It was simultaneous, when i first picked ibass up, my bff & I started a band so i was taking lessons at the same time!
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Did You Take Lessons Before You Joined A Band???
- Thread starter El_Charro
- Start date
- Sep 4, 2010
- 3,304
- 2,730
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- Endorsing: Martin Keith Guitars
I joined my first band on washtub bass and purchased a bass guitar soon after. Got some books and advice and off i went. Lessons followed later.
Taking lessons is great and by all means take them. But playing in a band and do it well is a different skill that you will not learn in lessons, only by being in a band. So dont let anything stop you.
Taking lessons is great and by all means take them. But playing in a band and do it well is a different skill that you will not learn in lessons, only by being in a band. So dont let anything stop you.
Sorry, but the notion that classical notation can't cope with most bass guitar music because bass guitar is more expressive than the classical instruments is complete baloney. All that statement does, IMHO, is betray a limited appreciation of the true power and flexibility of standard notation.
And if you want to study harmony or composition on any level beyond chord charts, TAB alone will get you absolutely nowhere.
I don't want to start an argument, but do want to dispel inaccurate information. Tell me how tabs can convey rhythmic timing of a bass line? It shows you where the notes are but not how to play them in time. And how are bass and guitar any more "expressive" than cello, or violin, or any other instrument? "Wasted effort "is flat wrong. I am neither a studio or on call high end musician, but all of the material on my music stand that I am working on constantly (with one exception, which is both tab and notation) is notation only. It would take me hours to through some of the stuff that I can read in minutes. I'm not a great sight reader, but am good enough that I can concentrate on the content and application of what I am working on rather than spending hours trying to learn it by ear or synching a tab bass line to a complex rhythm by ear. its no harder to learn to read music than it was to learn how to read English, provided you do it enough to get at least reasonably proficient at it. Use tabs if that is what you prefer, no matter to me, but to say that its a wasted effort if you want to access higher levels of bass music is just flat wrong. Not an exact analogy, but can you imagine how hard it would be if you tried to access the wealth of material here on TB without being able to read? You could sound out the words but would have to listen to it over and over to get the timing and meaning down. And, your choices for literature would be greatly narrowed, as it is for tabs vs notation.
I didn't vote in the poll since I am not in a band, but I would say I like to take lessons on better theory and aural skills for playing with people BUT at the same time I feel playing with others and learning that along the way is just as good if I work with positive people.
I’m a self taught bassist and guitarist. That said, I was in school band from the 4th grade to graduation and had more than a few lessons on brass instruments. I had two years of music theory in my Junior and Senior years. To this day I can’t believe that those classes were available for credit towards my GPA, let alone that it was apart of the curriculum of my public high school of 500 students.
There are ways, for example, here's the start of a study I wrote many years ago that includes rhythm elements. I added the TAB at the request of a TB member.
As you can see it also includes phrase markings. In fact, anything that can be added to SN can be included in TAB. The problem is that most folks use ASCII editors instead of notation programs or (pencil and paper), which severely restricts what can be done. Plus the conventions for which ASCII character to use for musical elements are variable at best.
IMHO and YMMV
If the question is " Do I need lessons " The answer is " Take lessons ".
Of course, finding a qualified teacher is another thing entirely. I spent years taking lessons from a guy, and while I learned a little bit, he really didn't have a good program or process for teaching students and would often through up a chart and say " ok, now solo through this" with the tempo set at 100-120 BPM when I wasn't anywhere near ready to play like that (really, it should have been " ok, now play roots, than go through and play 3rds" with the tempo set at like 60 or 80 BPM).
So, in a nutshell I took lessons before joining a band.
FWIW, I am 53 years old, in a band, and still taking lessons. The growth and learning involved with playing an instrument never stops.
I bought a bass guitar for fun (I was a music major on trumpet at the time), and have been self taught on bass guitar (I took lots of theory and other classes at university).
Only been playing for a few months, saw an add at the student union building that they needed a bass player - no experience necessary. Hey, that's me!
Only been playing for a few months, saw an add at the student union building that they needed a bass player - no experience necessary. Hey, that's me!
Ductapeman
Ringmaster and Resident Geriatric
I took lessons, but as a drummer, starting in the elementary-school band program (when they had one) at East Dover Elementary School, Dover, DE, and for the patience of the instructors and our neighbors at the Air Base I will be forever grateful. I am now a classically-trained percussionist, which helps a lot with meter and polyrhythms and suchlike. I started playing bass when I was fifteen (1966 for anyone who's counting) and had no lessons on guitar or bass other than what I picked up from my pals. I find myself in the odd position of having been a better drummer than a lot of the cats I've played with--
Self taught. I’ve taken some theory classes but not much in terms of real lessons.
It shouldn’t stop you from being in a band! Also, playing with other musicians live together is a different skill set than running drills or playing along to your favorite recordings. I personally would recommend joining a band ASAP to learn how to play with others live. I’ve played with people who took music lessons since age 5 or whatever but never played in a band setting and honestly most of them sounded awful and didn’t make the cut. Knowing how to feed off others while also feeding them on stage is something real fun and special, and professional music lessons won’t teach you at all how to do that.
It shouldn’t stop you from being in a band! Also, playing with other musicians live together is a different skill set than running drills or playing along to your favorite recordings. I personally would recommend joining a band ASAP to learn how to play with others live. I’ve played with people who took music lessons since age 5 or whatever but never played in a band setting and honestly most of them sounded awful and didn’t make the cut. Knowing how to feed off others while also feeding them on stage is something real fun and special, and professional music lessons won’t teach you at all how to do that.
I took a few lessons for the basics i.e. E A D G
Started a trio and practiced 5 nights a week for almost a year.
Played gigs at 14 years old and did not know a scale, ha.
If anything learn chord charts, knowing the form of a tune
and being able visualize it helps immensely.
Started a trio and practiced 5 nights a week for almost a year.
Played gigs at 14 years old and did not know a scale, ha.
If anything learn chord charts, knowing the form of a tune
and being able visualize it helps immensely.
So Anyway, I've never had a lesson on electric bass or guitar, but I can't claim to be self-taught.
There are so many bandmates who've taught me notes, songs, runs, scales, etc. Some even showed me how to be a good band member.
There are so many bandmates who've taught me notes, songs, runs, scales, etc. Some even showed me how to be a good band member.
Interesting post, and thanks for posting it. After a quick study, they covey pretty much the same information which is the whole point of the example. It’s just presented in a different format, but the end result is the same. You have to learn how to read it.
My question is why bother reinventing the wheel?
You know who didn't study harmony?
Led Zeppelin
The Rolling Stones
The Grateful Dead
Aerosmith
KISS
Lynrd Skynrd
Bruce Springsteen
Cheap Trick
The Ramones
AC/DC
Def Leppard
Guns & Roses
Nirvana
Metallica
U2
We can go on all day. The guy is looking to be in his first band. Dang....why do people have to make things so hard?
I have a complete appreciation of a *ahem* *cough cough* [Britishaccent] The value of formal pedagogically sound and thorough musical education [/Britishaccent]
And how it is a) totally unnecessary at this time and b) will just get in the way of the fun and joy of making MUSIC
#makemusicnottheory
Yep. Thank you sir. And that is only one of a few ways...
So basically critical guy doesn't know the extent of tabs, but we know how classic notation works. Always good for old dogs to criticize new tricks.
You know why tab is so prevalent? BECAUSE IT IS FRICKIN' BETTER for stringed instruments.
First of all - you don't have to learn to "read" anything. You have two ears, fingers, and a memory. So all of this reading, writing, and 'rithmatic is for a bunch of academics who have nothing better or lack the ability to it the "Old fashioned way". Some a-hole, however, went and re-invented the wheel and then we had standard notation. Hold on to that notion....
Second, on MOST instruments there is only ONE "C3". If you have ever played with a keyboardist and they said play C3 and you asked which one, you saw their head explode - because there is one and only one place to do that. However, on a guitar or bass there are multiple places to do that. Depending on the choice, it may be more or less difficult to play a particular passage, or even impossible to do so in time and accurately.
Tablature wasn't invented as a way around classical notation, it was created as a way to make it clear that the specific C3 was at this fret, on this string, and gotten to by a slide, bend, pre-bend, whammy drop, or whatever.
You want to know why we are not any further than we are as a species? Because a bunch of old set in their way geezers keep hauling out the "Why re-invent the wheel" excuse because they are too old, too stubborn, or too arrogant to change their ways.
