Rick 4003s Lessons or Self Taught?

[cavernplayer]

How many of you bass players took lessons or are you self taught and if so,what worked best for you? Thanks.

cp

[rickfan60]

Both are required to be a well rounded musician. IMHO I have had some formal music training but I have also learned a lot on my own.

[jnbass]

both!

although it doesn't show...

[sloop_john_b]

Took lessons, mostly learned the finer points of technique (using rest strokes, for example). Learned mostly on my own. I am a music student though, so I get my theory and ear training there.

[rollingricker21]

I took lessons, and im glad I did.

The main risk I see about not taking lessons is as soon as you pickup a new instrument and start playing you can gain some very nasty bad habits, which down the track if you continue playing can really screw a lot up.

[cornishmusic]

I had no lessons - don't use my little finger, don't know S**** about scales. If I had my time over again I would definitely take lessons and music theory. A Mis-spent youth I think!

[henry5]

Self-taught. Have to agree with Tim about if I had my time over again though. And I agree with Frank about about "nasty bad habits". It can be a plus for some players though as they come up with unique solutions to certain problems which can help to give them a certain identity playing-wise. It all depends on the player, how good they are at pushing themselves, and where they're trying to go. After all, many players who play with a pick may have been told not to if they'd gone to a teacher, depending on who the teacher was.

[jaymi]

I have had both...started with saxophone early on and migrated to bass when I was 12. took bass lessons in college and played upright before lessons..

[prog_rockin_metal_man]

I'm a self taught bass player although I did take some lessons for maybe 4 months I don't think they had a huge impact on my playing. I also used to play the flute (go ahead and laugh) in music class in junior high so I wasn't a total music newbie when I started playing bass. Looking back I wish I would have taken lessons when I first started...I would probably be alot better than I am now.

[rikk]

Took lessons way back in my formative years. I also taught music (as a student teacher) at the collegiate level. Today, I'd be hard pressed to tell you any of the theory stuff. It's been too many years since I've used it in an academic way, but I think it's in my subconscious. I've learned a lot on my own over the years, but I think my early instruction was invaluable in moving me along faster than I could alone.

[beatlefan]

I took guitar lessons for about 8 months. I then started noodling around with the bass because both my brothers play guitars quite well and when we would get together, three guitars would be too much....so I picked up the bass and started applying what I'd learned with the guitar and .... there you have it! I like to play chords on my bass, too.

I can't site read music and play.....strictly by ear ... or tell me what key you're playing in and I'll be ok....I know quite a few scales...

[s4001]

I've taken lessons but they don't seem to have cured me.

[markbass99]

I played trombone in high school and was good enough to pass an audition to a university but I dropped out after six months. I learned a lot of music theory in that time and it really helped when I picked up the bass. I never learned to read music for the bass and decided that if I couldn't hear it and then play it I wasn't going to enjoy it. I'm not a pro so it hasn't been a drawback.

[shinynewtoy]

Hack. Re-read Tim C's post for my EXACT thoughts...

[bassduke49]

I wonder if playing by ear is hereditary. My late father was a brilliant pianist and we had a baby grand in the living room through my entire childhood. He could play just about anything, but loved the swing-era jazz. He played strictly by ear, could not read or write music, and nearly always played in F# because it was mostly on the black keys. My late mother was a wonderful singer, and fortunately, F# was ideal for her range, so the two of them would entertain at parties and local stage events.

When The Beatles hit, I became obsessed with bass guitar. I borrowed an old acoustic guitar from my uncle and began to suss out Paulie's bass lines on the bottom strings of the guitar; no chords, didn't practice scales, and today, at 57, I couldn't tell you what notes are in a C#m7 or whatever. But if I listen to a recording and am given a starting point, just hide and watch.

I do everything wrong. I use the outside tip of my thumb, usually, or a pick. I rarely use fingers to pluck, because everything seems backwards that way. I fell into the habit of using my downstroke to mute the lower string: say, I'm playing the fifth fret of the A string (D) and the fifth fret of the E string (A); when I downstroke on that E string, my thumb (or pick) continues down to mute the A string. Going back to the E string, I've learned (properly, I think) to mute the A string by lifting, but still touching the string with my left hand. So when plucking with fingers, my whole sequence is off. But I suppose if I practice enough, one of these days I'll be able to do it right. Maybe "when I'm 64."

So, I learned by ear, just as my father did, and I don't necessarily do it right, just as my father played in F#. But if it's a tune that I know, I do it pretty well.

And, I never could find the logic in music notation. Why, if there are 12 steps in an octave (?!), are there only five lines and four spaces on the sheet music?

I am soooo confused.