"Useless" knowledge?

[IvanMike]

I think the person in that thread wanted every chart made out for him instead of making them himself. That means he wanted us a separate chart for:

A major, A minor, A aug, A dim, A major 7th, A minor 7th, A# major, A# minor, A# aug, A# dim, A# major 7th, A# minor 7th, B major, B minor, B aug, B dim, B major 7th, B minor 7th, C major, C minor, C aug, C dim, C major 7th, C minor 7th, C# major, C# minor, C# aug, C# dim, C# major 7th, C# minor 7th, D major, D minor, D aug, D dim, D major 7th, D minor 7th, D# major, D# minor, D# aug, D# dim, D# major 7th, D# minor 7th, E major, E minor, E aug, E dim, E major 7th, E minor 7th, F major, F minor, F aug, F dim, F major 7th, F minor 7th, F# major, F# minor, F# aug, F# dim, F# major 7th, F# minor 7th, G major, G minor, G aug, G dim, G major 7th, G minor 7th, G# major, G# minor, G# aug, G# dim, G# major 7th, G# minor 7th... just to get him started

Yeahhhhhhh not happening

in that case you teach a man to fish..........Teach them the fundamentals of how to make those charts and if he actually does, well that would be something. My old teacher has some pals that were jazz horn players that worked in a factory at a mindless job. All day long they would shout out chords to each other and the other one would have to name the chord tones. Ya think those guys had a leg up on a lot of folk?

 

[VinKreepo]

Lol true dat. But we tried to teach him how to make chords. I even gave the dude the fingerings and links to one of the best theory sites I can find on the web. Sooo.... lol

 

[JTE]

in that case you teach a man to fish..........Teach them the fundamentals of how to make those charts and if he actually does, well that would be something. My old teacher has some pals that were jazz horn players that worked in a factory at a mindless job. All day long they would shout out chords to each other and the other one would have to name the chord tones. Ya think those guys had a leg up on a lot of folk?

That's the key to this stuff. KNOWING it in your head instead of only seeing it on the instrument. I made a LOT of progress when I rode the bus to work every day. I'd sit on the bus drilling myself on "what's the 5th of Eb?", "spell a D13b5b9", "what's ii V I in F#?" etc. I adapted to a 5-string pretty quickly because I'd practice scales in all positions in my head- "seeing" what the notes were on the B string before I ever bought a 5. I've been imagining a six-string lately, and I have NO intention of ever getting one, but it's a great exercise.

Too much of this theory stuff is tied to the physical aspect of playing bass by too many people. Learning a scale is more about knowing its sound and construction than being able to execute it- the execution is the LEAST critical aspect. But in the world of TAB and the resultant "I just want to know where to put my fingers like a trained monkey" mentality, it's become the only aspect people think of.

In the thread here about which musicians to study, someone makes a great distinction. He talked of learning music when a guitar was the instrument in his hand. When he started playing bass, he made the mistake of learning about bass. It was when he started studying music again with the bass in his hands that he made real progress. That's the drive for me as a teacher- to teach MUSIC using the bass as the instrument. It's called an instrument for a reason- it's job is to do something I can't without the tool. But the tool isn't the reason for the music, it's just the tool to get it out. The hammer ain't the reason for the house, and the brush ain't the reason for the Sistine Chapel ceiling.

John

 

[4OnTheFloor]

That's the key to this stuff. KNOWING it in your head instead of only seeing it on the instrument. I made a LOT of progress when I rode the bus to work every day. I'd sit on the bus drilling myself on "what's the 5th of Eb?", "spell a D13b5b9", "what's ii V I in F#?" etc. I adapted to a 5-string pretty quickly because I'd practice scales in all positions in my head- "seeing" what the notes were on the B string before I ever bought a 5. I've been imagining a six-string lately, and I have NO intention of ever getting one, but it's a great exercise.

Too much of this theory stuff is tied to the physical aspect of playing bass by too many people. Learning a scale is more about knowing its sound and construction than being able to execute it- the execution is the LEAST critical aspect. But in the world of TAB and the resultant "I just want to know where to put my fingers like a trained monkey" mentality, it's become the only aspect people think of.

In the thread here about which musicians to study, someone makes a great distinction. He talked of learning music when a guitar was the instrument in his hand. When he started playing bass, he made the mistake of learning about bass. It was when he started studying music again with the bass in his hands that he made real progress. That's the drive for me as a teacher- to teach MUSIC using the bass as the instrument. It's called an instrument for a reason- it's job is to do something I can't without the tool. But the tool isn't the reason for the music, it's just the tool to get it out. The hammer ain't the reason for the house, and the brush ain't the reason for the Sistine Chapel ceiling.

John

+11!1one11!11!!eleven111!!!!1111111

 

[thehangingmist]

i was at a recording session today and the guy wanted me to double up on the piano part going on over Cmaj7 and Amin7 and it was simply the arpeggios going up and down on 16th notes at a challenging speed. thats where maybe it pays off!?
apart from knowing the chords and chords tones better and being able to harmonize and everything...

 

[Billnc]

ya, can't motivate the unmotivated.

Yep, those that learn there arpeggios and how to read learn their Greenday. Rare is the student who I show a Greenday song only and they come back playing it.
A musician is someone who is inherently interested in the manipulation of sound.