How many hours to learn bass?

[IamGroot]

PS...I am guessing my productivity factor for advanced jazz improv is currently around 0.85. The biggest hit is not having an instructor and having to figure things out on my own.

 

[40Hz]

A zen parable might answer your question better than I can:

Matajuro Yagyu was the son of a famous swordsman. His father, believing that his son's work was too mediocre to anticipate mastership, disowned him.

So Matajuro went to Mount Futara and there found the famous swordsman Banzo. But Banzo confirmed the father's judgment. "You wish to learn swordsmanship under my guidance?" asked Banzo. "You cannot fulfill the requirements."

"But if I work hard, how many years will it take to become a master?" persisted the youth.

"The rest of your life," replied Banzo.

"I cannot wait that long," explained Matajuro. "I am willing to pass through any hardship if only you will teach me. If I become your devoted servant, how long might it be?"

"Oh, maybe ten years," Banzo relented.

"My father is getting old, and soon I must take care of him," continued Matajuro. "If I work far more intensively, how long would it take me?"

"Oh, maybe thirty years," said Banzo.

"Why is that?" asked Matajuro. "First you say ten and now thirty years. I will undergo any hardship to master this art in the shortest time!"

"Well," said Banzo, "in that case you will have to remain with me for seventy years. A man in such a hurry as you are to get results seldom learns quickly."

 

[Oobly]

2....

And 10,000 hours hanging out in Talkbass... But after a few minutes you'll be an expert, so the rest of the time is spent dispensing your superior knowledge of the instrument to everyone else.

IME at least...

 

[JoshS]

Everyone attributing 10,000 hours to a Gladwell mistake misses the point he makes about all the other factors that went into the timing of it. 10,000 hours, plus the perfect combination of environment, place & time, demand, resources, etc.

 

[bassliner50]

4 1/2 Hrs.

 

[bobba66]

I've forgotten more than I ever learned.

 

[SoulReflection]

That easy...exactly the number of hours to reach infinity and back. YMMV...some people are quicker than others.

 

[Humbled]

It can happen instantly. As a kid I was playing keyboard in a cover band. I owned a bass and could play Louie Louie and maybe Smoke on the Water on it. The bass player in our band wanted to be the second guitarist in the band so he hired a better keyboard player than I was. Wammo. I was suddenly a bass player.

 

[Mike Sorr]

I think the 10,000 hours thing is baloney. Take a look at these 8 and 9 year old kids on YouTube playing Teen Town. They’ve barely been on the planet for 10,000 hours. It depends on the person and their motivations. There are guys in famous rock bands that have been playing for decades that probably couldn’t play what these kids play, nor are they interested. If you’re just interested in playing simple stuff you can be jamming in a few months. If you want to be the next YouTube badass, it’s going to take longer, but how long depends on you.


Case in point.

 

[frankie5string]

Pretty sure the article is making taking a poke at the 10,000 hours rule/theory by Malcolm Gladwell.
It's from his book "Outliers."

Lately, various writers have been poking holes in that theory.
It's become en vogue to try and disspell it.

New Study Destroys Malcolm Gladwell's 10,000 Hour Rule
and
Can 10,000 hours of practice make you an expert?
are two examples.

 

[ToneMonkey]

A friend of mine who teaches says that only adults ask, “how long will this take?” He says kids never ask that question.

If an adult ever asked me that question I’d say, “the rest of your life. Ain’t it great?”

 

[gfh218]

Whats your guess?

BTW, this article says it takes 10,000 hrs to learn to play sax.

Invalid Link Removed

Depends on how much playing experience you've had previously. Bottom line, it takes a long time and you MUST put the time in. Lessons might shorten the learning curve. Good luck

 

[rocu]

I played other instruments before starting bass. I could play 1-5 on the bass in every key well enough to play along with most tunes in literally 30 minutes. A few days and I could play in public.

I expect it will be a few more years before I feel like I’m any good at it.

 

[gfh218]

I played other instruments before starting bass. I could play 1-5 on the bass in every key well enough to play along with most tunes in literally 30 minutes. A few days and I could play in public.

I expect it will be a few more years before I feel like I’m any good at it.

Yes, it takes time. Anything worthwhile is challenging. Listen to as many different genres as you can.

 

[jackn1202]

I finished yesterday

 

[Lowandfat]

All of them

 

[Llewellen]

Whats your guess?

BTW, this article says it takes 10,000 hrs to learn to play sax.

Invalid Link Removed

How long is a piece of string?

 

[DrayMiles]

It only takes three licks to get to the tootsie roll center of a tootsie pop...

 

[2BitHack]

African or European?

 

[ursusaltered]

Whats your guess?

BTW, this article says it takes 10,000 hrs to learn to play sax.

Invalid Link Removed

A lifetime as you NEVER quit learning