Getting the most out of lessons

[jesse housman]

My first Post on this forum

I started playing Bass toward the end of the pandemic. ( Here anyway) First time I picked up an instrument.
I have an instructor who I like very much. His method has been to show me songs I like, Help me play them
and he has a gathering every 6 months at a local dive bar where all the students play.

He likes me to kind of direct where we go. It seems there is something to learn no matter what we do. It is still very new to me.

He is slowly showing me how to read music. Or perhaps I am slowly absorbing
I'm an old dog.

Anyway any advice you may have for me to get the most out of these lessons chime in!
Any techniques I need to make sure he shows me.
I play for the fun of it. Im nearly retired. My goal is not to make money but to make some new friends and have cool stuff to do

Been scoping out the forums here. Looks like a nice group.

 

[two fingers]

Welcome to TalkBass!

I used to have as many as 32 students several years back. While I like the idea of using music you are enthusiastic about to teach (I did that some as well), I caution you to make sure your instructor is covering the fundamentals of technique and music theory WHILE you are learning your favorite jams. The goal (to me) should be to prepare you to both play with others, AND be able to learn songs on your own (without sheet music). To do that, your technique and fretboard awareness/navigation will need to be second nature. And basic music theory (primarily chord structure) knowledge will be very handy.

I have a few questions.

1) Did you simply start right off the bat with learning songs?

2) Did you cover any chord structure and/or scales?

3) Did you have a few weeks of simple, basic, technique fundamentals (both right and left hand)?

 

[Malcolm35]

..... The goal (to me) should be to prepare you to both play with others, AND be able to learn songs on your own (without sheet music). To do that, your technique and fretboard awareness/navigation will need to be second nature. And basic music theory (primarily chord structure) knowledge will be very handy.

Welcome to the bottom end. Yes, play with others, caned music if you must, but, playing with others and not stepping on anyone's toes is IMO the goal.

I see nothing wrong with using sheet music, or chord charts, right at first. There will come a time that we will leave our music stands at home.

Jamming with others is one of the must do things to get ready to function with a band and do it with out a music stand. My town had jamming on main street each Saturday - best thing that I could have done to grow my confidence level. To grow any skill we have to use that skill, a bunch. The more we use it the better we get

To get ready for that would be once the key is called you have an idea of what chords and chord progressions will be safe to use. That IMO is step one and should be something your instructor has you work on.

Good luck and happy trails.

 

[fearceol]

Did your teacher show you safe R/H and L/H technique ? In my opinion this is the first thing a teacher worth his salt should teach a person who is completely new to playing the bass. If he didn't, then ask him to do so before bad habits develop, or look up some clips on the topic on Youtube. Your hands and wrists will thank you for it.

Welcome to the low end.

 

[RhinoBass]

Practice. Every day. Practice.

 

[fu22ba55]

Consider additional lessons from a keys player or drummer.

Some great soloists took lessons on their own instrument, as well as from improvisors on other instruments.

Some lessons from a keys player on how to support a keys player, or lessons from a drummer on how to interact with drummers would be invaluable.

 

[MrLenny1]

Keep taking lessons.
Practice at least 1 hour a day.
Do some reading, cycle of 4ths, and play
along's for ear training.
Have fun & welcome to TB. The Place for Bass.

 

[jesse housman]

Howdy, and thank to all for responding.



Thinking quite a bit about this since I posted.

I am having a blast. I thought I would have given up by now. But not the case.

I practice more and more. What I lack is people to play with. I set up a 1 channel usb
Port for my laptop to run a couple powered speakers and I can record myself.

It seems watching and listening to myself play
Is good.

I am glad to get some advice on where to take my lessons. I have generally rush into things, then figure them out. Get in deep quick. It has worked for most everything so far



First memory of a badass bass line was early
Courageous Cat and Minute mouse. It was in the 60’s. The first live bass player I saw that blew me away was Ralphe Armstrong playing for Jean Luc Ponty in ‘78.

Welcome to TalkBass!

I used to have as many as 32 students several years back. While I like the idea of using music you are enthusiastic about to teach (I did that some as well), I caution you to make sure your instructor is covering the fundamentals of technique and music theory WHILE you are learning your favorite jams. The goal (to me) should be to prepare you to both play with others, AND be able to learn songs on your own (without sheet music). To do that, your technique and fretboard awareness/navigation will need to be second nature. And basic music theory (primarily chord structure) knowledge will be very handy.

I have a few questions.

1) Did you simply start right off the bat with learning songs?

Yes, we did Tabs as I was reluctant to try and learn to read music ( OK I was wrong)
He didn't want to push me into it.

2) Did you cover any chord structure and/or scales?
He went over some Spider Drills and a scale for me to practice. These are what I do to warm up.
I have seen that the more I practice the better I become. I believe I need to focus more on the basics.
Like cooking professionally, you need to have a basic set of skills before you can really have fun.

3) Did you have a few weeks of simple, basic, technique fundamentals (both right and left hand)?
He left that up to me to practice.

He showed me how to set up a better area to play at home and I can now record myself on my Mac
and have a couple decent speakers hooked up to it.
He is not a pure Bass teacher, but a guitar teacher. Very good at it. He has a decent business going. Many of my friends kids have learned from him.

 

[jesse housman]

I have a few questions.

1) Did you simply start right off the bat with learning songs?

Yes, we did Tabs as I was reluctant to try and learn to read music ( OK I was wrong)
He didn't want to push me into it.

2) Did you cover any chord structure and/or scales?
He went over some Spider Drills and a scale for me to practice. These are what I do to warm up.
I have seen that the more I practice the better I become. I believe I need to focus more on the basics.
Like cooking professionally, you need to have a basic set of skills before you can really have fun.

3) Did you have a few weeks of simple, basic, technique fundamentals (both right and left hand)?
He left that up to me to practice.

He showed me how to set up a better area to play at home and I can now record myself on my Mac
and have a couple decent speakers hooked up to it.
He is not a pure Bass teacher, but a guitar teacher. Very good at it. He has a decent business going. Many of my friends kids have learned from him.

 

[jesse housman]

Wow I am earning my Avatar today. New to this forum and it's a tad different then the other I am in.

Ill try not to dbl post


I am focused on Finger Technique. This is one area I could really get better while I am doing all these Spider drills to get my hands flexable. I spent 40 years holding Tongs and sautee pans.


I love the going into my head aspect of the bass. I do enjoy playing with the effects and going psychedelic
I have always loved spacing out. That is another rabbit hole to go down

I am practicing every day now. Which is great. Its really nice that the more I play the happier I am.

 

[Malcolm35]

I am practicing every day now. Which is great. It's really nice that the more I play the happier I am.

Yep, keep on keeping on......
Just Keep Keeping On - Bing