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Anthony Wellington Instruction

ErikP.Bass

ErikP.Bass

Supporting Member
Nov 23, 2004
2,827
2,103
#1
Recently I've been watching all of the Anthony Wellington instructional material I can get my hands on online. I've watched/listened to everything I could find, the Victor Wooten Groove Workshop DVDs, the 3 hour clinic audio recording on YouTube and even reading through the Ask A Pro section here on TB from a ways back. I must say that I am completely in awe of how amazing a teacher Anthony is, and the perspective he brings, to not only bass playing, but all musical concepts.

I wish there were a possibility of him recording his own instructional video or book, but I get that he seems to focus on clinics and live training with private students serious enough to seek him out for study...Bassology at Sea sounds phenomenal.

I must say that I'm a bit intimidated to even approach him for lessons given that I'm more of a hobbyist than a professional at this point in life and have limited time to dedicate to practicing. Bummed to find out that I just missed a clinic he did in Cape Cod in September and last year in Maine.

All this being said, I'd like to
explore, absorb and apply as much as I can of his methods. I've been wondering why we aren't talking about him more often here on TB. I hope it's not inappropriate in any way to say let's share your Anthony experiences here...words of advice, exercises, lesson/clinic experiences etc. even just sing his praises!
 
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#2
ErikP.Bass said:
Recently I've been watching all of the Anthony Wellingtonton instructional material I can get my hands on online. I've watched/listened to everything I could find, the Victor Wooten Groove Workshop DVDs, the 3 hour clinic audio recording on YouTube and even reading through the Ask A Pro section here on TB from a ways back. I must say that I am completely in awe of how amazing a teacher Anthony is, and the perspective he brings, to not only bass playing, but all musical concepts.

I wish there were a possibility of him recording his own instructional video or book, but I get that he seems to focus on clinics and live training with private students serious enough to seek him out for study...Bassology at Sea sounds phenomenal.

I must say that I'm a bit intimidated to even approach him for lessons given that I'm more of a hobbyist than a professional at this point in life and have limited time to dedicate to practicing. Bummed to find out that I just missed a clinic he did in Cape Cod in September and last year in Maine.

All this being said, I'd like to
explore, absorb and apply as much as I can of his methods. I've been wondering why we aren't talking about him more often here on TB. I hope it's not inappropriate in any way to say let's share your Anthony experiences here...words of advice, exercises, lesson/clinic experiences etc. even just sing his praises!
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I've seen lots of posts from people who have taken lessons from him and had nothing but great things to say. I wouldn't hesitate to approach him for lessons just because you're "more of a hobbyist than a pofessional" -- I'm sure it wouldn't matter to him, as long as you're interested in learning and improving!
 
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#4
Thanks for the replies. I definitely get the feeling from what I've seen, that Ant is super approachable and is happy to work with players of any level. He just seems like such a great person.

It's wild, even in the small glimpse that I've had into his curriculum thus far, the handful of concepts/exercises are enough to keep me busy for many months/years to come. I guess it just has me hungry (greedy?) for more!

Of course one of the things I've picked up is that I need a LOT more work with the fundamentals before moving on to learning the application. I'm hoping that maybe in a few lessons with him that I could touch on his approach to that as well.
 
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#5
Anthony is both a brilliant bass player and a brilliant teacher. That's a rare combination.
He is also incredibly organized and methodical. I'm still working with material that he gave me years ago, still building on it.
He's also completely uncaring about whether you come in the door "great" or "hobbyist". He just wants to expand your abilities and your potential.

Do it.
 
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#7
Thanks again for the replies everyone. It seems like I should just reach out to Anthony and discuss where I am at, if he's willing to take me on as a student for a period of time, and see where the conversation goes. I guess the worst he could say is no, right?!?!? Appreciate the input.
 
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#8
ErikP.Bass said:
Thanks again for the replies everyone. It seems like I should just reach out to Anthony and discuss where I am at, if he's willing to take me on as a student for a period of time, and see where the conversation goes. I guess the worst he could say is no, right?!?!? Appreciate the input.
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Can't hurt to give it a go. Let us know if you decide to. He really is a fantastic teacher.
 
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#11
ErikP.Bass said:
@Spin Doctor Are you still taking lessons with Anthony? How long did / have you been taking them?
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I studied with Anthony once a week for 4 years. The only reason I decided to take lessons was because I found out he was a neighbor of mine. Before that, I didn't even own a bass. At that time, Ant wasn't traveling much and was pretty much always in the studio, so it was easy to get regular in-person lessons.

One of the unique things about Anthony, aside from his high knowledge level, is his ability to explain a single topic in multiple ways, so that no matter who he's teaching, he probably has a way to make you "get it".

I would recommend you record all of your lessons, if possible. I did and I still find things in those old lessons that I missed the first time around. Having 4 years worth of Ant Wellington lessons to refer back to is a great resource. It's been 5 years since my last lesson, and I have things that I'm still working on even today. Mostly fundamental stuff that you always need to keep up with just like a pro basketball player has to always practice free throws.

As far as teachers go, you can't go wrong studying with Ant.
 
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#16
SteveBassJr said:
What was your experience?
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It was incredible! Anthony is a phenomenal teacher. The way he thinks about music and how he approaches / explains things is so unique.

I was really nervous and somewhat intimidated going into the lesson but within minutes we were working and my nerves had fully subsided. I'm excited to build upon what we covered today. It had me wishing I could hop the Bassology Caribbean cruise!
 
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#17
ErikP.Bass said:
It was incredible! Anthony is a phenomenal teacher. The way he thinks about music and how he approaches / explains things is so unique.

I was really nervous and somewhat intimidated going into the lesson but within minutes we were working and my nerves had fully subsided. I'm excited to build upon what we covered today. It had me wishing I could hop the Bassology Caribbean cruise!
Click to expand...
Woo HOO!
and - yep!
 
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