Self taught?

[EssexBuccaneer]

This has probably been discussed already, but are you a self-taught player or did you take lessons?

 

I’m self-taught, from an era before youchoob. Books, mates, and frankly trial and error. Learned to play guitar originally and then switched to bass to ‘fill in’ for a mates band - and never really went back to guitar. 
 

The problem is that I have myriad bad habits, I don’t use my pinky, I’ve never paid enough attention to muting, and I’ve never learned theory. All of which I’m now trying to do with ingrained techniques and muscle memory. Finding out to my chagrin that undoing those bad habits is quite a task!…

 

So how about you guys? 

[Bigwan]

You're not alone - exactly the same story here!

[casapete]

I’m the same. I did take piano lessons from the age of around 7 till I was about 12, which grounded me with

some basic theory I guess. From then on played guitar and piano in bands, upgrading to bass when

I was in my 20’s - took me quite a while to get to what was my instrument of destiny! I’ve never 

received bass or guitar tuition and subsequently picked up some bad habits along the way, most of

which I’ve managed to overcome. I think if there had been someone local to me who I knew could

give me tuition I may have gone down that route, but at that time bass tuition was almost unheard

of round here. Never too late though…….

[Doctor J]

Yep, self-taught on bass, guitar and drums and have recorded and gigged in bands on all three. I started on bass in the late 80's, had one book on bass playing, which got stolen after a while, so learned from watching other players live and in videos and taking the things I liked from their sound and technique. None of my guitar-playing friends were any use at writing music, so I started playing guitar a couple of years later, purely so we could have a band and play our own music. I followed the same pattern of self-learning through looking and listening. A few years later, I started playing drums and, again, learned the same way. 
 

I'm not a maestro on any of them but, in truth, I don't really want to be. They're a means to an end and that end is making music. I'm good enough to play what I want to hear and, if I need to play something beyond my abilities, I'll figure out how to do it and practice it. I don't feel burdened by this approach. I don't feel the need to master techniques I have no musical interest in playing. I sound like me and I'm as good as I need to be to make the music I want to hear. That'll do, pig, that'll do.

[EssexBuccaneer]

22 minutes ago, Doctor J said:

Yep, self-taught on bass, guitar and drums and have recorded and gigged in bands on all three. I started on bass in the late 80's, had one book on bass playing, which got stolen after a while, so learned from watching other players live and in videos and taking the things I liked from their sound and technique. None of my guitar-playing friends were any use at writing music, so I started playing guitar a couple of years later, purely so we could have a band and play our own music. I followed the same pattern of self-learning through looking and listening. A few years later, I started playing drums and, again, learned the same way. 
 

I'm not a maestro on any of them but, in truth, I don't really want to be. They're a means to an end and that end is making music. I'm good enough to play what I want to hear and, if I need to play something beyond my abilities, I'll figure out how to do it and practice it. I don't feel burdened by this approach. I don't feel the need to master techniques I have no musical interest in playing. I sound like me and I'm as good as I need to be to make the music I want to hear. That'll do, pig, that'll do.

Drums are a black art! My old drummer sat me behind the kit once. Maintaining a beat with the kick and the snare was easy enough - “i’m a natural” I thought….
 

…Until we introduced a third element 🫣

[police squad]

I played the violin from the age of 6, till 13. At 13 I bought a bass. This was 1981. My brother played guitar and we would jam together a bit. I played along with the Jam, The Police, Duran Duran and Saxon!!

My first band gigged within 6 months of me buying my bass.

I had/have a very good ear and could pick stuff up quickly

After a while I decided to learn the songs on guitar and used my violin knowledge to work out the chords. Firstly by playing the scale and then arpegiating it and working out the chords from the arpegios.

I now know that my violin theory had really stood me in  good stead. The difference between major and minor (flattened third) and sevenths etc. My bass playing wife has been studying piano for the past 6 or so years and has learned much more theory than I had and I have learned from that too.

 

In 1989 I joined up with a guitarist to do a mainly 60s duo. I didn't know hardly any of the songs but listened intently whilst we were playing. I soon worked out what chords would be played if a song was in a certain key. Needles and pins in A. C#m, D, E, it's not really that hard.

I still learn songs this way now. 

 

I'm no virtuoso on guitar or bass, but I know I'm good enough to do what I need to do and have fun

[Leonard Smalls]

I had piano lessons up to about age 17, got as far as grade 7 but never really enjoyed it.

Then took up bass, sort of, at uni by twanging on the bottom four strings of a mate's acoustic guitar, then within a couple of months of playing along to Bootsy on this battered old thing I borrowed a mate's Gibson shortscale and I was in a band - which is still in existence (gig this Saturday!).

I wanted to play funk, so I taught myself in the way I assumed it worked, never having seen a funk bass player close up... So I now have a very odd right hand technique involving thumb-strumming with a sort of slap, and three fingers doing a similar thing. Works for me!

[Steve Browning]

Violin between the ages of 4 and 6. Piano from 6 to about 13 (with a stint on church organ during that time) and then self-taught on bass. The piano was a brilliant grounding, as it taught me harmony etc.

[Franticsmurf]

Self taught - initially on guitar pre-YT. I learnt on the job - once I'd got the basic chords sorted my mate and I formed a band and I learnt what I needed for the next song. I had an old bass, which I used to record demos, but it was very much root note stuff. Later I was offered a well paid spot as bass player in a duo, which became a trio and after a while I thought I ought to make an effort to actually learn to be a bass player. I picked up a few things along the way from fellow musicians. Once YouTube was available I went looking for some techniques and practice exercises there but most of the learning for me was, and still is, practicing specific songs for gigs. 

Edited June 20, 2023 by Franticsmurf

[tauzero]

Also self-taught, with a smattering of musical theory from violin lessons, and another one who moved from guitar to bass. I've picked up more theory since then and I don't think I developed any bad habits.

[WinterMute]

I was singing in a school mates band and the bassist left, Steve said "you can play bass, it's only one note at a time" so I did.

 

He taught me to play a major scale and a minor scale and I learnt a bunch of songs and just got on with it.

 

I'm sure I could be a much better player if I took advantage of all the resources now, but the need has never arisen and I've spent the last 45 years playing on sessions and in studio based bands, mostly doing other stuff at the same time, mainly engineering and producing.

 

 

Edited June 20, 2023 by WinterMute
typo

[FinnDave]

I had trumpet lessons from the age of 11 until about 14 (now over 50 years ago), so had a vague idea of theory and could sight read the treble clef. The lessons stopped when my family moved to a different part of the country, got into rock music at the age of 14-15 and bought a guitar, swiftly realised that bass was more my thing, taught myself by copying records (mostly Gong & Syd era Floyd) and that was that. I wasn't aware of lessons for bass guitar, so all my mistakes are mine and mine alone!

[chris_b]

I taught myself listening to records by the Stones, Beatles, Kinks, Animals etc, then moved on to Stax, Atlantic, Fame etc. Playing all the 45's at 33 so I could get the lines.

 

While I was playing along to records I bought lots of sheet music and taught myself to read. My school band was a blues, soul and jazz band and the brass section used to bring parts to rehearsals, so my reading chops were pretty good by the time I left school. Sadly hardly ever used since.

 

After 50+ years, I finally had some lessons, with Ian King. A great player and he learnt this old dog some great new tricks. Also made me realise how much better a player I could have been if I carried on with the reading and musical theory.

[Waddo Soqable]

Another DIY bloke, though before bass I played saxophone, the basics gleaned from the excellent "tune a day" book, although I did try a handful of lessons on sax I didn't really get anything from it. I also due to the above book got a very basic handle on simple treble clef tune reading. 

Ironically when I got going on sax a bit I immediately started doing band stuff, and this put a kybosh on further "learning" as I simply didn't need it for the kind of playing required ! 

As soon as I got into playing with others I discovered bass and thought "whoah.. that's my thing" and acquired a crappy woolworths short scale bass and off I went. This was the beginning bit of the punk era so absolutely a perfect time to crack on without actually being any good, "learning on the job" shall we say ! 

 

 

Edited June 20, 2023 by Waddo Soqable

[SumOne]

Pretty much self taught, but after a few months of playing I think I paid £100 for 4x hour long lessons over a month which was worthwhile to point out bad habits I was falling into - something youtube and books can't really point out. 

[Happy Jack]

I bought Crash Course In Bass by Basschatter @Stuart Clayton as my 49th birthday present to myself.

 

Blame him.

 

[Happy Jack]

For double bass, I invested in an initial session with @Jake Bass to get the essentials right before haring off in the wrong direction. 

[upside downer]

Self-taught and, being left-handed, play right-handed instruments flipped over. Strummed guitar for a bit before grabbing a bass (Starforce 7008, big, heavy thing) and very much started playing in a Dee Dee Ramone style, adding bits and bobs along the way. I've got by over the years despite some of the issues mentioned (never initially paid much attention to muting or learning theory) and had a decent and successful run at playing in various pub bands. Even got some compliments! I've never been the most technically proficient but that didn't stopped me from doing it, nor did it hinder me from enjoying the experience. And I still enjoy playing although I haven't had much time of late to do so. Must rectify that immediately.

[Paolo85]

I started with guitar at 13, with lessons. Moved to bass at 15, and did not take any lessons. That was also pre Youtube. I continued to use fretting techniques that I was taught for guitar. That's one of the reasons I think by the tine I was at uni I had to quit bass because of recurring tendinitis

Edited June 20, 2023 by Paolo85

[Paul S]

Self taught, started with guitar in my teens/early 20s.  Stopped anything musical for 25 years then took up bass in my late 40s.  My rather agricultural playing style grew exponentially in the first few days and quickly peaked - a level that, 20 years on, I have consistently failed to meet ever since    I've promised myself I would one day learn some theory but that remains one of those aspirational things like sorting out the loft and keeping the car clean.  Still, I get by and have fun  

[asingardenof]

Self-taught from 18, dipping into various books, websites, YT channels, Fender Play and even a few less-than-successful online "in-person" lessons. I've picked up random bits of learning over the years but nothing I'd call coherent.

[neepheid]

I'm a bit of both - was self taught up to a point, then I took some in person lessons.  They were definitely worth it - it put names to and reasons behind some of the things I was doing, helped me weed out some bad habits and opened my mind a bit to new things.  I'm still a luddite in many respects (can only read music at a rate of a note every few seconds, don't know much theory), but I probably wouldn't have started writing songs without receiving a few pointers from someone in the know.

 

I didn't continue with the lessons, so I guess I'm back to being self taught again, but the few months I did them really helped kick things along.

[joeystrange]

I’m self-taught. Never had a single lesson and then at some point along the journey I figured it was probably too late to start.

 

I’m just inside the internet generation but pre guitar lessons on YouTube so I learnt largely using MX Tabs - both their tab library and forums.

 

Never been concerned about bad habits or technique. As far as I’m concerned if it works, it works.

I notice that sometimes my little finger is curled (imagine the position it’d be in if you were making a fist) behind the neck. Thought it was weird until I noticed Tony Franklin doing it and decided that if it’s good enough for him then it’s certainly good enough for me.

[TheGreek]

I'm personal friends with Paul McCartney so when I started learning he would pop round and give me some pointers...

 

 

 

 

Nah, not really - self taught (and YT videos)

[Dood]

I did not have a formal teacher when I first began playing bass, (pre-internet) but thankfully due to some sort of "obsession gene" that I have inherited, I have a rather anal attention to detail and need to learn how everything works .. 

 

That does mean that I have begged and borrowed countless tapes, VHS videos, books, been to see a gazillion bands, joined in jam sessions, recorded hundreds of times, toured and, well, never not been playing live myself. All I'd strongly recommend along with the myriad of applications, websites and fine video types such as YouTubers who know what they're talking about. I have threatened to start my own ha ha!