A guy with a P Bass walks into a bar.....

[ebo]

Does train wreck entail poor timing, poor technique, poor note choices, not syncing with the drummer? All of the above? If the player insists on playing live when unqualified, focus on whatever stage readiness skills they need. There is a music school where I live where they put equally untalented players together in a group to learn together how to jam. Then they have showcases for family and friends. It’s maybe faster to learn by playing with people at a higher skill level than yourself but it keeps trainwreckers together and away from the rest of us.

 

[JACKSON JS1XM]

Instructor is the job, start instructing.

 

[BobDeRosa]

Well, there's nothing in the story that says the train wreck was the bass player's fault, so... I tell him nothing.

I'll ask him (a) to play me stuff to see where he's at, (b) what his goals are, and then we'll discuss a plan to get him from a to b.

+1 on this approach.

 

[Durham52]

If I am the teacher, I ask rather than tell him. Hi, nice to meet you, do you have any experience on the bass, or any other instrument, or are we starting from scratch here?

Just a question about the original statements. Are we to assume that the train wreck is the fault of the guy with the P bass? Is the mention of the fact that he has a P bass, meant to suggest that the instrument, or ownership of it, was to blame in some way for the train wreck? Are P bass owners presumed to turn up at jam nights with little or no experience or musical knowledge?

 

[Minimalist]

I'd tell him I saw him at the jam and congratulate him for coming out and playing with other people. Because that's what it's all about. Then I'd ask him what he thought about it and use this as an example for a great learning experience.

What did you instructor say last Monday? Did you bring your pbass?

 

[Mr Talkbass]

Ask him how he felt about the jam night….ask him to really unpack his experience that evening. Is he aware or delusional? His response will reveal much, and give you a great starting point to how to approach a catered instruction that might help him in his musical development.
Also, as an ice breaker.. compliment him for his selection of a P bass.

 

[GrapeBass]

He was brave enough to go on stage and smart enough to know he needs lessons.

 

[dave64o]

Tearing a guy down for fun may be the preferred response in the current social climate, but it wouldn't be mine. The guy gave something a shot, it didn't work well, but he's coming in for lessons. So, be an instructor and help him out.

Personally, I don't see anything wrong with talking about the trainwreck, but maybe try using it as a starting point. We've all had bad nights, and not just when we were first starting out, either, so any of us could relate to the experience to some extent. Offer him your own bad experience to break the ice and then treat him like you would any student starting lessons - what do you want out of lessons, what are your goals, where are you musically, what's your background, etc. and figure out a plan to get there.

 

[knumbskull]

Maybe he’s in one of those Groundhog Day time loops and you’ll unknowingly teach him to be an amazing bass player.

 

[39-Bassist]

Well after the "jam session" and when he walks into the first visit for a lesson...I would say, Welcome to your 2nd lesson in playing bass. Now forget what you think you know and lets start here".

 

[JRA]

What do you tell him?

"you know you could be playing a fretless, right?"

 

[Hectobar]

Help him get better = teaching.

 

[LowActionHero]

If I were a teacher (and I’m not), I would laser focus on that same jam night song that was a train wreck with the student, with the goal of the student being able to apply what he has learned (including theory, scales, timing) and redeem themself by getting back up there on a future jam night with the same song and doing a great job. Again, I’m not a teacher, though it does seem like this would be rewarding for both student and teacher, and most of all just plain kind.

You gotta start on some song, might as well be the one that fell apart. Should help get his confidence up too.

Pick that one song apart and relate it to the scales and/or chord tone he's (hopefully) already working on.

 

[Stewie]

Depends on how he reacted to the train wreck. I witnessed a guy get up on the drums and apparently without thought, started pounding as if trying to break all the heads, with no concern for rhythm or timing. When the jam leader stopped him and asked him to leave the stage, he became combative. I wouldn’t give that guy a chance, but someone who gave it a shot, signed up for lessons, and has a human personality would get the best I could give, with maybe just a little ribbing.

 

[Koshchei]

Its Jam night.

He gets up and a trainwreck ensues which ends shortly into the first song.

He shows up for his first bass lesson with you the following Monday.

What do you tell him?

"Good call. These are chromatics".

 

[MrLenny1]

I say the train wreck was his first lesson.

 

[Grinderman]

Well, think of the train wreck as free evaluation, he did show up; now you have a good idea of where to start the teaching and you know they have a bass guitar to learn on.

Maybe that P bass could be collateral to secure payment for a few lessons.

 

[MultiScaleMale]

I find out where he is currently and where he wants to go then set out a path for him to get there. Then be shocked if he doesn’t ghost me on the next lesson. First lesson is free, prepay for lessons after that.

 

[xsnrg27]

Without knowing what caused the train wreck I would certainly want to diagnose where the player was at fundamentally and go from there. Maybe he had been trying to take lessons at home, practicing with said song over and over again by himself and just couldn't get a feel of the live vibe. Maybe he stepped in with a bunch of musicians who had played that song a million times together at a jam session and just couldn't get with the vibe. Or maybe he was just so cocky he thought he could get up and play without any training whatsoever. Obviously even these limited scenarios each presents a different training method.

 

[roadyboy]

Fire the drummer?