Taking lessons or are you self taught?

Havoc · #1 03-31-2006, 02:14 AM

How many are self taught and how many are taking lessons? I'm self taught.

Ed Fuqua · #2 03-31-2006, 08:21 AM

I had been playing for about 13 years when you were born. I went to Berklee 6 years before you were born (and admittedly cut most of my classes to play sessions) and the year before you were born I moved to NYC and have been playing here ever since. About 9 years ago I had the realization that the only way I was going to be able to find my way past this HUGE brick wall in my conception and approach was to get the help of somebody who had been through it all before, who had a deeper understanding of music than I did and who was able to guide me forward in a consistent, focused and progressive way.

If you are at all serious about being a musician, working with a good teacher is a given.

mike phillips · #3 03-31-2006, 02:07 PM

self taught and still learnin. i want and will take lessons when i find the right teacher.

VS · #4 03-31-2006, 02:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mike phillips

self taught and still learnin. i want and will take lessons when i find the right teacher.

This is the reason I haven't taken lessons in general. It takes the combination of a good bassist & a good teacher. Someone could blow us all away on bass but not have a teaching bone in their body. I give private lessons for younger teenagers & I'm learning with haste how to plant myself on their individual level reguarding their personal taste. Knowing the student's needs and weak points is key & knowing how to solve them is talent. -Luke

GSPLBASSDC · #5 03-31-2006, 05:34 PM

I took about 2 months of lessons from Joe Santerre at Berklee, and after a particular practice, I sat in on a Jazz Jam at Wally's and learned more in a couple hours than I had in all the time taking lessons.....that's why I'm self taught.

Joe's a good guy...and great bassist, but it just wasn't a good fit for me.

pocket_groover · #6 03-31-2006, 05:40 PM

Self-taught about 40 years ago and still learning too. Took lessons at Music Dojo recently and really learned a lot.

phillys · #7 03-31-2006, 06:55 PM

A friend 3 years my senior taught me the very basic for a year and then it's pretty much self-taught from then on.

Eric Cioe · #8 03-31-2006, 09:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VS

This is the reason I haven't taken lessons in general. It takes the combination of a good bassist & a good teacher. Someone could blow us all away on bass but not have a teaching bone in their body. I give private lessons for younger teenagers & I'm learning with haste how to plant myself on their individual level reguarding their personal taste. Knowing the student's needs and weak points is key & knowing how to solve them is talent. -Luke

Yes! This is key to teaching young kids (I did it for two years).

I had a teacher that I really liked, and he taught me a lot, but then he moved. Most of the people I've seen teach lessons want to teach you how to slap better - it ain't my scene. You almost have to take lessons on upright to learn anything worthwhile about bass guitar.

Keeaumoku · #9 03-31-2006, 09:55 PM

Six years of organ/piano lessons from 7 to 13... taught myself how to play both a trumpet and guitar at age 12... decided to play sousaphone in junior-high at 12, and kept that up through high-school and college... bought a bass in 1970 at 17 and taught myself... while I still play piano for family and friends, and I can hang around pretty well on the guitar, I love playing bass... A LOT!

...however, I did seek the help and advice from a soulful/funky dude, who also happened to have one of the first Alembic 'Stanely' basses I had ever seen... way back in the late '70s... I got him to show me how to slap and pull, 'cuz he was the first guy I had ever seen use that technique... didn't charge me a dime... I would just show up with the beer and herb... that was enough...

d8g3jdh · #10 03-31-2006, 10:44 PM

Don't exactly have the $ for a teacher right now, so I'm self-teaching. Maybe when I go to University...

tplyons · #11 03-31-2006, 11:38 PM

I go back and forth. Started off self-taught, got a teacher, fired him, got another teacher, switched primarilly to upright bass, went solo for a bit, came to school and started taking harcore lessons, then I'm, still doing that now.

Havoc · #12 04-01-2006, 01:14 AM

Well, I want to take lessons, but I'm not sure if they teach bass at my local music school. Don't think there is any private teachers in my district. I live in a small town, so if they don't teach bass here, the closest place that they do, is about an hours drive away. And with only a 50cc moped at my disposal, it would me a challange do bring my amp and bass... Here in Norway you don't get your dirvers license for car until your 18. AND it costs ALOT! Somewhere around 3000$ depending on how many times you fail the driving test.

bassicinstinct · #13 04-01-2006, 01:42 AM

Self taught - and I'm the WORST teacher I never had.

gottawalk · #14 04-01-2006, 01:44 AM

I had a good background in mucic, through piano lessons and my piano teacher had me learning theory at the same time, and then instruments in band during grade school and high school, but the bass was self-taught by ear learning to albums I and my brother had. Once a

bass player in High School showed me how to read music for the bass guitar, then it was all down hill from there!

Sagaris · #15 04-01-2006, 02:08 AM

I self taught myself for my first year of Bass but I felt I wanted to learn some solid theory to apply and learn from an experienced Bassist.

The first one I had wasn't bad but he wasn't great. But now I have a new one and he's awesome, I really enjoy the lessons.

Kasper007 · #16 04-01-2006, 02:26 AM

When I started out I contacted an experienced bassist to teach me the basic stuff. He came by three times and then said that he couldn't teach me anything else. I'm glad he did that 'cause I love learning things myself but every now and then there's a moment when I feel like I'm not growing anymore. Until now there's alawys been a new burst of creativity when I learn a lot, but I don't know if that will keep coming.

Skeletomania · #17 04-01-2006, 06:15 AM

If you live in a big city it's fine, but as havoc said, if you live in small areas it's hard to find a good instructor. My local music store have several teachers, but nearly all of them teach guitar. When I asked if my instructor teach guitar, he said he only teach bass. However, soon after he started teaching guitar as well. It's kind of hard to find a good instructor when there's so few wants to play bass.

britrit · #18 04-01-2006, 08:52 AM

I take lessons from a really great guy. He's teaching me lots of different things, and it helps alot. I had a different teacher who just tought me songs, and that wasn't interesting to me.

Chunk-O-Funk · #19 04-01-2006, 09:21 AM

Took lessons on and off for the past twenty five years.

First introduced to music in grade school, took up bass in Jr. high music classes. Then took lessons from the local music store for a few years. After a few years of playing in clubs I found a private teacher that really helped me with my technique, studied with him for a couple of years. He moved to California and I never heard from him again. My last private teacher was a Jazz bassist who help me continue learning theory. Only took lessons from him for a few month, he went on tour and when he came back I never got back in touch with him. Although I continued with his lesson plan on my own it was a mistake not going back.

Coutts_is_god · #20 04-01-2006, 09:48 AM

I am self tought guitar and I stink at guitar. So bass lessons are good for me