You mention that you found your teacher through your wife's drum teacher. Just jamming out some bass and drums is great exercise to work on technique and get grooving. Why not jam with your wife? Find some other similar level players to get together with. Making music is good for the soul and much more encouraging than dry exercises or playing with prerecorded parts.
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Do I need a new teacher?
- Thread starter Yonni
- Start date
Share your issues with your instructor. A good private lesson teacher will adjust the curriculum and pace to match the student rather than the other way around. Not every student responds well to being pushed. A good teacher walks a fine line between not letting a student coast while not overly challenging them before they're ready. With education, pacing is everything.
I've seen a lot of kids totally turned off to both their instrument and music in general because they've had instructors who had a one size fits all approach to teaching that relied heavily on the "no pain - no gain" mindset. Ditto for adults. So situations like yours are a pet peeve of mine.
So by all means speak to her. If she's any good she'll make adjustments. If not - find another music teacher.
Luck!
I've seen a lot of kids totally turned off to both their instrument and music in general because they've had instructors who had a one size fits all approach to teaching that relied heavily on the "no pain - no gain" mindset. Ditto for adults. So situations like yours are a pet peeve of mine.
So by all means speak to her. If she's any good she'll make adjustments. If not - find another music teacher.
Luck!
What are your goals? Why did you start this project? What void was it filling in your life that you had to give up what you did to have time for this?
Remember, you teacher works for you. They need to be on the same page with your goals. Once that has been established, the only obligation you have to play and conduct yourself the way the teacher expects is the meet YOUR goals.
Remember, you teacher works for you. They need to be on the same page with your goals. Once that has been established, the only obligation you have to play and conduct yourself the way the teacher expects is the meet YOUR goals.
TnF I don't think these are dumbed down versions as I've watched videos and they seem to match what I'm playing.
TTM we do try to play together but the kids always want in on the act. We could do it with headphones on after they're in bed but then we can't hear them if they wake and call out.
Obviously I'm not expecting to make a career out of this at my age. It's just a hobby and a passion, but I do want to learn to read music. It's something I've always wanted to do. I figure I may as well do it from the outset. Maybe it's hampering my progress but I'm hoping it will click at some point and then I'll be ahead of the game.
TTM we do try to play together but the kids always want in on the act. We could do it with headphones on after they're in bed but then we can't hear them if they wake and call out.
Obviously I'm not expecting to make a career out of this at my age. It's just a hobby and a passion, but I do want to learn to read music. It's something I've always wanted to do. I figure I may as well do it from the outset. Maybe it's hampering my progress but I'm hoping it will click at some point and then I'll be ahead of the game.
Chuck - put it down to a midlife crisis or fulfilling something I didn't have the opportunity for as a kid. I asked for a sax aged 10 but my folks couldn't afford one and the lessons plus we lived in a small village where I doubt there was a teacher. When it came to music lessons at school we had a choice of guitar or recorder. My folks wouldn't shell out for a guitar either so I was stuck with the recorder. It wasn't for me.
maybe.
at age 50: your brain works differently re: learning new skills. and since you don't start with a 'music history', it's difficult for you to generalize from previously learned skills in other areas. some of us have the benefit of playing/learning when we were much younger (we lived and breathed music --- on any instrument --- constantly, consistently). it was all consuming. as we aged: we dragged those skills along and improved upon them to become 'wiser' with regard to efficiency/economy. with those younger (malleable) nervous systems there is an obvious advantage. so you may want to cut yourself some slack! i think you're rather brave for taking it up at all --- and you deserve to have some success...no matter what that is to you.
on the other hand: you have an idea (10 months, 2-4 hours a week) of what it takes you to journey this far. what if you doubled your practice time? what if you practiced every day, no matter what? what if you learned (from your teacher) alternate/additional goals? but the bottom line: you may have to invest more time and energy into this pursuit if you want more from it.
some of the posts have good advice, and i think all of them have good intentions, but you have yet to exhaust this experience/teacher before you consider moving on. practicing can be a chore, it can be dreaded: but there is no way around the fact that your muscles and nerves/brain have to learn to accommodate your intention. you go forward, mostly, a step at a time, with the occasional celebration of achieving a new plateau. it takes some time and lots of practice. there is no easy way!
i wish you luck and plenty of 'vigor' on this path. make it fun for yourself in all the ways you can. learn to be satisfied with accomplishments...until you want to accomplish more. sounds to me like you are off to a great start!
Hi! We are close in age (45), and while my bass teacher was a little older than I was (57), I was in a similar spot when I started. My concern is that you'll lose interest in playing: my teech (sic) was a great musician, but didn't get me where I wanted to be on bass as far as technique and theory.
I play 6-string guitar, and my teacher on that end (been with him 5 years) started off slow, had me doing intervals and rhythm drills reading music while teaching songs that took weeks, in some cases up to a month to get through. I agree with the other poster who mentioned why not practice with your wife; I think that would be fun and motivational! I also agree with the teacher who said it's all about pacing; as a language teacher myself, I can't expect my students that are at a beginner stage in (example) English essay writing, to suddenly be able to write a ten-page research paper: no way. I parted with my bass teacher because our schedules just didn't work out.
Age really is just a number in this case: while you may not have professional aspirations (and what if you DID? Great!), you want to be the best you can be on the instrument, right? Darn right! All best.
I play 6-string guitar, and my teacher on that end (been with him 5 years) started off slow, had me doing intervals and rhythm drills reading music while teaching songs that took weeks, in some cases up to a month to get through. I agree with the other poster who mentioned why not practice with your wife; I think that would be fun and motivational! I also agree with the teacher who said it's all about pacing; as a language teacher myself, I can't expect my students that are at a beginner stage in (example) English essay writing, to suddenly be able to write a ten-page research paper: no way. I parted with my bass teacher because our schedules just didn't work out.
Age really is just a number in this case: while you may not have professional aspirations (and what if you DID? Great!), you want to be the best you can be on the instrument, right? Darn right! All best.
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I think that the songs given to you are too difficult for a beginner. You should be playing simple 3 or 4 chord songs where you play mostly roots and fifths. Don't get impatient as it will take a lot longer than 10 months to build up your chops. You need to build up strength in all your fingers as well as dexterity. You also need time to build up calluses on your finger tips. It takes almost a couple years to really get into shape. I am glad you are going to a teacher as the theory will make you a better musician all around. Be patient. Everything will come together soon. Good luck and keep thumpin'
Hi Yonni. Reading charts is not an issue here: I don't read myself but I think it's an interesting skill to have, whether you wish to be profesional or not. If you like it, why not continue with it.
3-4 times a week for 45-60 min each session shoud be plenty to make decent progress. As others mentioned before, the songs you are practising seem a bit tough to begin with. Were these songs your idea? If so, I can understand that your teacher wants to help you play what you like, but otherwise I think this is really not helping you out. Not sure what music you are into, but first song I learn was "Psycho Killer" from Talking Heads, or "Another One bites the dust". FWIW Psycho Killer is still often one of my warmup songs
These are popular song which vibe comes primarily from the bass. Theyt are fairly easy to start with and can give me quite a confidence boost in the beginning. I also tried some more complex stuff like Jamiroquai because I was into it, so I could take the added difficulty. But it needs to be a balance IMO.
Long story short, you should either get a new teacher or agree on a different approach as the current way does not seem to fit you. You need to keep the drive, and to do so you need to feel that you are moving toward a goal, even if you are doing so one step at a time. It's the job of your teacher to guide you through this learning path. If she cannot, it's time for a change.
Good luck!
3-4 times a week for 45-60 min each session shoud be plenty to make decent progress. As others mentioned before, the songs you are practising seem a bit tough to begin with. Were these songs your idea? If so, I can understand that your teacher wants to help you play what you like, but otherwise I think this is really not helping you out. Not sure what music you are into, but first song I learn was "Psycho Killer" from Talking Heads, or "Another One bites the dust". FWIW Psycho Killer is still often one of my warmup songs
These are popular song which vibe comes primarily from the bass. Theyt are fairly easy to start with and can give me quite a confidence boost in the beginning. I also tried some more complex stuff like Jamiroquai because I was into it, so I could take the added difficulty. But it needs to be a balance IMO.Long story short, you should either get a new teacher or agree on a different approach as the current way does not seem to fit you. You need to keep the drive, and to do so you need to feel that you are moving toward a goal, even if you are doing so one step at a time. It's the job of your teacher to guide you through this learning path. If she cannot, it's time for a change.
Good luck!
MDBass
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It's not you, it's her: those are all absolutely ridiculous choices as first songs for a novice player.
Even Crazy Little Thing is at a fast tempo with triplet runs and requires fairly advanced feel in order to actually groove.
Normally I'd suggest talking with the teacher about making a change, but she's so far off base that firing her and finding someone who actually knows how to teach is probably a better idea.
Thanks everyone.
Jeff - funny you mention learning a language as that's exactly how I think of it - times of frustration and just not getting it then times of improvement.
Greg - Another one bites the dust was the first thing she gave me to learn. I think she was impressed that I got triplets straight away and also that I insisted on trying to read notation instead of tab from the off. Time for a reality check though.
And yes, I need to up my game in terms of practice.
Jeff - funny you mention learning a language as that's exactly how I think of it - times of frustration and just not getting it then times of improvement.
Greg - Another one bites the dust was the first thing she gave me to learn. I think she was impressed that I got triplets straight away and also that I insisted on trying to read notation instead of tab from the off. Time for a reality check though.
And yes, I need to up my game in terms of practice.
MDBass
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- Nov 7, 2012
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No the triplets were in Higher Ground
I would talk with your teacher what your goals are.
The teaching process in Austria is normally, that you learn a lot of theory and sometimes technique and then learn a song that you play in front of the other students and their parents/peers, which results in 3- 4 songs a year.
I mostly figured songs out myself, or if I couldn't it was no problem, I asked the teacher - and he showed me and I practiced it at home.
I don't think those songs are terrible, I was always the type who practiced a super hard song for a few months and easier ones in between.
But everyone is different and I would just talk to her.
No disrespect to your teacher, but I could have you playing along to songs well enough to gig in a typical rock band in 6 months. I'm not joking, I teach guitar and bass lessons. I have several students who play at local churches and/or in bands. I do read sheet music, but don't teach it unless specifically asked to. I do teach the following as a "crash course" to get my students playing with music ASAP.
1) Names/ location of notes on fretboard.
2) How to play whole notes, half notes, quarter notes, and eighth notes in 4/4 time and also in 3/4 time.
3) How to read chord charts.
4) Basic technique things-how to hold the bass, how to tune it, how to fret a note, how to pluck, how to hold and use a pick, etc.
5) How to listen to other musicians--how to stay in time, how to tell if you hit a wrong note vs right note without looking, etc.
6) How to play with/lock in with a drummer.
If you can do these things, you can play along to simple music. You just need to find songs that are easy enough to start with and then gradually work on more difficult ones.
I also suggest considering buying Rocksmith...my students that use it, progress significantly faster than those that don't. I don't have any connection to the company, but am a huge believer in it as a supplement to an instructor.
Again, I'm not trying to disrespect your teacher. Use my list to see where you are weak, then have your teacher help you with those areas. If you can already do everything on my list reasonably well,
then you just need to find some easy songs and learn them. Try learning one new one a week. It's ok to use chord charts, tab, or sheet music. Sometimes you just need to play along to actual music.
Everyone learns things differently. Playing music is no different. If you're finding the traditional way difficult and not exciting. You may want to take a break from it, and work on your technique from what you all ready know/learned. Guitar players call it "Wood Shedding". where they intensively focus and work on technique.
Or, perhaps your having a difficult time keeping up with all the information coming at you, and your expectations exceed your reality. Perhaps, you can slow down, and play along with the music you enjoy. Use tabs, get the notes, and develop your technique from playing songs. Take it measure by measure, verse and chorus. Once you get the song memorized, play along with the song. Once you're able to play without tabs just play along with the song. And once you can do that play the song alone without the music. This will help you develop technique, learn songs, play songs, and enjoy success at each and every step.
Or, perhaps your having a difficult time keeping up with all the information coming at you, and your expectations exceed your reality. Perhaps, you can slow down, and play along with the music you enjoy. Use tabs, get the notes, and develop your technique from playing songs. Take it measure by measure, verse and chorus. Once you get the song memorized, play along with the song. Once you're able to play without tabs just play along with the song. And once you can do that play the song alone without the music. This will help you develop technique, learn songs, play songs, and enjoy success at each and every step.
I think your teacher is probably a great musician and maybe even gifted as a teacher, but probably not experienced enough to appreciate your situation.
Being just 24 and coming pretty much straight from conservatory where she has been working with other fast learners, she can probably not understand that at age 50 and with a full-time job and two kids you cannot possibly keep up with her pace.
Even CLTCL is a really difficult song after ten months if you want to do it any kind of justice.
I would say slow down, practice more and easier songs.
Being just 24 and coming pretty much straight from conservatory where she has been working with other fast learners, she can probably not understand that at age 50 and with a full-time job and two kids you cannot possibly keep up with her pace.
Even CLTCL is a really difficult song after ten months if you want to do it any kind of justice.
I would say slow down, practice more and easier songs.
