I'm sure there are any number of aspiring musicians who wish they had your 'problem'. Yes, it's a gift. Prayin' man that you are, you certainly know who to thank and who to consult for your worries. Go with it.
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I'm a fraud! I don't know what the *@^$ I'm doing!
- Thread starter de la mocha
- Start date
Thanks for the replies. I know I have a gift to be able to play by ear and feel, but I at least want to know what it is I'm infact doing, if that makes sense.
I don't want to stay in this box forever, I want to grow. My main priority now is to find a BASS GUITAR teacher, not a GUITAR TEACHER WHO PLAYS BASS.....
I don't want to stay in this box forever, I want to grow. My main priority now is to find a BASS GUITAR teacher, not a GUITAR TEACHER WHO PLAYS BASS.....
If you can't find a bass theacher, find a music teacher. You already have a lot on the ball, assumng your physical technique isn't hamstringing you. And a good music teacher who can teach you the elements of harmony and some theory could help a lot.
jte
jte
What my teacher had me do to relate to scales and learn the neck was get a real book. open it to a song I didnt know then practices the apergio of each chord. working slowly building up a vocab and learning my fret board at the same time , after doint that a few times if I could track down a recording in the same key I would play along then try to cope the exact bassline from the recording. really helped me relate to scales and helped me pick apart songs
As for finding a teacher I am extremely blessed. I was on the verge of giving up when a friend fowarded an ad to me. He is really passionate about bass very free and open. Also a master of strings music. So I can bring a song from the radio and he will help me chart it show me the rif help me make it my own and very quickly too. He gave me the skills to get gigs. I could play good funk by ear but now I cant read like I could when I was a kid (used to play contra bass clarinet and alto sax) but I can read number and letter charts and follow my real book
Forget the book, forget the lessons, and forget the teacher. You seem to be doing OK so far. For the most part, bass is played from the heart, so follow your ear and just enjoy yourself. You might be suprised how far you can go!
It's not about theory and chops...I mean it is but it's not. It's about playing music. We all use theory. I ahppen to listen to a pice of music and play it, then try to improv on it. It's about playing, playing tunes, having fun! I can play almost anything, if I can hear it and break it down and that's how I learn. I don't site read, I listen and play!
Sounds like you have an open mind to learn. Find a good teacher and practice as much as you can. you'll be just fine=). and don't forget the pocket
Music theory is just the grammar of the language of (musical) sound. There are plenty of people who can speak perfect English (or whatever language) without knowing what the names of all the parts of speech or all the verb tenses are, or the explanations of the rules about when they are appropriate to use, etc. They just know what sounds right from using the language and hearing it spoken throughout their life.
Don't worry about it! If anything, I recommend for starters that you take maybe a couple courses in basic general music theory, and then you will find out about concepts you already "know" inherently by ear/feel and you'll learn a bit more about them, plus you'll get some extra bits and pieces of musical knowledge that will help you grow and expand a little more.
Don't worry about it! If anything, I recommend for starters that you take maybe a couple courses in basic general music theory, and then you will find out about concepts you already "know" inherently by ear/feel and you'll learn a bit more about them, plus you'll get some extra bits and pieces of musical knowledge that will help you grow and expand a little more.
A lack of music theory knowledge does not necessarily make you a poor bass player or a fraud.
A comprehensive knowledge of music theory will not necessarily make you a good bass player. (In fact, a poor musician with a healthy knowledge of music theory often yields horrifying results
)
For a good musician, however, a comprehensive knowledge of music theory can impart a large selection of readily available compositional and analytical tools to make the creation of good music faster and easier.
A composition teacher once described it to me thusly: You can create an infinite number of colors and paint beautifully with a palette containing only red, yellow, blue, black, and white. If, however, your palette contains 100 pleasing colors premixed and ready to go, you'll be able to paint faster and more easily. Consequently, you'll be able to concentrate less on how to get the color you're looking for and concentrate more on the picture you want to paint.
A comprehensive knowledge of music theory will not necessarily make you a good bass player. (In fact, a poor musician with a healthy knowledge of music theory often yields horrifying results
)For a good musician, however, a comprehensive knowledge of music theory can impart a large selection of readily available compositional and analytical tools to make the creation of good music faster and easier.
A composition teacher once described it to me thusly: You can create an infinite number of colors and paint beautifully with a palette containing only red, yellow, blue, black, and white. If, however, your palette contains 100 pleasing colors premixed and ready to go, you'll be able to paint faster and more easily. Consequently, you'll be able to concentrate less on how to get the color you're looking for and concentrate more on the picture you want to paint.
