Question About Teachers

[Wesley16]

I have a question to you bass players who seek out a bass teacher/instructor to help you get to the level
of your bass playing today. What kind of background did your bass teacher/instructor have? Was your bass teacher a music instructor by day, but moonlighted as a bass player whenever called on at night for gig jobs. Did your bass teacher/instructor teach bass lessons at music stores on the weekends? Could your bass
teacher/instructor play other instruments(guitar, keyboards,etc.)but told you they could teach you how to
play the bass guitar? Bass players, I have been trying to find a bass teacher/instructor in the Indianapolis,
IN. for almost a year now. I'm finding out the hard way and $$ spent that people say that can teach me how to play the bass guitar but aren't really good at teaching and don't have the passion for playing the
bass. Next week I will be going to check out a person who can play/teach bass guitar, plays keyboards for
his church. A self-taught musican at bass/keyboards. What questions should I be asking ? Should I be seek-
ing a person with a degree in music? HELP PLEASE BASS PLAYERS!!!! Any serious suggestions will be very,
very helpful to me.

God Bless You All,
John

 

[baggettcindy]

My bass teacher originally was my keyboard teacher.  Although I know enough of the keyboard to learn on my own, I don't practice.  Anyway, I asked him to teach me bass.  He does not have a music degree, but he reads and knows how to play.  He knows a lot more than I do, so I don't mind his teaching me.  I didn't know anything about the bass, so we basically started from scratch.

[dhagler]

First, let me say that I found my teacher through a referral.  I asked a couple of bass players I knew if they gave lessons and each of them said, "I don't but here's who I took lessons from."  That said, there were two things about him that sold me on him being the right teacher for me:
1.  In our first meeting he asked me what my goals were for playing the instrument;
2.  I didn't have a bass at my first lesson.  He met me at a store that sold used equipment and helped me pick one out.
My teacher was very organized in his lessons, almost like having a curriculum.  I am a teacher myself so I could relate to that.

Indianapolis is a much larger city than the one I live in so you probably have more choices, but if you know any bass players ask them who they took lessons from.  You want an experienced player, one who reads music and knows progressions.

[floaded27]

my first teacher and current music mentor, is an accomplished keyboard player, but he started out many years ago playing guitar. he taught me the fundamentals of the bass, and because he's well versed in his music theory he taught me concepts and how to approach playing. His playing style on bass is funk, with some blues.

BIG TIP #1: Get someone who can tell you why they're playing whatever particular things they're playing in addition to showing you how.

when he said i was ready to go to the next level, but he couldnt take me there, he introduced me to a bass player that he worked with many times. so i started taking lessons from him. He was able to help me with my technique, as well as learning to hear and play in the context of a bass player. His background was r&b and funk. He helped me advance, but i was missing application of some things because all he did was play bass.

BIG TIP #2: Someone who plays something other than bass is a PLUS, especially KEYS. That way they can play some things for you to fill in on the bass, so you can learn HOW to use the things that you are taught as well as get practice playing with others as well as keeping your timing on course.