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When did music stop being fun?

C

Coutts_is_god

Dec 29, 2003
1,385
3
37
Windsor, Ont, Canada
www.breakingpointmusic.com
#1
I'll tell you when. It stopped being fun when I joined music class at school. I can't beleave it. I actualy don't look forward to playing bass anymore. So much pressure the damn teacher puts on us. The worst thing about the rest of the class thinks I'm "strange" because I say this much perssure isn't natural. I mean you don't know every bit of music thoery and your cast out like a bag of potatos on a crab diet. It reminds me so much of that episode of the simpsons. When they join the cult.
"Man this guy is such a A hole"
"You can't say that. He's the Leader"
I have half a mind to tell everyone in that program where they can stick but I can't because if I do I cost my band our chance at playing anything at our school. Talent Shows, dance and what not. The things you have to do in life.

Let me hear what you have to say about this.
 
#2
When I went into 6th grade I gave the viola a try(it a slighly smaller version of the violin) and I liked it but I quit cuz I wasn't getting the stuff as fast as everyone else, wasp ressured and falling behind. So I stopped playing. It wasn't until sophomore year that I took up an intstrument again(the elec. bass)

If oyu want lessons try to get a one on one teacher teaching as a class can be fun but when they do it in the same fashion as the more book/fact oriented classes, it just doesn't work for everyone.

Also try getting books and do it on your own.(if oyu can't get a one on one teacher)
 
#3
Now, what theory exactly is it you're required to know?

Which music course is this? Instrumental 9, 10, 11U, or 12U? IME (I'm in a mixed 11U/12U class in the 12U stream) the theory we've been required to know basically encompasses key signatures, scales, and arpeggios -- the latter two of which are the same all over the neck, and key signatures are pretty easy to memorize.

That said, high school bands are always elitist. It's who we are.
 
#4
I'm in 10/11/12/12b split. Concert band is what I'm in and its full of 9 10 11 and 12. Music theory is key sigs, chords, scales, intervals and sight reading. I got most of the scales down. Key sigs I have pretty good. I use the "Wheel of 5ths" for key of Major, minor. Intervals i just don't get. Sight reading is the hardest thing ever. I'm getting the work and songs easily. I'm not questioning my playing skills or my learning ablities here.
 
#6
If I could give you any advice, it would be to stick with it. The most rewarding things in life are the ones we have to struggle to attain. Its the hard yards that make the journey worthwhile.

In the long run, being able to sight-read will put you ahead of many many bassists in the world. Its hard, granted, but being raked over the coals by your teacher for a year will ultimately make you a more solid musician.

Getting a one-to-one teacher may be helpful too.
 
#7
I do a lot of studio work and knowing to sight read isn't that important. Sure I can read charts, but a lot of studio work I do is read the charts a couple of times, listen to the roughs and go at it with my own feel. I would say it's 30% straight read, 70% feel it and groove it in the work I do.

All in all, don't give up. It's worth it.
 
#9
Coutts_is_god said:
I'm in 10/11/12/12b split. Concert band is what I'm in and its full of 9 10 11 and 12. Music theory is key sigs, chords, scales, intervals and sight reading. I got most of the scales down. Key sigs I have pretty good. I use the "Wheel of 5ths" for key of Major, minor. Intervals i just don't get. Sight reading is the hardest thing ever. I'm getting the work and songs easily. I'm not questioning my playing skills or my learning ablities here.
Click to expand...
You don't understand how to play and find thirds/fifths, etc. on the fretboard, or you don't understand how to recognize them immediately from the sheet? With a little one-on-one, the first part of intervals that I mentioned is REALLY easy. The second part can be attained with a bit of work.

After that, sight reading gets easier as time goes on.

Other than that, it sounds like you're fine.
 
#10
When I went into 6th grade I gave the viola a try(it a slighly smaller version of the violin) and I liked it but I quit cuz I wasn't getting the stuff as fast as everyone else, wasp ressured and falling behind. So I stopped playing. It wasn't until sophomore year that I took up an intstrument again(the elec. bass)
Click to expand...
Actually, its larger usually - lower string needs more space to resonate, or something like that (same reason cellows are bigger than viola and basses bigger than cello i guess...)

Anyways, I had this problem when my parents forced me into playin piano for...5-6 years...
 
#11
You sound a lot like myself a eyar ago in the middle of my first year of college music classes. Sight reading came relatively quickly, though key sigs were a bit of a pain at times (especially on the fly). The most difficult thing I've run into at college, where there are more good bass players than there are in my little suburban hometown, is just keeping my ego healthy. Find a way to build confidence in your own playing and musical ability. I usually have to do that at least once a month, especially if I'm not playing with as many people as I would prefer.

Just stick with the class. It can only help in the long run. And if you need help with anything in that class, myself and many others on here are ready willng and able to help.
 
#13
I think that music class, art class...they're just stupid. Art is self-expression, and that comes from within, and doesn't have to be appealing to anyone else. Its all about you. You don't force it, and you don't control it. You just let your music flow out.
Click to expand...


Perhaps, but art in any form has its level of aesthetic appeal and accomplishment. Thats why Picasso's are worth more dollars than the scribbles on my pad next to the phone. Its all subjective, of course, but for art to be considered self-expression, it needs to be accessible to someone else who can see its worth and feel its intent. Otherwise it could be just a bunch of words or jumble of musical notes.

I think to say that classes on art or music are stupid is just a way of "getting away with it". I mean, I could easily sit back and say that I don't have any need to rehearse, or tune my bass or learn a scale, because as long as I believe that my music just flows out then it doesn't make an arse of difference if it sounds like utter s***e.

Thats just a lazy persons way of not having to do the hard work to get to understand their creativity with enough boundaries and tools to make it interesting and valid.
 
#15
jonathan2994 said:
I think that music class, art class...they're just stupid. Art is self-expression, and that comes from within, and doesn't have to be appealing to anyone else. Its all about you. You don't force it, and you don't control it. You just let your music flow out.
Click to expand...
That's a pretty romantic view of things, but not realistic -- by any means.

There's a simple fact that musicians do their most musical growth in a situation permeated with other musicians who are better than you. Now, this doesn't have to be in a classroom -- I've heard Art Blakely's band referred to as the "school of hard swing," because musicians learned their craft from him -- they came in good and left (usually hired away by guys like Miles or Mingus) as great musicians. For most high school students, the only atmosphere with other musicians is music class. Now, there are other situations for the more lucky -- jam sessions for those who live in Toronto or Ottawa, or the "let's make a demo" focus program in Kingston, etc.

You can grow on your own, but you will always grow to be a better musician much faster when you're with other people who are better than you on a regular basis. This can be private lessons with a teacher, joining a swing band, or going to local jam sessions.
 
#16
Possibly off topic: But I find it quite ironic that our senior superlatives had a category for "Most Musical", and while I wasn't one of the two students represented, I'm pretty sure that I'm the only person from my graduating class that is a PROFESSIONAL gigging musician.

I hated band and quit after my sophmore year.
 
#19
southpaw1 said:
If I could give you any advice, it would be to stick with it. The most rewarding things in life are the ones we have to struggle to attain. Its the hard yards that make the journey worthwhile.

In the long run, being able to sight-read will put you ahead of many many bassists in the world. Its hard, granted, but being raked over the coals by your teacher for a year will ultimately make you a more solid musician.

Getting a one-to-one teacher may be helpful too.
Click to expand...

+1. My high school band director was the biggest ***hole on earth. Amazing musician in all respects, but a huge jerk. After 3 years of what seemed like torture, all of us are so much improved as musicians. It's one of those, "you'll thank me when you're older" scenarios. Sometimes it takes somebody driving you too hard to make big leaps as a musician.

Stick with it. :D
 
#20
jonathan2994 said:
I think that music class, art class...they're just stupid. Art is self-expression, and that comes from within, and doesn't have to be appealing to anyone else. Its all about you. You don't force it, and you don't control it. You just let your music flow out.
Click to expand...

Music and art don't just "flow out" of nowhere. It takes training to learn the basics of music and art. How to mix paints to get colors? How to establish perspectives? What brush do you use for different techniques?

Put it in perspective: the guys at the Masters golf tournament make things look pretty easy, right? They just walk up to the tee and hit the ball down the fairway....But you can bet they spent hours and hours every day on the driving range. Nobody, no matter how much talent or artistic vision, can just pick up a sport or an instrument and be an instant master. They must spend some time learning the basics, and learning can be difficult or frustrating by its very nature.
 

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