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Mom wants students changed to guitar

#21
dmusic148 said:
When someone has advanced to the 'Claypool/Wooten level,' you can't realistically expect them to simply drop the instrument for another. But you could urge them to ADD an instrument to their skill set.
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+1

Agreed. If they've gotten to the Claypool/Wooten level, which I'll probably never get to, then you'd expect them to have developed some sort of passion for the instrument. I don't think it hurts to get them to try guitar, and if they have a passion for it as well, then great. If not, then where their interest lies will become fairly evident.

Also - for some reason, I read the title as "Mom wants kids chained to guitar" which seemed way harsher than the actual title.
 
#22
oniman7 said:
...have advanced to the Wooten/Claypool level with some double thumbing and tapping and things of that nature...
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Interesting...I guess when I read something like this, I figure that the students would be at the point of self-reliance when it comes to the instrument. Not that they DON'T need guidance and such, but that they can absorb the information on their own without needing it fed to them directly.

I would say I'm far from "Wooten and Claypool level" in terms of chops, but I believe I'm to the point where I can observe another player or read up on a concept and ascertain what I need to get rolling on that technique and make progress. To contrast, traditional instrument lessons would be like grade or high school, whereas what I'm describing is more like college education where a lot of it depends on your digging for knowledge outside the classroom. You don't need everything spoon-fed to you at a certain point.

I've said all that to say, if they are at this level then they don't seem to need lessons for much more than perhaps accountability. I'm sure the OP has knowledge to impart on them, no doubt, but it will set them on a good course to loosen up the reins and teach them to teach themselves when it comes to bass.
 
#23
vegas532 said:
Sorry to the mom, but it's TOTALLY up to her kids. If I had kids with an interest in music, I would play it the same way.
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This. When our son wanted to take lessons, we asked him which instrument he was interested in. First it was drums, then piano, then back to drums. Now he's just taking piano and voice at school. If the kid isn't interested, they won't practice. And I was THAT kid... :D
 
#24
vegas532 said:
Sorry to the mom, but it's TOTALLY up to her kids. If I had kids with an interest in music, I would play it the same way.
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RxFunk said:
I agree, but a lot of the time the parents don't play an instrument, so they pick something for you that they like, thinking that you'll be happy just to play anything. Or at least that was my experience.
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I agree with you vegas but unfortunately it's like I and RxFunk have already posted. Mom pays so Mom makes the rules. Now me on the other hand, I've got two kids 18 and 15 now but when they were little, like 5, I started them on piano. My daughter was fantastic at it. The boy not so much but he loved playing. When he was older he want to switch to sax. So we got him a sax. Then he wanted to switch to guitar so we got him one of those. Then he wanted to be like his old man and play bass. Luckily I had a few of those so I gave him my SX jazz. The point I'm making is that it should be the kids choice but I'm just cool like that. :D

P.S. the girl gave up the piano by the time she was 12 which was heart breaking. That girl was freaking great. By age 7 she was killing Vince Guaraldi's Linus and lucy. I mean killing it.
 
#26
One possibility I haven't seen mentioned is that maybe the moms are going from what their kids tell them at home. It's quite possible they're curious to branch out, but are afraid of being seen as stupid, ungrateful or something.
 
#28
If Mom is paying, it's ultimately Mom's decision what she is and isn't willing to pay for. I agree with that; whatever course you take, it will need her agreement. I think it is a good idea for the kids to ADD (as others have said) an instrument to their skill set. However, if that's not what THEY want to do and Mom is shoving it down their throats, I would worry that the kids will get turned off and reject the whole thing, stop practicing, etc. So sound out what the kids want, if they're up for the idea, or maybe you can work out a conditional deal - they learn guitar for six weeks or something, and then they can decide if they want to continue it or go back to more bass lessons.
 
#31
No offense here but you are paid to teach, not have an opinion. You can encourage the kids to not drop one for the other but taking up a sword with the mother is none of your business. Her money, her kids, you are not paid to have an opinion.
 
#32
GlassOnion said:
No offense here but you are paid to teach, not have an opinion. You can encourage the kids to not drop one for the other but taking up a sword with the mother is none of your business. Her money, her kids, you are not paid to have an opinion.
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I think that's putting it too strong. If the mother doesn't know much about music, she can benefit from the advice of someone who does. Like I said earlier, it IS her money and her decision in the end, but that doesn't deprive the OP of the right to give advice.
 
#33
Make sure mom understands they will have 20x more musical opportunities as bassists (as long as they can read music). They can make money right now every week with a church gig. They can make money playing in pit bands at the community theater level. If they are mid teens, once they become known in the local scene they can get in a wedding band and make serious money while still in HS.

They will be exposed to older, better musicians as bassists because everyone needs a bassist who can read music.

There's no reason for them not to double on guitar or piano. I'd lean toward piano because they'll get a better understanding of theory, which will help them reading charts.

If they're gigging weekly (even if they're young, they can get a church gig) then it's not so bad to have them take guitar lessons three times a month and a bass lesson once a month.
 
#34
Do both.

IMO, learning guitar/piano can only enhance their bass playing. I also suggest piano. Maybe they can sing along and develop their melody/harmony vocal skills.

Hey, maybe one of them is the next (insert favorite guitarist's name here)! It could happen. Terry Kath switched from bass to guitar.

I also think the mom wants them to broaden their musical horizons. :) No downside to that.

The kids have lots of time to figure out where music will fit into their lives.

+1 to the Wooten/Claypool level kids keep learning bass on their own. How much theory/harmony do they know? Do they read music? Sight read? Play in a band yet? All kinds of musical stuff to learn beyond what they're doing now.
 
#36
Being a father, if I had a dime for everyone's unsolicited opinion surrounding my child, I could have retired before she was born.
You have assumed the mother knows peanuts about music, which is not fair from any angle.
So you are telling me that picking up more musical (chops, skill, knowledge, gumption) is a bad idea that needs intervention from a hired teacher?
Since when is learning more or another approach bad in this world?
Time is money in my world and someone giving me advice how to prepare my child for the responsibilities of the real world are mine to bear. If I ask you of your opinion, gladly give it to me. But if I do not ask prepare for me to not be nice. In other words I will find someone whom gets the job done as hired to do and not one whom decided to enlighten me for the reasons my child should not learn more.
 
#37
There are some good and differing opinions being given here. All of which is good advice in my opinion (unsolicited but I'm giving it anyway:-) The OP says he will meet the kids for the first time today. A conversation with the kids and a conversation with the moms will go a long way in determining the actual situation. Then the OP will be able to decide which approach to take. I'm looking forward to hearing what oniman7 has to say tomorrow.
 
#38
I teach little kids, it's my job. Most of the parents listen to their kids, and let them do what they want to do in regards to music. Then, there's the few parents that tell their kids they have to be there, practicing the instrument they're told to practice. None of these kids are happy, and I've spent entire lessons just struggling to get a kid to focus. Often, these kids can't differentiate between their resentment of the lesson and me as a teacher, and I'll inevitably get the mom or dad in my lesson room grilling me about all the things their kid said about me. You're damn right I'm going to tell them that their kid hates playing. It's not my fault the kid hates playing bass, and I will not let my professional reputation suffer for it. Either they listen to me, or walk off in a huff never to be seen again. Either way, I won't have to deal with a resentful student and an overbearing parent any more. And hopefully, the parent will finally listen to what their kid wants to do.
You'd be surprised how many parents have the attitude that they could do my job better than me, yet here they are, paying me to do it. I guess they just don't have the time for teaching? :)
 
#39
Whoever is paying for lessons is your client. This is not even close to gray area. If Mom wants you to teach them guitar, you teach them guitar.

Playing both is actually really productive, and you probably learn more about theory and chording and comping by playing guitar than bass, because that's a main function of guitar. And you're a better bass player by knowing that stuff than you would be otherwise.

So honor your contract and teach the minors what their legal guardian hired you for.
 

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