For those of you with teachers/taking lessons

['JC']

When you show up, does the instructor have his bass out to show you examples or play along with you?

Mine doesn't and I feel I should drop him since I haven't "enjoyed" the material covered. I chose him because I saw one of his guru students and because I know who he's played with. An he's got the jazz chops to back it up, but I'm more of a prog guy.
(walking charts bores me)

I would love to learn more theory and how to apply it, just not in a jazz context.

He is by far one of the most knowledgable instructors I have EVER had but I just don't know. I feel I have a good opportunity and resource here but can't afford it all the time either.

[OriginalName]

Yes, my teacher always has his bass and shows me the correct way to do something if I do it wrong.

The way I see it, if you don't like the way you're teacher is teaching, get a new teacher. You'll never learn anything if you don't get the help you need.

[bassteban]

... I learned a LOT from a manic-depressive shell-shocked Viet Nam vet drummer friend. He was the greatest musician I've ever played with, but he rode me like I can't tell you. The manic-depression made him never the same guy twice. He would be on cloud 9 one day, & in deeeeeep depression the next. When things were bad, he was not pleased w/ANYthing I did- conversely, on good days, I was the best bassist in this hemisphere.
All that had nothing to do with the fact that he knows a LOT, from experience. What I'm saying is that I learned a lot, in a short time, & did NOT enjoy it. But I would do it again in a second, for the knowledge I gained. If you're not learning anything(but genuinely trying), perhaps you should look elsewhere. But I don't know if having a good time is absolutely neccesary.

['JC']

I should've pointed this out before.

I'm in my 20s.
I had lessons when I was in my teens.
I don't expect to be "babied" but I just feel it would be a nice touch if he could have his bass out as well, rather than just having me play off sheet music and assigning more.

edit: I see what you're saying bassteban

[Funkize you]

Once you can play jazz you can play anything...

A lot of my friends (including me) are into Prog, Pain of Salvation, rush, Dream theater, King crimson etc...

Long story short, they all sought out jazz teachers. Why? Because we have all been in music since 4th grade together and realized through experiance if you know Jazz your playing will improve. After learning and having consistant "Jazz" lessons they were getting better and better at "prog" and other styles of music. IMHO knowing jazz will help you play ANY type of music there is...

FYI: Dream Theater Fans, John Petrucci (Guitarist for a BIG prog band) one of the fastest shreders in the world and pretty much able to play anything has a Masters Degree in Jazz Composition.

[Nadav]

My teacher mostly watches, but always has his bass right next to him to demonstrate some technique or show me what a REAL solo sounds like.

I just ditched my first teacher a month and a half ago. He was a primarily a guitarist (and a good one at that) which was really fun for jamming, but he wasn't very organized and I knew I would just stay in the same place forever. My current teacher, on the other hand... first lesson he handed me a huge stack of papers. It was hard to fire my other teacher, he was a great guy.. but I knew it had to be done - education is most important!

[spliffnriff]

My teacher plays guitar to accompany my bass and whenever he wants to show me something on bass, I just pass the axe over to him.
I think it is important that you talk with him and explain what you want to learn and why. Learning Jazz bass lines is also integral to becoming a better bass player as the basic fundementals in Jazz can be applied in other areas.
A

[Ed Fuqua]

There are two basses in the room, but the only time my teacher has come out from behind the piano was to demonstrate something physical, not something musical (stance going into thumb position; movement of shoulder, arm, elbow, wrist , finger in vibrato; etc) all very early on. I would be less concerend about whether or not my teacher "showed" me something on bass and more concerned with the only thing you talk about working on is sight reading charts, something you can do at home. You don't need a teacher to teach you how to read.

A teacher is supposed to impart a good foundation in musical fundamentals -
1.technique - the physical approach to the instrument, which is about getting a relaxed tension free approach, not really about speed picking or rakes or any other of that crap people mean when they say "technique". Being able to execute any idea that you are hearing, anywhere on the instrument while staying relaxed. Having the instrument be no impediment to getting that idea out.

2. theory - which gets some screwy "definitions" as well. Think of it more as "understanding", why things work the way they do, why certain sounds fit together in certain ways, why they tend to point in certain harmonic directions.

3. aural understanding - the fun stuff, ear training and identification. What am I hearing, am I hearing it with enough clarity that I can sing it back, am I hearing it with enough clarity to play it on my instrument

4. conception - using all the above stuff to get to a point where what you are playing is an external response to internal stimulus. You hear or see a chord, which provokes a response that is uniquely yours internally, which you "hear" with enough clarity that you can play it on your instrument with no impediment so that other band members (and the audience) can hear HOW YOU ARE HEARING in your musical environment.

So that just like talking to somebody, in your own voice, about your own ideas, formed by you and your experiences and knowledge and thoughts and told in your own words COMMUNICATES to everybody else what is going on in your head. That's what your teacher should be doing.


And they can do that without picking up a bass during your lesson.

[Ibanezzer]

my teacher only teaches bass and he always has it out and showing by example and such--i think thats probably one thing that has helped a lot.