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A guy with a P Bass walks into a bar.....
- Thread starter IamGroot
- Start date
Assuming the player has the raw knowledge to jam, teach some strategies to employ when stuff goes sideways, playing muted open e string in time with the kick can buy you some time to get your bearings in the song and recover with the audience only partially knowing, playing a safe pedal tone can do the same, coaching to continue playing through each mistake is in some ways more important to becoming a performer than playing everything perfectly.
- Sep 4, 2010
- 3,304
- 2,730
- Disclosures
- Endorsing: Martin Keith Guitars
Hey, i saw you at the jam session the other night! What do you want to work on?
slobake
resident ... something
I think focussing on the curriculum for the lessons is the right way to go.
If the train wreck comes up, I might spend some time dissecting it, and delving into his experience of it, but the main point I would make to him is to realize no one died. No one even needed a band aide after it. Staying relaxed and game to play is a very important part of it.
If the train wreck comes up, I might spend some time dissecting it, and delving into his experience of it, but the main point I would make to him is to realize no one died. No one even needed a band aide after it. Staying relaxed and game to play is a very important part of it.
I would ask how long have you been playing, and than ask for a simple C maj scale
able to pull that off, I'd ask, okay what is your goal? and let him open up about where he needs help.
I never assume anything.
able to pull that off, I'd ask, okay what is your goal? and let him open up about where he needs help.
I never assume anything.
I think I'm missing something here. If I was at a shooting range and a person could barely hit anywhere on their target and subsequently came in for shooting lessons later, I'd think he/she is doing the right thing and is in the right place.
I'd tell him that sooner or later (sooner in his case) this happens to everyone, and that he's showed up at his lesson shows the horse might have thrown him, but he's dusted himself off and is willing to get back in the saddle. That tells me something.
Now, we get down to work to see what you didn't see and hear what you didn't hear and work outwards from this point. And to remind him that no one knows every possible song anyone can call, but we're gonna work on your hands, your ears, and things to search out and listen to so maybe next time it won't be such a sudden stop, and this takes time. You can't buy experience.
God knows I've had my hat handed to me more than once!!
Now, we get down to work to see what you didn't see and hear what you didn't hear and work outwards from this point. And to remind him that no one knows every possible song anyone can call, but we're gonna work on your hands, your ears, and things to search out and listen to so maybe next time it won't be such a sudden stop, and this takes time. You can't buy experience.
God knows I've had my hat handed to me more than once!!
The jam and the type of bass are irrelevant. The moment someone steps into the room with me, or appears on screen, we are there for the purpose of learning.
As an educator I have to often find the source of the problem which is at times so far removed from the breaking point that the student had no idea. That's why we are working together. That's why I encourage lessons over video lesson sites, you get someone focused on you and your playing. If they are worth their salt they are able to break things down and present information in an engaging and accessible way to whoever they are working worth. So unless I was at the jam session and listening to it there is no way I can reliably diagnose the problem and the student may be bias about their own playing either positively or negatively.
I'll ask why they are wanting lessons and the long term goal. My job is to help build a knowledge base that people can draw on and manipulate in any musical situation they find themselves in.
I have one question I ask every single student on lesson 1. I have my reasons for asking it and the answer changes for each student, but there is a correct answer. The reason I ask it isn't to make the student feel inferior or insignificant, it's to break down their own barriers and preconceptions so that we can work on getting better together.
What that question is I'm not going to say, I save that for those with the curiosity and desire to truly learn enough to come study with me but in all the years I've taught nobody has once got the answer correct!
As an educator I have to often find the source of the problem which is at times so far removed from the breaking point that the student had no idea. That's why we are working together. That's why I encourage lessons over video lesson sites, you get someone focused on you and your playing. If they are worth their salt they are able to break things down and present information in an engaging and accessible way to whoever they are working worth. So unless I was at the jam session and listening to it there is no way I can reliably diagnose the problem and the student may be bias about their own playing either positively or negatively.
I'll ask why they are wanting lessons and the long term goal. My job is to help build a knowledge base that people can draw on and manipulate in any musical situation they find themselves in.
I have one question I ask every single student on lesson 1. I have my reasons for asking it and the answer changes for each student, but there is a correct answer. The reason I ask it isn't to make the student feel inferior or insignificant, it's to break down their own barriers and preconceptions so that we can work on getting better together.
What that question is I'm not going to say, I save that for those with the curiosity and desire to truly learn enough to come study with me but in all the years I've taught nobody has once got the answer correct!
Entirely depends on who caused the trainwreck. I might say "Ok, let's start here." Or maybe "Let's start here, instead."
