Bass Instructor Leaving

[degroove]

At my lesson last Thursday, my instructor (DILL) told me that a gig on a cruise ship (4 months) came up and he was leaving to play bass in the ship band. He said the money was too good to pass up.

I asked him if he could recommend any teachers. He said that he thought that I would be better off going through a local music college program for instruction. He told me over the month of lessons I had progressed well and that I could be subbing for an orchestra if I wanted if I continued in the vain that I was following. He told me he didn't go that direction due to his love for jazz and less focus on playing classical.

I was unbeleiving of his positive comments. I told him I never thought that I had any musical gifts, but that I had to work to be any good. He disagreed and told me that I could be going places in time.

So, this left me with a decision...Do I wait for him to return? Do I take lessons in the mean time? Do I go to a local music shool? Am I really "talented" in this area?

My goals are not necessaruly to play in an orchestra. I wanted to be good enough on upright to explore jazz and to play some classical pieces in church. I wasn't thinking of subbing for an orchestra. I am also 28 and have gone to school for a BA in a non-music area and am nearly completed a Masters part time. Music to me is a hobby I enjoy that getting better is what keeps me engaged.

The music store where the Dill worked told me that a guy John could pick up with my lessons. I talked with john and he said he would do lessons at my house, 2 times a month for $60/Month, an hour per session, which is affordable. He asked me what I was working on, I said Simandl, Sight Reading, Rufus Reid, and he said he could work with me on that stuff.

I am thinking I am going to take lessons with John rather than practice on my own for four months waiting for DIll, my current instructor. I also don't have time with school to do a music school thing. So....

What would you do?

Also, do you think you are musically gifted? How can one tell?

PS - Edited for proper framing - I have 5 weeks of lessons under my belt....

[Phil Smith]

My suggestion get out there and do some real playing with real people be it classical or jazz. It's easy to get stuck in the lesson mode, but you have to remember the whole idea for everything you've done is to make music. The more you get involved in the process of making music, the better you will get at it. If you can sub for an orchestra do it. If you can play with a small jazz ensemble do that to. If you can play with a blue grass band, do that to, and so on. Get out there and play, stretch yourself it's also a part of the path.

[degroove]

Originally Posted by Phil Smith

My suggestion get out there and do some real playing with real people be it classical or jazz. It's easy to get stuck in the lesson mode, but you have to remember the whole idea for everything you've done is to make music. The more you get involved in the process of making music, the better you will get at it. If you can sub for an orchestra do it. If you can play with a small jazz ensemble do that to. If you can play with a blue grass band, do that to, and so on. Get out there and play, stretch yourself it's also a part of the path.

So your suggestion is to start playing with the months worth of lessons under my belt. I only learned the major scales...don't know minor, much less thumb positions.

Maybe the combination is key. I feel like I need to keep learning, but it would be good to start playing with some people to learn how to use technique to make music...

I play in a classic rock cover band and said that we needed to do some acoustic mini sets to break stuff up. Maybe I can bring my upright (have a pickup) and do a couple of songs on that at each rehearsal...

[Davehenning]

Find a teacher at a local college. At least you can then keep up your studies.

It would also make finding other players with similar interests much easier. ie. jazz and classical players. Using your upright on the acoustic end of your rock band sounds like a great idea. Any playing time is good, esp in public.

good luck!

[degroove]

I had my first lesson with Jon. He showed me sever things - particularly related to bowing that my old instructor was teaching me incorrectly! He also changed the way I was playing the bass and made adjustments to where my thumb was in half position.

Its good things happended like they did. Jon has me now practicing in front of a mirror to make sure my bowing is proper, my fingering is proper. The tone I am getting with the bow is SO much better. I put less effort into it, and get more sound.

I discussed with him my goals of the lessons, so we are going to work Simandl, and Rufus Reid.

He also has a gorgeous Bulgarian carved bass. Ummm, nice