First DB lessons tonight

sevenyearsdown · #1 03-26-2009, 03:35 PM

And I'm nervous like a freshman boy at a high school dance.....I'm 30 and have never had a lesson yet - not to old to start I suppose.

reedo35 · #2 03-26-2009, 03:38 PM

Don't worry, the first lesson is always gentle. The whips and chains come out later.

wineaux · #3 03-26-2009, 04:12 PM

Seven,

I was 52 when I took my first lesson. I, too, was nervous and I thought on the ride home that I'd never get that left-hand claw down. But soon I was making the claw all the time -- on the bus, at work and even on the bass. Two years later I'm still having a blast.

Enjoy the ride!

clink · #4 03-26-2009, 04:32 PM

My first teacher, the Symphony Principal, would make me spread my left hand fingers apart and he would "measure" the distance to see if the proportions were right. He threatened to tape my middle through pinkies together to instill in me the importance of having that distance the same as that between first and middle.

We would also spend at least half the lesson swinging our right arms around like gorillas to get the feel for 'proper' German bowing.

That was over 25 years ago and I survived it. Maybe that's why I play jazz.

Don't sweat it. You will have a blast.

scotty77 · #5 03-27-2009, 01:01 AM

I had my first lesson about 6 weeks ago. At 50. My teacher has been very good and patient with me. A lot to learn, but I'm slowly picking up what he's teaching. It's beginning to make sense to my thinking.
Best investment you can make. Enjoy.

400$Bass · #6 03-27-2009, 05:54 AM

Another lesson testimonial...I had my FIRST DB lesson two days ago. I being 56, and my teacher maybe 21 or 22 at the most, I felt honored that she would take an old buzzard like me for a student.

My teacher soon graduates from college with a music education degree and the DB is her major instrument. I furnished a piece of sheet music of Jazz walking bass lines and ask her to play it. (Eventually I hope to be able to play this sort of music along with other styles) Getting the music before her "cold turkey" she nailed it with the greatest of ease, and got me even more fired up to go home and practice my DB.

I have a ton to learn, and being a retired pensioner my DB lessons will be one of my more interesting pursuits.

sevenyearsdown · #7 03-27-2009, 06:07 AM

Things actually went great from my perspective. I feel completely relaxed with the guy who is teaching me. He seems like he really enjoys passing on the music, and has all the patient in the world.

Scales.......I will be learning scales, proper fingering and learning to read music now. I might have to turn in my "hack" bassist card soon if I keep this stuff up.

bass_snake · #8 03-27-2009, 10:46 AM

It' s all good. I' m 29 and had my first lesson couple of months ago. I already learned alot.

Fred