Jeff Berlin Discussing Music Ed Part II

[JeffBerlin]

Oh yes I do!

Actually, I have a very important question to ask you!

Could you send me a couple of racks of whatever you consider to be the best bbq'ed ribs and a carton of sauce in Memphis? Aren't you living there?

 

[chadhargis]

I'm honored to study under Adam (since this Roy Vogt guy I emailed must not have received my message LOL! ).

I learned a long time ago that two things make you a good student, shutting the hell up and listening, and asking questions. The trick is to know when to do which.

My first lesson with Adam probably left him thinking I was half crazy. I had more questions than could be delt with in a half hour. He gave me a great deal of stuff to work on and I eager to work hard and make him proud of me as his student.

I even joked last night when I left that we needed to set a goal and if I accomplished it, I could jam with him and Victor Wooten. Of course, I'd be so intimidated that I'd probably pee myself...but what a rush!

 

[chadhargis]

Could you send me a couple of racks of whatever you consider to be the best bbq'ed ribs and a carton of sauce in Memphis?

Oh, now you're talking....I love me some ribs!

Here in Nashville, we have a Memphis chain called Corky's. Their dry ribs are just fantastic, if you are into dry ribs.

If you're in Memphis, it's tough to beat the Post Office (the restaurant, not the place that sends mail).

 

[John Wentzien]

Why do I always start getting hungry when I read this thread?

 

[tZer]

Yeah... practice chord inver-ribs-sions in all 12 -ribs- keys. Count -ribs- and don't use a metro-ribs-nome...

Damn... I want ribs...

 

[John Wentzien]

Use grease from ribs for 'string-lube'

 

[aidan784]

Not to rain on your enthusiasm or anything chadhargis i find your excitement about music great and i wish i had a great teacher... But i see jeff's point when he talks about lessons maybe not being worth the money paid, especially when you have mentioned you only being able to afford not as many lessons with adam... But the permutations he had you go through are readily available on his website for free. However, i'm sure there's much more music based tuition to come and keep up your attitude, its great to see in new players and reminds me i need to seek the right stuff and a great teacher...

 

[chadhargis]

Naah...rib grease is too sticky from all the sugar in the sauce. Chicken grease works better.

 

[John Wentzien]

Naah...rib grease is too sticky from all the sugar in the sauce. Chicken grease works better.

Going ouside to dig my WEBER out of the snow right now guys!
Back shortly.

 

[chadhargis]

But the permutations he had you go through are readily available on his website for free.

You're right. And I've practically memorized his website.

I've also completed nearly all the lessons on Studybass.com and gained a lot of knowledge there, especially centered around chords, scales, modes, and such that were completely foreign to me only a few weeks ago.

The problem with any internet based learning (or DVD based or You Tube) is not the lack of content, it's the lack of interaction and personal attention.

I see this when I teach my students how to ride motorcycles. They "think" they are doing what I tell them to do, but they aren't. As humans, we operate in a mode of "perception" a great deal of time. Our eyes don't tell our brain what we're seeing, our brain tells us what it interpreted our eyes as seeing.

So while I might feel I'm doing something correctly, and it might work in a beginner type exercise or simple bass line, at some point I'm going to hit a wall and wonder why I can't play any better and why my progress has stalled.

Given my wild enthusiasm and desire to learn to play, I know myself far too well. I'm impatient. I want to push myself to get better faster than is reasonable. Having an experienced teacher who can keep me grounded and focused on become proficient with the basics before moving on to something more advanced is a huge bonus for me.

Worth the money? Well, I don't know. I'll tell you in 6 months or so. If I still can't play squat, then I'll give it up, or try something else.

 

[JeffBerlin]

I'm honored to study under Adam (since this Roy Vogt guy I emailed must not have received my message LOL! ).

I learned a long time ago that two things make you a good student, shutting the hell up and listening, and asking questions. The trick is to know when to do which.

Well said! When I studied with Charlie and he gave me advice, I practically snapped to attention, saluted and said "Thank Sir, May I have another!" Charlie was this kind of mentor to me.

 

[JeffBerlin]

Oh, now you're talking....I love me some ribs!

Here in Nashville, we have a Memphis chain called Corky's. Their dry ribs are just fantastic, if you are into dry ribs.

If you're in Memphis, it's tough to beat the Post Office (the restaurant, not the place that sends mail).

I want a smoker so badly, and I want to take some BBQ lessons with a master cook. Frankly, I know very little about how to get succulent ribs, or great shoulder. I see those shows on the Food Network about those geniuses of BBQ and all I want to do is to stand next to them, not say a word, and have them teach me how to be a half decent BBQ cook.

 

[JeffBerlin]

Why do I always start getting hungry when I read this thread?

Interesting how food enters into our conversations sometimes! I love to cook, but I am pretty terrible at it. Yet, I, alone, cook Thanksgiving dinner, complete with every dish on the table and they always turn out great. But, that's about the limit of my cooking ability. I am astonished how people throw "this thing in, and "that" spice there and everything comes out great. Alas, my only culinary contributions are by finding recipes on the net and trying them out at home (such as Thanksgiving dinner).

 

[JeffBerlin]

Not to rain on your enthusiasm or anything chadhargis i find your excitement about music great and i wish i had a great teacher... But i see jeff's point when he talks about lessons maybe not being worth the money paid, especially when you have mentioned you only being able to afford not as many lessons with adam... But the permutations he had you go through are readily available on his website for free. However, i'm sure there's much more music based tuition to come and keep up your attitude, its great to see in new players and reminds me i need to seek the right stuff and a great teacher...

To be a good teacher, they should teach generic factual music or else we are not helping you learn how to play well. You do not need to go to anybody to learn how to slap, tap, play two handed technique, fretless, rock, blues, chops building, technique oriented, one hand vs the other hand, string crossings of any kind, metronomic practice, or anything else that one pays to learn that one can actually learn for free. This is the catch, and in part, it is a financial one. If I pay for a great meal, then I expect a great meal. If I pay for MacDonalds, then I also know exactly what to expect for my money.

Everybody who has a unique technique of playing found these techniques for free, by their own efforts, through their own pursuits. Not one of them went to a school to acquire these skills. Futher, practically nobody who studied these methods via teachers or school had any significant success as players via the studies that they took and paid for.

If this is true, then learn from the information that I am presenting to you guys for consideration, and point yourselves toward a teacher, whoever it may be, who will give you music worthy of the tuition that you pay.

Look at the history of everybody who plays electric bass in all styles. Everybody who plays great, all the names that you know, many whom you don’t, have never acquired their unique playing skills via academic means, uinless they were involved in non-technical, but musically dominated music. Think about it! If this is true, then academic methods teaching unproven methods of learning have no history of success. How many blues guitarists or bass players went to a school or a teacher to play the blues and actually got something significat out of the studies to justify the tuitions that they paid? How many slappers or tappers did this. These stylists teach themselves, listen to other musicians and developed their styles, played in a band, or played with other musicians. This is the general definition of the self-taught musician. Academia is everything musical according to the facts and relating to the music of practically the entire Western society and jazz represents it best. Art, however is completely, and totally anything whatsoever under the sun that you discover and learn and play as you hear it, as you feel and understand it, owing to nothing other than your dedication to this approach of playing. Comments??

 

[tZer]

I want a smoker so badly, and I want to take some BBQ lessons with a master cook. Frankly, I know very little about how to get succulent ribs, or great shoulder. I see those shows on the Food Network about those geniuses of BBQ and all I want to do is to stand next to them, not say a word, and have them teach me how to be a half decent BBQ cook.

I know one 'fact' about developing good BBQ skills. It's controversial and may raise the hackles of some but I'll say it anyway and hope people don't take offense.

No one becomes a master Q'er using a metronome.

 

[chadhargis]

No one becomes a master Q'er using a metronome.

And you must first study pig farming, breeding, and butchering before you can make good BBQ.

Anyone who learns to cook does so on their own, once they know how to raise their animals.

LOL!

 

[Craigmartini]

I want a smoker so badly, and I want to take some BBQ lessons with a master cook. Frankly, I know very little about how to get succulent ribs, or great shoulder. I see those shows on the Food Network about those geniuses of BBQ and all I want to do is to stand next to them, not say a word, and have them teach me how to be a half decent BBQ cook.

Jeff,
If you want to have excellent smoked anything made at home. I suggest you take a trip to Bass Pro Shops ( you live in Fl, I know there are a few down there) and pick up a Bradley electric smoker. They are around $399.00 it couldn't be easier than these make it.

The Bradley loads the wood for you in 20 minute intervals. Follow the directions that come with it. The wood is in the shape of hockey pucks, you can get any kind of wood you want. Apple,hickory,mesquite,cherry, etc. I usually like a combination of apple and hickory. Just alternate the pucks when you put them in the loader.

I suggest baby back ribs, I can usually find them on sale for $2.99-$3.99 a pound.

After you have smoked the ribs for about 6 hours, put them on your grill for 20 minutes basting with your favorite sauce turning frequently.

You will not be dissapointed!

Enjoy!

Craig

 

[John Wentzien]

Q-ing also takes patience. "Low and-Slow"
Practice makes perfect...You will make mistakes along the way, but that's OK!
Find a good teacher.........




Wait ---where have I heard this before

 

[Yools]

Count me in with the guys who love to practice - and sign me up for the support group for busy adults who don't have the time to do it as much as they like.

I've recently noticed something about myself that's a direct result of this thread: Over the last 20 years of playing I've done very little that I can truly consider practicing, other than some time spent learning to read music and a few half-hearted attempts at learning scales and modes. The time I did spend with my instrument was devoted to learning songs, writing simple rock/metal riffs and melodies, and various other forms of mindless noodling. I've taken Jeff's advice concerning practicing the whole chord tones up and down the neck, and I've returned to working on my music reading, and it is like a whole new world has opened up for me. I'm seeing a real change in myself - not specifically in musical improvement (because I know that that only comes with time), but in my attitude towards my instrument and music in general. I don't see the bass as limited to a certain number of strings and frets, but as a wide-open field with so much room for expression. I know that sounds like some sort of cliche, but I can honestly say that I really enjoy practicing now - it feels great to be doing something that is resulting in real progress, and I love the feeling of having the chords and the tones start to make sense in my ear (and I'm still only in C!!). I know exactly what Jeff means by "the good stuff".

Jeff - thanks again for putting so much effort into this thread. It is making a difference.

I want a smoker so badly, and I want to take some BBQ lessons with a master cook...
and all I want to do is to stand next to them, not say a word, and have them teach me how to be a half decent BBQ cook.

Oh man, I don't know how many times I've said exactly that!! I would love to find a real pit master and learn how to smoke a Texas brisket and a rack of ribs. Now I need to head down to Lockhart and get some real BBQ...

 

[JeffBerlin]

I know one 'fact' about developing good BBQ skills. It's controversial and may raise the hackles of some but I'll say it anyway and hope people don't take offense.

No one becomes a master Q'er using a metronome.

Not unless you use it to make smoke! Bada BIIIIINGGGGG!!