i have been playing bass for a little over a year and i just started taking (pointless i might add) lessons a few weeks ago. these lessons are 15 bucks for 30 minuetes and they arent teaching me anything because i have taught myself everything up until a certain point. the teacher also is teaching me things for cover song and how to play like matchbox 20 and gay **** like that what i really want to learn is using the jazz style effectively while adlibbing. i have learned some basic music theory but i have yet to find an effective website or teacher to teachme how i want to be taught.....got any ideas?

Have you told your teacher what you want to focus on? If your teacher won't teach you more theory(which is what you need to be able to improvise more effectively) you should find another teacher. Books and websites will help, but you really should find a good teacher.

Chris A. http://www.talkbass.com/ubb/rolleyes.gif

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"I have all my own teeth!"--Jenn Scott Poulin

If a community college in your city has a jazz course or a music theory course, sign up. In the meantime, there is a series of two or three books called "Joy of Improvisation" that might help you. You will need a firm grasp of music theory before you can do improvisation effectively.

Jason OLdsted

I see you're in Whitehouse, Ohio...head on over to Bowling Green State University and see if either Jeff Halsey (Director of Jazz and Bass studies) or one of his students will work with you. There used to be a good guy at UT, but I think he left a few years ago...

-GM

Like everyone's saying, tell your teacher what you want to learn and see what happens. But also, stick with your lessons and eventually you'll get into some pretty "thick" stuff. I remember my first few lessons made me really mad. Learning how to play Mary had a little lamb i thought was beyond me. But now i'm reading chord charts and wierd 5/8, 3/4, 2/4, time signatures and ive been taking for a year.
Just find a teacher you like and stick with it.

whoever you study with and whatever they teach you, try not to become a "pattern" player...meaning people who tend to let all their solos sound very "composed"....meaning ALL theory and NO original ideas...
and if you're even in a situation where you're just improvising freely, be aware of what everyone is doing because what you hear is more important than what you play...

even = ever

LOL

Well put, Ed. Also...it is one thing to have natural abilities...and another to know HOW to use them. Learning everything you can musically...will only help make you a BETTER player.
At least...for ME....I like to know WHAT I am doing...and WHY.....:)

yeah i do agree with you there...about the vocabulary bit...
using the scales to train your ear to hear the different intervals between the notes, and whatever else...learning the order of things so you can manipulate it at will...
instead of just learning the scales and never playing outside of them...

oh and frost...i like to know that too LOL

Originally posted by Ed Fuqua
Just reading stuff is not gonna get it into your ear or out on your instrument. But, unfortunately, the lack of original musical thought is not just purveyed by people who "know theory". The idea is to be able to make a cogent musical statement with the vocabulary you have and, to me, that's a lot easier to do if you know how to use all the words in your vocabulary. [/B]

Hear, Hear,KUNG FUQUA! This brings two quotes to mind. When Miles was asked how he came up with solos, he said,
"I play what I hear!" The other is From Charlie Parker:
"The best thing about practicing (Theory)is that it gives you choices". So, I agree, you can read all the theory books that you want, but if you have no concept of the tonality,to borrow from Ed's language metaphor, you might as well be speaking chinese at oktoberfest.