Anyone here self taught?

waytoodeep03 · #1 02-21-2005, 06:56 AM

If so how did you start?

toonman · #2 02-21-2005, 07:06 AM

Me, I just started out putting in cd's of what I wanted to play, mainly country at first and started playing the notes as I heard them. Its been about 11 years now and now have a well trained ear. I still would like to learn some indepth theory one day as I just aquired an EUB

BigRed · #3 02-21-2005, 07:06 AM

I bought a bass and started to learn songs that I liked off of CDs that I had. After I had learned a little, I started asking a ton of questions to local pro bassists and doing the studies in BP magazine. Took a few lessons when I got to college, and voila...

Of course I was a music major in college (sax), so the theory/music reading part was gravy.

bluemeanies · #4 02-21-2005, 07:11 AM

i am self taught tho if i had the opportunity to have a teacher i would jump at it in a second!! But yea start with a bass!

Sorry had to add the corny jokes. Well i can tell you i started with a metronome, and a book about the beginnings of bass, my stereo and a few good cds. Even now, tho i have not been playin too long, i have been thinking of getting a teacher, or at least a peer who is as interested as i am in the bass. Priceless tool to accuire! (man it's early here, had to edit that one :P)

DirtDog · #5 02-21-2005, 07:30 AM

Me too.

I am a guitarist and drummer as well, so the transition to bass was not all that difficult. I found fingerstyle a relatively easy technique to pick up - I played along with all Blues Brothers CD as well as RHCP stuff and picked everything up by ear. NO TAB!

I am far from a perfect player, from a theory point of view, but well trained players have told me that I'm "not bad".

I must have a good ear!

DD

dieorfight · #6 02-21-2005, 07:31 AM

here's how i started

ramones - blitzkrieg bop

then you find your way through other songs, just take time and learn your favourite bands songs then eventually pick up some books and work up.

i've been playing for 4 years now and for being self-taught i'm doing not too shabby, i'm no prodigy but i can play

AJ Brown · #7 02-21-2005, 07:51 AM

When our bass player moved on to be a full-time truck driver, I switched from guitar to bass. Being a huge Iron Maiden fan at the time (MANY years ago), I immediately ditched the pick and worked on my finger speed and dexterity. From there, just learning tunes by ear. After a long hiatus, I've been shedding to learn theory and sight reading for the past couple of years. I only see it getting more intense.

bassicinstinct · #8 02-21-2005, 08:11 AM

I actually learnt my instrument in a band setting along with a drummer and two guitarists, none of whom could really play either. It made for some "interesting" early rehearsals.

On a more serious note, it did mean that more "formal" instruction took a back seat and there are still things that I play now (some 35 years later) that I can't explain in words but that I play purely instinctively. I often find myself severely embarassed in the company of more technically trained and minded players.

I think in retrospect I would probably recommend a beginner to learn "the basics" from book and/or CD in the absence of a decent teacher. I guess not everyone wants to actually join a band? Some are content to remain "bedroom players"?

Petary791 · #9 02-21-2005, 08:19 AM

I'm not gonna lie, my teacher is a huge part of what I play right now, but I definitely taught myself how to tap and play flamenco. I got the basics of slapping from my teacher, but I got more in depth my self. I also learned how to play with 3 or 4 finters by myself too.

Figjam · #10 02-21-2005, 08:28 AM

I am. A lot of people NEED a teacher to be successful, but i am naturally talented at basically anything, so i started bass and took onto it right away. I immediately became obsessed. I would play 5 hours a day , every day, if i could. I read as many online lessons as i could and some books, and looked for any bass forum i could (eventually found TB, but not for a while). Now after playing a few years i feel i am a fairly accomplished bassist. I have very good technique, which is surprising since i am self taught.
EDIT: Played trumpet for 3 years so i had some musical knowledge pre-bass.

Vic · #11 02-21-2005, 09:14 AM

(raises hand)

While I'm "comfortably competent" (to avoid sounding too cocky, realizing there's so many things I can still learn as well as just be a lot better at), I do wish I'd spent more time with professional instruction.

Not because it's the only way to get real good, but because of my personality. I'm generally lazy about practice, so the motivation of finishing assignments, the guidance of having goals set for me to meet or beat as well as having a specific program to follow (which generally shortens the path from newbie to badass), would all be great for me.

In my case, I got pretty far purely by luck. Left to my own, I'd probably be "ok" at best. However, I had MANY opps to play with unbelievably smokin' folks from the UofI's music program where I grew up... great little out of the way jazz club where you either hung with, or didn't get called back. It was that simple. I loved it. The pressure keep up and the exposure far superior players just opened worlds for me. You were taught to really listen... big time. Whole different world from the Judas Priest, Scorpions, Zep, Black Sabbath, Nugent, ZZ, etc. garage bands I was in prior to that. It still makes me feel good when I'm listinin' to a Jazz station... sometimes Public Radio, and I hear the names of some of the folks I used to play with on the program.

I've often been complimented on my ear, groove, and tone, and I attribute all specifically to those formative years, along with my own personal maturity. Yes, there was a time when my goal was to play as many notes as possible to try and impress people. Thankfully, those days are gone, and my current goal is to generate as much thump and power with the drummer as possible... even if it means strictly playing straight quarters on the A string.

EDIT: One more thing... I never took lessons on or tried to learn any other instrument other than messin' around with the guitar and drums a bit, but I'm not good enough on either to play one in a real band situation.

Whafrodamus · #12 02-21-2005, 09:15 AM

I'm self taught. I did have 11 years of classical piano instruction and 7 years of trumpet.

fatbassjazzer · #13 02-21-2005, 09:32 AM

I taught myself for the first year or so by playing tabs of easy songs. Then I got a bass teacher and I am so much better because of it. If you have the opportunity to get a teacher, get one.

BlacktotheBlind · #14 02-21-2005, 09:51 AM

i'm completely self taught so far, i would like to find a instructor but all i'm really looking to learn at this point is slapping and popping. its kind of difficult for me to learn this technique on my own

Matt Call · #15 02-21-2005, 09:53 AM

I taught myself for about 2 or 3 years. Then I took lessons for a year and a half. It got old. The biggest thing is playing with people.

Mojo-Man · #16 02-21-2005, 09:54 AM

Ya.
My older bro. is a guitar player, gave me a bass and showed me a few things.
He drew a chart of bass neck, with all the notes on it.
Told me to learn chart.
This was 1975, after that I got my hands on a few books with bass chords, Jonas Hellborgs Chord Bassics, is best one I got,over 500 chords for bass.
Like everone else, I played along with records, and CD's.
I started out on fretless, went to fretted, then to upright.
30-years later, I'am still hooked,
My only drug, is bass.

Steelpulz · #17 02-21-2005, 10:06 AM

I am self taught. I heard "Scorpio" by Dennis Coffey and wanted to play the bass. I got a board about 3 feet long and 3 insches wide, drew 4 lines and frets and got a Mel Bay Bass book. By the time I touched a real bass I could play it. The 1st song that I played was "Shaft". Ahhhh the good old days.

Funkize you · #18 02-21-2005, 10:11 AM

So this one day I was towtal-e Rawkin OUT on a gitaar in sum GC, So this fool walks ^ and says "Dewd, u shud play Bass" And I sed, "Dewd Bass is 'fo Losers" and he Sed "Dewd I 'Kno"

So I fell in line as a bassist, Hiding from the light... Staying up all knight... Feeding off the blood of virgins...

Having dark... Funky jams... Crying in the corner...

yeah... Bassists.

*I like bass, thats why i started, I do own a fretless guitar though*

**iriegnome** · #19 02-21-2005, 10:21 AM

25 years on the road. Completely self taught. I wish, however, I would have taken lessons back in the early days. Would have put me much further ahead. I have toured all over the country in several different types of bands. I have played professionally for 4 years, during one stretch. Just could not keep up and I wanted to see my kids more. I have picked up a few things here and there and have played in more jam sessions that I would even care to remember.

Hawkeye · #20 02-21-2005, 10:23 AM

I'm self taught but the knowledge of which notes to play comes from singing bass in gospel ensembles, choirs, and quartets.

From rock drummer in high school to singer in college I then learned what / where all the vocal bass notes were and I was always able to pick them out. I guess I have a good ear for bass.

2 1/2 yrs ago I purchased my first bass guitar (a nice little Godin Freeway 4) and started to play with our worship team at church.

I have since become comfortable with that setting and have just recently started to take lessons from a "bass specialist" who knows tons of college music theory from a local store. It's actually been very helpful to learn the appropriate scales and know the rules for why a note sounds good at a particular time or doesn't.