Bass Guitar Instruction

[tahoeskimonk]

With all the courses plus bass teachers available online, what's the best course of action to go from an intermediate to expert?

 

[bholder]

Practice.

Sorry I'm no help, get a good instructor online somewhere?

 

[RyanOh]

Play lots of gigs with a band in front of a live audience.
Play with musicians who are better than you.
Develop a great ear, be able to hear and play correct notes (and know if you're out of tune).
Learn another instrument, specifically piano.
Learn and study music theory. Not specific to your instrument, just in general.
Apply the musical knowledge back to your playing.
Learn vocal and horn lines to help in melodic soloing.
Listen to tons and tons of different music. Learn bass lines from various genres.

I've found these things to be helpful. I'd say I'm intemediate.

 

[lfmn16]

Private instructions with a good teacher, and playing with a good band. To get from intermediate to expert, you need feedback, which you don't get from books and videos.

 

[dalkowski]

Private instructions with a good teacher,

... who can create lesson plans based on your goals.

I feel super-strongly about the importance of intentional goal-setting in learning. "Going from intermediate to expert" is not a goal per se; it's a grand vision. You the student must define what "expert" means. What specifically can an "expert" do that you can't do right now? Name those specific things and a good teacher will help you get there by creating smaller, focused, achievable goals that you can conquer, and feel motivated to go on to the next one.

YMMV, but this has worked for me (I can't do self-taught, unless it's a particular song).

It takes time and hard work but it's like eating an elephant -- you can only do it one bite at a time.

Good luck and have fun, because it's supposed to be fun.

 

[DrThumpenstein]

There's no substitute for practice. But practicing can be productive or can deeply ingrain bad habits if not done well. "Practice makes perfect" is incorrect if practicing poor technique or if practice is not focused and goal-oriented.

Good instruction helps make your efforts more productive. You can learn a lot from online lessons, books, and other sources, but there is no substitute for a good teacher who can watch and provide feedback on your technique.

Good luck on your journey!

 

[tahoeskimonk]

Thanks so much for the replies...very helpful!