Not sure what/how to learn next

rydin4lifebass · #1 12-12-2011, 06:24 PM

I've been taking lessons for about 2.5 years and if I don't take a song to learn or ask specifically to learn out of a book (Progressive Bass when I first started), I don't know what to learn. I don't have a practice schedule and am having trouble knowing what to do. Any suggestions on how to relay that to my instructor?

mambo4 · #2 12-12-2011, 06:58 PM

Tell your instructor "I don't know what to learn. I don't have a practice schedule and am having trouble knowing what to do." If ,after that, your instructor can't help, get a new instructor.

MalcolmAmos · #3 12-12-2011, 07:41 PM

You've been with him for 2.5 years and can not talk to him. You've paid him close to $2,250 and he is not taking you down a road you want to travel.

Enough, find some one else.

rydin4lifebass · #4 12-13-2011, 12:44 PM

I think I'm going to tell him what Mambo suggested. I usually take him songs and ask how to play them which he does a great job at teaching me but now I want to take him the books I have and say, "make me a practice schedule, give me exercises and homework to work on".....never had another instructor so I wasn't sure exactly how to put that to him.

fearceol · #5 12-14-2011, 04:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rydin4lifebass

I usually take him songs and ask how to play them which he does a great job at teaching me

Perhaps you should train your ear by trying to work out songs for yourself. It would be interesting to know what else this teacher has taught you in two and a half years, besides how to play songs.

rydin4lifebass · #6 12-14-2011, 07:14 AM

When I started taking lessons, we worked through the "Progressive Bass Book" and used that as our primary resource. We expanded on the book to look at blues progressions, chord formulas, key changes, etc. and branched on those from that book. He then went to the bass grimoire as a way to learn fingering patterns all over the fretboard, to learn spacing, intervals, and modes. I also took him the Hal Leonard blues and country theory books which we started into learning different rhythms and chord changes from. In addition to these, I'd say I have about 60 songs I've learned that I feel comfortable playing and another 25 "in progress" that I have parts down but am still working on. He's also recently pushed me to understand common chord progressions to play with and suggested that I check out a local country jam session and also offered that I sit in with his band at a practice and join a group of guys myself. I guess I feel like I have "too many" things going...the grimoire, blues bass theory book, country bass theory book, learning songs...guess I'm more the kind that starts one thing, finishes it, then starts another and I have a bunch of stuff going on..but I guess this is one of those things that doesn't work that way. Maybe I need to realize that I'm just working on each of these a little at a time to become better overall....

Roy Vogt · #7 12-14-2011, 07:20 AM

I think I'd communicate with him your concerns. He's been responsive so far by working through books you've brought him, etc. I very rarely teach my students songs until they're fairly far along and I've had good luck with the David Overthrow series (Beginning-Intermediate-Mastering Electric Bass) as a source for a good overview of bass playing.
When a student approaches me with a concern I try to accommodate their concerns and ideas. I'm pretty sure your teacher will do the same. He sounds like he's really trying to keep you interested and that's a good sign.

Roy Vogt · #8 12-14-2011, 07:26 AM

As regards to your last post, that's typically how this works. A lot of my students have had the experience of struggling initially with some idea and then a year later they're applying it and using it to figure out songs and riffs on their own. I don't know of anyone who learns in a linear fashion (I certainly don't!)

rydin4lifebass · #9 12-14-2011, 09:03 AM

I guess I'm trying to learn linear like you mentioned. I'm looking at it like reading...you learn letters, then how letters make a word, then words make sentences, sentences make paragraphs, etc. In this, its some of that in that notes make chords, chord progressions make a song, etc but you can learn a song before knowing chord progressions (maybe you shouldnt, but you can). So I have a lot of things that I can switch between: songs, theory, chord progressions, writing, etc...and I get confused and think I should be doing one then going to the next when in reality its all going on at the same time...maybe just needed to get that out....

rydin4lifebass · #10 12-15-2011, 06:10 AM

Thanks for all the input guys. I talked to my instructor last night and he was very receptive. We're working on Strange Brew by Cream right now so I told him I want to have the correct tab (for my records) and he said it would also be a great song to work on improvising by knowing the main riff and following the chords. He also helped me to see that I have different things I'm thinking of and that I just need to make the connection of how they're related and build on that. So we're working with Strange Brew and then moving to working on knowing the scales, which notes are in each (circle of fifths/fourths), etc...productive lesson and he gave me an hour instead of my usual 1/2 hour to help explain...again, thanks for all the advice and what/how to relay my concerns.

MalcolmAmos · #11 12-15-2011, 06:36 AM

As mentioned - time to go play with other people. Your instructor has you ready, in fact you are more than qualified to hold your own in most bands.

Find a band or some jamming tracks and start playing with people. If there is anything else you need to know it will become apparent, from playing in a band setting.

Take your instructor's offer of sitting in with his band. You've done all you can do, you are ready, time to go use some of that knowledge.