This was gonna be my reply, you saved me some typing!
You're welcome.
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Alternating fingers: Does it need to be perfect?
- Thread starter Hardbassjunkie
- Start date
You're welcome.
Furthermore, now that I'm reflecting back more. I think it was more his temperament then anything, which I was opposed to.
"Give a man a fish..."
I know hundreds of songs, and plenty of other music besides, but have never been taught a single one of them.
Not sarcastic at all. If the audience called out for "Freebird" I bet your rock teacher could pull it off, but your classical teacher would be lost without the sheet music.
Man, I hate this stereotype. Many classically trained musicians can play just fine without sheet music.
I don’t think it needs to be perfect, but your speed and overal agility around the neck will greatly improve.
Apologies, I wasn't trying to generalize about all classical musicians.
Just discussing the one specific person, the teacher in question, based on @Hardbassjunkie's description of the lesson. Nothing the OP has said suggests to me that this teacher has an instructor-level knowledge of the rock repertoire.If I am wrong, and he is a rock bass expert, then he shot himself in the foot and potentially lost a student, by not incorporating any of that knowledge into the lesson. If he had said something knowledgeable like, "Let me show you how the alternate plucking technique can be applied to a classic rock song like Freebird," then the student would have been more impressed, and we wouldn't be having this conversation.
Sorry if I touched a nerve. I wasn't trying to criticize you, just talking about this one specific bass teacher and his lackluster approach.
Just a nieve question..what specifically can you learn from a rock bass teacher that a classic teacher could not teach you? Not being argumentative, I just curious.Apologies, I wasn't trying to generalize about all classical musicians.
If I am wrong, and he is a rock bass expert, then he shot himself in the foot and potentially lost a student, by not incorporating any of that knowledge into the lesson. If he had said something knowledgeable like, "Let me show you how the alternate plucking technique can be applied to a classic rock song like Freebird," then the student would have been more impressed, and we wouldn't be having this conversation.
Sorry if I touched a nerve. I wasn't trying to criticize you, just talking about this one specific bass teacher and his lackluster approach.
If you aren’t happy with the teacher then find another one.
But to answer your question, YES!!! Playing with good clean alternating technique is important, but only if you want to learn to play fast, clean and in time.
If thats NOT your goal, then move on.
“Freebird” sounds like a pick all day so plucking techniques don’t apply. What’s even the point of learning technique for the sake of technique if all you care about is playing basic rock songs? Seriously.Apologies, I wasn't trying to generalize about all classical musicians.
If I am wrong, and he is a rock bass expert, then he shot himself in the foot and potentially lost a student, by not incorporating any of that knowledge into the lesson. If he had said something knowledgeable like, "Let me show you how the alternate plucking technique can be applied to a classic rock song like Freebird," then the student would have been more impressed, and we wouldn't be having this conversation.
Sorry if I touched a nerve. I wasn't trying to criticize you, just talking about this one specific bass teacher and his lackluster approach.
But one day, you might want to have a unique style that isn’t just being able to play “Freebird” decently, and that might involve a bit more musical knowledge.
I don't believe there is such a thing as a "classical bass guitar teacher" and he is BS'ing his students to justify charging 3x the price.
People should nitpick more. Even when playing simple stuff. Like I was saying earlier about Kim Deal. So many people get her songs wrong because they use alternating strokes and it sounds completely wrong. Or they follow the rhythm instead of playing 8ths. These are all things you learn to do in classical training, to really listen. To hear the difference between two people playing the exact same notes and rhythm.
So, you really need to ask yourself, do you want to learn to play fast, clean and in time like your instructor does? Or do you want to try to invent an entirely new more advanced method of playing?
Classical may be a poor choice of words. Not sure how they need to be defined. Lets say the teacher is a graduate from a respected school of music, with knowledge of commonly accepted technique on the e bass, knowledgeable in Theroy, notation etc. Once again I ask the question, what can a R&R bass teacher offer that would be difficult for my hypothetical teacher to teach?
I can understand that feeling so so well...
Mostly the waste of money doing everything wrong part
Well and sounding sassy, too
Hypothetically speaking, your hypothetical teacher sounds like a great teacher.
But I don't want to get too hypothetical with this. Specifically in the case of the OP's "classical" teacher, he is correcting "mistakes" that aren't, in fact, mistakes within the rock idiom. For example the OP's favorite bassist, Kim Deal, does not use alternate picking. So a teacher who insists "you must always use strict alternate picking" shows me they are not knowledgeable within the genre of rock.
