3 months of lessons and...

[prater]

I don't feel like its going anywhere. My teacher teaches me one thing per lesson, no matter how simple. Usually a single 3rd or 5th or something like that. Not a single scale yet. Now I get what he is teaching me and everything but its not really fitting in with what I play (rock music).

[jmattbassplaya]

Have you tried asking him to teach you what you want to learn?

And actually, 3rds and 5ths are very fitting in most kinds of rock music

[curbowkid]

To help get you going at faster speeds and to train your ear, go on YouTube and watch live shows of your favourite bands and play along. I say love videos because you can see what they are doing or at least where they are positioned to give you an idea of where to play and then from there use your ear to pick out the correct notes and progression and junk. But all of this takes time and 3 months is only the very tip of the ice berg. I'm 5 years of playing in and I'm still not to where I want to be

[herrdruhl]

Do you have other instructors available in your area? Or does your current instructor have a good rep? BTW, in my opinion it's more important to first learn the fingerboard, starting with the basics (root, 5th, chords), then on to scales. I also think learning a little jazz theory will make you a better overall bassist, and by definition, a better rock bassist. Also, make sure you are using fingering and technique that won't damage your hands or cause tendonitis. I recommend the Simandl fingering method.

[iammr2]

Are you learning to play rock music or learning to play bass. One may not necessarily encompass the other.

[mcglyph]

If you don't feel like what you are getting what you want from your teacher find another? Some instructors are better musicians than teachers. Watch for the difference. Three months to me is enough evaluation time. You want to learn scales, then he should be teaching them. Lessons are expensive I don't think you should be so dissatisfied.

[mambo4]

"3 months" = how many lessons, exactly? 12? 3?
If you're going once a month, that may not be too off the mark. How much exactly is he teaching you about these 3rds and 5ths? as intervals go they are pretty useful to know...

Fundamentals are certainly not rock bass lines. But they are fundamentals. having the patience to pay attention and learn them well will pay of exponentially more than memorizing the fingering patterns of your favorite songs.

[Rune Bivrin]

Wax on, right hand. Wax off, left hand. Wax on, wax off. Breathe in through nose, out the mouth. Wax on, wax off. Don't forget to breathe, very important!

[GeoffT]

You say you "get" 3rds and 5ths, can you play a line like Scott does in this vid? It is nothing more than Roots, 3rds, and 5ths (except for a couple fills he does the last time through).

Expand & Develop Your Bass Lines - Online Bass Lessons (Part 1) | ScottsBassLessons.com

Learning how to play or where to find a 3rd or 5th is relatively easy, being able to apply them well on the fly, like Scott does in the video is another thing altogether.

Ever watch the Karate Kid? The kid just wants to learn how to put a whooping on some guys. Does Mr. Han (or Miyagi in the better original version) jump right into that or does he teach him some fundamental movements that can later be applied to his original goal? The kid is very impatient and doesn't get why he has to do these very easy things over and over and over again, especially when they don't seem to apply to what he wants to know. Yeah it's just a movie but it has an important and real lesson, when you start to learn a new skill that takes a relatively long time to master, you may not understand why you have to learn some things or spend so much time on easy stuff but if the teacher is good, he/she will teach you what you need to know rather than what you think you should be learning. You have to learn and master the basic foundational stuff before you move on to more complex things.

3 Months is a very small amount of time when you consider how long it takes to really be able to play any instrument well. When you've played for 5 or 10 years and learned 100 songs, you may just understand how important chord tones like 3rds and 5ths are and how they make up the majority of almost every bass line you'll ever play.

Edit: Too funny, Rune beating me to the punch with the Karate Kid reference, I guess that is what I get for writing such a long reply.

[MalcolmAmos]

Online Bass Lessons at StudyBass.com. Spend some time here and see how 3's and 5's can be used to play songs.
http://www.studybass.com/lessons/common-bass-patterns/

[DrayMiles]

Originally Posted by iammr2

Are you learning to play rock music or learning to play bass. One may not necessarily encompass the other.

I agree with this statement.

It doesn't make sense trying to learn to play rock. Learn what you like off records. Learning music is different. Are you a typical student i.e. impatient? If you aren't satisfied... quit taking lessons.

But don't be surprised if something you want to play in the future is beyond your technique.

Hmm... or maybe you aren't at a stage where you need lessons? I had been playing for a few years before I appreciated what my teacher was doing..

Good luck..

[BassChuck]

Your teacher isn't responsible for your learning, you are. Take charge. Show him what you can do, ask how to make it better. Let him know your goals, and ask how you can meet them.

[kraigo]

Just because you have "the assignment" it doesn't mean you have to stop there. Put on some music and play along. Obviously you have the internet. As the links above show, there's a world of information out there. Finally, a big +1 to BassChuck's statement.

KO

[PrietoBass]

Originally Posted by prater

I don't feel like its going anywhere. My teacher teaches me one thing per lesson, no matter how simple. Usually a single 3rd or 5th or something like that. Not a single scale yet. Now I get what he is teaching me and everything but its not really fitting in with what I play (rock music).

If you only learn one thing per lesson, and (let's say) you take one lesson per week, that's 52 new "things" you will have learned in a year, which is A LOT!

If 52 new things learned "well" is not enough for you and you'd rather "learn" 365 other (flashy) things, and then play them sloppily... then by all means change direction.

Unless you are the 2nd coming of Elvis, I'd say it's not a race so just enjoy the ride...

Peace.

[sunnycal]

Ok I am a relative newbie to bass but I have to say I disagree with some of th earlier posts. I hope they don't put me to shame when I express my opinion here. One, if you're not happy it doesn't hurt to explore your options. My first teacher was a guitar player who didn't teach me anything about bass techniquie. When I found my new teacher I found out how much I was missing. There's a big difference between being a player and a teacher.

My next point is how can you really be learing intervals without learning the scales, they go hand in hand. I used Studybass.com before I went to lessons and knew the 2nd finger position major scale. EVERYTHING we've done has practically been built off of that. Once I knew the major scale it made it easy to learn about arpegios (R, 3rd & 5th). Since I've learned the major scale with 1st, 2nd & 4th fingerings and how to include open strings. I've just started learning a little about modes. I also understand the concept of chord progressions because it all relates to the numbers i.e. I IV V etc.

When I started I wanted to learn the theory because that's something I didn't do when I took music lessons as a kid. It makes a huge difference because I can understand the language of music and there are so many sources like the internet, you tube etc. and I can understand what they all say.

I am very happy and for me the "wax on, wax off" is sitting around playing the scales and trying to improve my fluidity while playing them and moving it around the fretboard. My son is taking rock guitar lessons and doesn't know any theory. Every week he goes in and they teach him some new riff but if I say lets play something in E or some other key he hasn't got a clue. So as another beginner my advice! Make sure you've got a good "bass teacher" who knows how to teach. That's just my 2 cents worth

[HolmeBass]

I would practice your lessons *a lot* so that when you meet your teacher again you have it down cold, forwards and backwards, fast AND SLOW. If you show him you're really working on what he's teaching you, he will pick up the pace.

A statement like, "Usually a single 3rd or 5th or something like that. Not a single scale yet. Now I get what he is teaching me and everything but its not really fitting in with what I play (rock music)." tell me that you don't get it yet; 3rd and 5th are bread and butter, applicable to any kind of music and especially to rock music- those are the notes you use in your fills.

As a specific example: we'll rule out scale degrees, since you said he's not teaching you scales, but as far as a "3rd", is he teaching you the chord-tone, the member of a triad, or the interval of a "3rd"? There is a difference there- the two are related but different concepts. I say work harder on your lessons and after another 6 months this will all make perfect sense.

[Snarf]

Originally Posted by prater

I don't feel like its going anywhere. My teacher teaches me one thing per lesson, no matter how simple. Usually a single 3rd or 5th or something like that. Not a single scale yet. Now I get what he is teaching me and everything but its not really fitting in with what I play (rock music).

Rock is ONLY 3rds and 5ths. Scales are secondary to intervals and arpeggios.

[tangentmusic]

Get out and start playing with others. Even if it's simple stuff. You'll learn "on the job"