Teachers

[mcnaire2004]

What do you guys think if I had 2 teachers I saw every week? Is this a good idea?

[SundanceChile]

So you have 2 teachers, who you see every week. Well I have 4 teachers I see everyweek so I supposed I'm in twice the dilema you are.

Edit: If you're talking bass tutors, stick with them both if you can afford it. The more teachers you have = more practice you have, plus, you can learn from their individual styles. Sort of a cultural diffusion so to speak.

[superbassman2000]

i said yes only on the condition you are actually learning from both of them

[PaulCannon]

It's a bad idea to have two teachers. They'll often be trying to teach you different things, or giving you conflicting advice. Stick with one. If you keep both, you just end up going nowhere twice as fast.

[Fuzzbass]

Originally Posted by PaulCannon

It's a bad idea to have two teachers. They'll often be trying to teach you different things, or giving you conflicting advice. Stick with one. If you keep both, you just end up going nowhere twice as fast.

It's certainly true that the teachers could give conflicting advice. However I wouldn't categorize that as 'bad'. There are lots of debates in music that'll never be answered because there is no one correct answer: there are many different ways to play bass. So, I think it's good to get different opinions: then the player can decide which works better for him.

It would be a problem if one or both of the teachers was too arrogant to let the student have an informed difference of opinion. Let's hope that's not true!

[Kam]

If it's possible to do both I'd say it could be good. If they are different in their philosophies that means you need to learn them both, and practice them both. Along with knowing when to use what with what teacher, boy, I suppose it is good preparation for anal/demanding conductors!

[fretlessspence]

Originally Posted by Fuzzbass

It's certainly true that the teachers could give conflicting advice. However I wouldn't categorize that as 'bad'. There are lots of debates in music that'll never be answered because there is no one correct answer: there are many different ways to play bass. So, I think it's good to get different opinions: then the player can decide which works better for him.

It would be a problem if one or both of the teachers was too arrogant to let the student have an informed difference of opinion. Let's hope that's not true!

I second this statement!

[GirlBass]

what is the difference between the "no" and the "let one of them go" options?
At your age and ability you really shouldn't have two teachers. You need one solid one that can give you a good foundation, not two that can potentially give your great advice from which you can pick and choose, which one day might be a good idea, but not while you're learning.

[KSB - Ken Smith]

If you were older and playing for a living i could see this possible if one was a Bass teacher and one for Composition OR one for Classical and one for Jazz playing BIT two teachers teaching you at 16? I hope they agree on the technique of both hands and the Bow and you have 2 hours a day minimum to pracyice plus time for your school work.

My Son is in College for Music as a Bass major. Electric Bass is his main and DB is his 2nd instrument. I have had two clashes with his teacher already (who is a great player and my friend) on Bowing and stick angle. He mentioned it to the head of the Bass dept (of about 7-8 teachers) and he agreed he should stick with me as his Bow and Classical teacher and his Private teacher at school for contemporary style and leave the Bow training to me.

This can easilt happen and does happen to many people when the change teachers. I had 2 teachers beofre my main Bow training back in 1971 and I had te relarn everything. When he moved out of NY for an Orch Job I went back to the NY Phil and found another teacher, he said at the first lesson my Bow was fine so we continued on with my Classical training.

Pick the best teacher for now unless everything is working out. After you answer my questions, I will vote and publish my vote as well and why if necessary.

[godoze]

When i was a young'n I took two lessons a week for about 5 years but with the same teacher...

[Bass Boy]

Originally Posted by Fuzzbass

It would be a problem if one or both of the teachers was too arrogant to let the student have an informed difference of opinion. Let's hope that's not true!

I had this problem once. When I started my BMUS degree the teacher I had was very opinionated. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but was in this case. I had spent a few years studying in Toronto with an amazing teacher (and player). My new teacher would constantly tear apart my fingerings, bow grip etc telling me who ever taught me these techniques obviously didn't know what he was talking about. I won't mention names here but the teacher in question (Toronto) is a VERY well respected player who has studied with Tom Monohan, Dave Holland, Marc Johnson among others. The company he keeps was head and shoulders above my new teacher. I found that I had to play in my lessons to please my new university teacher. Now I don't mind keeping an open mind, but I'm NOT into dogmatic teachers. I ended up not studying with the teacher after my first year.

Clarification: My teacher in Toronto was the one I preferred. I found his approach both physically and musically suited what I needed at the time.

[Johnny L]

If you can afford 2 teachers I say go for it and hang as long as you can...but don't let them find out while you're doing it

[Chris Fitzgerald]

Here at the U., I sometimes teach Sid King's students when they want to branch out into jazz, and sometimes the jazz students want to take arco/technique lessons with Sid. I don't see anything wrong with that at all, especially if the two teachers are cool with each other (Sid and I eat meixcan food, drink, and belch loudly while watching football together, so it's no issue with us ). However, if there are big or competitive egos involved, it could get ugly.

[Damon Rondeau]

I actually voted "no" but would much rather have voted "it depends". If each teacher is bringing a different specialty to the table then you've got an argument for more than one teacher. If you split your living between Patagonia and Thailand, you've got a lot of distance to cover for one teacher so get one in each location.

I wouldn't hide it from them if I could avoid it. Each teacher deserves to see as big a picture of your development as is possible.

The downside is that the teachers may clash on all kinds of fronts. How is that going to help you?

The main place I'm coming from, though, is if you haven't got a practical, ready answer to "WHY more than one teacher", then you've got no reason to risk the downside. And it CERTAINLY isn't true that MORE teachers equals BETTER education. If you develop a good positive relationship with a good teacher who has great skills (musical and pedagogical) and great contacts -- and if you haven't got one of those practical reasons already referred to -- why in heaven's name would you want another one? Could be just as much harm as good deriving from the multi-teacher situation; more, maybe.

[BGreaney]

I'd say at the point you're at mcnaire, it seems you would benefit from one teacher providing you with a solid base on which you could build when you go off to college if this is what you decide to do. Not that having more than one teacher would be bad, I just think it would be totally unnecessary and at this point in your development it probably wouldn't be worth the time and money. It seems that you have enough self motivation right now that two teachers wouldn't necassarily provoke more intense practicing. Instead of spending two hours to drive to and take another lesson, spend the time doing something really fun like scales/arpeggios or the zimmerman bowing book...

[Peter Ferretti]

Seeing as your current teacher is either

A. Crazy and has no idea what hes talking about (in which case your straight up screwed)

-or-
B. Not a classical player (in which case your screwed if you want to play classical)

I'd say drive to Atlanta and get a decent teacher. But I don't see why you as questions because you usually just throw good advice away because it's not what you want to hear.

[tZer]

It depends...

Are you benefitting from having two teachers? Do they compliment each other in regard to what they offer you as teachers? Can you afford the money? Can you afford the time? Do you get a bad vibe off of either both or neither? Can I ask any more questions? What is with the carrots?

[flint]

I know this is an old topic, but I thought I'd add my 2cents.

I currently have two teachers, and the situation is similar to the ones the others have mentioned. One covers classical technique and the other is jazz and theory. I think they compliment each other very well, and neither has a problem with my taking lessons from the other as long as I don't negect either.

[Cory Palmer]

If you are going to have two teachers make sure they both know that you are studying with the other teacher. Having two teachers can be good if what they teach is complimentary to each other. Usually there are points where the teachers will disagree so you need to be able to either learn to do these things each way or figure out which way is better for you. If you haven't been studying with a good teacher for very long it might be more helpful to just have one teacher. Unless you know that the two teachers' styles will work well together.

[anthem274]

Learning from two teachers is more hectic than eclectic.

It's also pretty damaging to your bank account. My teacher is $50/wk and worth every penny. I don't see any use in paying twice as much every week for, ultimately, the same, if not worse results.