This thread makes me happy to be mostly self taught, with the exception of a community college music theory class. Too bad the rest of the clas was so far behind that we didnt get to finish the book.
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Terrible Teachers
- Thread starter Stickk
- Start date
"low-endz
A couple years back I went to a small music school for some one on one lessons to brush up on stuff.
Well on the 1st day I was on time and waiting patiently in the study room, & I can hear other bassists playing down the hall. It turns out that my teacher was still with the student on the time slot prior to me. Finally by the time I started to pack up, the teacher (whom I never met) marches in & sits in front of me and says "Well go ahead and play something".
I started some F walking stuff & within seconds He pulls out his cell phone to look @ texts. I stopped playing didnt say a word or even look at him or listen to him, just left.
Never went back for lesson #2."
low-endz, this sounds similar to my experience with a certain pre-amp manufacturer, monster player though.
About 10 years ago I was in the Detroit area, and was referred to a well known bassist for lessons. I remember looking at his arms thinking he had a weird skin condition or a rough past, lots of fingernail sized scars all over his arms. He tells me if I pre pay for the next month of lessons, he'll give a discount. From my experience with music stores, I thought I'd save me some coin. Duder disappears for months, and calls me up one day to tell me he's reached the 8th step or something in his heroin abuse recovery program.
A couple years back I went to a small music school for some one on one lessons to brush up on stuff.
Well on the 1st day I was on time and waiting patiently in the study room, & I can hear other bassists playing down the hall. It turns out that my teacher was still with the student on the time slot prior to me. Finally by the time I started to pack up, the teacher (whom I never met) marches in & sits in front of me and says "Well go ahead and play something".
I started some F walking stuff & within seconds He pulls out his cell phone to look @ texts. I stopped playing didnt say a word or even look at him or listen to him, just left.
Never went back for lesson #2."
low-endz, this sounds similar to my experience with a certain pre-amp manufacturer, monster player though.
About 10 years ago I was in the Detroit area, and was referred to a well known bassist for lessons. I remember looking at his arms thinking he had a weird skin condition or a rough past, lots of fingernail sized scars all over his arms. He tells me if I pre pay for the next month of lessons, he'll give a discount. From my experience with music stores, I thought I'd save me some coin. Duder disappears for months, and calls me up one day to tell me he's reached the 8th step or something in his heroin abuse recovery program.
I'm mainly self taught (with the help of some friends and youtube), so this is the closest i've come to a terrible teacher. It's painfully funny.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDT2eyF0Zh0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDT2eyF0Zh0
When I was 13 I had my first few lessons on guitar. I went in, teacher asked what I wanted to learn. Being young I said some Chili Peppers song. I brought the cd in the next week, he listened to it, went downstairs and grabbed a glass slide, showed me the song, and charged me for the slide...There was no lesson with him after that.
My current teacher, and I hope he doesn't read this thread and recognize me, is a great musician, and generally, I am very satisfied with his teaching. The frustration I have had with him, though, is that when I first started taking lessons from him he would do too much soloing/noodling during the lesson, the same teacher-peeve a previous poster pointed out. I had to tell him that doing all that confused me and did not help me at all.
Plus, the lesson is about ME, the student, not him the teacher. It's assumed the teacher can already play; if not, I shouldn't even be there taking the lessons.
He still does this from time to time, but it's not as extreme as it initially was.
Plus, the lesson is about ME, the student, not him the teacher. It's assumed the teacher can already play; if not, I shouldn't even be there taking the lessons.
He still does this from time to time, but it's not as extreme as it initially was.
Man this reminds me, I was gonna tell all of you guys. Wednesday at school (we're graduating this tuesday) an emo kid ( a male I think, who can really tell?) decided to screw with my amp and steal my monster cables. I've paid for all of my stuff with my own money. He mouths off to me and bit*h slaps me in the hallway and runs off. I was gonna kick his a$$ and two people stopped me.
I broke free, took off after that kid and he turned around and goes "What?" I am 6' 4", 195 pounds, I'm running, and I smoked that piece of crap right in the jaw. It was beautiful and the whole school saw it. I got my stuff back, my shop teacher got me out of internal, and that f*ggit got to wear makeup to graduation.
The downside, I lost all of my exemptions for finals, and my hand has to heal for saturday (57 song setlist). It's just badly bruised.
When I first started playing bass, I actually had a teacher say "You play guitar, you ought to bring it in to one of the lessons and we can jam." Why would I pay him to jam on an instrument I already know how to play without even getting to play the instrument that I'm learning.
My first guitar instructor was amazing, jumped right out of the gate working through jazz instruction and thinking in different keys, modes and scales, but about two years in he left town on a job offer and the guy they hired to replace him was terrible. The new teacher didn't have any books or plans ready, even after I stuck with it for about 4 weeks (figuring it was new job jitters). On top of that, he would plug headphones in and jam through half the lesson to himself and pretty much ignore me.
My first guitar instructor was amazing, jumped right out of the gate working through jazz instruction and thinking in different keys, modes and scales, but about two years in he left town on a job offer and the guy they hired to replace him was terrible. The new teacher didn't have any books or plans ready, even after I stuck with it for about 4 weeks (figuring it was new job jitters). On top of that, he would plug headphones in and jam through half the lesson to himself and pretty much ignore me.
i´ve had different teachers, some great, some ok, one really really bad, here it goes:
i was 9 years old, playing classsical music in the conservatory of music (classic and old schoole way of learning here in spain...), by then i was playing saxophone... anyway, i had class on saturday morning, could you BELIEVE that my teacher used called me on friday evening to tell me i was an awfull player and that i should quit and let another kid, one with musical talent, my place??!!!
WHO on earth tells that to a 9 year old kid??
needless to say i was devastated when i got to saturday´s lesson.. ended quiting and thinking i was a musically hope-less
i´m still waiting to the day i come across him...
i was 9 years old, playing classsical music in the conservatory of music (classic and old schoole way of learning here in spain...), by then i was playing saxophone... anyway, i had class on saturday morning, could you BELIEVE that my teacher used called me on friday evening to tell me i was an awfull player and that i should quit and let another kid, one with musical talent, my place??!!!
WHO on earth tells that to a 9 year old kid??
needless to say i was devastated when i got to saturday´s lesson.. ended quiting and thinking i was a musically hope-less
i´m still waiting to the day i come across him...
I took lessons when I first started playing bass. However, they guy giving me the lessons was only interested in showing me how good a bass player he was rather than teaching me anything. I can watch other bass players anytime for free, but I expected him to actually teach me something for the money I was paying. The lessons turning into him just showing off and me watching. I decided to give up the lessons and learn it myself.
Well, my new teacher is awesome! First lesson, he asked me what my goals were and I told him I needed to learn and understand what I was doing. Theory is not my forte, but as we go along, I'm finding that some much of what I have been playing, actually has a name! We also discussed giving me basis fundamentals of slap. I'm finding it difficult, but will persevere.
Funny, but I think if you were to ask my teacher what challenges I face, he would simply answer... time!
He'd be right, I simply don't have enough time from week to week to get enough practice in.
So, I don't have a teacher problem, I have a time problem!
Fishheadjoe
Funny, but I think if you were to ask my teacher what challenges I face, he would simply answer... time!
He'd be right, I simply don't have enough time from week to week to get enough practice in.
So, I don't have a teacher problem, I have a time problem!
Fishheadjoe
I've had a few teachers. The first one, well, I've no idea how well he played bass because I never saw him play. BUT he taught me a ton of theory, insisted from the very start that I write bass lines every day, and gave me tips on songwriting. But as for technique - almost nothing.
The second one was as top notch player, but had a "difficult" personality. I learned technique from him, exercises, etc, but he never encouraged my creativity. He would complain a lot about his other students and it made me wonder what he was saying about me. He would make personal calls, talk about other teachers disparagingly, have nothing but criticism for me. BUT what technique I have now is due to him.
So, learn what they have to give you and then move on.
The second one was as top notch player, but had a "difficult" personality. I learned technique from him, exercises, etc, but he never encouraged my creativity. He would complain a lot about his other students and it made me wonder what he was saying about me. He would make personal calls, talk about other teachers disparagingly, have nothing but criticism for me. BUT what technique I have now is due to him.
So, learn what they have to give you and then move on.
C'mon, you surely had anothet teachers stories
My teacher (I went to him after 1 month playing the bass) was teaching me only the basics (sure, it helped me, A LOT) and then some playing, straight from the notebook. That stopped being fun soon, so I quited. Im currently looking for a teacher that will help me go further...
My teacher (I went to him after 1 month playing the bass) was teaching me only the basics (sure, it helped me, A LOT) and then some playing, straight from the notebook. That stopped being fun soon, so I quited. Im currently looking for a teacher that will help me go further...
I broke free, took off after that kid and he turned around and goes "What?" I am 6' 4", 195 pounds, I'm running, and I smoked that piece of crap right in the jaw. It was beautiful and the whole school saw it. I got my stuff back, my shop teacher got me out of internal, and that f*ggit got to wear makeup to graduation.
The downside, I lost all of my exemptions for finals, and my hand has to heal for saturday (57 song setlist). It's just badly bruised.
^ From signature...so much for turn the other cheek...
I had a Legit Bass teacher who would show up and spend half the time talking about how his ex wife's boyfriend beats her with a pipe. Not alot of fun.
my first teacher was great, he taught me the basics very well, but after that he just said "bring in a CD" and would spend half the class learning it himself by ear (he couldn't read sheet music cuz he was legally blind) good guy though
my second teacher was a little better, taught me some very uselful theory, but for some reason he hated slap...then he eventually started doing the "what song do you want to learn now?" thing...
my second teacher was a little better, taught me some very uselful theory, but for some reason he hated slap...then he eventually started doing the "what song do you want to learn now?" thing...
Do you think the "what song do you want to learn now" is a cop out from a teacher? I'm curious of the group thought on that. I think it could be, but not always. Sometimes a teacher wants a feel for the direction the individual student wants to go.
