time to get a new bass teacher?

[bassbounce]

My teacher of 2 months has helped me learn the notes on the fretboard, scales, finding all instances of a note and a few other things.

Now that we have done the bare basics, he wants me to listen to songs and figure out the notes. Luckily, I have a very good ear and this comes easily, it's more a matter of technique and getting to the point of playing it seamlessly that I need to work on (at home).

But it seems that all we do for the last 3 lessons is chat and listen to songs and figure them out, and honestly I think I can do that alone at home for free!!

Am I missing something or does this sound like I'm doing the work and he's just watching me (he asks me to bring in songs to play, which I've already done at home, I MIGHT have simple questions but nothing I can't learn online), or is there something that will reveal itself in this exercise of playing songs that I haven't gotten to?

So, is this the usual process of learning bass (well, he doesn't play anything besides rock so he can't show me slapping, not that I play this but I want to know how anyway)?

Is it time to find a different teacher or stick with him?

[LowDown Hal]

It *is* time to discuss your goals with your teacher.

[dnarock]

Originally Posted by LowDown Hal

It *is* time to discuss your goals with your teacher.

learn all you can from him than move on for a while and than come back and have him check you out again . My first Teacher passed away some years ago but after a year of instruction and than him quiting the shop he worked we were still in touch and we would go to each others shows and pick each others brains so to speak on playing technique for some time

I agree you should bring it up - the thing is it's good that he's getting you to do a lot of the work, because it ensures that you are coming away from it actually developing skills. If he did everything for you, you wouldn't actually gain as much skill so it's logical what he's doing. Also, a big role of a teacher is to motivate and encourage you. But, if you're losing heart with the lessons then you should bring it up with him, because he needs to know what your needs are - if he sees you're progressing he might not think there's a problem.

Having said that, some teachers' overall purpose is to give you the skills you need to learn whatever you want - in that way your teacher may have succeeded, and it might be time for you to fly the nest so to speak. But him getting you do the work isn't necessarily a bad thing, especially if the stuff you want to learn is niche and he can't apply it to other students. A good teacher teaches you to teach yourself and become independent.

[dalkowski]

Originally Posted by LowDown Hal

It *is* time to discuss your goals with your teacher.

+1. That's how my teacher and I connected, and how we work. He ties everything back to the goals I've set out (and I'm not a very goal-oriented person!). It a) helps some tougher concepts make sense to me and b) keeps me motivated.

Figure out what YOU want to do and tell your teacher.

[dave64o]

Originally Posted by bassbounce

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Am I missing something or does this sound like I'm doing the work and he's just watching me (he asks me to bring in songs to play, which I've already done at home, I MIGHT have simple questions but nothing I can't learn online), or is there something that will reveal itself in this exercise of playing songs that I haven't gotten to?
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This is a common part of my lessons. At first we were just working through songs so he could help me feel like I was getting somewhere. I asked him to skip that because I wasn't his typical 14 year old student who was just starting out. I was 44 years old, had been playing for about 8 years, and already some basic knowledge of theory.

What we've been doing is working through theory, practicing scales in all positions for all keys, fretboard exercises, and now modes and also learning how to apply what we've been working on. Sometimes that means I work on a song as part of my lesson for the next week and sometimes we do one or more in my lesson.

But the key to working on the songs isn't to memorize where to put my fingers and what strings to play. That would be pointless (I know, I spent many years doing little more than that). The point of working on songs is to learn how to apply what we've been working on in recent lessons. I have to apply chord structure to pick out notes, explain why a given pattern helps the flow from chord to chord, explain why I play it in a given position on the fingerboard, etc.

I would have liked to had reading be a bigger component of my lessons but we are going to start that soon. He modified his usual approach as a way of forcing me to think through things that I kind of figured out by trial and error over the years so that I have the foundation that's beneath it all. Having useful info like that in my head is now helping me be able to use it in real time in a jam session, which is something I've never really been able to do. It's really cool when he's playing guitar and I'm doing a bass line and suddenly one of the other instructors or sales people suddenly starts playing along.

I wasn't sure I agreed with his approach at first because it wasn't as formal a method as I was expecting, but I can see how far I've come in the last 8 months.

Bottom line, don't just figure them out by ear. Talk to him about why the notes work when you're figuring out songs. You'll learn a lot by doing that.

[BluesWalker]

I would stick with him. Discuss your goals with him so that the two of you can work together to modify the lessons to meet those goals. Sure, you can pick out notes and play the tune, but there is more to learning than that. An experienced teacher can show you a lot more then you can learn on the net: the net really can't answer your questions in an interactive manner. You can ask theory/technique/etc questions on this site but do you always trust the answer or understand how to do it without someone showing you how?

[Jim Campbell]

Originally Posted by bassbounce

My teacher of 2 months has helped me learn the notes on the fretboard, scales, finding all instances of a note and a few other things.

Now that we have done the bare basics, he wants me to listen to songs and figure out the notes. Luckily, I have a very good ear and this comes easily, it's more a matter of technique and getting to the point of playing it seamlessly that I need to work on (at home).

But it seems that all we do for the last 3 lessons is chat and listen to songs and figure them out, and honestly I think I can do that alone at home for free!!

Am I missing something or does this sound like I'm doing the work and he's just watching me (he asks me to bring in songs to play, which I've already done at home, I MIGHT have simple questions but nothing I can't learn online), or is there something that will reveal itself in this exercise of playing songs that I haven't gotten to?

So, is this the usual process of learning bass (well, he doesn't play anything besides rock so he can't show me slapping, not that I play this but I want to know how anyway)?

Is it time to find a different teacher or stick with him?

sounds like you are progressing rapidly in one area,picking out lines by ear,but how are you doing on the other stuff.......students often practice what they are good at and gloss over what they have problems with.....it is also a common error for students to tell the teacher what to teach,and as long as you pay they will usually feel compelled to do so....i would definitely discuss your progress and goals with him,and make sure that it is not his fault alone that too much time is being devoted to chat......it sounds like he is on the right track,but fine tuning might be needed......

[Jazzdogg]

One of the first things I do with the middle-school students I coach is ask them what they already know and what they'd like to learn - in writing. Then, we compare what they've written with the lesson plans I typically use and come up with a coaching strategy they the student takes home to review with their parents - we all sign off on a written plan of action that we agree the student will execute with support and reinforcement from his parents, and coaching from me.

Thereafter, our coaching sessions involve the same three questions: Where are we now, where do we want to end up, and how do we get from here to there.

What I enjoy most are those moments of clarity when I get to watch the little light bulbs flicker on over the students' heads, and when I hear intermediate and advanced students walking new students through the process of completing a forced ranking - on their own! - because it's a skill that they will continue to use for the rest of their lives.

Irrespective of your age or skill level, comparing goals and action plans with your teacher is always a good practice because no two students are the same, and goals change.

[Chipsonfire]

Originally Posted by Jazzdogg

One of the first things I do with the middle-school students I coach is ask them what they already know and what they'd like to learn - in writing. Then, we compare what they've written with the lesson plans I typically use and come up with a coaching strategy they the student takes home to review with their parents - we all sign off on a written plan of action that we agree the student will execute with support and reinforcement from his parents, and coaching from me.

Thereafter, our coaching sessions involve the same three questions: Where are we now, where do we want to end up, and how do we get from here to there.

What I enjoy most are those moments of clarity when I get to watch the little light bulbs flicker on over the students' heads, and when I hear intermediate and advanced students walking new students through the process of completing a forced ranking - on their own! - because it's a skill that they will continue to use for the rest of their lives.

Irrespective of your age or skill level, comparing goals and action plans with your teacher is always a good practice because no two students are the same, and goals change.

Sounds like you are a great teacher! If I still lived with my parents (they live in Temecula), I'd consider getting lessons from you lol.

[tranceFusion]

After finally finding an instructor that is terrific for me, I am of the opinion that it is very difficult to find one that is both a good teacher and a good personality fit for you. In hindsight, I would have saved alot of cash and time on sub-par lessons by quitting way before I did.

If you have communicated your goals to your teacher, and he is not listening, move on. If he is not introducing you to things you wouldn't have quickly and easily otherwise picked up on your own, move on. If you are losing interest or feel like the lessons are a waste, move on.

[Jim Campbell]

Originally Posted by tranceFusion

After finally finding an instructor that is terrific for me, I am of the opinion that it is very difficult to find one that is both a good teacher and a good personality fit for you. In hindsight, I would have saved alot of cash and time on sub-par lessons by quitting way before I did.

If you have communicated your goals to your teacher, and he is not listening, move on. If he is not introducing you to things you wouldn't have quickly and easily otherwise picked up on your own, move on. If you are losing interest or feel like the lessons are a waste, move on.

i'm not so sure the personality is all that critical......i've learned many valuable lessons from people who i didn't particularly like.....and the biggest lesson was that i could learn from someone i didn't particularly like...

[tranceFusion]

Originally Posted by Jim Campbell

i'm not so sure the personality is all that critical......i've learned many valuable lessons from people who i didn't particularly like.....and the biggest lesson was that i could learn from someone i didn't particularly like...

You don't have to like the person. You have to communicate with them.