Ok, so I clearly failed to describe what I'm asking. What I want is your blind date thoughts. If a friend is setting you up on a blind date and says "They're X, Y, Z, oh and they're a golfer [or insert random hobby]" No sane person then stomps out of the room refusing to go on the date, but in that microsecond after you hear "golfer," a picture forms, not complexly, not well thought out, but there's an instant where those words process instinctually before your brain gets to take over and say "obviously that doesn't matter to understanding who this person is." That is what I'm asking, not your thoughts on self teaching of the names of self taught players you like/respect.
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Self Taught: Yea or Nay
- Thread starter Xjenrbcjsmsbfjw
- Start date
-
- Tags
- self taught
Up. My first instincts think player, pocket, groove. All too many times, when I've heard someone talk about all the studying, theory etc. turn out to be schoolbook players. Sure, a lot of them have chops and can solo beyond belief, but.... got feel?
I don't think it would factor in much. But there is a very long continuum here that's not being acknowledged. Most of us aren't completely self-taught, but our musical education came in dribs and drabs, not at some fancy conservatory. As an example, I took piano lessons for several years, maybe 3 lessons on electric bass, and studied upright for a year in the late 90's. I wouldn't call myself highly schooled, nor would I call myself self-taught. If I hear someone is selt-taught, I don't really blink an eye. If I hear they went to Berklee or something, I get a little nervous that they might have an attitude. That's about it.
When I started on bass guitar back in the early 80s the idea that you could go to school for it was alien. I had about 7 years of classical training behind me in other areas, but electric bass? No chance, at least back then. So I'm self-taught in that respect. These days, the evidence of YouTube is that colleges are like cookie-cutters. So now the concept of self-taught brings with it the immediate possibility of some originality...
This is really it. Most of us have some training, and many of us who would say we're self-taught have sought out ways to learn from others by either cobbling together some training on our own or getting books. My favorite way to learn is to deconstruct pieces by bassists I really admire and learn to play them. I'm "self-teaching" but I'm also learning from a master at the same time.
As for telling people I'm self-taught, I really don't go out of my way to let people know. Usually when it comes up it's because I'm apologizing for some gap in my knowledge due to not having that continuum of education that others might have.
You forgot to add "who cares" to your poll. Because that's my gut reaction.
I think this is sort of like what I was thinking before I thought about it, too!
Your welcome sir.
Yeah, giving a straight simple answer seems to escape so many. It's like asking a politician a yes or no question. They just can't do it.
Nothing. I'll wait to hear them.
I was a trained classical violinist and pianist from my very young days and kept up the violin my entire life. When I was 13 I started playing bass and was self taught completely, other than a few very helpful brief tips from older bass players in my high school. I could read bass music etc from the start because of my training in music on piano and violin and RCM exams/theory lessons (Canadian thing).
So I'm self taught - with significant cheats LoL
So I'm self taught - with significant cheats LoL
Thank you for describing how your brain works. Please understand that human beings have "neurodiversity" and not everybody thinks the same way. You are making an assumption that every human being has a clear mental stereotype of a "golfer" but that just isn't true; not everyone's brain is wired that way. Some of us might surprise you with unexpected answers to your question, and that's okay. The moderators will step in if anyone starts making inappropriate posts. You don't have to police that yourself; if you really feel someone has crossed the line then just click the Report button and let the mods do their job. You thanked me earlier for my response, so I will assume I am one of the "good guys" and you value my contributions to this discussion.
I don't think my post was inappropriate, I think the question was ill formed, so I'm getting answers that have nothing to do with what I intended to ask.
For the record I value everyone's contribution to the discussion, there aren't any good guys, or bad guys, there are just people who are answering what I was intending to ask, and people who aren't. I put that on me, since if half of a group isn't taking your meaning, you can't exactly put that on them
Aside from that, it's not about the mental stereotype of the golfer, it's about all human beings (yes all) having the ability to process before they "think," it's how you laugh at a joke without actually "thinking," about why it's funny, and I'm asking for that part of you that knows whether things are funny, not the part of you that knows why a joke is supposed to be funny. You don't need to have a mental stereotype of a golfer or a self taught player for that part of a person to operate, it literally can't be stopped.
What's ironic in all this is that several of us seem to have had a gut reaction to the question itself. Personally, I think it's all good when something like this leads toward an unintended direction, because that discussion still provides insight that we might not have had. So it's fine as far as I'm concerned!I don't think my post was inappropriate, I think the question was ill formed, so I'm getting answers that have nothing to do with what I intended to ask.
For the record I value everyone's contribution to the discussion, there aren't any good guys, or bad guys, there are just people who are answering what I was intending to ask, and people who aren't. I put that on me, since if half of a group isn't taking your meaning, you can't exactly put that on them
Aside from that, it's not about the mental stereotype of the golfer, it's about all human beings (yes all) having the ability to process before they "think," it's how you laugh at a joke without actually "thinking," about why it's funny, and I'm asking for that part of you that knows whether things are funny, not the part of you that knows why a joke is supposed to be funny. You don't need to have a mental stereotype of a golfer or a self taught player for that part of a person to operate, it literally can't be stopped.
Haha, true. I got like 15 unfiltered instinctual reactions to the very topic.
This can be quite an open rabbit hole. Self taught on bass or self taught on first instrument (if they are different)?
With the assistance of this forum and sources like SBL, I'm self taught on bass (never had a formal lesson). However, I have an extensive musical background including piano, guitar and horns, so the basic concepts of music were taught to me by parents and or formal education. When I picked up bass a few years ago, I hit the ground running (was playing quality lines with a band in a couple of weeks). While I do have a few technique leaks, I can get around pretty decently.
You really need another choice in your poll - "TBD". I don't like to judge musical talent on words - show me what you got, then I can tell you if your self education was worth it...
With a gun to my head, I'd be inclined to not expect to be impressed - relatively few have the natural skills to be able to become a musician without some type of instruction. Yes, some very talented folks have done so, but I don't think most can get really good at something as complex as music on their own.
With the assistance of this forum and sources like SBL, I'm self taught on bass (never had a formal lesson). However, I have an extensive musical background including piano, guitar and horns, so the basic concepts of music were taught to me by parents and or formal education. When I picked up bass a few years ago, I hit the ground running (was playing quality lines with a band in a couple of weeks). While I do have a few technique leaks, I can get around pretty decently.
You really need another choice in your poll - "TBD". I don't like to judge musical talent on words - show me what you got, then I can tell you if your self education was worth it...
With a gun to my head, I'd be inclined to not expect to be impressed - relatively few have the natural skills to be able to become a musician without some type of instruction. Yes, some very talented folks have done so, but I don't think most can get really good at something as complex as music on their own.
I'll play. Not so much for instrumentalists and their mechanical chops per se, but in regards to writing and composing: to be perfectly honest, when I see someone has this and that formal music education on their CV, my very biased gut reaction is that they'll make more generic, or "expected" music, than the entirely self-taught composer.
