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Double Bass To Fellow DB Newbies: You DO Need A Teacher!!!

#41
cheers, i must say i'm looking forward to learning something almost totally new.

i'm plannig to ask the guy i'm getting the bass from if there are any teachers locally - he should be able to point me in thr right direction.

i'm just concerende that i'll learn bad habits before i find a teacher :eek:
 
#42
Originally posted by Howard K
Having read the vast majority of these newbie DB, I feel a) scared b) scared of not finding a teacher and c) more excited :)

So, the million dollar question is how can I find a teacher in South East UK - ideally in Berkshire so I dont have to travel too far?

I've done some preliminary web searching, but cant find a thing.

Any ideas or possible start points very very welcome...
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In theory it shouls be easy, as there must be a huge number of DB players who work in London - lots of Jazz gigs and 3 or 4 world class orchestras!!

But I know from trying and talking to other aspiring Jazz DBers, that it is very difficult.

The Guildhall school of music runs a lot of courses and may have contacts for bass teachers, but I suppose it depends what you want to play as well - I know I'm not really interested in playing anything but Jazz really.

I remember having clarinet lessons when I was at school and being really put off by the material we studied.

My method of getting teachers for bass, has therefore been to go to as many Jazz gigs as I can and talk to the bass players, whose style I like - then eventually get round to asking if they do lessons.

The Trombone player in the groups I play in regularly has the same approach and has got some good lessons this way - the only trouble is you may end up travelling a lot, as the person you get on with, may not live nearby.

I think there is probably a compromise - unless you are very lucky - between the ideal teacher for you and the teacher who lives near enough, to visit regularly.
 
#43
Well this it really, a tricky one. I need to avoid travelling as I need to keep the cost down - that said I dont plan on having more than one lesson per month as it's the technique I need to learn more than the theory (well it should be the same as EB shouldnt it?!) - and i find techniques are just a matter of doing it over and over... and over till it's there.

i'm also planning to re-start my lessons with steve-l in the new year as they have lapsed recently too :(

the jazz gigs is a good idea actually - i think that's pretty much where i want to go with it. mind you i need to work on reading chord charts, SO Much thoery, technique... holy sh*t i've got a lot to learn!
 
#44
Not trying to run this thread too far OT, but Bruce mentioned London Guildhall... Does anyone know about their Music and Technology programs? I've been looking into that for awhile now. (I've already checked their site and such)

My method of getting teachers for bass, has therefore been to go to as many Jazz gigs as I can and talk to the bass players, whose style I like - then eventually get round to asking if they do lessons.

I would suggest this as well.
 
#45
well, i picked up the bass. 1st thing: cool, second thing: cool, third thing: owe my freakin arm!

the guy i picked it up from was fantastic. he had about 30 in his house, all in great condition. I was amazed by the 10 he had in the living room, then he had 20 more in the spare room upstairs - a real fanatic!

i went round & checked out the cheaper 10 and couldnt tell which one i liked best - having no experience of the instrument - he suggested picking the one i found easiest to play. i did.

anyway, he didnt even want money to hire it, no proof of address or anything - in this day and age it was almost surreal!
he just said try it out for a month or so and see what you think - then if you do want to hire one you'll have a better idea what to look for and can pick one to suit - what a star! - it's so great to meet someone who does it purely for the love of the instrument - amazing!

any, back on topic, sorry :D

He gave me the same of a classical teacher who can teach me some basic techniques to start with - very local to me too, so i'll check that out as a start point then keep my eyes/ears peeled.
 
#48
It sounds like you've been very lucky - if I knew of a scheme like that near me, maybe I wouldn't have bought an EUB earlier this year and would have gone straight to DB.

How did you find this guy and whereabouts is he based - is it somewhere I culd drive to easily?
 
#49
Yes agreed, very lucky.

To be honest I'd have been much less keen to start playing if hadnt found this guy. Having to trapse round the south east trying out badly set up basses in shops and second hand ones that i'd have no idea about would have surely put me off.

Although, I do think an EUB might be a heck of a lot more convenient in the long run - as I dont drive qnd even if i did the thing is huge! - I cant imagine it ever feeling the same to play?... and I expect the sound is vastly different too?

H
 
#50
On the topic of newbies and lessons and such...

I'm a fretted electric player of 17 yrs. and I'm in the very first stages of wanting to migrate into the DB world.

Q: Would I gain anything in the migration by becoming fluent on a fretless electric first?

Q: Should one find a "beater, found-in-the-attic, yardsale, retired rental fleet, POS DB in need of strings and TLC" just to get started?

Q: Would I be better off to find an instructor BEFORE I learn bad habits & waste money on an instrument that cannot play or sound well?

Note: At first, I'll just be doing acoustic renditions of our electric band's setlist. Not shooting for jazz or classical genre just yet.

Thanks for reading.
Chad
 
#51
Q: Would I gain anything in the migration by becoming fluent on a fretless electric first?
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Any gain would be musical, not technical. They are very different instruments, with different technical approaches. The analogy is, "I ride a bike. I want to drive a car. Should I buy a motorcycle first?"

Q: Should one find a "beater, found-in-the-attic, yardsale, retired rental fleet, POS DB in need of strings and TLC" just to get started?
Click to expand...
The usual advice around these parts is, 'Buy the best bass you can afford. Avoid POS if at all possible; try basses because they are not fungible.'

Q: Would I be better off to find an instructor BEFORE I learn bad habits & waste money on an instrument that cannot play or sound well?
Click to expand...
Well, imagine that! What a thoughtful question!

Note: At first, I'll just be doing acoustic renditions of our electric band's setlist. Not shooting for jazz or classical genre just yet.
Click to expand...
Play what moves you. Look at what Linkin Park's bassist was able to add to Recombobulator because he took the chance to step outside the EB box.
 
#52
I have stopped lessons a while back because I wasn't practicing enough. I decided to start again, but with arco as a focus. My first lesson with the renewed focus is today - and all I can say is that this has really gotten me practicing again! I have been playing at least 2 hours a day religiously, and the bow has really made me step back to the basics. The slower I play, the more I learn! Its so fun, however, why do I feel like I suck? I must be on the right track to learning something. I am sure my teacher will give me the tough love I require!
 
#54
Linkin Park is a rawk & rap band. Needless to say, their first album sold more copies than the entire Sonny Rollins discography combined. Their second album is re-mixes of the music on the first one. The EB player plays violin ("soprano-bass") and cello ("almost-bass") on some of the remixes. My son, who is almost 12, listens to Rollins, Brecker, and to Linkin Park's remix disc repeatedly. Very repeatedly. A whole lot. Every day.

Linkin Park is not my choice of music, but I applaud their bass-player for taking chances and for developing demonstrable skill on several instruments. Hence the comment, referring to Blimp's efforts to take up DB in his/her own rawk band.
 
#56
Originally posted by Samuel

Any gain would be musical, not technical. They are very different instruments, with different technical approaches. The analogy is, "I ride a bike. I want to drive a car. Should I buy a motorcycle first?"


The usual advice around these parts is, 'Buy the best bass you can afford. Avoid POS if at all possible; try basses because they are not fungible.'


Well, imagine that! What a thoughtful question!


Play what moves you. Look at what Linkin Park's bassist was able to add to Recombobulator because he took the chance to step outside the EB box.
Click to expand...


I can't ride a bike, drive a car, or ... ride a motorcycle.

I'm screwed.

:eek: ;)

Thanks for the info, Samuel.

B
 
#57
Originally posted by lermgalieu
Got it - I just needed the context. I am famliar with who they are, but not with the rest...thanks. I do have Hank Rollins in the collection though...
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Think it was Sonny Rollins not Henry.

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