Author Topic: Teaching the bass (Read 524 times)

mica · « **Reply #15 on:** November 04, 2003, 08:23:30 AM »

My first bass teacher was at the local music store. He was a probably good teacher, but he wasn't the right teacher for me (perhaps the same as I wasn't the right student for him). It's hard to explain, but there was never really any connection between us. After about three months of lessons, I was feeling extremely uninspired and gave it up alltogether and went back to 100% piano.

Years later, the bug to learn bass spoke up and I found a truly remarkable teacher that was the perfect fit. I only lament that he was so gifted he went off to college and then graduate school which was 500 miles away and I only got the study with him for about a year. Boo hoo for me but hooray for Justin!

palembic · « **Reply #16 on:** November 04, 2003, 11:05:45 AM »

Don'r cry Mica.
Look outside ...they are que-ing to give you bass lessons! There is a new horizon opning for you
(okay ...get those violins coming now!)

Paul the bad one

811952 · « **Reply #17 on:** November 04, 2003, 12:41:04 PM »

20 years or so ago I sat in on a bass master class with Tim Bogert at BIT. I wasn't a student, but back then you could get into just about any class if you were simply carrying a bass. Anyway, we all sat in a big circle and just jammed on chords in a given key, with Tim calling out numbers. It was cool, though basic (no pun intended) and a lot of the guys really seemed to get inspired by watching and listening to other people jamming. Kind of like the two-drumsets thing Alan White does at his drum clinics. *Somebody* needs to start organizing more of these sorts of master class/get-togethers for us bassists here in the midwest.. :-)

dean_m · « **Reply #18 on:** November 04, 2003, 01:47:27 PM »

Paul, anytime you can come in for a leeson, I'll always make the time.

Matt, I don't know if I would call it enlightenment. I've got a longtime to go before I reach any sort of enlightenment. I guess I just love what I do. Because of that, I love to give some of it back.

John, funny you should mention Tim Bogert too. Tim Bogert is a great friend of mine. I too met him when I was at BIT and we've been best friends ever since. He's is one of the teachers I was referring too as well. I learned just as much about fixing my Harley (don't worry, I won't go there) as I did about playing rock bass with Tim. When I was a student at BIT, he saw me pull in the parking lot one day on my bike. We started talking about bikes, the next thing I knew, I was invited every Sunday up to his house to hang out and talk about basses and bikes. That was in 91, we've been best friends ever since. Tim was one of those teachers that gave so much to his students. He also gave it in another way if you didn't give it 100% if you know what I mean. He was tough but very understanding.

I am in the process of trying to organize a sort of Live Playing Workshop in my area. I want to get other students of other instruments involved as well. So that drummers, guitar players, bass players, keyboards all have a way to put together the things that they learn in the lessons but have no band or outlet to go try them out. Music stores won't give up there valuable retail space for one night and it's hard to find a lease spot for one or two nights a month. I will make it work though!!! Somehow!!
Thats enough for now, I've gone longwinded enough already.

Peace,
Dino