Started private lessons, found it how bad I am lol

[jdthaddeus]

I finally found an instructor I like and I've been taking a private lesson every two weeks. Best thing I ever did. I've improved vastly over the last couple of months.

On the down side, my playing was terribly sloppy and I didn't even know it.

On the up side, I've retrained bad habits and replaced them with good habits very quickly and my playing has improved immensely.

Even after playing for many many years, it's not too late to get lessons and fix your technique.

Plus, after playing in front of an expert bassist... and have him stare my fingers while I'm playing, studying my every finger movement... Everything else seems fairly simple.

I can't "fake it" in front of this guy, I have to do it RIGHT and he knows all the tricks so can see right through any of my illusions.

 

[E2942]

Most don't realize all the things they won't get correct when learning on their own with Youtube videos & things like that.
I found it difficult to retrain from bad old habits, & should have started lessons from the first week I bought an instrument.

Someone I know is trying to learn bass right now & I can tell without a doubt it's just going to be a waste of time & money for them.
They wanted to find The Best Deal, instead of finding an instrument that was right for them.

Recently they commented they'd buy no appliance if it wasn't made in the U.S., & I pointed out the Schecter they recently bought was made in Indonesia, & the Fender Rumble was probably made in China.
They're also insistent on learning on their own, which is just a bad choice in my experience.

 

[Jazzdogg]

I finally found an instructor I like and I've been taking a private lesson every two weeks. Best thing I ever did. I've improved vastly over the last couple of months.

On the down side, my playing was terribly sloppy and I didn't even know it.

On the up side, I've retrained bad habits and replaced them with good habits very quickly and my playing has improved immensely.

Even after playing for many many years, it's not too late to get lessons and fix your technique.

Plus, after playing in front of an expert bassist... and have him stare my fingers while I'm playing, studying my every finger movement... Everything else seems fairly simple.

I can't "fake it" in front of this guy, I have to do it RIGHT and he knows all the tricks so can see right through any of my illusions.

I'm a retired college woodworking instructor. One piece of feedback I consistently received from my students was about the value of the personalized feedback I provided; they could read until they were blue in the face, and watch videos all day long and still not see their shortcomings. The trick, as I learned over a few decades, is to deliver personalized feedback truthfully AND compassionately. Not always easy, but always worthwhile. I am glad you're finding the experience worthwhile.

 

[Green Knight]

I had the same exact experience. Played since I was a teenager, casuals are impressed when I play, but he could not help but shake his head at my lack of the most basic fundamentals. He was amazed that I knew all my modes and could apply them to chord patterns but could not keep my thumb on the top of the neck or my wrist off of the edge of the bass to save my life. I couldn't even pluck a proper note according to him. He grimaced at my propensity to forget I have a pinky finger halfway through a song. It was humbling and did lead to some improvement just because I was aware where before I didn't even know what I didn't know.

 

[Low Commotion]

That is incredible! Good for you! I started lessons just over two years ago because I wanted to be able to improvise on bass. I wanted to be able to play something musical when I was asked to take a solo. I play (or played) a few songs that I have a small solo and I just came up with something and played it the same way each time. So I started lessons and I haven’t looked back.

Not only can I improvise much better, my overall playing has improved significantly. I too had some bad habits which aren’t so bad now. I still take lessons once every other week, and we cover all aspects of my playing.

The important thing is to find a good instructor. We cover a little theory, timing, grooves, and improvising. I’ve learned that there is no short cut and all those scales, modal scales, pentatonics, chord tones, metronome practice, etc is paying off. My teacher is more of a mentor now and not so much a teacher if that makes sense.

 

[SAlcott]

I've worked as a bass player since around 1972, self-taught on both horizontal and vertical basses. I started taking lessons on double bass when I was 69. It's never too late.

 

[Killing Floor]

1) lessons are the only real way to get constructive and consistent feedback. That’s how you grow.
2) I bet if you ever get tired of them someone here will say something mean for half the price

But keep it up.

 

[kesslari]

I'm a retired college woodworking instructor. One piece of feedback I consistently received from my students was about the value of the personalized feedback I provided; they could read until they were blue in the face, and watch videos all day long and still not see their shortcomings. The trick, as I learned over a few decades, is to deliver personalized feedback truthfully AND compassionately. Not always easy, but always worthwhile. I am glad you're finding the experience worthwhile.

This in spades.
The ability to say "do it this way" is only partly helpful.
What the best teachers can do is say "THIS is the good way to do this. and THIS is the way YOU are doing it, and here is the difference".

 

[Groove Doctor]

So much focus has been on improvements in technique, which is great.

I found good teachers also help with
- motivation,
- organisation skills, time management
- focussing your goal setting, set both realistic goals and stretch-yourself goals.
- planning your work/working your plan,
- self-confidence, self-belief, self-image
- attitudes: instilling positive attitudes and unpacking unhelpful attitudes/beliefs.
- preparing you the real world of jams, bands, rehearsals, gigs, recording, etc.

Any more things to add to this list that a good teacher can impart? Add below….

 

[foal30]

The biggest improvement a 1/1 teacher or tutor can make is how the student listens to music

 

[JimmyM]

Congratulations!

 

[Dincrest]

Never stop learning. I think the fact that you want to learn and absorb the teacher's expertise makes the entire experience fulfilling. I'll bet your teacher looks forward to teaching you.

Even though I took lessons in high school (and all the theory I learned via those lessons still serves me well), it's now in my 40s that I'm really refining my technique more. I'm getting more introspective as I age and really listening to and getting in tune with my body and its mechanics. (Being a gym rat helps).

I used to dig and mash hard on the strings, especially when playing in a raucous punk band. But now, using wisdom from Evan Marien's GHS promo, I'm gaining a bigger sound with more dynamics using a lighter touch on lighter gauge strings, playing faster passages more nimbly (and cleanly), and improving my hammer ons, pull-offs, double thumbs, and maybe one day I'll get the open-hammer pluck.

(And yeah, I'm aware that the advanced techniques are not what "pay the bills" but I love learning and see no downside to having another technique in my tool bag).

 

[BeMoreFrench]

In 35 years of playing bass i've had no less than 4 different teachers, very different style and approaches, that taught me the things I needed at each time. Then I became a teacher hahaha

 

[MYLOWFREQ]

Good for you, and it's smart that you're taking lessons. Lessons and recording sessions show you really where you are.

I started on classical guitar, took lessons for about a year before switching to bass. I made a mistake by not taking any bass lessons for a long time. When I got my 1st bass lesson I was already playing for 7 years. It's never too late I guess.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

I finally found an instructor I like and I've been taking a private lesson every two weeks. Best thing I ever did. I've improved vastly over the last couple of months.

On the down side, my playing was terribly sloppy and I didn't even know it.

On the up side, I've retrained bad habits and replaced them with good habits very quickly and my playing has improved immensely.

Even after playing for many many years, it's not too late to get lessons and fix your technique.

Plus, after playing in front of an expert bassist... and have him stare my fingers while I'm playing, studying my every finger movement... Everything else seems fairly simple.

I can't "fake it" in front of this guy, I have to do it RIGHT and he knows all the tricks so can see right through any of my illusions.

Congrats. I listen to my own recordings to the same effect. Trust me I’m a lot harder on myself than anybody else.

Congrats on your progress/

 

[groooooove]

I'm a retired college woodworking instructor. One piece of feedback I consistently received from my students was about the value of the personalized feedback I provided; they could read until they were blue in the face, and watch videos all day long and still not see their shortcomings. The trick, as I learned over a few decades, is to deliver personalized feedback truthfully AND compassionately. Not always easy, but always worthwhile. I am glad you're finding the experience worthwhile.

this is it.

full time music educator speaking..

the key to teaching (music, or anything?) is to have them like you and the content enough to want to get better. Then you need to have the skill to deliver the information they need, in a way they can understand, in order to facilitate a noticeable growth in skill level.

 

[Treblefree]

Good thread. I've been considering this for the longest time. I've tried online stuff and have learned some things. I'm doing one right now that is really helping what it is designed to help, but it's not direct feedback with a live instructor.

I'm 49 and have been playing since like 9th grade. I know pieces of a lot of theory things and play pretty well and impress people who don't know any better. I bet if I went to a real teacher, I'd be humbled in a split second. And frankly, I'd love to see where they'd pick me apart and build me into a much better musician.

There's a guy semi-local that I will likely reach out to in the next few months to start real lessons. Like others have said, never too late.

 

[BobDeRosa]

I finally found an instructor I like and I've been taking a private lesson every two weeks. Best thing I ever did. I've improved vastly over the last couple of months.

On the down side, my playing was terribly sloppy and I didn't even know it.

On the up side, I've retrained bad habits and replaced them with good habits very quickly and my playing has improved immensely.

Even after playing for many many years, it's not too late to get lessons and fix your technique.

Plus, after playing in front of an expert bassist... and have him stare my fingers while I'm playing, studying my every finger movement... Everything else seems fairly simple.

I can't "fake it" in front of this guy, I have to do it RIGHT and he knows all the tricks so can see right through any of my illusions.

Just curious. Is your teacher a one-finger-per-fret Nazi, or is he willing to let you use personalized technique as long as you can do it elegantly?

 

[Spidey2112]

@jdthaddeus, if you feel comfortable saying so, how much are lessons going for, per time period?

 

[ProbablyTooLoud]

I'm in a similar situation.
I learned to read playing piano, clarinet, and saxophone as a grade schooler.
I picked up a six string guitar and played on and off from age 13-45.
I halfway played bass from 45-51, started real self-study when the pandemic arrived, then started taking lesson in December, age 53.
I play fretless EB, but found a local upright teacher/player I'd seen play a bunch and asked him to teach me to play walking bass in the bop/hard bop idiom. The first lesson was humbling, to say the least. I see him once a month, and am making good progress, and I can try out all the new material pretty much right away with my little band of buddies.
Absolutely the best choice I've made, after switching to bass itself.