Took my Sterling to my "first" lesson.

[GassieBall]

So me and my Sterling went to my first bass lesson since, um, high school... I grew up playing piano and one of my main problems is I still think in piano, not in bass, so I wanted to learn the fretboard better, etc.

My teacher (a Berkeley/Pebody grad) complemented the guitar. He was also psyched I played through a Markbass rig. So that made me smile. Yup, awesome combo EBMM and Markbass.

But OMG, here I go again. Circle of fifths, intervals, scales, actual practice!!! Brutal dude. Can you guys please give me the strength to persevere?

 

[phatduckk]

dude same here. been playing bass for 12 or 13 years now and i never had lessons. i never had piano or anything else either so im clueless... hell, someone showed me the 12 bar blues 2 months ago. im that ignorant... always played by ear and have recently had the hunger to know more. i can hang by ear but if i knew whats going on i figure its a great resource and will strengthen things up and help me on improv.

so my advice... i dunno. its hard for me too. i work too much and real practice isnt fun especially since i can ditch the boring slow lesson and play some fun stuff. i guess its like quitting smoking... if you really wanna do it you will. its not that fun but the reward is pretty rad when something clicks in your head.

my best advice is to practice to some drum loop on your pc or something. playing to a metronome is wayyyyyyyy boringer than anything ever. i fire up garageband on my mac and loop some canned drum peice on there and that makes it way more fun for me. if i get bored i switch to another drum loop. if practing scales ill change the time or sometimes switch to a funk beat and slap the scale etc.

another thing that is good for me is my instructor is cool. hes a friend so we go over my time limit alot and he makes time to answer everything and make sure the theory dots get connected for me

good luck!

 

[PocketGroove82]

When practicing, try to mix it up.
Play something fun/Do Scales/Play something fun/write out some key sigs./Play something fun/work/...etc...etc...

Keep it fun so you don't lose sight of the joy of it all.

 

[bovinehost]

Fire up some Little Willies.

Really.

If you can learn the changes to "Night Life" and "Love Me" and that sort of thing, you'll know how to deal with about half a zillion songs from the 50s, 60s and beyond.

I haven't been able to really practice scales and all that for the last twenty years or so, so I work on 'standards' that I ignored when I was all progressive and stuff.

It teaches me that there are a million different ways to get from C to G....and how and when to use what I want.

I could stand some lessons, but I'm just lazy now.

 

[GassieBall]

Thanks for the encouragement, guys. I think all of your ideas of changing it up are great. I guess to look at the bright side, there is so much out there to learn. I asked him if he thinks and I can play like Marcus Miller in a couple of years. He said "No problem" and kindly chuckled.

 

[Kristopher]

For myself, learning scales and whatnot is extremely difficult because I get bored easily. Great job if you've got a teacher you like, I haven't found one that I really dig. I would imagine that having a teacher on your wavelength makes things a hundred times better than having a guy who feels even a little uncomfortable to be around. I can say that the payoff IS worth it. Imagine being able to instantly play anything you can dream up in your head.

 

[WillPlay4Food]

[snip] Imagine being able to instantly play anything you can dream up in your head.

This is all I want to be able to do. I wouldn't care if I knew I was playing Super Locrian or Lydian Dominant or whatever. If I could play the lines I heard in my head instantly, instead of humming it into a recorder, then spend the next 10 minutes hammering it out I could die a happy man.

 

[GassieBall]

So did anyone watch Victor Wooten's Q&A session on the Bass Day 97 DVD? An audience member asked him something like "What do you think of when you play those incredible licks?"

And Victor replied with a question like "Well what do you think of when you asked me that question? Did you think of the grammar and every noun and verb and sentence construction, or did you just ask it?"

Totally Zen response. Cool.

 

[GassieBall]

I took my Sterling to my second lesson. My tone is awesome but my skills suck even more. I feel like a kid bringing my algebra homework to Einstein. Anyone else feel more nervous at lessons than at a gig? I think it's the one-on-one magnifying glass feeling.

 

[bovinehost]

My tone is awesome but my skills suck even more.

Tone is half the battle, if you ask me. Which you maybe didn't, but that's what I think anyway. You may not know how many times I've said, "I suck, but my tone kills."

I've said it a LOT. You can get away with a lot if your tone is good. Why do you think I play Music Man basses?

I feel like a kid bringing my algebra homework to Einstein. Anyone else feel more nervous at lessons than at a gig? I think it's the one-on-one magnifying glass feeling.

It's been a long time since I had lessons, but I've played with/in front of some monsters of the universe. Humbling, to be sure, but if you're having fun and it sounds okay, so what?

This forum is chock-full of bassists who are more technically proficient than I am, and I want them to like what I do, but the truth is that the monster guys - Alvaro, Bassmonkee, BP, etc - are not generally at the cheap-ass bars where I play, when I play.

Know where the I is in a I-IV-V, and play it with authority. Don't lag, don't rush, don't look like it's painful and you'll probably - really - be okay.

And keep taking lessons and make me feel small!

Jack

 

[Colin]

bass players learn scales?

 

[narcispy]

I took lessons 6 years ago for about a year and a half. To tell you the truth it didn't accomplish much, I learned more on my own.

 

[GassieBall]

You guys help me keep on persevering.

BP's post on the Tip of the Week about lessons was so fitting for picking me up. Thanks!

 

[asianjeff]

yea... I am gonna start taking lessons soon too... with this guy named Mike Frost. Was recommend by another fellow bass friend - an incredible player... and an even better teacher... so I am actually looking forward to take lessons now.

 

[SharonG]

Hang in there Gassie - I am takiing occasional lessons, too - after 30+ years of playing. The idea is to improve my improv, just Victor said - to just ask the question without all of the thought getting in the way. Maybe teach my fingers some new tricks! So far so good, and my teacher is very cool - a monster player himself, so hopefully some will rub off!

 

[GassieBall]

What's up Doc?

Long time no consult. Where are you finding time to practice in between reading films, teaching, and reading applications?

Are you still playing through the MB 15? (I'm thinking of getting one.)

 

[tommyindelaware]

welocome back from vacation !!!!!
al price IS a monster !!!
he's been playin the same mm sabre since 1980 !!!!

Hang in there Gassie - I am takiing occasional lessons, too - after 30+ years of playing. The idea is to improve my improv, just Victor said - to just ask the question without all of the thought getting in the way. Maybe teach my fingers some new tricks! So far so good, and my teacher is very cool - a monster player himself, so hopefully some will rub off!

 

[SharonG]

Hey, Gassie - finding time is a little easier since I got laid off in July. I had stepped down as director as of June 30. I will have another half-time position starting in mid-September if the paperwork ever gets done, but in the meantime it's more time with the kids, and off to the woodshed! All in all this will work out pretty well - should mean a little more down time in the end.

I am still playing through the LMII with the 15. I have not yet settled on the perfect tone, but I sure am having fun playing with it!

Tommy - it was too cool to show up for my first lesson, only to see Al playing that MM bass. What a great sound!

 

[GassieBall]

Best of luck with the new "gig", Dr. Bongo!

 

[Soul Man]

Gassie,
How have the lessons gone?