Wow, did I take a wrong turn into the classical room?
I'm no talkbass newbee, but am a strict jazz player. Keeping this post at some reasonable length and not entirely wanting to publish my shortcomings to the world wide web, I'm thinking about stopping formal lessons with my jazz teacher (who is wonderful) for a while and instead studying with someone as a beginning classical student. There are a few reasons for wanting to do this and none of them have to do with classical music, per se, so I wanted a few opinions.
1) I'm having some playing related pain and in addition to some PT/Alexander type explorations, I want to get really focused on technique. Something that is hard to do when I'm caught up in playing jazz, which I tend to lose myself in. I'll still play jazz of course and I'm certain that technique is technique, but maybe it will be easier to learn away from jazz playing.
2) I don't have classical goals and aspirations, which might make me less tense and self critical going through a learning process. As mentioned above, there is a lot going on in my head and heart when I play jazz, which, while good, makes it hard for me to maybe focus on fundementals.
3) I play a little German bow now. I know a classical teacher with some good jazz sensibilities who teaches French Bow. I'd rather not buy a new bow or switch, but suppose that I could. I'll feel her out for how open she is to me hanging onto the big frog. If not at all, I'll have to either switch to French Bow or find someone else to study with.
She teaches out of Nanny. Should I care about which method someone uses? Simandl, Nanny, Rabbath, etc?
Here's my final reservation about going this way, especially if I end up going with someone other than the person who I mentioned above, I don't really have a connection with classical music. It's not that I don't like it or have any opinion about it one way or another. I may discover that I love it, but going in, I'm not a classical guy. I HATE it when people who don't listen to and love Jazz music decide that they want to learn to play it and start showing up places. It makes me absolutely crazy. Of course, I'm nice about it, but it always seems intrusive to me when someone puts themself in a jazz playing setting for reasons other than being drawn to the music. I don't want to be that guy. Thoughts?
In addition to the specific questions above, I'm generally intersted in advice or opinions or what-have-you. Is this a good idea? What am I getting myself into?
Troy
I'm no talkbass newbee, but am a strict jazz player. Keeping this post at some reasonable length and not entirely wanting to publish my shortcomings to the world wide web, I'm thinking about stopping formal lessons with my jazz teacher (who is wonderful) for a while and instead studying with someone as a beginning classical student. There are a few reasons for wanting to do this and none of them have to do with classical music, per se, so I wanted a few opinions.
1) I'm having some playing related pain and in addition to some PT/Alexander type explorations, I want to get really focused on technique. Something that is hard to do when I'm caught up in playing jazz, which I tend to lose myself in. I'll still play jazz of course and I'm certain that technique is technique, but maybe it will be easier to learn away from jazz playing.
2) I don't have classical goals and aspirations, which might make me less tense and self critical going through a learning process. As mentioned above, there is a lot going on in my head and heart when I play jazz, which, while good, makes it hard for me to maybe focus on fundementals.
3) I play a little German bow now. I know a classical teacher with some good jazz sensibilities who teaches French Bow. I'd rather not buy a new bow or switch, but suppose that I could. I'll feel her out for how open she is to me hanging onto the big frog. If not at all, I'll have to either switch to French Bow or find someone else to study with.
She teaches out of Nanny. Should I care about which method someone uses? Simandl, Nanny, Rabbath, etc?
Here's my final reservation about going this way, especially if I end up going with someone other than the person who I mentioned above, I don't really have a connection with classical music. It's not that I don't like it or have any opinion about it one way or another. I may discover that I love it, but going in, I'm not a classical guy. I HATE it when people who don't listen to and love Jazz music decide that they want to learn to play it and start showing up places. It makes me absolutely crazy. Of course, I'm nice about it, but it always seems intrusive to me when someone puts themself in a jazz playing setting for reasons other than being drawn to the music. I don't want to be that guy. Thoughts?
In addition to the specific questions above, I'm generally intersted in advice or opinions or what-have-you. Is this a good idea? What am I getting myself into?
Troy
