured out that the bass guitar, and even bass
synths were what made the groove, and me, move with the music and then this experience of finding the
bass so comfortable to play….
That was it, a natural calling. The next year I enrolled at the music department at university.
Hadrien Feraud : I started to have an interest in music at the age of 6 or7. I
remember I loved to play drums on the stuff in my mother’s Kitchen . My
father was always playing guitar at home and at around 10 years old, I used
to borrow the guitar from him and tried to make music with it ...He showed
me how to use the guitar to start to learn ...We played simple pieces together
sometimes .
After 2 years I stopped with the guitar ( I lost interest ). I was more attracted
to the Drums and bass ... At 13, my father bought me the birthday concert of
Jaco Pastorius and made me hear Weather report ...I had the revelation
immediately - hearing that "strange sound" of a fretless . I knew that I would
be a Bass Player ...I think it’s the most emotional instrument I’ve ever heard.
Carl Rohrbeck : The honest answer to why I play bass is that back in the day, when I first started
playing, I wanted to play drums, but my folks said no, it’s too expensive. My cousin had a spare bass
guitar and said that I should start to play to get the feel for rhythm. So I started. A month later, my friend
wanted to start a band, and needed a bassist and I said why not?... it’s something to do while I wait for
drums. Seven years later I still play bass in the same band, with no regrets, and love every minute of it.
Alex Searle : I’ve been playing the bass for nearly four years already, and
everyday it gets better. I think it’s important to fall in love with the idea of it
being the heart and soul of the band; pumping that low groove driving the funk
of the song. Why do I play bass? Because without music, my life would be quite
trivial and mundane and bass for some strange primal reason is the easiest way
to express that gratification, if you like, for this. I’ve always had music flow,
and while I range from being reasonably proficient to down right shite with
many other instruments, the bass (and more recently, the double bass) seems to
strike a chord (if you’ll pardon the pun) within me. From the moment I heard
my hero Geddy Lee of Rush pop away on his Wal bass on their fantastic Power
Windows album, or hear the master Mark King slap himself into a daze on his
Alembic, I fell in love. And this is the only way to go about music.
Brad Davies : There are many reasons I play bass. Like martin, I prefer the bass over all the other
instruments. It’s a sexy instrument to play and for some reason the girls go mad over us bass players!!
(not that I’m in it only for the girls) . It’s not easy for me to put the bass down because it is so addictive.
I love making up new licks and just messing around. Bass makes the music. If you don’t believe me just
ask a drummer!!!!
Martin Motnik : My brother brought home a bass when I was 13, and I
instantly fell in love with the instrument. I loved the sound and the feel of
the big strings, and practiced every day when I was a teenager. Now when
I'm on stage, I really enjoy having an instrument that can stand energetic
playing. If I were to play guitar, I’d probably be breaking strings all the
time.
Kirwan Brown : I switched to bass from piano at an early age. I think it was mostly a love for low end. I
started piano lessons at five and went through a typical classical piano training: much emphasis on
learning existing pieces, preparing for recitals, etc., with none of my teachers covering improvisation or
jazz or pop piano. Around age 12, I was playing in a garage rock band with a drummer and a guitarist
who were around my age, and we couldn't find a bass player. Finally we auditioned a kid who owned a
bass and a small amp, but he couldn't play it. It didn't matter; when he plugged that bass in and the open
strings were rumbling around and shaking the floor, I was VERY intrigued. Around the same time, my
dad bought bigger speakers for our
stereo at home, and for the first time,
you could hear the bass parts to all
these familiar songs on the radio, like
all the Motown stuff. Hearing these
"counterpoint" lines -different from the
vocal part, simply blew my mind - it
was a complete revelation. I started
hanging out at the local music store
and plunking on the early 70's Fender
basses they had, and I managed to
figure out the bass line to Gordon
Lightfoot's "Sundown." My dad
finally bought me a cheap bass and
away I went. It was a much more
personal experience, because there
were no bass teachers in our area so I
just taught myself. From that
experience, I now know how I would relearn piano if I could!
Arjan Kamper : I became a bassist cos I had to have something to be really committed to, something to
get away from it all and because it’s really fun to play. I choose bass cos it fits my personality; I'm not
really extroverted so bass fits me best.
Alan Goldstein : I started playing bass as upright in a class in middle school that was called String Lab
or something. Each few weeks, we would switch from violin, cello, upright bass and nylon guitar. After
learning nylon classical guitar in school, when I was 14, I got into Heavy Metal more and wanted to be in
a covers band with my guitar buddies. I think the real deal that grabbed my attention was the Sweet Child
of Mine song and video by
Guns ‘n’ Roses and the
Metallica one’s video. That
was it - I wanted to be a
Rockstar guitarist but none of
the bands needed guitar! They
needed bass, so my dad rented
me a bass to make sure I stick
with it before buying one fully.
I joined a cover band with my
rented pink Starforce bass, lol
and the rest was history I
guess... I'm self taught, more
of an ear player as I hated
theory and piano lessons when
I was a young boy.
Eventually on bass, I got into funk jazz and fusion and that’s where I learned some cool chops and runs
from. Marcus, Patitucci, Clarke, Wooten, Willis, Jaco, Stu, and Manring who were all super influences on
me. Also Cliff Burton, Billy Sheehan, Les Claypool, and Geddy Lee changed my life forever...
There was just a certain magic about both fretless and fretted alike in the hands of those guys... I love
bass, as my main thing obviously, but also enjoy drums / hand percussion and guitar, still, as a hobby. I
hope that people enjoy my music and playing, and take care everyone reading this ;)
Thank you !
Martin Suchodolski : First of all, it’s fun. Great fun. I play in a jazz-funk band, and this kind of music is
purely for having fun – either whilst playing or listening to. I actually love the physical sensation of
playing bass – particularly 4-string bass guitar or acoustic upright. I like the feeling of plucking the
strings with my right hand and grabbing the notes with the left one. I like the way the instrument
resonates and vibrates against my body.
Playing bass is also an intellectual challenge for me - or intellectually-emotional. It’s because I have to
learn, and work really hard to get all the harmonic and melodic concepts in my ears and fingers, and to
know how to show my feelings through learned skill. Really important for me (when soloing) is the fact
that a bass guitar’s range of frequencies is somewhat similar to male vocals – which helps me improvise,
as I believe that the best melodies are the ones that could be sung.
I also love playing bass guitar, ‘cause it has so many different sounds. It can be hard, punchy and strong.
It can be deep and groovy, perfectly integrated with the drums, felt rather than heard, moving audience’s
hips. It can be soft, singing and mellow – like in a fretless, with lots of ‘mmmwwwah’. It can as well, be
zingy and metallic.
And the main reason for me playing bass is the responsibility it holds in a band. The bass has a decisive
role – it gives song a particular groove – be it swing, latin, funk or rock. If a song was a living creature,
drums and bass would be its heartbeat and breath. It also ‘tells’ people about harmony – a bassist can
change a chord completely just by playing, say, a sixth instead of a root note.
To make it short – being a bass player, I can play some pretty melodies, spacy chords or bang some
strong and simple rhythms. And make it all great.
Shaun Johannes : I started out as a selftaught pianist from age 12. Later went to
learn jazz piano at the Jazz Workshop under
Merton Barrow and George Werner
respectively. Whilst at the workshop, I
started noodling on some of the basses
there. It started getting addictive as
sometimes I’d miss my lesson because I
was busy messing around! In 1999 I
became a founder member of a
township/cape flats music band project
called The Little Giants. I started out on
keys but like every other band we didn’t
have a bassist. I was then forced to get one
(a 5-string ACADEMY & a VANTAGE
amp) and after two months of practicing (one of which was unplugged because I couldn’t afford a cable
or strap) did my first gig at the Jazzathon Festival in Cape Town. Sadly my fresh blisters from the
practicing decided to bleed on that gig and after gaffer taping them good and proper, I had a crash course
in intense pain and when that was too unbearable, a crash course in slapping the rest of my gig!!!
After that great start I was sold…
Doug Johns : Looking back, I realize how lucky I am to have grown up at
the time, and around the musical influences, that I did. I hear those influences
in my playing now, and it feels good.
Everything I’ve experienced right up to this very moment – good and bad –
will come out in the music when I pick up a bass. It allows me to open a
window into my soul, and I love that about this instrument.
When I play the bass guitar, I feel free. Whether I play by myself or with an
audience it doesn’t matter; bass is the tool that allows me to express myself.
I’m pretty sure the bass found me. I didn’t search for it.
Steve Walters : I play the bass because I had a guitar lesson at age 8 with Phil Chen. He was the bass
player for Jeff Beck and Rod Stewart at the time. As an 8 year old sitting in his front room full of basses
hanging on the wall something clicked. I made a connection not only to the bass but also to the fact that
as a bass player you can make a good
living and have a cool apartment with
loads of guitars and basses and still have
time to give an 8 year old boy a lesson.
I also play bass because when I'm in the
pocket or the zone I feel so at one with
music, I feel it from deep within yet I
know it comes from just as deep from
outside of me. It's not me playing on a
good day it's some higher power playing
through me, I feel so close to GOD 'or' my
experience of him/her when I'm in that
place, where time stands still and it all
happens in super slow motion, spaces have
a gravity and notes have a density or
lightness that surpasses technique or musical harmonic structure from a book. It's not until after the
experience has passed that I realise from those around me what has actually taken place.
I play bass because it’s where I'm truly at home and comfortable to express myself through my entire
'mind, body and spirit'. It's where I feel connected to all things.
Nikki Pheiffer : I love music and bass is just so powerful, plus there are fewer girls playing bass, which
makes it extra fun.
Rami Lakkis : I love all instruments, but the reason why I think bass
was my choice is because it is the precise medium that is best suited to
compliment, or just in general, express what I have to say in a musical
context. It’s one of the keys for shifting from one mood to the other.
Now a little less spiritual and a little more common talk.... it creates the
pocket! HAHA!!
Greg Brown : I started off on guitar and quickly grasped the logic underlying the notes on the fretboard
and elements of basic chord theory. So much so in fact that at the age of 14 I wrote a book (which was
never published) on 1,500 different chord shapes and various chord progressions. When I was 15 I
formed a band and we ended up with two rhythm guitarists. I borrowed a bass from a friend and because I
knew which notes belonged to each of those 1,500 chords, the transition to bass was very easy. Then
came the big bass experience. I plugged into this big bass amp and started playing bass grooves on the
huge growly bass strings. Immediately I felt a connection with the pulse and heartbeat of the universe. It
was an incredible experience! I had found my niche in the musical universe. Fifteen years later I studied
the elements of slap/pop technique and this enabled me to become even more connected in a uniquely
percussive and rhythmic way. Finally when I dabbled with the fretless bass I realised that I could meander
through this low-frequency world in a very mysterious and elusive manner. So the reason why I play bass
is that it makes me feel connected to the pulse of the universe in a very special and mysterious way. And
it also makes me feel that I am connected to all the bass players of the universe. What a privilege!
Gary Holder : Long before I started playing electric bass I was drawn to the sound of the instrument.
This was at quite an early age, probably before I was 10 years old. I remember being visually impressed
by the proportions of a bass, bigger than a guitar & having a much longer neck complemented by a row of
big tuning keys. However, the biggest draw was the four thick strings, smooth, completely smooth with
low tension, fine to the touch & producing such a deep sound. I was sold on all this, bass was it for me.
At the age of sixteen I bought a secondhand electric bass with money earned during Summer cutting
grass. My Mum drove me to a music shop & we left with a bass without a case but tuned up by the shop
assistant, who also gave me a valuable scrap of paper with the notes written down for each string so I
could learn what they were.
Then I went to work with my bass, still doing it & still cutting grass!
Adam Taylor : I started playing bass because they needed someone
to play at church. I had only played guitar for a year, and was then
asked to play bass in the band context. I wasn't very good at first
(obviously); walking the bass was more playing a game of multiple
choice with notes. The initial view of the bass was that it was very
easy to play, but further down my journey with this instrument I've
discovered an infinite depth and intricacy to it, including different
tonal approaches (finger techniques, muting, ghost notes etc.), groove
and the personal ability to be creative/original. I'm falling more in
love with the tone and possibilities almost constantly. I now love bass
because of Fender :)
Rika Hebrst : Nothing beats the low, Earth-Moving sound of a
BASS!
Raul Amador : I play for the love of the instrument. Playing Bass goes
beyond merely hearing. When you are “on” you can feel your “Voice”
reach up like it is going right through the roof! There is nothing like it!
If you can combine your “Voice” with that of fellow musicians …. Well
now you have a conversation in the universal language…….. Music!
Mark Grandcourt : BASS JUST ROCKS
Since I’ve been playing bass I would always watch other bass players to see what they are doing… but
above just watching a good bass player, I would listen and enjoy the sounds that they create. I think it’s
one of the greatest pleasures in life to listen to good bass playing.
I just find bass totally amazing.
That’s why I play bass.
Jorge Pescara : Playing bass makes me reach higher spiritual levels, and while I play the bass the low
frequencies produce in me beneficial vibrations all over my body…
Chris Adams : I first started out on acoustic guitar,
then electric, but there was something missing, even
though I could play pretty well, it didn't always suit
me. It was when I finally figured out that everywhere
(Church, school, bands, your grandmother's living
room, in the Kitchen sink, etc.) there were too many
guitarists, then I realized that hey, here is something
new to try - so I got myself my first bass, at age 16, it
was a Peavey P bass that I later gave to one of my
students. From there, I progressed quite quickly, from
a 4 string to a 5 string, from that 5 string to a 6 string,
and from that 6 string to a fretless, and now to an
upright. I'm currently enrolled at Palo Alto College in
the great state of TEXAS! with my band, Years After
Jericho (Rock), its been a great run so far and I will be honored to continue playing!
Don Campbell : I started out wanting to be a drummer and banging on things, then moved to the clarinet
in grade school at the urging of my dad to learn to read music. Then I got lit up by the guitar in the early
‘60s (who didn’t?). But a local band needed a bass player when I was in junior high, so I borrowed one,
learned it a little bit, and never looked back. Bassists are never out of work. Plus, I tend to be a behindthe-scenes guy. I’m not a big soloist or a flashy player. Studying all those old B.B. King bass players,
Jerry Jemmott, James Jamerson and those guys, I learned what the pocket is and how to stay there. I dig
being the musical version of the kick drum. There’s just something powerful about moving that much air.
Mel Brown : I play the bass because I love it. I want to play every time I see a
Jazz Bass. It looks cool. It sounds cool. It offers an opportunity to unite with,
show love, and support my fellow musicians. It offers an opportunity to be
featured in the most powerful way. I live the Low Life and wouldn't trade it for
anything in the world!
Mischa Marcks : I started playing bass at 15 years. But long before that, I was dancing in one of my
Mother´s expressive dance courses. So I always had this connection of movement to music. I have to
admit, that when I listen to new music, at first I listen to the drums, very closely. The drums will tell me
how to move. Later on, when I was playing bass for a few years, I found out that the bass actually makes
your body move just by its voluminous sound. That was, when I really fell in love with the instrument.
You can feel what you play. It´s an Instrument, that not only speaks to your ears, but your whole body.
Mary-Anne Ray : Why do I play bass?
There’s something else??
How else does a girl get to grrrrrrrowwwwl?
Bass links drums to music
The groove, the patterns, the discipline
Bass and drums together
Because even when I don’t play it stays with me
It keeps me out of trouble
I saw a piano, I played it. I saw a guitar, I played it
I heard the bass…
I don’t know how I played six nights a week for twenty-five
years…it ruined my nails
I still hug my bass
I dream in bass.
I play bass because I dance to the bottom end of the music.
At age ten I taught myself to play the piano and to read. I
understood the left hand.
I heard Jack Bruce in Cream...I felt where he was going
At seventeen I bought an accoustic guitar and a book of chords.
Songs started writing themselves. Most of them were terrible,
but all were bass driven.
Stanley Clarke...Return to Forever
In 1978 someone needed a girl with a voice and legs to play in a
showband. She had to play bass. I had two weeks to move my
head from guitar to bass. My heart was already there. Two
weeks to learn the repertoire, toughen the hands, strengthen the
wrists, develop biceps and attach myself to the bass drum. I bled
but was utterly comfortable.
I had to work very hard to be accepted as a musician rather than
a girl bassist. I played bass professionally in all genres for
almost thirty years and loved every minute of it.
I retired but yearn ...
Virgilio Venditti : I play the bass because I am a solid man, one that likes to organize “concrete” things.
Things that will last long and that have a “logic”, somewhere. Logic that will be intimately coupled with
creativity and true, genuine emotions. Often, the
bass-players through time, develop a better
understanding of the overall scenario: they
somehow focus better and therefore they become
producers or excellent photographers (huge sense
of the “synthesis”) like Milt Hinton, Sting or Rick
Laird. It’s not a case.
Bass player’s emotions and feelings will translate
in either a few appropriate meaningful notes at the
right time or in a lot of musical notes melted in a
beautiful solo. My basslines will patch the rhythm
with the melody and my ultimate goal is to
properly address and carry the band, either in a
duo/trio or in a bigger context. I will not be scared
and will be proud to accept the challenge. I will
drive the “humour” of the moment at anytime in
the right place. I play the bass because I know
where to go.
I am a bass player because I understand something
about the meaning of the life, that is, always help
the others feel better. Relieve some pain in any
way. My reward is unique in knowing myself
(others may notice too) that I’ve done the right
thing at the right moment and therefore things work
just fine. Leave the applause and the newspapers to
the guitarist or the saxophonist… for me it would
just be useless noise…
I play the bass because you would never go
anywhere without me. But my goal is NOT to stop or to drag you down! On the contrary: I will spend my
soul to set the basis for you to break free in the world of beautiful music!!!
I play the bass for the same reason I married my wife: I just can’t live without her, and this relationship
always requires total dedication and “equilibrium” on a tight rope. But differently from her, the bass will
never a) ask for the credit card and b) pull out the CD from the player to put them anywhere around
WITHOUT the case (sacrilege!)
My bass provides soft and round notes that hold an awful lot in an understated but satisfactory way, these
notes give birth to vibes that are in direct contact with your soul. Nothing that can be compared with the
immediate and not always required violence of a sax, the sometimes excessive thunderstorm of a drum kit
or the often unnecessary evanescence of the guitar.
I did not choose the bass: it chose me!!! Only if you enter in intimacy and exactly tune into the same
wavelength of the instrument you will actually “play music” through it. And it’s not an easy task to be
accomplished, trust me. Every day will be a different challenge and a new “fight” to find the right sound:
for mysterious reasons, yesterday’s bass-amp set-up does not work today. A daily and eternal challenge.
My bass does not forgive me any mistakes: it wants me always well concentrated while playing and this
attitude deeply changed my whole human being attitude. It’s never a “good” instrument but rather a
“righteous” one! A bass player will always be in conditions to make a good set-up and to fix minor
problems: this is the index for a real reached intimacy with it.
I play the bass because it is a “zen” instrument: minimalist but unavoidable, like the snow and the sun, the
good or the bad, the health or the illness; strictly related to… the books of Brian Weiss!!! In either case,
everybody will always be grateful to the bass-player; I would not play anything else. Yes: I will play the
bass for you.
My, rudimental page:
http://xoomer.alice.it/charlie_min2003/Virgilio_Venditti.htm
My Dean Stylist page:
http://xoomer.alice.it/charlie_min2003/Dean_Stylist_B1_Page.htm
diRASTAMAN : Reading through what everybody wrote quickly, it sort of
stopped me in my trax. It’s like you find yourself thinking till all the
background noise faded, and it’s just you and your thoughts. So many of us
started off playing something else. Maybe because it looked glamorous, and
then somehow ended up playing bass. When you think of what you can
play, you will very seldom choose to play anything else. It’s in your
blood…..
Pieter Crous : I play bass because it’s a versatile instrument. It isn’t too ‘In Your Face’ but can still set
the mood in a song. The bass guitar can really drive a song. It’s a beautiful instrument.
Vincenzo Maurogiovanni : Well, why bass?…It’s a long story, but I’ll try to explain it in a few words…
I started playing drums at 16 with my Cousins in a rock band, then discovered I have more of a rhythmic
attitude, and when listening to a bass I thought: ”this will be my instrument!!”
I was attracted by the possibilities of making harmony and melody and rhythm together, having a bass
backing to create an orchestral sound.
I attended a music school for two years, having basic education on technique, harmony, score reading etc,
then I continued to study by myself, creating a personal sound based on my four-finger technique.
Everyday I apply myself to improve my skills and add a new sound to my playing.
I think bass is an expression tool, and this means that by this instrument we can talk about our ideas, we
can explain our inner nature, studying tradition for having consciousness of what we play, but being
innovative, using the bass in the way we, personally, like to, for example, as a solo, duo, trio or big band
player and whatever else we want to use it for. Music is an abstract concept and who likes bass must like
at first love music in all of its aspects. I like to play and listen to classical music and jazz, from fusion to
movie soundtracks and playing all this summarizing on the bass or playing with other musicians.
A friend of mine told me years ago, “remember, be a musician first and then a bass player”.
I remember this advice everyday.
Steve Gee : I started on guitar when I was
age 10 and have never stopped playing
guitar. But at age 15 I realized I was
focusing more on rhythm and picking out
bass lines. I borrowed a friend’s bass guitar
and in an instant knew I wanted to play
bass.
I love the bass; in a sense, it's a sort of
'pseudo-covert' instrument in that it sits
almost hidden to the unknowing ear,
between the thumping crash of the drums
and the onslaught of lead guitars, synths,
brass and anything else that thinks it can
shove the bass into the background. But
people sure notice it when it's not there!
And when it does take the spotlight - look out. You don't just hear the bass - you feel it! That, in part, is
why I love and play the bass.
Damian Erskine : Initially, I
started playing bass (at age 6)
because my grandfather made me!
I discovered drums on my own
later (at age 10) and then fell in
love with music and musical
discovery as a whole. I've always
played both, but in college
switched my focus to bass and
have truly just fallen in love with
the ability the instrument affords to
interact both rhythmically AND
harmonically. There was a time
when I was only playing music
because it was what I did best, so I
figured it made sense to pursue that
as a career. Now, however, it is
simply interwoven into my fabric
and is very much a part of who and what I am. If I won the lottery today and never had to take a gig I
didn't necessarily care about again, I would still put as much energy into my music as I do today (maybe
with more vacations, tho! ;) I feel like something is missing from my daily experience if I don't get to
play at some point throughout the day. It is what I do and who I am and I can't imagine my life without
music.
Leandro Mannino : It was back in 1996, I heard Jamiroquai’s first album and was totally blown away by
Stu Zender’s groove. That’s basically why I started to play the bass... Later on I went onto some classics
like Stanley Clarke, Jaco, etc. What I realized with time, is that playing the bass can give you so many
emotions and feelings when you reach a way of grooving which expresses straight on what your mind
“tells” you to play. It’s just then that you can understand what we feel when we have our instrument in
our hands... Starting to play the bass is probably the best decision I ever took in my life...
Aram Bedrosian : I think in a strange way I have always been a bass player. When I trace back my life,
really, the first thing I remember is the
image of a Gene Simmons doll in the
grocery store. I must have been two
years old or so but I remember it
clearly. My older brother was way into
The Who when I was small so I got
exposed to incredible bass playing very
early on. When I was five years old I
got a copy of “Thriller” and the grooves
on that album killed me. I dressed up
like Nikki Sixx for Halloween, years
before I played bass. I played
saxophone in school for a while but
around thirteen I picked up the bass
guitar so my group of friends could
start a band and I’ve never looked back.
I still have the same incredible feeling I had the day I started playing and the same fascination I had when
I saw that Gene Simmons doll. Music is totally amazing and the sound of the bass gets me every time.
I’m totally in love with it every day of my life and I feel so thankful to be around it.
…oh, and the bass totally rocks
Derrick Foy : For Christmas 2005, my daughter (then 11), begged for a bass guitar. "I want to play bass
like Pete Wentz"(bassist with her then favorite group, Fall Out Boy), she said.
What could I say? I considered it the sexiest instrument in the band and pictured my baby down the road
as Tina Weymouth or Sara Lee, holding the bottom down and holding her own with the boys. What's
more, I had always harbored a desire to pick up the bass. I promptly purchased a Squier P-Bass and baby
amp package, which barely stayed hidden in the trunk of my car.
As the big day drew near, I found myself anticipating opening the box as much as she did. We
compromised; on Christmas Eve, I allowed her to tear into the box (with my enthusiastic help).
She loved it. What I found was that as soon as she put the bass down for a minute, I picked it up, working
out "Boris The Spider" or "Blinded Me With Science" (she still plays Boris).
Amazon.com tells the story... On December 28, 2005, I ordered a Carlo Robelli 4-string acoustic-electric
from Sam Ash. A cheap acoustic bass; very cheap to be sure, but with a silky sound and gloss black finish
that I wish I hadn't sold away (in a moment of weakness following acquisition of my Fender Mexican
Jazz 4). God, I miss that bass...
Bob Skeat : I started on piano as a kid, went on to guitar when I was a
young teenager wanting to be a 'pop star', but it wasn't long before I
realised that it was the bass lines on records that were turning me on,
then my uncle (jazz bassist Len Skeat) gave me an electric bass and I've
never looked back!!
Dr. Donovan Stokes : I played piano since before I could walk. I would crawl up on the piano stool and
bang away. I started piano lessons at 3 years of age, and my first memory of this life is looking at my
th
th
hands as they played the piano. In middle school, (6 - 8
grade) I played trombone, euphonium, trumpet, guitar and a
few other instruments along the way. I continued on
trombone until my final year of High School (pre-college). In
th
my 8 year of school I was playing guitar in a rock band,
which I had formed with two friends. We never could find
an adequate bass player. At one bass audition, I picked up the
would-be bass player's instrument while he was off getting
drinks and food. Things clicked better than with any of the
people we auditioned. That night I took my money, which I
had been saving for a guitar amp, and bought a cheap bass.
The next day I played my first gig on bass at our school's
talent show. I started playing bass because we couldn't find a
decent bass player for our childhood rock band.
I played electric bass exclusively, until I was 14 and I began
to play upright bass in the school orchestra. I had not found
the beauty of the upright at that time, but thought that playing
it would make me a better electric player. By my last year of
high school (16 years) I had given up the trombone and was
strictly an upright and electric bass player. I considered
myself a “doubler” until 2005 when I realized that when I
thought “bass,” even in an amplified context, I only heard the
sounds of the upright in my head. At that point I sold my 6
string electric bass. Although I can still work on the electric if need be, I consider myself primarily an
upright player.
Tiens van Zyl : In 1997, I became a huge fan of a local Rock band. The first thing that caught my eye
was the bass player. Not because he did flashy and wild moves or tried to show off, but because he looked
like he really enjoyed playing the bass. A year later an old friend of mine moved to the UK and needed a
modem for his family to get connected to the internet in order to stay in touch with him using e-mail and
IM. He then swapped me my modem for his 4 string bass.
The same day, I got tabs and started teaching myself on how to play. At first it was difficult to hear the
bass in songs but soon I could easily hear the bass grooves. I was hooked! For me the bass is an
individualist’s instrument. Mostly bass players from different bands get along very well with each other,
they are mostly not flashy or arrogant, just passionate. When you play a live show and the bass moves
through your feet and legs and it hits the crowd in the chest, when the drums and bass are in harmonious
sync and they carry the band with powered air waves, when you finish your set and everyone bothers the
vocalist and guitarists and I can calmly go to the bar and grab a beer, now that’s why I love playing bass.
Victor Denson Angulo : Ever since I first started playing I was hooked. I couldn't
put the bass down. I couldn't stop listening, transcribing, reading music...copying
everything I heard. It was like an addiction. Music was my dealer and I needed a
fix everyday. I remember one day in high school; I thought to myself, “I'm going
to do this for the rest of my life...” I've stuck to it. It's all I do. I play, teach, record,
eat, sleep and breathe the bass. No day job in an office somewhere. I make bass
playing work for me and my family. It's hard work but very worth it in the long
run. I sometimes sit and imagine what I'll be like in ten, twenty, thirty years... I
think, “I'll be old and fat...perhaps, but I'll still be playing bass.” Without the bass
in my life, I would be like a storyteller without stories. My life is bass...
Trip Wamsley : The other guys here have made their responses with such eloquence and beauty that
moved me deeply for real. I believe the reason I, or anyone, plays, really goes beyond the spoken word.
A wordless language as Darren put it. (Well said mate even though you had to use words! :)) So I'll
itemize a few things starting with innocent idealism and going on from there:
Bass Guitars were bigger than the "other" stringed things. The amps were bigger and the sound really
carries through walls and jungles and water and air and into the lower chakras and into the fiber of my
very being. It made me resonate. I feel the bass chose me in some ways.
I realized it IS a
guitar. I
immediately had all
the guitar
techniques available
to me from day one.
Including some that
guitar players didn't
use at all. So, solos
made sense from
day one. As did
performing function
as well. It was more
versatile than the
lead guitar, whose
proponents usually
are caught in one of
a few limiting
camps. A lot of
folks think that the
bass is not a real instrument at all. It isn't. Yves Carbonne said that bass is a function not an instrument.
(A statement so blatantly obvious that it escaped me! Beautiful Yves!) This function can be performed
by Cello, Trombone, Bari Sax and Piano and whatnot. The Bass Guitar is a real instrument.
I played it to save my life. Otherwise, I would be dead and/or wasted someplace. It and music came into
my life as a friend. A real friend. Which brings me to a point that so many of us face but never really talk
about. Music NEVER does anything to hurt. It's the music biz that will kill the spirit. It's competition in
the chops realms that will kill and hurt. It's eating our own that kills us. It's trading art for
commercialism that kills. Music and Art is a friend. True and blue!
That's all I can think of saying. Wait! One last thing. To elevate our axe in the eyes of the world we
need to learn to be friends, lovers, fathers, mothers, husbands, helpers and builders. The aforementioned
things will only help us to strive to make music that is as deep as life. Love to all who read this.
Brent-Anthony Johnson : I play bass because I am
madly in love with the low-end of musical structure,
and I have been ever since I can remember! There is
simply nothing more beautiful (to me) than a wellrecorded acoustic contrabass, or electric bass guitar.
My personal “ quest for tone” has taken me on an
incredible journey to ultimately achieve the mysterious
sound of a glass cannon firing bowling balls through a
tidal wave!
The fact that we, as bassists, are utterly in control
(harmonically, rhythmically, and structurally) of every
musical situation we participate in is merely a bonus
feature of the instrument’s role. Honestly, there is,
simply, nothing else I’d rather devote myself to than
this life-long study of why I love music from bottom-to-top.
Melinda Marks : Bass is the most versatile, fun instrument to play. I grew up playing classical music on
the violin. I picked up the bass after college when I reunited with a pianist who used to accompany me on
the violin. She was in a cover band, and I was teasing her, asking whether they needed a go-go dancer or
something and whether I could join. She had an idea – I could pick up the bass and join the band because
they wanted to kick out their bassist! It was easy to pick up, and it was easy to play a simple bass line, but
there was so much more I could do with it. I could pick, pluck, slap, pop, I could play fretted or fretless. I
could add switches to modulate my pitch. I could play a 4 string, 5 string, or even an 11-string and each
different string or finger position can make a different sound. It’s all about holding down the low end and
keeping the beat – while adding your own style. Someone told me once that you may not think people
notice the bass part, but if they are tapping their feet or dancing, they are grooving to the bass.
Etienne van Staden : Same as a lot of the above mentioned, I also started out trying a few instruments,
but nothing really intrigued me like the Bass. I’ve tried Violin, Piano, Percussion and then finally I
stumbled across & fell in love with the wonderful tone, body & sound of the Bass.
I’ve got a lot of my life to thank thanks to the Bass. After school I moved down to Cape Town for some
formal training where (under Brian Lawrence) I learned so much about the instrument itself that I
couldn’t just leave it there. I’m surely no master of the Bass yet, but the things it unveils to me, while
holding it & the way you become one with the music, is indescribable.
It also taught me a great deal about life itself. It taught me respect, humility, discipline and the greatest of
all, Love! Love for people, the stage & a greater love & appreciation for music itself.
Nothing beats the feeling when you’re listening to a song. Starting out slow & as it builds, the drums &
the Bass kicks in & everyone on stage suddenly feels the groove & everybody in the audience just unites
with the band & becomes one, not necessarily understanding what you’re doing but they are all feeling
the music & moving to the grooving.
Thanks to the Bass I’ve actually ended up on the other side of the stage being a technician on live events
& working with artists internationally. It led me to great places, meeting exceptional people & just being
able to share stories & ideas with fellow Bassists, there’s one thing that I’ve noticed. Bassists just have a
unique charisma & personality surrounding them keeping them firmly grounded on Earth as the ROOTS
of the music they create & bring together!!
THANKS BASS!!!
Jean Baptiste Collinet : "Why do I play bass guitar? Are you kidding me?
Right now, it’s to convey my emotions as
genuinely, truly, honestly as I can. To
reach out and feel what reaches back.
Certainly also to "question authority" by
my behaviour towards some established
musical "dogmas" and "prejudices". The
bass guitar is a weapon of choice for that
purpose. Having been nicknamed "the 8
million string bassist"(because I dare play
on more than four strings) surely drove me
totally nuts. Like if I wasn't already a
headcase!
Well, I became a bit touchy after that...The
bass guitar is just a tool, no matter the
number of strings. I shouldn't be judged
and blamed for experimenting. There's
also a way of playing that no one wants to
break...I mean that I'm not interested at all
by playing "in the pocket" and by using
such words to describe what isn't to be
dissected but felt. I despise the tyranny of
the metronome, too. Such a music-killer!!
That's just MY opinion.
"Why do I play bass" is a tough question.
It's like if I asked myself: "Why do I have
grey eyes?" What am I expected to answer
to it? I really dislike looking at the past, as I then need to go back to the times when I started, in order to
get a clue about this "Why", and I see no point in doing so. Maybe I’m mistaken, but once a thing is done,
it's done, and a new set of questions arise. I am a "PRESENT-living" man.
There is something, though, that may be universal, and I won't be an exception to it. I was discussing (by
mail), with Jerzy Drozd, about the perennial conundrum of finding one's very own voice, in a world
where everything sounds like it’s already been said and done. I asked him: "Didn't we all start because we
felt...love?" He replied, with some awesome enthusiasm and BIG letters:"EXACTLY!!!!!" (With FIVE
exclamation points, yup.) What else could be said about this? I think that it pretty much sums up the
whole.
Frankly, I don't feel I’ve enough maturity to answer such a question. My blurb is messy, outspoken,
straightforward, and absolutely not the best thing I have written so far about the bass guitar (so many
players/artists/call them what you want/ already wrote it better than I ever will. The only thing I can do is
write it my own way). It's just a step-exercise more towards realizing myself.
Bass guitar players are the most down-to-earth and non-competitive (but the most frustrated) musicians
ever! I studied academics thoroughly and still have much to learn. I played about twelve different
instruments, of various kinds. I kicked balls in death-metal bands as a drummer, I played Lute and Cello
in Baroque ensembles, and everything in between. I never found peace of mind and true satisfaction in it.
It bored me quickly.
Nothing compares to bass guitar players. I recall Mark Wright, Mr. Accugroove, writing to me "I'm
myself a bass player, so I'm all about other players." Who else than a bass guitar player would have
written THAT? I guess that this unique mindset of the bass community is part of why I play bass,
actually. The possibility of meeting inspired and inspiring people (i.e. via Bass Musician Mag) without
any effort(or very little, at least) is undoubtedly a huge PLUS.
As I 'm writing now, some aspects I wasn't even aware of unfold smoothly. It's exactly the same when I
play music. Sometimes, there are "revelations" (if I ever release an album, I guess this may be the title).
Please, everyone,, don't think I'm just a pretentious shit stirrer wanting to sound nice. I am a forever
beginner, in music as well as in life. My path to self-realization is travelled on, with a bass, that's all."
Jimmi Roger Pedersen : At age 10 with a little talent for
playing the recorder, my teacher in school asked me to join the
Copenhagen brass and woodwind band. My father and I were
looking for the clarinet teacher but happened to meet the
teacher for tuba. So there we go! and 5 years later my interest
for electric bass came up through one of the my older tuba
colleagues who used to play a few songs in the school band on
this instrument. That sound was pretty hip and I bought one.
Later on a friend asked me to buy a "real" bass for his new
swing orchestra (Glenn Miller..........). I remember buying an
upright bass 2 weeks before the band began, and 2 days before
I started to practise. That was really hard to play a new bass
directly from the factory. Well I didn't know any better, so I
just played on. My father was very fond of piano trios like
Oscar Peterson, Gene Harris, Ramsey Lewis and Three
Sounds, and my ear got to know the playing of Niels Henning
Ørsted Pedersen (NHØP) very well. After high school I went
to the music conservatory and met NHØP as my teacher. He
and other bass players like Charlie Haden and Eddie Gomez
have been a great inspiration to my playing.
Gavin Langevelt : When I first heard The Brothers Johnson and Stanley Clarke, I was completely blown
away by the percussive sound that was produced by a bass guitar.....Mark King (Level 42) and more
recently Victor Wooten, have taken the art of bass playing to a completely new level and I am still
completely mesmerised. I must honestly say that the bass is very healing .. almost therapeutic to a degree.
Jason Marsh : Music was always a part of
family life when I was a kid. Neither of my
parents were musicians but they were big music
fans, my mother was an Elvis Presley fan and
my father loved The Beatles, The Rolling
Stones, Hendrix, Cream, Black Sabbath, Deep
Purple, 50's rock and roll, the list goes on. As a
kid the LP or album covers were so attractive
and gatefold / double album covers were the
best! You'd get to see the players, the
instruments and I wanted to make those sounds,
the big sounds. By age 12, I found out those
"big sounds" were bass and I just had to find
out more about it, bass was my first instrument
of choice and to this day it's the only instrument
I play, I'm in love with bass and the players
who use it with great expression and beauty.
Arrie Arends : I've been a guitar player since the age of 15. Been part of a number of bands and one day
while at a church band practice our bass player just quit and someone had to fill the gap. I thought, ok this
instrument has fewer strings, so it must be easier to play. I have never looked back since that day!
Kim Clarke : I am an only child. My Dad loved Jazz - his father played professionally (Vaudeville
trombone then bass) as did his
maternal uncle (Cotton Club house
bassist). Mom always exposed me to
arts- ballet school etc
I liked the live piano in the dance
studio.
My first friends in my teen years
were musicians and with backyard
bands all around, it was exciting if
inaccessible. Then one friend sold me
a no-name el bass for $15. I learned a
James Brown lick and my secret
hobby began. I played with records
throughout my first year of college
(as pre-med major) and eventually
did my first gigs then a tour before
graduating. After graduation, I started
working in clubs. I was told I had a
good ear. I worked a great deal
learning Jazz on the bandstand and
after having met Ron Carter- I
received a grant from the NEA
National Endowment for the Arts and
took 6 lessons with him and other greats at Jazzmobile Workshop. When I can, I attend Barry Harris Jazz
improv classes.
I’m still climbing that (educational) mountain. I always come home to, or keep, a Jazz gig as the tunes
have so much great harmony to explore.
Jesse Mogale : I would have loved to play trumpet but I never had one and no one in the family had
played a trumpet before. There was always a guitar lying around in the house as a result I started learning
to play the guitar on my own. In actual fact, it was a fender electric guitar converted into a bass. I must
have been 15 at the time. A year or two later my brother, Moses, brought me an Ibanez bass guitar. At this
point I occasionally filled my brother Humphrey’s position as bass guitarist in our brother, Moss
Mogale’s Unit and I was learning a lot from him. Once I laid my hands on the bass I fell deeply in love
with it though some years later, I learned to play trumpet as a second instrument. After the tragic death of
Tholoane Mahlo the unit’s former bass guitarist, I assumed a full time position as the group’s bassist.
Everywhere I went I took my bass with me. Through my BSc studies at Wits University the bass was with
me and every opportunity I had to do a gig I would take it. I wished I’d studied the bass formally, instead
of Chemistry. I had the opportunity to jam with the late Bheki Mseleku at my brother’s house and he
suggested that I got myself a double bass - in his words he said “you have it in you and you should be
able to play it effortlessly”. I acquired a double bass started to learn how to play without any formal
training. I bought a double bass book, Jazz Compendium by Sigi Busch. I later joined the International
Society of Bassists (ISB) and I was then introduced to a wider community of bass players. I had the
opportunity to meet and learn from great bassists like Rufus Reid, Francois Rabbath, Ben Wolfe and Paul
Ellison. Meeting these great personalities watching bassists like Ron Carter, Cecil McBee, Richard Davis,
John Clayton, Christian McBride, John Patitucci has motivated me to learn more regarding the contrabass
and further increased my love for the bass.
Don Bryce : Back in the early eighties in East London, I used to strum a bit of guitar at braais, mostly
nylon string. A friend of mine bought a double bass for R50 from a church and I thought that would be a
great instrument to play. I moved to Windhoek unexpectadly -the boss came into the office and said
"Wie soek promosie Windhoek toe?" and I put up my hand. Friday he was there with my ticket and
Monday I was in Windhoek! Well, I didn't know anyone in Windhoek, so I started going to the folk club
at the Gross Herzog Hotel to meet like-minded people. Because the folk club was on Sunday nights till
late, most of the professional musicians in town were off duty and used to go there too. I befriended some
of them 'cos their lifestyles fascinated me. They worked late and partied hard and slept late, whereas I had
to work office hours. Nevertheless, I started going to gigs, watching from backstage and helping lug
equipment. I met a guy called Vossie van Rooyen, who was excellent on bass. He played in various
bands, and I decided I also wanted to
play bass. Most bass players were thin
and had long hair. I also looked like that,
but I still couldn't play bass. It just
mystified me. Then I moved to JHB,
where I met Rowan (Bunty) Walker. He
was great on bass and blues harp. I
learned blues harp but THE SKILL still
eluded me. I often went to Plumb Crazy
and listened to top flight jazz musicians.
That impressed me but confused me
even more. I moved to Durban, where
there were some magnificent bands and
bass players. One bassist could lie on his
back on the floor and play. That was at
Smugglers. I can't remember the name of
the band, but I thought lying on your
back was a cool stunt. That bass player
also used to hang glide. I learned to
hang glide and I was comfortable on my
back, but I still couldn't play bass. I
didn't even own a bass, but I decided that
I would one day own at least a double
bass.
I went back to JHB to meet my wife. I
saw this old Hofner fiddle bass at
Magnet music shop and fell in love with
it, but could not afford it. I hinted, and
my wife bought it for me. We wanted
kids, so I moved back to East London,
where I met my best ever friend in
music, Deon de Lange (now moved to
Oz). Before we started playing regular gigs we used to frequent all the night spots where there were live
bands (circuit musos were still in vogue) Brian and Lynn Peacefull were in town. they were very smooth
and sophisticated. Brian had a wonderful melodic bass style. And.......he could sing while playing bass.
There were other good bassists in town, one of whom was Les van der Veen. Superb. Oh yes, Out of the
Blue were in EL for a 3-month stint, and they, also a Deon, and Gavin, used to swap bass and 6-string,
doing a set each. The sound was radically different, depending who had the bass. When Deon was on
guitar and vocals, it was rock, rock, rock, When it was Gavin's turn, it was quieter stuff and lots of
reggae. That really inspired me, so when my Deon and I started playing as a two piece, we copied the
idea. That's when I quickly learned to play bass! I was still using the Hofner, but when we played in a
Battle of the Bands Contest, the sound man loudly and insultingly condemned it and told me to go and
hang it on the wall in my lounge and get something decent. A long-standing East London band, Midnight
Dynamoes, had a good bass player named Steve Ritchie. Steve played this really battered Fender
Precision with a brilliant sound. The split coil had been chucked out and two separate Schalers fitted. I
told him to sell it to me, which he did. I subsequently bought a second P-Bass, dead original, with a much
"gentler" sound. I've since had lots of use out of both of them, and my later acquisition, a Phil
acoustic/electric. The Hofner is now hanging on my wall (in a glass case).
Next, I met a 94 year old man, George Watson, who played clarinet and sax in the Municipal Orchestra. I
noticed he had a double bass standing behind his wardrobe, which he did not appear to use, so I told him
to sell it to me. At first he refused, saying he would still learn to play it! I didn't want to rush him and risk
being told to go hopping, so I left it for ten minutes and again told him to sell it to me. "Oh, I thought you
didn't want it any more" he said. "If you want it, you can have it for R500". "That's inflation I suppose", I
thought as I ran gasping to the bank and back. And that is "bass"ically my story!..................
Steve Doner : Like many others, I sort of stumbled into being a bass player but the main reason I stick
with it and continue to become a more serious player is that the sound of the instrument stirs my soul in a
way I never expected and can’t quite put into words. I just never get tired of hearing the sound of a bass
guitar. Even playing scales is fun to
me.
I got started when my son bought his
first electric guitar at age 13. A week
later I went back to the store and
picked up a bass so we could have a
shared hobby. I thought the bass
would be easier for the old man to
learn than guitar.
Guitar has turned out to be great for
father-son bonding during the teen
years when it tends to become
increasingly difficult to connect.
Beyond that and the love of the sound,
there is also a nostalgia element to it.
I played trumpet for about 8 years in
school but was never really into it that
much. However it did teach me music fundamentals and appreciation which have been helpful in picking
up bass. In addition, high-end audio was a hobby in my teens and 20’s. I spent thousands on equipment
and built some of my own gear. That has helped me to learn about and enjoy tinkering with amps,
speakers, pickups and the like.
Last but not least, as a religious man, music as an art form has given me a greater appreciation for and
connection to God’s creation.
In summary – started by accident, fell in love with the sound and, now I’ll never go anywhere without a
bass guitar and a headphone amp (thank you Ned Steinberger for giving the world a more portable axe).
Garth de Meillon : Everything in life vibrates …even the smallest atoms vibrate at some frequency.
With a Bass Guitar you get to create and direct these unbelievable vibrations.
The Electric Bass Guitar is the youngest of all modern instruments. I mean the 6 string Contrabass was
only designed by Anthony Jackson at
the end of 80’s…It’s possible to play
chords, melody, basslines and deliver
solos on an instrument that offers up
more tone and creative options than we
can ask for (I feel the 6 string Bass has a
closer relationship to a Piano than to a
Guitar).
Compared to most other instruments the
Bass Guitar has a relatively short history
and a great unwritten future…Although
its history is short it is rich and
compelling...take the tragic but
inspirational story of Jaco…and the
genius of “Mingus”. Then there are all the leaders of our time…the Wooten’s, Miller’s and
Pattitucci’s…all of them “stoked” to be continually learning and discovering on their
instrument…continually evolving and redefining their voice…
Then there’s being part of the Rhythm Section (with that Drummer Guy)…we are the cats taking care of
the groove…the glue between the muso’s themselves…the energy between the stage and the audience.
On a personal level, I like the challenge of the Bass Guitar…The Techniques (slapping, popping, tapping,
harmonics) are like nothing any other instrument requires from its player…the frets are bigger, the strings
are thicker, the neck is wider, the body is heavier…getting blisters!!!
Then there is the “Bassists Mentality”…he is the Dependable Underdog…forever serving the music and
the musicians…I don’t think we choose to play bass…rather, I think we choose to be defined by Bass…
Glenn Veale : The reasons why some people love to play the bass range far and wide
from person to person.
Firstly one must love the sound of the instrument, of course, but an important and often
forgotten requirement is that the musician enjoys the role of the Bass within the general
framework of music. If you're an egotistical, up-front type-A person, chances are the
Bass is not your instrument. Consequently, Bass players tend to be more introverted,
but philosophical creatures, prone to introspective mental meanderings during the
interminably long rambling solos of fellow band mates.
In short, besides loving the low growly tones of the instrument, I enjoy playing
repetitive figures accurately and with conviction; and this is what separates the career
bassist from the mere dabbler.
Stuart Krahn : I had dabbled in guitar starting at age 10 but didn't have a lot of motivation. I learned a
bit, could play some songs, but I just didn't put my heart into it. At
15, my parents gave me an incentive to do really well in French
class at school. "Get an A and we will buy you your cousin's bass."
As I am writing, I am realizing the convergence of events! 1) The
incentive. 2) For the first time in 6 years of French class, I actually
enjoyed it! 3) As a budding Rush fan, I was blown away by Geddy's
solo break on the newly released La Villa Strangiato. I got the A and
I got the bass, a short-scale Raven Fender knock off.
But...I found myself back at the guitar. Took lessons, tried to build
up chops - never very good. Then, our new worship pastor at my
church came to me one day and said, "Your wife says you play a
mean guitar." Bless her heart, she never got the difference. "Well, I
don't right now, but I could." So, I went out and bought one and
FROM THERE, never turned back!
I love the freedom that comes in the worship environment. I hardly
ever play the same song the same way, which wouldn't be true on a
melodic instrument. I appreciate the bass as a weapon, but enjoy
bringing that low-end musicality to life.
Cees van der Weele : As a teenager I was having drum lessons at the local music school. One day the
teacher brought his bass guitar in and I had to drum along with his bass lines. Intrigued by the instrument,
he invited me along to a concert by his band, as their bass player was one of a special kind. This bass
player was Theo de Jong. Once I’d switched to the bass, my bass teacher told me about Jaco Pastorius and
made me listen to him. As my teenage interests were changing and therefore my efforts to study were far
below the required level to keep, up I stopped playing. 25 years later (about 2 years ago), I found the bass
again and I've never studied so hard to catch up on lost time and the results are there. My current teacher
(Harm van Sleen) was a student of Theo de Jong, who even did a Masterclass with Jaco Pastorius. Now I
know where his inspiration and beautiful bass lines were coming from! It's never too late to play the bass.
(again)
Mark Freel : I started in std 6 (grade 8) I think.... I was playing guitar at that stage and some guys heard
that I played and asked me to join as a bass player, well with my desire to be in a band and pull chicks I
said yes.... Then one falls in love with the instrument and it’s all over!! You spend the rest of your life
trying to be the best you can be and have a lot of fun doing so..
Joseph Milstein : Playing the bass guitar, and being in a band was a fantasy of mine since I can
remember. I spent endless hours as a boy, a teen, and into my 20s playing air-bass-guitar. I even won an
‘air-band’ contest in college as the fake bassguitarist. And upon seeing Paul Simonon of
the Clash and then Flea (my two great
influences for style and attitude), my bass
obsessions became permanent. But it was all
just talk and dreams until a few years ago.
My wife, sick of hearing me talk about how
"I wish", and “I should have” etc, found me a
bass teacher for before my 40th birthday. 3
years later, and it’s been all about the bass
since then.
Outside my wife, my kids and my real job,
playing and practicing my bass and playing
with my band, Information Overload, is all I
think about and what I concentrate on the most. I met 4 other 40-something year old guys with similar
stories and we're “getting it done!” We play small gigs and practice twice a week.
Being the bass player in a band keeps me young, healthy, vibrant, calm and quite honestly, more pleasant
to be around. It’s the ultimate, natural sedative. I call it ‘mental masturbation’. No matter what bothers me
or what issues I have at home or on the job, if I pick up my axe, or connect to practice with my mates, I
drift into a new, happy zone. And I don’t care what anyone thinks or says, the bass is the core, and the
soul of any band. Clearly, I wish I would have done this 20 years ago but I'm thrilled that I'm doing it at
42 yrs old. At least now I can afford more on equipment. I probably spend too much time on bass forums
and in bass stores than I should, but it’s become my true vice.
Phil Peters : I was 15 years old in 1971 and guys I was friends with in high school were starting a
band..2 guitar players a drummer and a singer who
played harp and attitude…but they had no bass
player….We played Johnny Winter, Allman Brothers,
Rory Gallagher & J Geils band type material.. We were
called the Famous Amos band. Playing bass suited me.
I was never the loud obvious guy, I was the quiet
logical type who just wanted to keep everything
together. It made me feel good. I loved Rick Danko of
the Band and Berry Oakley of the Allman Brothers.
These guys were melodic but understated, great
communicators and the glue that held it all together.
Other than the music I love the look of the instruments.
I had an Ibanez Jazz bass copy as my first bass. Moved
from that to a Gibson EBO and from that to a Fender Jazz bass. I now own way too many basses and
amps and try to play at least once a week in Gospel, Blues and Rock bands…for the same reasons I
started playing. It makes me feel good.
Simon Goulding : Why do I play the bass?.............that’s a great question. It’s something I’ve asked
myself on numerous occasions. The bass is one of those special instruments that cover every part of the
music at once. The bass player is responsible for the feel, the groove, the harmony, the melody
(sometimes) and the overall musical “wellness” of the band. I remember as a 9 year old kid thinking “I
want to be a part of that”.
For me as a bass player, there is nothing better than the feeling of locking in with the drummer and
providing an interesting harmonic base on which all the other instruments can do their thing. It all started
for me as a young kid listening to the radio, LP’s and watching bands on TV. I was always intrigued by
the person with the “big
guitar” that stood next to the
drummer. Whenever I saw or
heard this, I’d get goose
bumps and wondered “what
was this, why does it make
me feel like this”? The two at
the back were always
together, working as a team.
Whenever the music was
taken up a level these two
musicians would seem to
make it happen. I became
obsessed with the bass and
pestered my parents to buy
me one. My dad eventually
got one for me for £30 from
a guy at his work. It was a
copy of a Gibson EB3. It was
superb. I didn’t know that I
needed an amp too, but
eventually got one.
I started to take the bass everywhere. School, friend’s houses, family’s houses carrying it in a bin liner to
protect the body and a shopping bag to protect the headstock. It was never out of my hands.
As a session musician recording and performing with many artists, the bass is always the instrument the
artist and producer look to, to provide excitement, groove, harmonic movement and variety into the track.
I’ve always been open to all styles of music and the bass, in my opinion, is the best instrument to convey
all of them. The bass player is involved in ALL the music. That is why I play the bass.
Christian McBride : My initial inspiration was my dad – who played electric bass with Mongo
Santamaria and on Philly International sessions – and my great uncle, a jazz musician who played
acoustic bass. When I was about 6, I saw my dad play for the first time with Mongo and I immediately
told my mom I wanted to play bass. Two years later she got me my first electric. After a while, she saw I
was getting serious, so she sent me to a junior high school with a great music program and I began
classical training and private lessons on the acoustic bass. When my uncle found out I was playing
upright he was thrilled and turned me on to jazz – so I owe my love of jazz to him.
(Taken from Bass Player Magazine: February 1998)
Schalk Joubert : I just loved the sound of it!
Even as I kid I remember loving Bakithi
Khumalo's playing on Graceland and being
completely hypnotized by listening to the
flowing melodic lines of John Paul Jones'
sublime playing on Led Zeppelin's second
album. I could listen to the 12-bar improvised
section in "The Lemon Song" over and over,
completely ignoring the vocals or the guitar
and being totally transfixed on the power,
groove and energy of the rhythm section. We
had a Nylon-string guitar in the house and I
remember removing the top two strings and
clumsily started imitating my favourite bass
lines on it. It took some convincing skills
before my dad bought me my first bass guitar,
a second-hand Precision copy. His concern
was that I would always need to rely on other musicians if the bass were to be my main instrument. So
right there I started searching for music where the bass was the seminal ingredient in order to convince
him. Even though it is not important at all for me in music now, that early obsession lead to my great love
for an enormous variety of music and I realised that you don't need to just play jazz (which I did not learn
to love until many years later) in order to be inventive or be able to improvise on the instrument. So since
the beginning of my playing days I always tried in my own way to play the bass as creatively as possible.
I found that the bass does not tell you what to play, it is just an instrument and as long as it is musical,
there really are no limits as to the extent of where you can push the boundaries of it, the limits are only
your imagination. Thanks to the many master innovators over the years who pushed our consciousness on
the instrument, we have a bottomless well of inspiration to be a creative musician dealing with grooves,
melodies, harmony, beauty, power and fundamental ensemble playing on the one instrument that in my
books is the most amazing invention ever - the Bass Guitar!
Kenny Aaronson : From the age of five I was hearing rock and R&B on the radio, because my older
brother played drums. My dad built a monophonic hi-fi system with one huge speaker cabinet that put out
tremendous amounts of bass, so every day I would lie on the floor with my face in the speaker, intrigued
by rhythm and low end. I started playing drums at age 11, but around the same time, I became attracted to
bass after seeing a Fender Precision on the TV show Shindig. There was something powerful about the
long neck and the big headstock and tuning keys of an electric bass, so I talked my mum into buying one
for me. When I was 14, I was invited to join a neighborhood band: the first time I played with them I
broke all my strings because the guitarist was giving me tuning notes and I didn’t know how to tune the
bass in relation to the guitar!
(Taken from Bass Player Magazine: May 1996)
Jason Green: In high school we noticed that the two guitar players seemed to be getting all the girls. So,
we started a band. Since I was the last guy to arrive at our first rehearsal, I became the bass player.
Steve Doyle : I find that most bass players have a similar demeanor. The characteristics of the instrument
and the roll that it plays in music draw certain personality types. So what are those characteristics? The
bass has a supportive roll in music, its part is relied upon for rhythm, form and giving focus to the
harmony. It's low.
I found myself automatically focusing on these elements in music - naturally. If you watch a kid, every
single kid is going to watch a band or an orchestra and fixate on a single instrument. They can't move or
even blink - it just grabs them.
Look at the Orchestra and notice that sections are filled with like personalities. The violists, the
violinists, the woodwinds, the brass section are similar types - it’s pretty funny when you think about it.
Me myself, I’m a bassist.
Nick Beggs : I can remember the first time I knew I wanted to become a professional bass player.
It was after seeing Aristotle and the Plipple Plopple play live at the Oxford New Theatre in June 1974
during the "Plop Plop and way tour."
Ever since that time the name Diesel Weatherhorn has become a beacon in my soul and an avatar for all
that is original and qualitative in my life.
I even named my first three children after him because of his amazing bass work on "There's a plop in my
eye."
My children maybe victimized and bullied at school but they can hold their heads high knowing that they
are named after the master.
I make sure I get the Horn every day, Diesel Weatherhorn’s the reason why.
Martin Simpson : By definition, I am a bass guitarist – but that doesn’t actually make me a bass player. I
couldn’t truthfully call myself a bass player – to find one of those, you need to look in the direction of
people like Ron Carter, Jorge Pescara, Jason Marsh, Christian McBride, Kristin Korb, Joseph Patrick
Moore etc etc. I’m essentially a guitarist that feels
more comfortable on four thick strings than six thin
strings. So then, just why do I play bass? That’s easy –
because, not only do I prefer playing bass guitar above
any other instrument I’ve ever tried, but it also affords
me the opportunity to connect with all these guys and
girls on a level that only we truly understand. We are
all from different walks of life with widely varying
intellects, we play instruments with anywhere between
two and twenty strings, we play Wooden, Cardboard,
Carbon Fibre and Plastic instruments. We use bows,
fingers, thumbs, plectrums, finger picks, thumb picks
and drumsticks to set the strings in motion. The bow
users have a choice of German or French bows which
are both held differently. The plectrum users draw
from a selection ranging from stone, metal, plastic and
felt – depending on the type of tone they’re after and
on the subject of tone, us bassists draw from a selection
of strings ranging from natural cat-gut, stainless steel,
nickel, bronze and nylon. The metal strings themselves
come in zingy sounding round-wounds, half round
(essentially round-wound strings that have been milled flat so that fretless players can tap into the zingy
sound without destroying their fingerboards) and flat-wound variations - and the various ways the strings
are made, is a science all of its own!!! Some session bassists will change their round-wound strings as
often as one new set everyday – just to retain that brightness of tone that’s so important to them when
they’re employing the slap technique. Compare that with our dub reggae brothers and sisters who would
rather REPAIR a twenty-year old flat-wound string to retain that deep dull sound that’s so important to
their art!!! We play instruments that are older than our Great Great Grandfathers, we play modern day
instruments that we have specially built for us and we even play instruments that we’ve made for
ourselves, we’re two separate genders, we’re left handed and right handed, we’re Muslims, Buddists,
Hindu’s, Jews, Christian’s, Satanists & Atheists but sinners, every one of us! We’re Professionals, exProfessionals, Semi-Pros, Amateurs and Hobbyists.. We’re masters of legato and staccato techniques. We
range from people that can say everything they need to with one or two well-placed notes to people that
feel that they need a thousand notes to express the same thing. Likewise, you’ll see the same thing in this
missive, where some people can express themselves with as little as three words and others need a page to
say the same thing. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with each approach – it just shows how different
we all are. We range from the introspective guy that stands, unobtrusively, hunched over his bass, in the
corner of the stage to a certain individual from the Isle of Wight in the British isles who actually chews
gum while he’s singing the lead vocal and slapping complex bass lines. We range from musical morons to
musical geniuses and also range from root peddlers through one four five (12 bar) specialists to soloists
supreme. We also range from creative geniuses (not necessarily great – or even competent musicians) to
people (in some cases, absolutely awesome musicians) that are happy to spend their entire careers
covering other people’s material. We range from people that have been playing bass since they were just
a few years old to people that have taken up the instrument in their forties! We’re different colours,
playing differing styles of music and essentially no two bassists are exactly identical in the way they play
their instruments, but the bass unites us and I for one, am extremely happy to be part of this special
community of low frequency Space Cadets!!!!!
One Liners Re-Visited
Adam Engela: Because it’s cooler than guitar.
Alfred Kallfass: I never learned anything else, so I have to.
Ariel Zamonsky: I’m not really quite sure why I play bass, I guess I have nothing else to do.
Chris Ainley: Why do I play bass??...... the world is full of average guitar players but a good bass player
is worth his weight in gold.
Chris Garner: It just feels great.
Clive Jackson: I enjoy playing bass as it allows me to express myself as a musician.
Colin Deacon: - “Cos I love it when my Nuts rattle on stage”
Dave Segall: I play bass for the chics, man!! Bass is just so mysterious, and I’m a mysterious guy!
Dino Fiorenza: I play the bass. It’s my very reason to live….
Emil Nysschens: Basses were on sale, the day I went to the music store.
Graeme Currie: Because I can!!!!!
Ilze Fourie: I guess I started playing bass in 2001 by just being at the right place at the right time...
Jeroen Paul Thesseling: "Playing fretless bass gives me a tremendous amount of
musical freedom"
Josh Dowlut-Beard: The same reason I drive a 328 rear wheel HP Camaro. Because it is a man's
instrument.
Marco Castelli: Why I play the Bass? Because music is never an island. Music is like the sea and I love
sailing it on the board of my Bass!
Martin Engelien: Why do I play Bass? Is there another reason to live?
Nikki Pheiffer: I love music and bass is just so powerful, plus there are fewer girls playing bass, which
makes it extra fun.
Paul DeLano: It is the first instrument I was able to pick out in a song and still the first instrument I hear
when I listen to a song.
Richard “Jay” Terrien: "Because Bassists RULE!!!"
Rika Hebrst: Nothing beats the low, Earth-Moving sound of a BASS!
Roy Melville: Because I love it.
Rudo Pieterse: I love music and I love sitting in the sweet pocket of any groove.
Stefan Henrico: Why do I play bass? Well, how long is a piece of string? I can’t tell you why I play bass,
I just do.
William Slimmerts: There was no one else at Church to do the job!!!
Photographic Acknowledgements
Bassist
Photographer
Randy Kertz
Kim Honan
Denis Lalouette
Liza Lalouette
Adam Nitti
Dieter Spears
Quintin Berry
Not Known
Andy Gonzalez
Not Known
Dean Barbour
Not Known
Steve Bailey
Leeann Bailey
Bryan Beller
Michael Mesker
Bill Teags
Paul Moore
Victor Bailey
Not Known
Pino Palladino
Not Known
Graham Jacobs
Caitlin Jacobs
Kevin Brandon
Not Known
Billy Sheehan
Not Known but Billy owns the photograph
Sting
Not Known
David Hughes
Robin Ganter
Stanley Clarke
Not Known
Mark Egan
Jesus A. Martinez Laucirica
Rufus Reid
Not Known
Glenn Letsch
Larry Garcia
Victor Wooten
Not Known
Jean-Bertrand Carbou
Not Known
Concord Nkabinde
Suzy Bernstein
Michael Manring
Philippe Lissart
Randy Coven
Not Known
Jeff Berlin
Not Known
Bassist
Photographer
Shaun Moseley
Ryan “Skully” Demoser
Ross Pickford
Leon van Heerden
Brian Ogawa
Tracy Ogawa
Francois Marais
Dirk De Wet
Darius Willemse
Thina Joubert
Llewellyn “Buzz” Bethwaite
Monique Forbes
John Goldsby
Ines Kaiser
Eelke van der Hak
Not Known
Al Turner
Not Known
Chuck Bianchi
Not Known
Yves Carbonne
Philippe Lissart
Clement (Mr Crazy fingerz) Georges
Not Known
Tammy Wilson
Shireen Arbuthnot
Victor Masondo
Mziwoxolo Mtola
Joseph Patrick Moore
Gina Cellino
Alexander Kalinovski
Not Known
Chris Badynee
Alan Eden
Jade Abbott
Richard Hering
Franc O’Shea
Not Known
Wayne Fox
Cindy Fox
Joe Penn
Melissa Heath
Nik Felbab
Not Known
Darren Michaels
Cindy Sheffield Michaels
Christoph Victor Kaiser
Not Known
Cobus Keyser
Leon Oosthuizen
Edo Castro
Sharon Green
Yo Yo Buys
Darlington R'n'B Club
Rob Gourlay
Grant Stinnett
Bassist
Photographer
Richard Sims
Gene Higgins
Mark Meadows
Not Known
Gonzo
C. C. Campos
Daniel Gray
Zara Mary Gray
Pete Ball
Chris Moore
Kevin Charles McGinnis
Jean Clogenhouse
Jan-Olof Strandberg
Ulf Zackrisson
Scott Kungha Drengsen
Not Known
Hilton Vermaas
Not Known
Jitka Brzek
Not Known
Bert Askes
Lundie Askes
Dave Askes
Michael Brown
Miles Askes
Dave Askes
Simone Vignola
copyright by European BassDay
Julian Mayer
Dave Evans
Errol “Bong” Strachan
Not Known
Lars Lehmann
Christin Maschmann
Barry Irwin
Not Known
Kai Horthemke
Gary van Zyl
Roald Nel
Not Known
Reggie Washington
Eddy Westveer
Marius Liebenberg
Graeme Currie
Scott Hubble
Not Known
Jacques Steyn
Adriaan de Beer
Bill Parish
Not Known
Donné Dowlman
Peter Sansom
Paul Martin
Not Known
Abel Stoltz
Jonathan Damaghaulas
Bassist
Photographer
Glenn Topping
Gen Frank
Andréa (Fuzz) Reitz
Jarrad Nelson
Johann Kruger
George Hakim
Chris Harris
Not Known
Ed Friedland
Dawn Miller
Lex Futshane
Not Known
Marten Andersson
Theresa Cameron
Ernie Leblanc
Not Known but Ernie owns the photograph
Lorenzo Feliciati
Simone Cecchetti
Celéste Reyneke
Karl Storbeck
Todd Johnson
Luke Neuman
Alex Davison
Not Known
Theo Klassen
Not Known
Nicola Lori
Not Known
Pierre Schnehage
Miemie Wolmarans
Gareth Sherwood
Muriel Sherwood
Nikolai Neronski
Vlad Kiryshenco
Greg Cavanaugh
Not Known
A.L. "Artie" Terry
Gary Irving
Peter Tambroni
Peter Tambroni
Valery Bashkov
Vlad Kiryshenco
Reggie Worthy
Not Known
Bruce Gertz
Nicole Goodhue
Mark Neuenschwander
Not Known
Vuyani Wakaba
Jody Warner
Justin Maree
Not Known
Al Garcia
Al Garcia
Bassist
Photographer
Herbert Smith
Ken Berger
Brian Lawrence
Gideon Murray
Al Caldwell
Dave Probst
Kerry Blewett
Not Known
Albey Balgochian
Jane Grenier B
Brogan Thompson
Glenn
Frederick Charlton
Diane Devereaux
Roy C. Vogt
Terrell Thornhill
Pat Cullen
Hayden Garwood
Arlyn Culwick
Not Known
Norm Stockton
Neil Zlozower
Craig Bissel
Sean Brand
Johann Eicher
Not Known
Robbie Sanna
Vincenzo Sanna
Max Theron
Candace van der Leek
Leon Bosch
Guy Mayer
David Geschke
Not Known
Prof. Marc Duby
Not Known
Colin Brown
Adrienne Brown
Michael Auer
Jono Jebus
Julian Fairall
Isaac De Abreu
Richard Bodkin
Johnny Lai Sang
Llewellyn John
Not Known
William Maxwell
Not Known
Jake Kot
Sidney Smith
Stewart McKinsey
Kathryn Saffro
Kerry Hiles
Peter Thomas
Evan Marien
Not Known
Bassist
Photographer
Alistair Andrews
Michelle Andrews
Shaun Scott
Nadine Scott
Grant Stinnett
Sarah Stinnett
Jamie Canivet
Not Known
Carlos del Pino
Javier Agostinelli
Corné Dannhauser
Gerhard Bouwer
Siyabonga Ngubane
Mxolisi Coki
James Sunney
Not Known
Anthony Scelba
Susan DeFurianni
Vaughan Ross
Nadia Ross
Ronald John Pillay
Dylan Harbour
Jerome Robinson
Not Known
Andrew Warneke
Claire Warneke
John Archer
Adelle Saggerson
Maxim Starcke
Lisa Bauer
Trish Bailey
Jimi Glenister
Lorne Peakman
Joanne Peakman
Ponkey Reilly
Alette Reilly
Dave Meros
Joe del Tufo
Vic Bergh
Jaco Steyn
Peter Murray
Dave Dickson
Jauqo 111-X
Mike Kemet Pryor
Lucas Senyatso
Not Known
Dereck Walstra
Katya Filmalter
Taylor
Marian Mlynarczyk
Corrado Canonici
Not Known
Lenny Padayachee
Samantha Padayachee
Bassist
Photographer
Jim Stinnett
Jamie Stinnett
Jimi Glenister
Trish Bailey
Daniel Rezant
Joshua Anthony
Rob O’Brien
Not Known
Tom Kennedy
Dave Weckl
Judy Foxcroft
Not Known
Benoit Grigaut
Not Known
Antonella Mazza
Not Known
Hadrien Feraud
Kerstin Baramsky
Alex Searle
Steve Winter
Martin Motnik
Csaba Molek
Kirwan Brown
Drew Gates
Alan Goldstein
Don Jalbert
Shaun Johannes
Not Known
Doug Johns
Not Known
Steve Walters
Morten Thobro
Rami Lakkis
Nadine Al Koudsi
Adam Taylor
Leigh Benson
Raul Amador
M. Cantral
Chris Adams
Naomi Adams
Mel Brown
Kelli Capelli
Mary-Anne Ray
Julian Mayer
Virgilio Venditti
Chiara Venditti
diRASTAMAN
Monja Ras
Steve Gee
Phil Mulvaney
Damian Erskine
Cortney Erskine
Aram Bedrosian
Jamie L. Cram
Bassist
Photographer
Bob Skeat
Reinhard Bätz
Dr. Donovan Stokes
Cora Rhodes
Victor Denson Angulo
David Halliday
Trip Wamsley
Not Known
Brent Anthony Johnson
Sasha Johnson
Jean Baptiste Collinet
Marine Beltran
Jimmi Roger Pedersen
Vagn Guldbrandsen
Jason Marsh
Chris Walkden
Kim Clarke
Dave Gibson
Don Bryce
Mike Reeves
Steve Doner
Jane Doner
Garth de Meillon
Michael Brown
Glenn Veale
Belinda Lings
Stuart Krahn
Maurade Baynton
Joseph Milstein
Elena Gammardella
Phil Peters
Elizabeth Buenacasa
Simon Goulding
Pete Lucas
Schalk Joubert
Gerrit Joubert
Martin Simpson
Michael Brown
One Liners Section
Bassist
Photographer
Stefan Henrico
Lynn Landman
Martin Engelien
Not Known but Martin owns the photograph
Dino Fiorenza
Riccardo Barbagallo
Graeme Currie
Brian Farrell
Chris Garner
Kris Gruber
Bassist
Photographer
Roy Melville
Leon Wolmarans
Emil Nysschens
Shandene van der Walt
Dave Segall
Not Known
Ilze Fourie
Not Known
Clive Jackson
Sean Jackson
Jay Terrien
Elizabeth Terrien
Colin Deacon
Karen Healy
William Slimmerts
Martin Simpson
Paul DeLano
Not Known
Adam Engela
Caron Roodt
Alphabetical Index Section
Bassist
Photographer
Adrian Lay
Fred Hayward
Bernhard Lackner
Sigi Baramsky
Cees van der Weele
Anne van der Weele
Christo Groenewald
Not Known
Delton Daniels
Delton Daniels
Derron Ferreira
Not Known
Djordje Stijepovic
Anthony Toth-Fejel
Jaime David Vazquez
Elizabeth Troche Andujar
Jason Green
Deon Kruger
Jesse Mogale
Sibongile Buda
John Flitcraft
Steve Holmes
Jorge Pescara
Eduardo Oliveira
Lee Barker
Kevin Kubota
Mischa Marcks
Hendrik Holnäck
Bassist
Photographer
Nick Beggs
Lee Milward
Nick Cook
Not Known
Ray Riendeau
Martin Diamond
Sander Huiberts
Lorenzo Fanchi
Simon Cox
Not Known
Wan Abdullah Wan Salleh
Jaques (Photoshoped by Wan)
Winton Palmer
Not Known
Zuzo Moussawer
Tania Paes
Why I Play Bass
Comments (1)
Todd Grosberg : The story, Why I Play Bass was awesome to read. You know, reading different stories
about bass players or even different musicians – it’s good to read - how they started out and where they’re
experiences took them. Those are the kind of musicians that inspire other musicians to be good players
and make great experiences. I know I’ve been inspired as a musician and I hope to pass it along as well.
Trish Bailey : What strikes me is the absolute common thread running through most of the Bass stories –
from top Pro bassists to weekend warriors - from their early experiences of how they started, their similar
personality types to their love of the deep resonant frequencies and of their instruments, and so often
apparent is Soul connection with all that is Bass which manifests in the pervading warmth, humbleness
and sense of humour throughout all comments. How wonderful to be a part of the great family of BASS!
Vuyani Wakaba : From the time I began playing the bass, and during every stage of my development as
a bass player, I have always had bass players that I’ve looked up to. The work of these bass players was
also a benchmark that I used (and still use) to compare my own playing. Even though I've since come to
know and formed friendships with many of my bass heroes, I still am amazed by their originality,
musicality, and dedication.
The "Why I Play Bass" comments from many of the bass players I admire serve to prove that we are
much more similar than we are different. As I read through the comments, I find that even though we may
not share the same cultures, nationalities, or faiths, we are equally touched by music. It is that connection
to music that breaks barriers (language, cultural, national, racial, etc.) and forms the amazing bond found
among bass players in particular.
Barry Irwin : It’s quite a mouth full trying to grasp the reasons why people choose to play the bass.
How different each and every bass player is! Some have been fortunate to have great teachers who helped
and inspired them from the very beginning, while others seem to have come to the instrument in an
unassuming manner. Others as if out taking a stroll contemplating the musical universe, and unknowingly
lured into its sphere. Passion seems to be what ignites us all. Whatever being a bassist is to each
individual, there seems to be a profound love for the roll as a bass player, and the instrument, also a
willingness to learn and grow in both spiritual and intellectual ways. Being such a complete instrument,
yet incomplete in our understanding of it, leaves us with so much to think and do. Maybe the reason why
“once a bass player, always a bass player”
Trying to master harmony, rhythm, feel and time. To capture the atmosphere of the moment, is a life long
journey on the bass that brings much joy and much pain, but much growth to us all. It certainly is the
heart and soul of all music and the heart and soul of all who play it. Without it, this world would be a very
different place to live in. It’s a blessing and something to always cherish and respect.
Play the Bass! BBI.
Judy Foxcroft (GrannyBass) : When reading all the stories, I agree that there is a deep passion for this
instrument that only bassists can share. The variation of bass guitars and what sounds they produce, can
blow your mind and leave the musician such an opportunity to explore and reach depths and heights one
cannot imagine. One will never understand this until you belong to this exotic family and feel the bass
notes vibrating through your heart and soul. I love my bass family.
Joseph Patrick Moore : "Why I Play Bass" is probably the most fascinating expanding article available.
It truly shows the power of the internet to cross cultures and boundaries, all in the name of music and
bass. Kudos to Martin Simpson for his initial vision and for his flame that will not go dim on keeping this
beautiful article alive.
This is the modern day bass reference for anyone interested in playing bass or for those fascinated by the
players that do."
Andrew Warneke : When I read 'Why I Play Bass' I was so excited to see contributions from some of
the great names in bassplaying alongside those who are perhaps unknown, or 'soon-to-be' greats. It really
gave me a sense of the well-known idea that bassplayers are a bunch of guys who see themselves as a
community, and not as individuals in competition. I'm so glad to have this inspiring resource to refresh
my memory of why I do what I do.
Why I Play Bass
Comments (2)
Richard Sims : I found it interesting that the majority of bassists had a common reason for picking up the
instrument. From a purely subjective standpoint, it made me feel a little outside of the brother and
sisterhood, seeing as I've never really experienced those feelings that so many bassists seem to share.
However, this article was not only entertaining because of the obvious love for the instrument which all
these folks profess and which emanates from their words - but it also was further reinforcement that there
is room for all our contributions, whether peddlers of root notes - thumb thumpers - hyper tappers groove merchants - jazz walkers or solo explorers. It put a big smile on my face! Thanks Martin...
Gareth Sherwood : Schew, that was quite a read, but I really enjoyed it, Adrian Lay had me spewing tea
out my nose. It seems most bassists seem to have a similar personality type, kinda "Tail end Charlie" type
thing (last armed in a formation/convoy) look around, tidy up, and support, 'cause we got the big gun ...
and know it :) In most cases bass is not the first nor only instrument played, it comes as more of a
discovery which starts the whole journey. It's really great to read about other bassists, some excellent
insights here, I love the feeling of brotherhood (nice to see some sisters here too) that span across genre,
ability, age etc. Excellent job Martin, thanks for putting this together and sharing it.
Jason Marsh : Martin has created a wonderful article, his passion for bass is astonishing! I feel
privileged to share the same pages with some of the greats that came before us.
The highlight of the article for me was reading the comments from the young students, new bass
art...Brilliant!
Mark Egan : "Martin Simpson has created this fascinating collection of various bassist's views on their
attractions to playing bass.
It's great to read about the various paths that led these individuals to discover their musical outlets.
From "I play bass for the chics"... to "It’s my very reason to live…." and everything in between, kept me
reading on and on.
I love the inquisitive human thread that weaves through all of the stories.
I'd be interested to see a similar collection for every instrument. Great job Martin!"
Jim Stinnett : I really love this collection. Reading it makes me feel at home. For years I have known
that bass players are a special breed and reading all these thoughts makes me proud to be a part of the
brotherhood. Martin, thanks for all your diligence and continued support of our community. I really
couldn't stop reading the reasons why we play bass. Maybe our blood is actually thicker (more
fundamental) or something. :)
Damian Erskine : Martin has done an amazing job of compiling the passions, thoughts and motivations
of bassists the world over. From the most heartfelt to the most inane, it's all in there and is a totally
captivating read! Very cool
Michael Manring : To the rest of the world we bass players probably seem a little bit crazy. We pay all
the dues of being a musician with almost no hope for the rewards, either monetary or social. This book
sheds some light on this mystery. However we initially got a bass in our hands, some of us just get the
bug and become fascinated with the feel and the sense of playing this often-underestimated instrument.
Bryan Beller : I'm quite certain that never before in history has the question "Why Do You Play Bass?"
been so thoroughly answered. There's a certain magic in reading so many different reactions to one
simple question: A collective wisdom takes hold, and sinks in deeply.
Marten Andersson : Finally a bass book by the people - for the people! I don't think there is a person out
there that knows as much about the bass as Martin Simpson (Other than myself of course). Martin has
done a great job putting this together. If you have interest in the bass guitar this is the reading for you. It
will not disappoint. Some hard labour was put into this. I take my hat (or strings) off to you.
Richard Bodkin : Through all the years of playing this magical instrument one truism has prevailed: "I
don't play the bass, the bass plays me"
Why I Play Bass
Comments (3)
Leon Bosch : This mammoth undertaking by Martin Simpson, “Why I Play the Bass” provides a
remarkable insight into why each and every one of us has chosen this most regal of instruments. It has in
my own case re-invigorated my passion, enthusiasm and devotion to the double bass.
Chris Badynee : Martin Simpson's collection titled "Why I Play Bass" reveals the individual character
hidden within my Bass heroes. I now have an opportunity to search those bassists that have been
performing for years, but not in Detroit. So now I'm exposed to fresh ideas, uncommon methods, and a
large group of diverse thought patterns with explanations of how those thoughts came into being. Because
of Martin Simpsons book, I'm discovering more music and more musicians. "Why I Play Bass" is more
than just short stories, it's an affirmation of love shared by a community of artists. It's a simple statement
of joy expressing the virtues of patience, discovery, acceptance, understanding, and most importantly the
communion of the groove.
Dave Meros : Reading through this wonderful collection of stories from bassists young and old, from
every part of the world and having every background imaginable I realize that we are all just variations of
the same person. There is a certain genetic sequence that spells out "bass player", and no matter what our
bodies and faces may look like and no matter what other physical or mental attributes we possess, there is
a very strong common thread that joins all of us.
What was surprising to me was that a large majority of bass players had a similar musical beginning to
mine, and that is to sort of stumble into playing bass accidentally. And also like me, when that first bass
was picked up, that feeling of "OK, this is home" instantly happened and we never even thought of
switching instruments again.
I liken this experience to dating and finally being lucky enough to find your soul mate. You may not be
able to quantify exactly why you need to be with that person for the rest of your life, you just do.
I think that is why many of these stories are more of what Martin perfectly described as "How I Got
Started" rather than specific reasons explaining "Why We Play Bass". We really can't tell you exactly
why because we really don't know, or at least don't know how to put it in words. But with that first bass
experience came a musical awakening that was so powerful that we can all remember it like it was just
yesterday.
Kirwan Brown : "Why I Play Bass" is a wonderful look at the things that tie all of us bass players
together, amateur or pro, male or female, young or old. Players of any style, from any background, are
sure to enjoy reading.
Dereck Walstra : “Why I play bass’ is an informative valuable book that exposes bass players from all
over. Explaining their comfort with their instruments and their history.
‘Why I play bass’ tells you that we have amongst us, some of the world’s top bass players from the past
to the present that are not forgotten. Who have incredible talent and encourage existing and future bass
players to live a dream come true.
Alan Goldstein : I’d like to thank Martin for putting this work together and at the same time, pay my
respects to Peter Steele, Cliff Burton, Jaco Pastorius, Mark Sandman, John Entwhistle, Roger Patterson,
Rick James, Phil lynott and others.
Mary-Anne Ray : This is a remarkable collection of reasons, excuses, hilarity and insights which all boil
down to this:
1. Martin Simpson has an admirable dedication to bass, bassists and bassism - thank you for including us
in this Martin;
2. We all play bass because we CAN...
Why I Play Bass
Comments (4)
Graham Jacobs : What an insightful read this is – something I will be dipping into time and again. This
book captures what I’ve known intuitively all along, although never properly articulated until now, and
that is what a special breed bass players are. There are quite a few common threads that struck me when I
read this book.
Firstly the gratifying lack of egos. Very few bass players set out to become prima donnas, and yet many
have extraordinary capabilities. As Trish Bailey puts it, “….the way a mother holds the family together,
so does the bass bind the band”. Pity therefore that there are not more female bass players around. More
often than not, bass players do indeed regard themselves as performing a nurturing role, as implied in
many of the book’s contributions. To rephrase Jacques Steyn and Victor Wooten slightly, bass players are
there to make the other guys sound good. As a result, a bass player’s role all too often goes unappreciated.
Bass players know this of course – it goes with the territory. It’s something they need and love to do,
whether it gets recognized or not.
Secondly, I was struck (though not surprised) by the large number of bass players that are multiinstrumentalists. This book is evidence of just how many have come to the bass via a range of other
instruments. The broader musical insights that this imparts are probably unique, and plausibly what
equips many to become successful composers, arrangers, and bandleaders.
For an instrument that is apparently so simple to play, it is remarkable just how widely the bass and its
exponents are misunderstood by others. Even someone as insightful as Frank Zappa freely admitted that
he didn’t get bass players. He simply couldn’t understand how they could get off playing mostly repeated
figures. Although he referred to electric bassists as often being ‘failed guitarists’, he did, however, have a
grudging admiration for their ability to hold down a groove without getting bored. Ironically, his
perceptions didn’t stop him from working with some of the best bass players in the business. Bass players
certainly do need the right temperament and ears for the instrument – another factor that makes them
special.
Trish Bailey says that the bass is easy to play, yet impossible to master. I like that. Sue Condie
Stephenson says it a bit differently, referring to the instrument as being as simple or as difficult as you
want it to be, anytime…. These are just some of the thoughts from contributors that struck me. There are,
of course, many others too numerous to mention, and to all of these people go my thanks for sharing their
insights. Mostly go my thanks to you, Martin, for making this all happen. I do have one point of
disagreement with you though. In your contribution, you refer to yourself by definition as a bass guitarist
and not a bass player. If there is one thing that your book has shown us, we are all bass players.
For me, the final words as to why we all play bass must go to Lucas Senyatso when he says: “What would
this world be without bassists? Groundless…….. “
Edo Castro : As bassists, we're an odd lot, being the low end to hold the harmony in place, provide
tension, rhythmic placement and be soloist, but rarely does the world get a glimpse of the persona behind
the instrument. Martin has provided a window, if you will, into our world. This document/book is a
testament to Martin's love of the bass, the bass players and his willingness to share with you his
meticulous documentation of our thoughts. I'm very honoured to be amongst the finest players in the
world listed in this collection.
Bob Skeat : When I first heard of Martin's idea for this book I wasn't sure if it would truly be that
interesting...but now that I've read it, it's absolutely fascinating to get an insight into those earliest
emotions and passions of hero and fellow players. A good read for the established and an inspiration for
those just starting out!!
Phil Peters : Bass players have seemed to have more of a (non gender specific) brotherhood than guitar
players. We tend to get excited when other bass players get great gigs etc. I think it is very cool that we
have a way to understand the diversity of who populates our community.
Why I Play Bass
Comments (5)
Bruce Gertz : I find Martin's book to be enlightening. Everyone has been honest and soulful about what
brought him or her to this great place where they love to play the bass.
Adam Nitti : "Why I Play The Bass" is a fascinating insight as to what ultimately inspires musicians to
establish a relationship with their instruments. Martin's compilation of bass players' stories and historic
insight is a fantastic read that ultimately inspires the reader to discover more completely where they came
from and where they are headed as a player. Regardless of your musical background, this is a project that
will capture your attention and reveal new things about the bass and the people that choose it as a form of
communication.
Steve Doner : Martin’s compilation is fun and enlightening to read in part because we hear both from
pros, hobbyists and everything in between. It was very interesting for me to see that we bassists share
many things in common regardless of how we got started or how skilled we have become. I hope that
there is a special section for us in heaven, with a trio of 12 string basses producing melodic thunder,
instead of those girly harps.
Joseph Milstein : This is the greatest book for any bass player and musician. Hours of intrigue and
entertainment consolidated into 100+ pages. Who knew there were so many bassists available to make a
contribution? - and each with a wonderful, unique story. I love this fraternity and hope it continues to
grow. Thanks Martin, for assembling this fantastic collection.
Schalk Joubert : Martin Simpson has created a unique book with unique stories from musicians all over
the world, all sharing one common interest – their reason for being in love with the bass!
In the current world where the focus of the media and governments seems to be constantly highlighting
the differences between people, it is really refreshing to come across a book like this which once again
makes you realize that the power of music is indeed one of the greatest unifying factors in our
quarrelsome and fickle species. Thank you Martin
Virgilio Venditti : I play bass purely for fun. I’ll never be a working musician. My daily job is
completely different yet I am absolutely proud to be a “bass player musician” and this book proves that
there are as many kinds of bass players around - at least as many as there are basses are on the planet!
Scrolling through the pages, you’ll realize that in the “city of music” everyone settles in the preferred
“suburb” (blues, rock, metal, bluegrass, jazz…) and every “citizen” feels fully entitled to express him or
herself, conveying his or her own feelings - either by three subtly placed background notes or by a long
uninterrupted solo. Bass brotherhood is not only a word: it’s a reality and this book helps with keeping the
community tight together!!! "Good job, Martin! :) V.".
Martin Motnik : Why I Play Bass is an incredibly extensive collection of statements why bass players
chose to play that particular instrument. It is a real source of inspiration. And since it is combining
statements from both, amateur bassists and real bass legends, it shows how unifying making music is.
Why I Play Bass shows the core of a particular breed of musician, one that is not necessarily known to
stand in the spotlight, but one that is responsible for building the solid foundation on which every band
needs to stand. Why I Play Bass shows that bass players are aware of this, and proud of it.
Anthony Scelba : The Why I Play Bass book is an inspiration and something that helps build
community among all of us in the bass world. The book is a great idea well executed.
Alphabetical Index
Names shown in Red are accompanied by their photographs alongside
Autographed contributions are indicated
Abel Stoltz
Autographed
Adam Engela
Adam Manning
Adam Nitti
Autographed
Adam Taylor
Adrian Davison
Adrian Lay
Adrian Kuban-Maruszczyk
Al Caldwell
Autographed
Al Garcia
Al Turner
Alan Goldstein
Albey Balgochian
Alex (11)
Alex Davison
Alex Searle
Alexander Kalinovski
Alfred Kallfass
A.L. "Artie" Terry
Alistair Andrews
Alliston Europa
Anderson Santos
Andre Abrahamse
Andre Brzek Le Roux
Andre Liebenberg
Andre van Zyl
Andréa Reitz
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diRASTAMAN
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21
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25
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YoYo Buys
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24
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21
FRONT COVER
Did YOU spot the bassists appearing on the front cover?
Al Garcia
Chuck Bianchi
Fred Charlton
John Goldsby
Lars Lehmann Lee Barker Mark Roberts Marten Andersson
Michael Manring
Richard “Jay” Terrien
Rob Gourlay
Scott Hubble Steve Clarke Stewart McKinsey Yves Carbonne
Autograph Page
Why I Play Bass
Notes (1)
Why I Play Bass
Notes (2)