Are you self-taught?

[interpol52]

I was explaining to a colleague at work how I started playing and how I have developed my bass playing skills over the last 27 years, he asked me if I am self-taught or if I got lessons at any point. It made me wonder what self-taught actually means. I do consider myself as being self-taught, mainly because I have never sat down with a bass teacher. Then again, the Internet has provided me with hours and hours of video lessons that have improved my playing without a doubt. In recent times I have also purchased books containing transcriptions and theory, these have developed my knowledge music theory.

So am I self-taught or not? Just wondered what others think of this.

[BobVbass]

I'm self taught - no internet or anything like that when I first started learning - no personal computers really apart from a ZX spectrum

I've had a few lessons on the way, one time when I got in a rut and some others when I started learning double bass but that's it. i should check on t'interweb lessons thinking about it, but never do.

I've never really stopped though, I still love finding new music and styles to play and pick stuff up really quickly - so maybe the term should be self learning

[discreet]

If you've made the effort to find tuition via books and vids and you've done it off you're own bat, then I'd say you're self-taught. You interpret the information as you will and you decide if and when you do it, and when and for how long you practise, or not.

[Hobbayne]

I never had any lessons, just a few books and videos etc. However, In recent years with the advent of the internet and things like Scott Devines bass lessons, my playing has totally improved

[Bilbo]

I had a two lessons with Dudley Phillips, one with Paul Westwood and about six or seven with a guy called Dan Quinton who was by far the best [i]teacher[/i] of the three.

[Low End Bee]

A Play Bass Guitar book that came with a flexi disc and playing along to the Ramones Rocket To Russia LP. That's it. Never had a lesson.
A bit late to start now. I'm comfortable with my level. I'm as good/bad as I want to be.

[JapanAxe]

Yes, and still teaching myself. Latest resource is the Bass Bible, bought from another BCer.

[lowhand_mike]

yep, self taught, never had a lesson, had a beginners bass book then bought some GnR tab books, learnt the lot and gone from there playing by ear or tab, should really sit down to some of scott devines stuff but have no time so just learn new songs for the band as i need to

[Cato]

On bass I'm completely self taught. Never had a book or a video (this was in the pre-internet days of the early 90s) I learnt by playing along to my favourite records or just by turning the radio on & playing along to whatever happened to be on.

The closest thing to a lesson I've had was when when a middle aged Jamaican guy was so offended by my attempts at playing slap bass one Saturday afternoon on a BC Rich Warlock bass in Musical Exchanges in Brum that he took a hour & half of his own time for free to teach me the fundamentals of how to do it properly. Its a kindness I've never forgotten & something I've tried to do myself for other people from time to time. If by some chance he's a member on here & remembers me then Thank You.

Suprisingly my bass playing is pretty orthodox, which is more than can be said for my guitaring - I learnt chords from books that I'm pretty sure were transcribed by piano players who had little to no understanding of the fundamental differences between guitar & piano chords - to this day I can play most of the Beatles back catalogue - just not how they were played by the Beatles, or anyone else I've ever met for that matter.

Edited July 13, 2015 by Cato

[Woodinblack]

I am not self taught. I have never had a lesson on the bass, but i had years of music lessons on the piano, and it is all pretty much the same.

[spongebob]

Another self-taughie here.

I had tuition on the drums, but not the bass. I think I had learned a 'learning structure' with the drumming, so it made easier to start on something else.

I always feel that I'm quite a percussive bass player as result, kind of bringing both together.

Although I have found that a pick works better on bass than drumsticks.....

[KevB]

I suspect I also fall into this general category. Never had any formal one to one lessons, paid or otherwise. I started getting music books out of the library with basic pointers about what to do then played along to songs in conjunction with the music score where possible. Except I don't sight read so had to get one book to tell me which squiggle meant which note then usually go through it and write it down long hand so I could remember it then play along. I'm going to annoy people here but thank christ for tab and programs like guitarpro. Speeded up my picking up new tunes by about 300%. But on reflection I've probably really learned most in any useful context by playing with other people.

[bassace]

No formal lessons on DB - and it shows in my left hand technique. But right from school, hanging and jamming with mates, I learned how to hear, recognise and play round all the chords. And depping for fifty years I have played all sorts, from early trad - not my favourite music - but some great tunes to discover, through the American songbook and up to bop and modal. So I have countless fellow musos to thank for the friendship, patience and most excellent on the job learning opportunities. And BC: thanks guys!

[el borracho]

I took 3 lessons when I started from a guy called Tommy Duffy who'd been in Lindisfarne, After that I just picked up bits from wherever I could. I did take drum lessons for about 18 months though.

[Lozz196]

The only lessons I had was to learn what notes were where on the fretboard. Once I knew that I then taught myself to play, via a Sex Pistols songbook. Very rewarding, learning how to play your fave bands songs in a couple of months. So I would say I`m self-taught really.

[blue]

I started playing bass guitar in 1966. I am not self taught.

Blue

Edited July 13, 2015 by blue

[Bobthedog]

Started bass in Jan / Feb 14 and have had weekly lessons since day one. I am far from taught at this stage, however!

[Bassassin]

Self-taught, which seems quite appropriate for those of us who started in the Punk era!

Basically learned by playing along to the Stranglers' Rattus Norvegicus & Killer by Alice Cooper. 35-odd years on, there's still a lot of JJ & DD in my playing.

Jon.

[BigRedX]

I spent two years in the early 70s taking "folk guitar" evening classes. The consisted mostly of 20-30 teenagers strumming (and occasionally doing some very simple finger-picking) along with the teacher on cheap acoustic guitars to Dylan and Ralph McTell songs.

Everything else I know musically I've worked out for myself.

[RhysP]

I'm self taught, never used a book & never had any interest in the whole YouTube thing.
I bought a few books over the years but never got on with them, just found it too much like being back in school.

Apart from the first few years when I started playing when I was obsessed with it I've always been very lazy when it comes to learning stuff. It's the main reason I could never play in a covers band, having to sit down & learn a load of songs is my idea of hell.

[CokeyW]

Entirely self taught, mainly by playing along to the chart show on Radio One in the 70's and learning from my albums. My technique only gets me so far and I wish I'd had a few lessons early on, especially on fretting hand technique. However, my knowledge of bass has only really developed due to Scott Devine's lessons. He explains everything in a way that just means something to me.

[RickyV]

Self-taught but with a grounding in music theory from A level music, Grade 8 clarinet and Grade 5 Tenor Sax. Having said all that all my reading of music is Treble clef so I do not sight read on bass. I also hate TAB so everything i learn is by ear and from you-tube videos. I find it quicker and easier to commit songs to memory by seeing them being played on video rather than referring to TAB. I have used some on-line lessons, Scott Devine in particular for technique based stuff but that is about it. Playing with others in a band environment is the best way to then fine tune everything I think.

[FinnDave]

Self taught, copying stuff I liked on records back in the 70s. Worked out a certain amount of theory from scratch, if I'm doing it wrong I'll just carry on doing it wrong, too old and set in my ways to change now.

[Funky Dunky]

Self-taught all the way. Would like lessons but it would mean a lengthy travel.

[chriswareham]

Had a few lessons after two years of playing, but I deliberately asked to be taught styles I didn't listen to normally. About three months of weekly lessons, a bit of theory from books and a huge amount of working stuff out from my favourite bands.