Name an incredible bassist who didn't start in childhood....

[sonofabill]

Someone who was not raised in a musical family, without serious musical training, who just got inspired in their 20s or later and went on to great success. Inspire me! I didn't get serious til 24, am 37 now, and just want a little inspiration today. THanks!!!

[Cthulhu Fhtagn]

Me.

 

You did not define "incredible". I could be incredibly anything.

[Bob Gollihur]

How about exceptional? Be the exception.

[b5pilot]

How about me. Didn't start playing the bass until my late teens and I'm incredible! Well, incredibly mediocre.

[jcadmus]

Whose childhood?

[Richard W]

I didn't pick up the bass until I was 45, and now I'm 110 and am solidly above average.

 

I've read that Noel Redding didn't pick up a bass until the day he auditioned for Jimi Hendrix to join the Experience. He was 21 at the time.

[jcadmus]

My buddy Steve didn't pick up a bass until his mid-40s, and now he gigs more than I do.

 

I pretty much hate him.

[Cthulhu Fhtagn]

Ok, in response to my earlier gratuitous self-aggrandizement ...

 

Played concert trumpet since I was 6. No one else in my family has ever played an instrument seriously.

 

I played a little in high school and college. Then spent a career in the military followed by a stint as a service technician (lots of time on the road). Hadn't handled a bass in 25 years.

 

Picked up the bass again in 2000 when my then 15 year old son started guitar. Spent five years looking for a gig. In 2006, I picked up a stint in a little jazz standards band. From that, I've bounced into a couple of gigs before my permanent one in 2009 with a classic rock/blues group.

 

I wouldn't say that I'm incredible, but I am serviceable. Had members of other bands (that actually auditioned me and never called back) wonder where I've been and why they've never heard of me.

 

I don't think you need to be incredible, or Victor Wooten, or any of that. Find the root. Lock with the drummer. Plow the road. Have a good attitude. Be a good band mate. And, for crying out loud, do something other than stand there with your feet together and staring straight ahead. Don't be a genre snob - play a little of everything. You'd be surprised how much you can steal from jazz and stick into rock, and vice versa.

 

There's your motivation. Do those things. Play well. Crush it.

[Wally Malone]

I actually didn't start playing bass until a senior in high school and did not take music classes in school. I played R&B hits of the day and learned them by ear. When traveling on the road in my early twenties I taught myself theory and reading bass clef.

 

Wally

[jeremy c]

One of my former students started at age 50.

He bought a bass and lessons for his daughter who lost interest, so he decided he would take the lessons.

 

I wouldn't call him a fantastic bassist, but he is currently playing in a jazz group which gets gigs.

[Cthulhu Fhtagn]

(Little know history about my above post):

 

That first jazz gig. I got a phone call from the jazz band; my first audition as a bassist. I asked advice from none other than Jeremy C. He asked if I had lead sheets or chord charts. I said yes, but never played a lick of jazz standards ever. His advice was to play two feel on the root and fifth.

 

The band brought me in after four songs.

[Wally Malone]

I actually didn't start playing bass until a senior in high school and did not take music classes in school. I played R&B hits of the day and learned them by ear. When traveling on the road in my early twenties I taught myself theory and reading bass clef.

 

Wally

 

Thought I should mention that I wasn't implying that I'm incredible but only that I made my career as a bass player even though I didn't start playing an instrument until after high school.

 

Wally

 

 

[Mark Schmieder]

I didn't pick up bass until 24 myself, but am now 54. I have no interest in "fame" per se but am quite successful.

 

I guess you need to define what you're really aiming for, as there's a big difference between having a long-term success in music and being an ultra-famous flash-in-the-pan. Not too many end up covering both bases (no pun intended), but if your bar is that high, then remember timing and luck also have a lot to do with it.

 

If you intend to do studio work, then you MIGHT be at a disadvantage simply because the musical part of the brain develops at around the same time as general language skills, so maybe it will be harder to learn to become a fast and dependable sight reader, which is what session work demands.

 

Luckily for me, I started music at age 3 (maybe younger) and come from multiple generations of professional classical musicians. But I didn't start doing rock/pop or bass and guitar until age 24. I feel like it took me a long time to find my groove and would have been faster had I started by 16 like most people I knew.

[Richard W]

Paul McCartney didn't really start playing bass until he was 19 or 20, when Stu Sutcliff left the Beatles. He turned out to be pretty good.

[jeremy c]

Carol Kaye who is an incredible bassist started playing bass at approximately age 25. However, she was already an LA studio player as a guitarist at that time. I don't know what year her professional career started, but I do know that she was teaching guitar lessons at the age of 14.

[jeremy c]

It looks like most people who become bass players without having started as a child played other instruments as a child.

 

We do have to consider that the Fender electric bass was invented in 1950 or so and didn't really start catching on until the early 60's. When I started playing bass in 1966 at the age of 18 (I was already playing professionally on sax), there were no teachers and no instruction books for our beloved instrument.

[Groove Mama]

Is 17 considered childhood? If not, consider Tal Wilkenfeld:

 

Widely hailed as "the rising star of the bass guitar," Tal Wilkenfeld first picked up guitar at the age of 14, in her native Sydney, Australia. She soon realized her passion and decided to pursue music professionally in the United States.

 

After six months of studying guitar in Los Angeles, Tal found her true calling, and switched to the bass. It didn't take long for the 17-year-old prodigy to get noticed; after playing bass for only a few months, famed luthier Roger Sadowsky heard her play and immediately offered her an endorsement with Sadowsky Guitars. Very quickly, Tal started performing as a sideman and bandleader, playing with the likes of Russell Ferrante, Kenwood Dennard, Hiram Bullock, Jeff "Tain" Watts, Leni Stern, Susan Tedeschi, and the Allman Brothers Band.

 

In May 2006, Tal recorded her first solo album, "Transformation." She was 20, and had been playing bass for only three years. As well as demonstrating her prowess on bass, Tal also composed, arranged, and produced the album. The CD, which was released in 2007, features guitar savant Wayne Krantz, Geoff Keezer, Keith Carlock and Seamus Blake. It has been widely acclaimed by critics and music fans all over the world, with Bass Player magazine noting, "On her aptly-titled, vibrant debut, Wilkenfeld displays a writing depth and musical presence to complement the buzz about her dynamic-yet-discerning bass approach. Tal has a natural gift for writing in odd meters while retaining an indelible sense of melody and groove. Make no mistake, this lass is poised to soar."

 

And then there's Nancy Hopp, who picked up the bass at the ripe old age of 54 and, to the relief of many, has considered putting it back down again at 60.

[Richard W]

And then there's Nancy Hopp, who picked up the bass at the ripe old age of 54 and, to the relief of many, has considered putting it back down again at 60.

 

We will not let that happen.

[Phil W]

Larry Bartley - upright bass

Guitarist Tal Farlow (not a bassist but same prinicple)

Also guitarists Wes Montgomery and Frank Zappa

Kim Gordon

 

 

Here's an interesting article on the subject

http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2012/02/15/guitar-zero-gary-marcus/

 

 

[sonofabill]

My story, which prompted this. Was a huge music FAN out of the womb, but didn't pick up an instrument til 16, and it was a bass guitar because my friend who played guitar said, "its only four strings, its easier!" (ha!)

 

I took lessons for a year or two and messed with it casually for several years but not serious.

 

At 24 I had somewhat of a "revelation" in life during some hard times and picked up the bass and have been playing like a nut since then. Was in a pretty popular jamband for 9 years but since that disbanding have gone all out with educating myself and catching up on strict rhythm exercises, all the book stuff, transcribing, with the goal of making myself and absolute professional. I'm 37 now, have two young kids, but wake up an hour before work every day for the real focused strict practice, then either jam with my new band or with itunes when I can find time in the evenings.

 

I do eventually want to be a studio or on-call player for the greats. Was just looking for a little inspiration here, as there's got to be a few masters out there like me who did not have musical training in childhood, I know it can be done!

 

Most of the people mentioned, started bass late but did learn music early. Not the case with me, but I'm in this for life and have a long road ahead.

 

Thanks all!!

 

 

[sonofabill]

Thank you for that article Phil, inspiring!!!!!

[Eric VB]

I do eventually want to be a studio or on-call player for the greats.

I think being a studio/A-list player -- especially for the greats -- takes two things.

 

The first, obviously, is exceptional talent. For lack of a better example consider American Idol, where there may only be 20 finalists out of 100,000 auditionees. That's 0.02%, or one out of 5000. (If you were in a room with 5000 bassists, would you be the best one?)

 

The second thing is you have to be on the radar. Susan Boyle (Britain's Got Talent) is an example of someone with exceptional talent who wasn't on anybody's radar. If she never tried out for the show we still wouldn't know who she was.

 

A somewhat recent example is when John Entwistle passed away in 2002, 5 shows into a world tour. Roger and Pete called on Pino Palladino to fill some mighty big shoes. Pino had already established himself throughout the '80s and '90s as a first-class touring and studio musician.

[Ross Brown]

Studio/A list player is different than being a good bass player in a great band... just sayin'....

 

This is what I want to be.... a good bass player in a great band.

 

In case anyone is asking.

[jeremy c]

I personally know some A-list/studio players and have had the privilege of playing with them in various bands.

 

There is a real difference between them and us, just like a professional or Olympic athlete is different from the rest of us (and I also swam on a college team with Olympic swimmers).

 

These guys were the best around from an early age. They were the best musician or athlete to ever go to their school. They were able to play with pros while still in their teens. Their names were often mentioned throughout the area in which they lived. When they moved to larger cities, they were able to step into the scene immediately.

 

Some of the musicians that I know (mentioned above), do not make mistakes...ever. They play amazingly in the studio...first takes. They either can read flyspecks on the page or they have such good ears that they can play things the first time that they hear them....or both.

 

Also the market for studio musicians is getting smaller by the year and even the top guys are having to find new sources of income. Top name musicians will play on your cd for a fee if you send them the tracks. Top name musicians are selling disks of samples of their sound.

 

Being a studio player was one of my goals when starting out and have been fortunate enough to have played on maybe a dozen or so albums. Those all came about because of personal connections I made throughout my career.

[Mark Schmieder]

That last paragraph applies to me as well. At my current age and due to my passion for writing film soundtracks, gigging, and my day job, I no longer see it as a realistic goal and don't mind that. I am thrilled that I had the chance when I did (and only a few years ago at that). I would always be "wondering" otherwise.

 

The thing is, one job does not necessarily lead to the next, as the world around us is changing quickly and the competition becomes fiercer as more studios close (though new ones also open). This is not meant to discourage you. But take a hint from "The Wrecking Crew" independent documentary. The reason those cats got the work is because they never said "no", even if it broke apart their families (which it did). A heavy price!

 

With good connections and a visible presence on your local scene both as a gigging musician and someone who can come up with good parts quickly as well as follow directions and pick up on what other people need right away, it is almost inevitible that you will find yourself in some local studio situations, whether for good money or not (I was lucky that mine were VERY well paid).

 

Grab any such opportunities if for no other reason than to find out if it is for YOU. I'm glad I did it, but most of the sessions were unsatisfactory because the producers involved didn't understand bass the way I do, and used their eyes to mix the final product. That is, they sucked the soul out of my playing and eliminated the pocket by doing sample-accurate time-aligning of my bass tracks, when everything I did was quite precise and for the purpose of creating energy. The later sessions weren't as bad as people were starting to mix with their ears again after the novelty of Pro Tools wore off. :-)

[Groove Mama]

I found this article on life as a working bassist pretty illuminating.

[johngoldsby]

Hey Groove Mama - That's a good article from Damian Erskine. He knows what he's talking about. Great player.

[johngoldsby]

Speaking of famous bassists who started late, don't forget about Scott LaFaro. Game Changer : How Scott Lafaro Rewrote The Rules Of Jazz Bass . He started playing bass at age 18, and has been a huge influence on jazz bassists for the last five decades. He still is . . .

[Phil W]

Yes, Scotty!

 

Also Ralph Towner (guitar) at 22, Pat Martino relearned guitar as an adult after a brain aneurysm from scratch.

 

I think it's OK to have ambition to be a studio bassist as what ever.

 

However, every year, more and more young people become musicians and the demand doesn't always rise...And as music distribution becomes more digital and diverse, many become big fish in tiny, tiny ponds.

 

So what I'm saying is your ambition first should be to make great music. Then, of course if you want to make a living at it you should make choices to make that more of a possibility: take lessons from great teachers, network like crazy, be reliable, be fun to hang out with, practise hard. But nothing is a guarantee. Trying to be a pro musician is getting like trying to be a pro sportsperson...it's very hard indeed.

 

But as long as your making great music opportunities will arise.

[sonofabill]

Thanks all you guys. I am a dreamer and a hard worker, thats just how I express myself. Feeling good.