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Not sure about my new bass teacher, help

J

JonTheBassGuy

Dec 12, 2004
83
0
#1
Ok so I just got a new bass teacher and I don't know if its just me or if this guy's techniques are a little weird.

1.He has me rest the bass on my left leg when I've been resting the bass on my right since I picked up a bass.

2. He's created his own tablature system and I can understand it fine but I'd rather learn how to read regular music.

3. He teaches with a pick most of the time. I've been playing with my fingers and its kind of causing a complication.

4. He is playing THE WORST bass I've ever heard. That thing is buzzier than anything I've ever heard, the intonation is off

5. Overall, I was not impressed with him. He had me do an exercise and when he played along with me, HES the one that messed it up. This happened about 5 times. His techniques for playing didn't impress me either. :scowl:

This has kind of got me worried. If any of you were in my position, what would you do? Any comments?
 
#11
I see... BEWARE.

"If you can play guitar, you can play bass. Bass is easier, since it has less strings..." :rolleyes:

That would explain why he can't play bass for ****. I've had one like this. For theory, anyone will do. For technique, get a real bass player to teach you. My 2¢.
 
#12
Hurley000 said:
I see... BEWARE.

"If you can play guitar, you can play bass. Bass is easier, since it has less strings..." :rolleyes:

That would explain why he can't play bass for ****. I've had one like this. For theory, anyone will do. For technique, get a real bass player to teach you. My 2¢.
Click to expand...

I hate people like that, I think he's one of those guys that does a little bit of everything. Cuz right after my bass lesson, a lady playing the violin went into the room for lessons. :eyebrow: I wish he was all bass cuz he seems like the type that teaches every instrument halfassed.
 
#13
Sherlock Holmes:

That's because this guy isn't really a bassist, he's a guitarist (classically trained, most likely) who figures that bass is just a 4-stringed guitar. That's why he had you rest the bass on your left leg, and that's also why he uses a pick. That's also why he plays so buzzily, because he's used to the small strings and small frets on a guitar.

Next he'll tell you to buy a footrest to raise your left leg so that you can play the bass at more of an angle.

Get a new teacher, dude.
 
#15
Not necessarily. Both are pretty good sense. Lots of bassists favor a high bass, and I like to use a steep neck angle. The left-leg position is a little funny, since most bassists don't do it, but not bad technique. Regardless, he doesn't sound like someone who's likely to be a good bass teacher.
 
#17
Yea, thanks for all the great advice. I've decided I'm gonna ask the store to give me a new teacher. A BASS teacher who won't tell me that putting the bass on my left leg is "proper" technique. One who impresses me when hes trying to show off.
 
#19
Its weird, he had like a fretboard drawing and he numbers it the order your supposed to go and what frets your supposed to play. I havent seen something like it before, It was new to me but other may have seen it. so in the end it just looks like a fret board picture with circles and 2 different set of numbers.
 

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