lownote Posted May 24, 2020 Share Posted May 24, 2020 (edited) If you have ever let your email address anywhere near Scott Devine you will no doubt be sick to death of being inundated with promotional emails for his Player's Path. The idea is to give students a path to follow through all the distracting shiny things and study properly in a joined up way. I've taken the free trial and here's my reflection after just a couple of days: If you've already been to Scotts Bass Lessons you will recognise much of the material. If you're a grown up (which I ain't) I can't tell you how much you'll take from his approach. But if you're an outright beginner, fresh to the bass and Scott, I have to be a little gushing and say I think you will find this quite awesomely useful. For the price of three or four lessons with your real life local, and in my experience crap, teacher, you will get a quite astonishing musical education. I know a lot of people don't like Scott's style or his very American marketing techniques, and I've been as rude as most in the past, but this Player's Path thing I would have killed for when I took up bass 10 years ago and was pitched into my first gig without even knowing what a bassist did, let alone how (there were tears). Edited May 27, 2020 by lownote12 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ped Posted May 24, 2020 Share Posted May 24, 2020 I know how much work went into it and think it’s a brilliant idea. Best of luck to him with it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmyb625 Posted May 24, 2020 Share Posted May 24, 2020 (edited) I think it's a good idea, however, as all of his emails seem to start off with "Hey Groove-hackers" I very rarely get to read the content. Edited May 24, 2020 by jimmyb625 4 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skybone Posted May 24, 2020 Share Posted May 24, 2020 He was running a competition on Facebook a while back, "Like & make a comment to be entered". Liked the post, made a comment, and was then inundated with messages from SBL every couple of hours. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CamdenRob Posted May 24, 2020 Share Posted May 24, 2020 I’ve warmed to him over the last year or so. I’ve no interest in the lessons side of it, but some of his comparisons and gear demo type videos are as good as anyone else’s He features some interesting gear as well and also appears to have a genuine love for the instrument (not just the fact he has a successful business derived from it). I no longer avoid clicking on anything with him in it when the videos appear on my Instagram feed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ped Posted May 24, 2020 Share Posted May 24, 2020 Whatever you say about his marketing you can’t deny that it doesn’t work - Don’t hate the player, hate the game! (And opting out is always possible and easy) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barking Spiders Posted May 24, 2020 Share Posted May 24, 2020 I find Scott an affable bloke and easy to watch. I like his chatty approach and find he's good at explaining techniques etc. But not being a pro I'm not bothered about a bass education as such. At 50 I know what I like and like what I know. I primarily like playing slap and fingerstyle funk bass with a lump or two of reggae and disco thrown in. So I won't be shelling out any moolah on Player's Path. It's probably a good idea for younger newbies and intermediates wanting to go pro but for old lags I'd say hold onto your dosh. After checking out many online bass teachers, for my money Mark Smith's Talking Bass is the best for me, esp for his slap lessons. Don't get me wrong, there are some very good guys from the US and other countries but I connect more easily with Mark's Leeds accent and his explanations are crisp and easy to follow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewblack Posted May 24, 2020 Share Posted May 24, 2020 51 minutes ago, ped said: Whatever you say about his marketing you can’t deny that it doesn’t work I, um... what? 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted May 24, 2020 Share Posted May 24, 2020 I like Scott...I've met him a few times and he's always been approachable and friendly. I've found the free stuff he posts on YT really helpful. I would have loved to have had access to somebody like Scott 30 years ago. As somebody who's unlikely to ever earn any sensible money from playing bass I'm not going to dive in but I can see that somebody who's on the way up and motivated could easily get their moneys worth from his courses. Good luck to him... 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mcgiver69 Posted May 24, 2020 Share Posted May 24, 2020 As a person who needs structure to be able to learn anything I appreciate that he decided to provide a proper learning journey to new students. I hate most online schools are all they do is chuck courses and let you to your own devices. This could be a real game changer which guide players much like traditional schools do where once you're done with the Syllabus then you can pick and choose any other extra courses targeting specific subjects but this means you'll be able to make the best out of them because you are well familiar with the material imparted because the foundation was already well laid along "The Path". Kudos to him, he has created a great online resource and now I think more people will be able to make the most out of it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirty Soul Posted May 24, 2020 Share Posted May 24, 2020 (edited) Personally I dig Scott. Yes, there can be a lot of waffle in his videos if you‘re just looking for something quickly but if you have the time to watch the full videos, it’s all part of the experience. However, maybe it’s my ineptitude but I’ve just spent 5 minutes browsing his website and cannot for the life of me find any pricing! Only option is to start a free trial (which I’ve already used up 3 years ago) I’m pretty interested in the Players Path but if I can’t find out how much it’s going to cost me, count me out. Anyone have a definitive answer? Edited May 24, 2020 by Dirty Soul Spelling Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4000 Posted May 24, 2020 Share Posted May 24, 2020 1 hour ago, TheGreek said: I like Scott...I've met him a few times and he's always been approachable and friendly. I've found the free stuff he posts on YT really helpful. I would have loved to have had access to somebody like Scott 30 years ago. As somebody who's unlikely to ever earn any sensible money from playing bass I'm not going to dive in but I can see that somebody who's on the way up and motivated could easily get their moneys worth from his courses. Good luck to him... I met him at Overwater many years ago, when we both had hair. He set up a Jaydee I’d bought. He came across as a genuinely nice bloke, took to him immediately. Fab set up too. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BruceBass3901 Posted May 24, 2020 Share Posted May 24, 2020 I'll throw in to the mix that I am actually a member at SBL and have started on the Player's Path and am really enjoying it. Even at Level 1 or 2 (of 9) I'm noticing little bad habits I have allowed myself to pick up, and have a more visual and workable method of filling in a lot of gaps in my technique toolkit and theory knowledge, so ticks plenty of boxes for me. His recent stuff seems to be a bit more 'interweb targeted' so a few more memes or GIFs thrown in than are really necessary, but Scott seems like a nice guy, his teaching method is good, even if he has a tendency to waffle (as a teacher, I know how easy it is to get caught up in a train of thought) and the experienced musicians he has the chance to talk to and work with on his courses is just great. I totally get why the marketing grinds people though. I'm signed up, and still getting fed up of all the YouTube ads inbetween other videos! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassApprentice Posted May 24, 2020 Share Posted May 24, 2020 I'm intrigued by this style of learning but failed in finding out how much the $50 off the annual subscription actually equates to. If a member doesn't mind disclosing, how much is the annual subscriptions as it stands? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BruceBass3901 Posted May 24, 2020 Share Posted May 24, 2020 Currently, it works out at roughly £100 for the year. All the prices are USD, so do shift a bit. If you get in at the deal price, you are grandfathered in at this price, but can upgrade to a 'Lifetime Membership' which is a one off payment that I have not looked into. If you go through the registration for the free 14 day trial, you get all the prices on the next page. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewblack Posted May 24, 2020 Share Posted May 24, 2020 I did it for a year assuming it would thereafter be a lot cheaper but it was still very expensive. I liked the lessons but got way more from face to face with a tutor. That is nothing whatever to do with SBL and everything to do with the way I prefer to learn. Or as Ped would say, you can't not agree to disagree that it isn't not a good way not to learn to not learn. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lownote Posted May 25, 2020 Author Share Posted May 25, 2020 (edited) 12 hours ago, Dirty Soul said: I’m pretty interested in the Players Path but if I can’t find out how much it’s going to cost me, count me out. Anyone have a definitive answer? 8 hours ago, BassApprentice said: I'm intrigued by this style of learning but failed in finding out how much the $50 off the annual subscription actually equates to. If a member doesn't mind disclosing, how much is the annual subscriptions as it stands? I think it said I'd pay about £100 for a year at the moment, but it's currently on the $50 discount which decays very shortly apparently. I can upgrade to lifetime for $497. Seems expensive when I can keep on taking out 2 week free trials to check out the latest lessons. Edited May 25, 2020 by lownote12 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cord.scott Posted May 25, 2020 Share Posted May 25, 2020 I have a lifetime membership to Scott's site and also his technique course. I really like both. I guess the Marketing is over the top. I know some here called it "American Style" marketing, but as an American the first time I saw it, I thought it was odd, thought it must have been British style marketing. The only downside I see to Scott's videos is he has a very long-winded guy, very chatty, as opposed to Mark at Talking bass, who gets right tot the point. Scott's videos kind of remind me of Anderton's reviews where they talk a lot, but if you have patience, there are some good things in the videos. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard R Posted May 25, 2020 Share Posted May 25, 2020 +1 for SBL and players path. For the cost of four face-to-face lessons there is easilly a year's worth of material ans a huge amount of genuinely interesting stuff. It isn't the same as having a tutor roll his eyes and forcibly move your thumb, but Scott and others do answer questions and you can submit videos for comments. The seminars with other tutors and interesting as well. -1 for the chat and email spam, but I can live with one and have a rule to deal with the other. I have just kicked off a piece at Level 2, and it is easy to play slowly and badly and bloody fiddly to get right! I dread to think what L9 is. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elfrasho Posted May 25, 2020 Share Posted May 25, 2020 Can't say I've got a desire to get lessons as such, but if I did, I would be checking out SBL stuff first. I like his teaching style and I thoroughly dig his free stuff. It looks like a stinky poo load of work, and i admire his work ethic! Awesome Awesome player too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jellyfish Posted May 26, 2020 Share Posted May 26, 2020 I've had a hiatus from bass for months now and I jumped onto SBL straight away as soon as I got back into it. The Players Path then recently popped up so I started that - and now I'm finding it difficult to stop! It's one of the highest quality online tutorials I've come across (for anything, not just bass) and it's obvious that a lot of work has gone into it. I assume that most people who complain about his marketing are the same folks that aren't aware that they can unsubscribe from e-mails 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sammybee Posted May 26, 2020 Share Posted May 26, 2020 14 minutes ago, Jellyfish said: I assume that most people who complain about his marketing are the same folks that aren't aware that they can unsubscribe from e-mails But it's not just the emails, it's the incessant interruptions on YouTube, banner ads etc on other sites. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jellyfish Posted May 26, 2020 Share Posted May 26, 2020 33 minutes ago, sammybee said: But it's not just the emails, it's the incessant interruptions on YouTube, banner ads etc on other sites. I understand, but I think that's more the fault of the platform (and not the business that paid for the ads)? I use Adblock though as I find most adverts annoying anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Bish Posted May 26, 2020 Share Posted May 26, 2020 (edited) Affable guy. Produces quality content, and has obviously worked extremely hard to achieve what he has. I strongly suspect this new programme is his best yet. Has to be. In fact, I was just thinking the other day - you could argue he's one of the most influential bass players alive today. Not as preposterous as it sounds. How many individual musicians have his reach. An entire generation of players will know him. It may be mostly comedy/light entertainment, but Davie504 is another. We live in a different age. In the future - rightly or wrongly - being a YouTube, Instagram musician will just be an accepted path. The debate is over. NB. Mark from Talking Bass, he in my view is the superior *teacher*, especially in the realms of theory. His explanations are well-organised and well-paced. Just my 2ps. Edited May 26, 2020 by Pete Bish Missed a word. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lownote Posted May 27, 2020 Author Share Posted May 27, 2020 There are others doing the same and borrowing ideas from SD on other instruments. Classic example is Jay Metcalf's Better Sax. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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