Has anyone taken lessons after they played for a long time?

[3mrhythm]

i've considered taking lessons a few times. i originally started out on guitar and eventually gravitated to the bass. Been playing for about 13years.. but honestly i really dont know any scales,, any theory.. self taught.. I just play.. sometimes its frustrating when playing with people who are well schooled..

two of my band members are guitar teachers.. so from time to time i pick their brains and watch youtube videos..

[azureblue]

"Did the lessons result in a lot of improvement?"

I began playing music on single reeds at 6 1/2, so, when I shifted to bass around 17 years old, I was a very good reader and had played a lot of different styles of music, and had great ears. A year out of high school, I went pro, playing in mostly old soul, funk and R&B, and jazz - blues groups. After maybe 12 years, I went back to college to "fill in the holes" in my jazz improv and composition knowledge. That was well worth it, thanks to two wonderful instructors I had who showed me concepts I had not been aware of. And later, while I moved out west and was working steady, I studied privately, and that helped me to look at what I am doing from another perspective, and to see what I need to work on. Mostly, it got me out of a comfortable rut I was in. And, now that I know all this stuff, I realize how much I really don't know.

My college bass teacher told me he wanted this engraved on his headstone: " I can't go now! I have three more songs to learn!" And he was one of the most inventive and in the pocket jazz players I have heard. His credo was that a good bass player never stops learning. He taught me to spend time every day to learn something new and different, then to find a way to apply that knowledge in my playing. IOW, there is always room for improvement.

[Basshappi]

Yep, I've been playing since 1977. A few years ago I had the privilege to study with Ed Friedland for about a year.

[Tupac]

Wow, how do you guys get around to studying with world class pros like these? Is it a matter of wallet size?

[Marty Forrer]

I played professionally for a few years before I went to lessons. I took up double bass, so needed to learn to play jazz. If you can find a good teacher, lessons are great. BTW: I was in my 40s when I went to lessons.

[Basshappi]

Originally Posted by Tupac

Wow, how do you guys get around to studying with world class pros like these? Is it a matter of wallet size?

In my case Ed used to live in Tucson. He has since relocated to Austin or else I would still be his student. I don't know about other well known players but Ed's rates were in line with the local market when I was taking lessons.

[bigboy_78]

Originally Posted by Basshappi

Yep, I've been playing since 1977. A few years ago I had the privilege to study with Ed Friedland for about a year.

There seems to be a general theme here. “I’d been playing for X years, then studied with {INSERT IMPRESSIVE NAME} for a few months and it was great.”

My experience was the exact opposite. I’ve been playing with the bass for about 15 years and thought I should have some lessons to push forward out of a rut. Signed up with the local music store, first lesson free nothing to lose. The “teacher” was about 17, couldn’t read (which was one of my main reasons for getting lessons) and after I corrected him a few times on some pretty basic theory, I left. The kid was probably great a getting beginners up and away (and selling gear) but really had no place calling himself a teacher.

It is hard to learn from someone who knows less than you.

[bass12]

I started taking bass lessons again a couple of years ago. I've been playing for around 25 years but I love learning what I can from different people.

[Commreman]

I started playing in 1975. When I got to college a few years later, I busted my ass, learned how to read, and by my second year scored the first chair bass position in the jazz ensemble. in 1987, I met Dave LaRue, and had the very fortunate experience of studying with him for a year, before he joined the Steve Morse band and then moved to Florida. Last April, I got to do a One Week Intensive with Jeff Berlin. Another amazing, eye opening experience.

Bottom line is this - take lessons! If you put the work in, they only make you better.