I've been told all about learning theory. Even got an e-mail from David Elefson telling me I should learn theory. But with that said, Most bass players don't know a whole lot about theory themselves. Take David Elefson for example, I don't believe he knew much about theory before he left Megadeth. When he left I believe he took some classes and learned music theory. Now that he is back in Megadeth he is more refined, more polished and some would say a waaay better player. I think he was great the way he played before.
BUT here is the reason all that technical, theory mumbojumbo is for the Jazz and Classical players. also for some Blues players and even some Rock players? In hard rock and heavy metal, all the technical, theory mumbojumbo just doesn't sound as good as that raw, unpolished, unrefined, untechniqued, untheoried sound. For example, take a look at Megadeth. Then take a look at any of the polished, technical, theoried players Like Malmsteen, Vai, Satriani, Blackmore, Les Paul, Eric Johnson, ect. With the exception of Blackmore All of the polished guys are solo acts. I don't think any of them have ever had a band. The theory is that no one wants a player like that in their band when they are first starting out. (However Megadeth now has Chris Broderick who is a classically trained, polished, theoried guitar player) Anyways, my question is this, who is the more popular act? Megadeth or the polished solo guys? Megadeth of course. And not many people site any of the polished guys as influences except maybe Blackmore and only because he was with Deep Purple and Rainbow of which are heavily influential bands. (Note: most of the famous guitar/bass player may be polished, refined, and theoried NOW but back in the day when they started in these bands they weren't polished, refined, and theoried. They were raw, unpolished, unrefined, and most of them probably didn't know theory from a hole in the wall)
With that being said, I took music lessons when I was a kid. I started out on the trombone in school and moved to the French Horn and then quit music in middle school and took up the guitar. I did lessons for a few years and then kind of went on my own. I switched to playing the bass after I realized how terrible of a guitar player I really am. I am all self taught on the bass as I've never really had the money for lessons. So I just learn through mostly the internet and watching video's and finding lessons and sites on how to play bass and I find what I want to know like the chords. The BIG problem that I have is finding other people to play with and I mean just sit down and play with without the worry of having to be really good. I've tried out for a few bands but most of them want me to be this polished, refined, bass player that can play like I was Jimi Hendrix or something. I think most bands nowadays lose site of whats really most important when playing in a band. Which is just playing music. I personally believe that it doesn't matter how good you are, if you fiddle around with your sound and practice together as a band you'll eventually come up with something and get better and get tighter and become a good band. Most bands I have tried out for don't think like that. They want someone to come in that can play everything in 5 minutes. They don't want someone they have to work with.
Ya know, I've read a lot of history on music and individual bands such as the Rolling Stones & KISS and what I have come to find out is that most rock bands before the 1980's were started because of the love of music. Didn't matter if anyone could play or not. They just wanted to play music. As long as you knew something, like a few chords on guitar or that you could hit one note on the bass, you were pretty much good to go. You got better as you played in the band and the band got better by playing together and practicing. But no one expected you to play like Jimi Hendrix or Cliff Burton. It was all about playing music and being in a band. Now days that attitude has gone out the window and in the trash. Never to be seen again it seems. I for one just don't like it. I really just want to play in a band and get better as a musician and not have all that technical mumbojumbo thrown at me right now. Is that even possible anymore?
