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If you could take lessons from any bass player...

#41
If youre wondering who I would take theory and rhythm lessons from, it would have to be a drummer, Bill Ward.

For Bass technique and Bass-centric lessons, it would without a doubt be Glen Cornick.

Bill Ward and Glen Cornick knew eachother, Figure that would probably lead to some pretty good information on both sides that would sync up and I would be able to combine the information.
 
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#42
40Hz said:
It'd be hard for me to generalize on that point. The most helpful teachers I've ever met were teaching in music schools. As well as some of the worst.

I think the ability to teach well is a little like music itself. Which is to say part gift or natural talent and part training.

Professional training as a teacher may well make someone better at it than they would be without it. But I've met far too many teachers with a degree in education who lacked flexibility in their teaching approach and were completely unable to communicate or connect with their students in a meaningful way.

I sometimes think some people are just born to teach. And no amount of training will make someone a good teacher if that special insight, sensitivity, and willingness to genuinely teach isn't already there.
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i completely agree.

to clarify, being in the music education business myself, I know so many people with music ed degrees that can't play, can't teach, i'm surprised many of them know how to even drive a car or operate their iphone.

So, my "best case scenario" teacher is one who actually loves teaching, is trained (similar to music, theres some serious value in really learning the theories, techniques, repertoire, etc), and also has experience as a legitimate professional (paid) musician.

obviously there are exceptions to all of this. I think of John Pattitucci as a "famous" player (jazz famous?) but he's known to be an excellent teacher. I have never studied with him myself, though, so that's just what i've heard. There are also some similarly high profile people that I have studied with, or know people who have (about 5 names come to mind) that aren't horrible or anything, just not particularly "born to teach," thats all.
 
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#43
Beat me to it @knumbskull but Mike Watt. Wouldn't need to spend a lot of time on the MM standards, I've got decades playing along with Mike, George and Dennes (RIP). I'd watch and learn and ask a ton of questions and try to capture some of the ways that he changed bass playing for so many, maybe unintentionally. There are plenty of technically more qualified bassists, many more famous but none I can think of who I'd rather learn from. And among players in his genre, no greater compass to follow.
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#47
Hard to answer. As has been already mentioned, just because someone is a great player doesn't mean they're a great teacher.

That said, probably put me in the same classroom with the other folks who have said Tony Levin. (Might be biased by the fact that I'm currently working on learning "Sledgehammer" and it's kicking my a55, but still.)
 
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