It is currently Mon Mar 16, 2020 7:55 am

All times are UTC - 7 hours



Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 20 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1, 2
Go to page Previous  1, 2
Author Message
Post subject: Re: Lessons
Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2014 3:43 pm
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Fri Mar 21, 2008 11:00 am
Posts: 1226
Location: In the pocket north of Washington D.C.
Yes- Girls can be a big motivator for most bass players. I guess that remains so at some level.
Its good that you had contact with players who were better than you and who would take the time to teach you some things.

_________________
If thine enemy wrong thee, buy each of his children a drum.


Top
Profile
Fender Play Winter Sale 2020
Post subject: Re: Lessons
Posted: Wed Aug 20, 2014 6:25 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist
User avatar

Joined: Tue Jan 28, 2014 3:33 pm
Posts: 49
My Bass teacher / mentor just released her first video. Beautiful playing on a beautiful Fender.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=960rsIJxGLg


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Lessons
Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2014 7:52 am
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician

Joined: Sat Feb 12, 2011 8:01 am
Posts: 2842
BCbassman wrote:
Yes- Girls can be a big motivator for most bass players. I guess that remains so at some level.
Its good that you had contact with players who were better than you and who would take the time to teach you some things.



It was more like I just wouldn't go away. I was 16 and the guys were a couple or so years older. They had a band and I was hanging around. They would end practice and the bass player would leave. He'd leave his bass out on top of the amp (68 P or J I forget) so the other guys were still there wanting to keep playing. I'd grab the bass and they'd show me the parts and I would struggle thru. The one guy would actually hit me after I'd keep screwing up a bass line. "THONK"--- A flogging always helps a bass player get his bass parts down.
They all had the roll and tuck Kustom amps. Back then those were very cool amps to have. Those guys could really play. I owe alot to them. They're gone now.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Lessons
Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2014 1:31 am
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Sat Sep 20, 2014 7:08 pm
Posts: 21
I've been playing music since I was a child. Actually, even earlier.
My mom used to tell a story about how when she was pregnant with me, she & my dad went to go see the movie of the Monterey music festival I believe it was, and that I kicked in her stomach perfectly to the beat of the music in the movie. My dad (a drummer) felt her stomach, and said I had good meter! :lol:

My favorite instrument is drums, which I also believe I am best at. I played in the school orchestra, and learned to read and play different parts- the drum kit, timpani, snare, cymbals, and other percussion.

I also started learning guitar at about 11 or 12 years old, my first guitar being a Fender Bronco. I started playing in various garage bands by the time I was 13 or 14, and at 17, even worked as a tech for various hair metal bands around LA in the 80's.

I always had a fascination with bass, but didn't get one until much later in life. I got my first bass around 2003 or so- a Fender Jazz Bass Special, I like to call the "Duff Bass". I really like the P/J setup and the jazz neck with the P body.

I got various books and videos, and learned what I could from that. I heard about a class that was offered at a local community college for electric bass, and enrolled. That was fun! We covered some theory, harmony, and basic technique. It was a group setting, and had a few fun guest instructors come down to teach us.

Obviously formal lessons from a qualified teacher are ideal, but people with musical ability can usually learn enough to become a "functional" bass player on their own. A few years ago, a guy had me play drums on a track for him, and instead of his guitar player doing the bass part, I did it instead. His guitar player used to fake the bass parts by just playing root notes.

I knew the song from playing it with them several times on drums, and thought I had a good feel for what the bass part should be, so I showed the singer/songwriter/keyboard player my ideas, and he liked them enough to tap me to play the bass part on the final recording. I didn't do anything earth shattering, but it came out fairly decent. I added some chords, and even did a little sort of counter melody that worked for the song.

I would love to work with a real good teacher, but at this point, time & money aren't what they used to be, so other things are higher on my list. I do enjoy bass though. I actually like it more than guitar in many ways.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Lessons
Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2015 4:02 pm
Offline
Roadie
Roadie

Joined: Mon Dec 31, 2007 9:10 am
Posts: 210
I took violin lessons (6 years) and then 6 string lessons (2 1/2) but unfortunately never any bass lessons. In my area, back when, the only two people I ran across who taught non-classical bass only taught scales and basic theory. There was nothing bass-centric and they had few students anyway. So when I came to bass, I was self- taught on such things as technique, styles to compare and so on. This was way pre-Internet, so unless you could afford a lot of records (I couldn't) and a decent sound system (to pick out the bass ... not something I had), you pretty much fumbled through it on your own. And that's not necessarily good.

As a converted lead guitarist/violinist, I probably totally overplayed a lot in the early days. And since lessons back then tended not to include ear training, a lot of times I'd be lost in some band if I was just supposed to fit in and they didn't have any charts to follow. In short, I spent a few years being a very proficient awful bassist because I didn't "understand" the bass so to speak.

Therefore, I'd say bass lessons should be a given if there's any way you can swing it. You'll save yourself some learning curve, reinventing the wheel and bad habits to unlearn. Learn some different styles and some of the classic masters while at it. That all goes into the foundation of what bass was and is. I read in Bass Player one time the opinion that you should reasonably master 3 styles and be able to get by in a couple more. Directed lessons and objective critique can sure help in that goal.


Top
Profile
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 20 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1, 2
Go to page Previous  1, 2

All times are UTC - 7 hours

Fender Play Winter Sale 2020

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Search for:
Jump to: