Should a bass teacher have a spare amp for me to play through ?

[Newfoundfreedom]

Sounds similar to a "teacher" I had many years ago. 

 

When I said I wanted to learn bass (or rather, improve. I could already play but knew zero theory.) He said I should start by learning the guitar first because bass is based on (pun intended) what the guitar is playing. Now, there is some logic in this, but it's totally unnecessary to actually be able to play the guitar to understand chord structure. I lasted 3 lessons, learned pretty much nothing then gave him the boot. 

 

I think he was basically just a guitarist who thought he knew enough to go out and teach other people. Your guy sounds of the same ilk. 

 

As others have said, I'd give this one a swerve. 

 

[Waddo Soqable]

Agreed, this merchant sounds like a chancer looking for a bit of easy extra dosh, if you're serious about teaching, you have all the right equipment ready and waiting, including a few different basses for students / potential students to try if needs be. 

"bring yer own amp".....? a clown imho🤔

[Woodwind]

I know this lesson is tomorrow, but I would find any excuse to cancel and then start a new hunt for a teacher based on all the suggestions here.

 

If you're local to Glasgow there must be many great teachers around.

 

I have had lessons with a teacher who at times only had one amp (his second amp was on a tour bus or venue etc etc) and guess what, he wasn't the one playing during my lesson.

Actually that's not quite true - if I was struggling with something he used my bass to demonstrate (or his bass unplugged) and could accompany me on piano.

So don't be put off by one amp per se, but my guess is this teacher you found may well ending playing more than you in your lesson.

 

And yes as nearly everyone has said, reading notation is nothing but a good thing so a teacher who can help with this is your primary goal.

 

Good luck 😎

[Woodinblack]

Not sure why you would go to a music teacher who wasn't teaching you what you wanted to learn in a manner that is convenient to you? Its not like bass is a rare instrument or that you are in the sticks, you must have a huge choice of options (try chapman stick teachers)

[chris_b]

100% of replies, over 2 pages giving you exactly the same advice.

 

I don't think I've ever seen so many people agreeing with each other on Basschat!!

 

[paul_5]

4 minutes ago, chris_b said:

100% of replies, over 2 pages giving you exactly the same advice.

 

I don't think I've ever seen so many people agreeing with each other on Basschat!!

 

I think you’re all dreadful and all the advice is worthless.😄

 

There, balance is restored.

[binky_bass]

2 minutes ago, paul_5 said:

I think you’re all dreadful and all the advice is worthless.😄

Oh yeah, well I think you're dreadless and the advice is worthful. 

[Piers_Williamson]

l agree with all the warnings about wanting to teach you TAB.  I went to a teacher who predominantly teaches guitar, but I said to him that I wanted to sight-read rythm.  I'm a big fan of James Jamerson and Chuck Rainey, and sight reading the variation in Motown, or Chuck Rainey's Steely Dan numbers is a good way of learning that style.

 

The teacher would deliberately give me tracks to sight read that he knew I didn't know, so the lessons were always challenging.  His worst trick was to play me a track and ask me to write out the music from scratch!  After the lesson, I could always go and do the You Tube cheat, but it was always to help me nail down the written score.

 

Coming back to complicated scores some time after learning them is also a really good refresher.  Dean Town is a good one, as is the chord change on the original Marvin Gaye Ain't no Mountain High Enough.  And if anyone can teach me how to nail the middle passage of Paladino's Any Where I Lay my Hat...I would appreciate it!

[David Houldworth]

Hi all,

Many many thanks for the advice. Apologies I haven't responded sooner.

 

So, the reason for the delay in my response is that I declined that teachers offer (bullet dodged there if your responses are anything to go by) and continued my search.

 

I had certain parameters regarding cost, travelling time, time of day for practice, and what I was looking for in a teacher. I think I tried another 14 local schools and individual tutors around Glasgow since I posted my question to the forum.

 

A couple of small music schools said that they don't teach bass, another said that they only have a bass teacher for 4 hours 1 evening a week. I encountered more pretend bass teachers similar to the first one.

I'm on a bit of a fixed income so £30 per hour was my top limit (don't know what prices are like in the rest of UK - bet it's about £423 per hour in London  lol).

Some teachers were charging £40+ per our - those were usually eb and double bass teachers too though. I'm sure that they were well qualified, great players etc but £40 per hour ?...dear god. 

 

Anyway, I was loosing hope, I was on to the last one or two teachers on my list.

I got in touch with one through 'firsttutors.com'. Maybe some of you know it or are on it. The way they work is, you can peruse the details of the teacher, experience, what instruments, availability etc and if you fancy what they're offering, you have to pay a 'finders fee' to the website to get the teachers details released eg phone no, address, full name, email address etc (you only get first names on their bios). Maybe it's a bit like a dating site  lol.

 

I paid the the site fee and got access to his details. I think I struck gold. He's a young guy went through Glasgow Conservatory did a BMUS in jazz. Apart from playing in jazz groups he plays DB with Scottish Ballet (as does his dad)

Coincidentally, a couple of weeks ago I booked tickets for my wife and I to see Scottish Ballet's Swan Lake in Glasgow in April. What are the chances ?

 

I had my first lesson on Monday afternoon - several days before the practice he sent me a PDF of what we were going to be working on - Hiatian Divorce by Steely Dan...dear god ! The end of book 2 beginning of book 3 of the Friedland tutor isn't near this level. I spent about 10 hours on it. Went to the lesson and there were maybe half a dozen wee things in the song (and my technique) had to be sharpened up - apart from that it was ok.

I was surprised, I've loved SD for decades and didn't think I'd be ready for SD bass line notation before 2027

 

Hugely gratifying to work away on what, for me, is a very tricky bass line and it actually being pretty close to correct. (loads of times on the PDF I had to draw little up and down arrows under the bars to keep down and up beat rests and notes correct, and slow it down to a snails pace)

 

So, sorry for the long epistle (oo-er missus) but so many great replies to my initial post deserved a comprehensive response.

 

Onward and upward,

Cheers all.

 

[fretmeister]

That's great news!

 

I think people really underestimate how much difference a good teacher can make. 

[Newfoundfreedom]

Nice one. Sounds like you struck gold there. 

 

£30 an hour is a good price for face to face lessons. I was paying that to my so called teacher 15 years ago. 

Edited November 8, 2023 by Newfoundfreedom

[ezbass]

2 hours ago, David Houldworth said:

I had my first lesson on Monday afternoon - several days before the practice he sent me a PDF of what we were going to be working on - Haitian Divorce by Steely Dan

What a great bass line that is, with some really interesting timing here and there; one of Becker’s finest. The outro is a great exercise for some modal playing if you like that kind of thing.

 

Great news that you found someone who fitted you criteria and that you passed on the teacher without the correct equipment to teach bass.

[DJpullchord]

Perhaps you could offer to teach him how to read music?