Do I need a bass teacher

[lojo]

I have played bass off and on most of my adult life, at 41, I now currently only play covers

Technically I am not a musician, I don't read notes, and have to work most stuff out before I attempt to play it in a band situation

I have played in many pub and functions bands and been fortunate enough to play alongside some established people during my 20s (they did not know I was winging it)

I bluffed my way through jazz standards for 7 years in a functions band by just listening to the records over and over (everyone else read) and take the same approach now with my covers bands

So although I have had some fun, I have always been limited and felt fake

Would taking lessons now improve me, or are my bad habits to ingrained and would take to long to undo

Also I am worried finding out how bad I really am technically would spoil the fun I am currently having gigging covers

Equally I do not wish to miss out on what I could discover if I took lessons?

Any thoughts very welcome

Edited March 28, 2010 by lojo

[OutToPlayJazz]

Speaking as a teacher I suppose I'm biased in a lot of ways, but you can see the process as a way of dotting the "i's" and crossing the "t's". Hopefully if you pick someone worth what you pay them, you'll improve your technique, making your playing style easier and more reliable. Learning to read music will definitely help with not only your ability to learn songs quickly, but also with your ear and the speed with which you pick up progressions and chord changes.

I really must get that tutor book written!

[Doddy]

[quote name='lojo' post='788539' date='Mar 28 2010, 02:43 PM']So although I have had some fun, I have always been limited and felt fake

Would taking lessons now improve me, or are my bad habits to ingrained and would take to long to undo

Also I am worried finding out how bad I really am technically would spoil the fun I am currently having gigging covers

Equally I do not wish to miss out on what I could discover if I took lessons?[/quote]

If you have always felt limited then yes,taking lessons would be a good idea.

Lessons will always improve you but only if you work on it and practice.If you do this,bad habits
can be rectified pretty quickly.

Finding out that you are doing something 'wrong' should not spoil any fun. You shouldn't be thinking
about it on gigs. If you study and practice correctly,it will work its way into your playing naturally.

If you feel that you are missing out on things then that answers your question. Lessons are always a
good idea. Even though I do this bass lark for a living,I still take lessons a few times a year.

[steve]

I've been taking lessons with Nick Carey for a few weeks now, after years of playing and reading up on bits of theory. I've found it both interesting and useful. I would have thought if you're asking the question, you might as well try one and see how you feel aftrewards, you can always leave them if they're not for you

[splat1969]

Funnily enough my situation was exactly the same as yours.I am 41 and started playing bass at 20.I have started having lessons with Nick Carey as well as Steve,and find it to be money well spent.I started learning from lesson 1 !!! and realised just how rubbish my technique was.Give Nick a go mate,he really is worth the money.

[tom1946]

I'm playing bass in our church band by default. Our bassman left and I was nominated because both my wife and me played guitar.

I've been hacking for just over a year now and although nothing is too complicated as it's mostly slow rock type stuff.
However, I'm not going anywhere fast and I need a teacher. I don't read either, a sort of you hum it and I'll play it type. I did try a local guy who was very pleasant but didn't seem to know where to begin. I don't want to learn to read because I wouldn't remember it very well. (age) Just need to learn riffs and technique?

I'm Teesside area and would like to learn.

[Marvin]

I wish I could fit some lessons in. So I would probably be in the go for it category.

[Doddy]

[quote name='tom1946' post='790637' date='Mar 30 2010, 02:45 PM']I don't want to learn to read because I wouldn't remember it very well. (age) Just need to learn riffs and technique?[/quote]

If you are going to have lessons to just learn riffs,then I think you are probably wasting
money. If you pay your £20 or whatever and are shown riffs,then all you can play is that riff.
If you learn to read,and play scales and arpeggios and concepts and things,you will have the
knowledge to play a million riffs.

[steve]

Give a man a riff, and he'll play for a day,
teach him how to riff and he'll play forever

(I'll get my coat </mb1>)

[Doddy]

[quote name='steve' post='790853' date='Mar 30 2010, 05:45 PM']Give a man a riff, and he'll play for a day,
teach him how to riff and he'll play forever

(I'll get my coat </mb1>)[/quote]

Leave your coat where it is....You are totally correct.

[gub]

[quote name='steve' post='790853' date='Mar 30 2010, 05:45 PM']Give a man a riff, and he'll play for a day,
teach him how to riff and he'll play forever

(I'll get my coat </mb1>)[/quote]

can i use this in my profile,love it! and very true.

[Pentode]

Go for it - I started having lessons aged 45 with Maurice Cope.

Best thing I've ever done but then Maurice is a fine, fine teacher......

Good luck whatever you choose.

[steve]

[quote name='gub' post='790936' date='Mar 30 2010, 07:02 PM']can i use this in my profile,love it! and very true. [/quote]

shucks, be my guest, I've never been sig'd before

[The Funk]

[quote name='lojo' post='788539' date='Mar 28 2010, 02:43 PM']Technically I am not a musician[/quote]

If you play music you're a musician. Learning is always a good thing too.

[AndyTravis]

I think i'm going to ring Stevie Williams, i've been meaning to for a while.

I'm no slouch, but i think a man of his experience/ability could re-awken my playing.

He's a nice chap too, so i think it'd be fun.

Hope he does mates rates, as i'm bloddy skint.

[FunkyFinger]

I'd never tell anyone they needed lessons but I certainly found them more than helpful.

It's always good to have an objective eye and ear cast over your work.

In my own case I'm sure my tutor saved my wrists/hands from early retirement, before taking lessons I used to play with an almost 90 degree wrist angle.

As for learning to read music, since you've been playing for a good while you already speak the language may as well learn how the words are spelt.

[tom1946]

[quote name='Doddy' post='790851' date='Mar 30 2010, 05:44 PM']If you are going to have lessons to just learn riffs,then I think you are probably wasting
money. If you pay your £20 or whatever and are shown riffs,then all you can play is that riff.
If you learn to read,and play scales and arpeggios and concepts and things,you will have the
knowledge to play a million riffs.[/quote]

I understand, I didn't express myself very well.
I obviously don't just want to learn a particular riff, as you say I need to learn scales etc'
I can't retain what I've learnt as regards reading music, it's just a lot easier at my age to be shown how to work it out for myself. There are a lot of good players who can't read a note. For some people it's instinctive, I played rhythm12 string guitar for 45 years without problems.

In my playing situation I have to play catchup every week because church services differ musically from week to week. Therefore since taking on the bass players job I'm trying to learn 10-12 songs every week that I used to play on guitar and sometimes there is very little time to practice. I feel that if my technique was better I wouldn't miss notes from time to time.

I'm sure I'm not alone in this?

What you say is correct. I just can't find anyone locally is the problem.

[Ancient Mariner]

I'd suggest that if you can wing it in front of accomplished musicians and it fits then you don't *need* lessons and are certainly a musician yourself. However that's not to say you couldn't learn a lot of useful stuff. Having hacked around on guitar more than 30 years I could certainly use lessons now because I've developed my own technique and style, and I'd just add to it. But if I'd had lessons in my first 5 years as a player then I'm sure I'd be more accomplished (or just as likely, I'd have given up - that would make life easier!) but I certainly wouldn't have developed in the ways I have.

[gicut58]

I would venture that maybe 300 years of reading the dots can't be wrong.
Lessons will not only improve technique, it will break down 'musical walls' and open you up to all sorts of new avenues you never knew existed - there's just too much out there and really no time at all to learn to play it....

[purpleblob]

In answer to the actual question "Do I need a bass teacher"... No you don't [b]need[/b] one.

Okay to ellaborate. I am not a teacher and I've never been taught bass by anyone else. This neither means I'm better or worse than anyone who has but I'm just not good with the whole student/teacher thing. I learned what I know by reading, researching and practising. I personally enjoy this approach, but it's not for everyone. So what I would say is that you need to ask yourself what you want to gain from a teacher and whether this is something you are capable of doing on your own or would you your time be better spent learning from somebody else.

Also you need to find the right teacher, if you go this route, not all are teachers are created equal.

If all you want to do is learn scales, you can achieve this easily on your own and at the end of the day a teacher can only show you the notes (and maybe the easiest fingering for various positions) then ask you to go away and practise (in essence). But ofcourse other things are more easily learned by learning from others as they can show you the pit falls or shortcut your learning.

[Lfalex v1.1]

My experience of being taught was not a positive one.
The guy was utterly closed-minded. Sure, he could play, but could he teach? No.
He hated my choice of instrument, and couldn't get on with the fact that I like everything from classical to death metal and back again.
I was in a thrash band at the time, but was eager to learn new techniques etc. (think slap and so on)
I had a good idea what I wanted to learn. He had a good idea what he wanted me to be taught.
If I were generous, I'd say that there was a communication breakdown.
11 years later, I'm still pi**ed enough at him to post this....

I've considered re-visiting the idea, but I'm really concerned that [i]some[/i] teachers impose their own ideas and standards upon their pupils and would be happy to see little clones of themselves out there, and then shout loudly "Look what I made!"

The very best teachers will help their pupils develop towards their own potential without imposing too much of themselves upon them.

These points are not just relevant to bass playing of course!

Trouble is, how do you spot a good teacher from a small ad?

[Sarah5string]

I started lessons in january after looking through the RGT lists for a reputable tutor. The first tutor I contacted was cold, uncaring and put me off straight away. I didn't bother taking it any further. The second tutor I contacted (again through RGT) was completely the opposite and I'm still with him today and have no complaints whatsoever. He's happy to do anything I want, am an currently doing slap after mentioning I wanted to learn He's also helping me to do the RGT grades.

In short, you don't NEED a tutor, but having a decent one will make all the difference