Self taught?

[Jackroadkill]

I'm less self-taught than happily ignorant, really.  Bloody love playing the bass though.

[Dan Dare]

7 hours ago, Steve Browning said:

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.

 

I'm very similar - violin and piano - although I didn't learn the piano for long. The office downstairs from our flat complained about the noise of my practicing and as my father worked for the company that owned the building, the piano went and I switched to the violin (which I could practice in a room in the attic so the sound didn't reach the ground floor). Very useful in that it taught me to read in both clefs and also to use the fourth finger (pinky). Why so many don't use it is beyond me. Just makes things so much easier.

[YouMa]

Couple of mates who were better when I was playing guitar. Then just listening a lot to Simon Gallup and Bernard Edwards and also hip hop when I started. Once Ii was shown how improvisation works I was away.

[Rodders]

About 90% self taught, had a few lessons with different tutors through the years. Started with one finger on each hand and worked my way up.

Learnt as much theory as my attention span could take in, never learnt to read sheet music as I never had enough of a need for it.

[nilorius]

I started a music theory at about 7 and had to learn piano and singing, about 5 years at music school. Kept on with choir, till i was 19. Then i asked my dad to teach me a bit of bass playing. After a mounth i kept on myself. Till now i only look for some good and interesting bass movie from witch i can get something new.

[Waddo Soqable]

41 minutes ago, nilorius said:

I started a music theory at about 7 and had to learn piano and singing, about 5 years at music school. Kept on with choir, till i was 19. Then i asked my dad to teach me a bit of bass playing. After a mounth i kept on myself. Till now i only look for some good and interesting bass movie from witch i can get something new.

Interesting that your dad was a bass player, did he play upright DB or bass guitar mainly ?  

[nilorius]

Just now, Waddo Soqable said:

Interesting that your dad was a bass player, did he play upright DB or bass guitar mainly ?  

He knew only how to play 4 string fret bass.

[Lozz196]

I went to bass lessons at school, once I’d found out what & where the notes were I quit then taught myself to play from there. I never actually learned to play any actual songs at the lessons.

[nilorius]

57 minutes ago, Waddo Soqable said:

Interesting that your dad was a bass player, did he play upright DB or bass guitar mainly ?  

So, was Your dad a musician, too or a businessman ?

[BassAdder60]

I had several guitar lessons when I was younger before swopping to bass.

 

I was a better bass player I guess but I just enjoyed it more. 
 

I took my guitar theory and applied it to the bass and went from there. 
 

I don’t even own a guitar anymore! 

[Waddo Soqable]

47 minutes ago, nilorius said:

So, was Your dad a musician, too or a businessman ?

Neither, he was an actor

[Johannes]

This is somehow complex question to answer. I think even those who have studied under professional supervision are still self-taught to some degree. I had exellent teachers but I think their strongest influence to my developement was to wake up my skills to develope by myself. Those who don’t want to work and sweat for their skills at all usually stop playing after a while. Sorry about my english.

[Barking Spiders]

Learned how to read music and all that jazz (well not jazz per se) while studying clarinet and alto sax between 11 and 16, years of age that is.. not o'clock.  Then it all went t1tz up when I discovered gurls. Picked up guitar, drums and bass, initially thinking they might help me get to 4th base. Didn't happen but still kept up with them. The phrase 'self-taught' is a bit high-falutin in my case. More a case of fumbling my way up and down fretboards over the years.

[3below]

10 hours ago, FinnDave said:

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!

You are me, and I claim my £5.  I am still working on reducing the rate of bass blunders.

Edited June 20, 2023 by 3below

[AndyTravis]

Never had a lesson in my life.

 

Can’t read music.

Can’t read tablature.

 

Someone tried to teach me theory once. And I shut down.

 

crap really. 

[Cat Burrito]

My Dad was a pro-drummer in the 60s so the moment I showed an interest in drums, I suddenly found myself with about half a drum kit and very much out of my depth. I was 8 and couldn't take instruction from my Dad. I just assumed I wasn't very musical so packed it in fairly quickly. After that my brother started learning guitar with Dad and he seemed to excel. He's got an almost Rain Man level of Autism so was brilliant at picking things up but struggled when it came to being creative. At this point I assumed he'd be the musical one.

 

I came to bass in my mid teens and was self taught, picking up bits from friends. At 50, I am almost embarrassed to say my main focus throughout my teens and 20s was how I looked, rather than practicing techniques. I did three bands where my looks and attitude were a huge part of my appeal (I could definitely lock in with a drummer and had my own style but I wasn't troubling Victor Wooten!).

 

I wound up playing other instruments in my 30s and took lessons to get better. I did it for about a year and it helped me on bass, as well as my general musicality. Since then I have looked at a few YouTube lessons but more for fun as I'm generally a much better player now. 

 

I think my inspiration for improving was playing with better players. It made me want to improve. I'm never intimidated by other players. I think the trick is to let it inspire you as this means you benefit longer term. If I could go back, I would have taken those lessons earlier. And don't be afraid to change teacher, if the styles clash. 

[msb]

I managed to usually play with musicians that were a lot better than I was. But I have a quick ear. I had played French horn before initially picking up guitar and then switching over to bass. 

[FinnDave]

12 hours ago, 3below said:

You are me […]

I am You

All of us together

[Franticsmurf]

15 minutes ago, FinnDave said:

I am You

All of us together

Ommmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm😃

[JapanAxe]

I started to teach myself guitar at 17, and quickly realised I wanted to understand the theory too. At around 40 I decided to learn bass too. I was well aware that it was a different instrument which required a different musical approach. Initially I played with a plectrum but after a couple of years I cracked finger style, just by dogged persistence really.

 

For a long while I had used music notation to write down material that I was working out, so I did the same with bass. I was then thrown in the deep end when I started playing with a dance band that used 99% written charts. I’m now a reasonable sight reader!

 

I would say that I’m still learning, particularly when it comes to theory - every so often I stumble across something I didn’t know that I didn’t know - hats off to Adam Neely!

[rwillett]

Started playing guitar whilst first year at Uni. Was pretty crap then. Practised really hard over the intervening years and with a significant amount of effort and hard work have moved to crap. 
 

I play the guitar how I played rugby, pretty much as a blunt instrument to be tackled into touch at every opportunity. Never take a step backwards and if in doubt hit it harder. I was a pretty good open side flanker until I made the inevitable transition to blind side and then hooker as I got slower and fatter. Again pretty much like my guitar playing. 
 

I was gifted (stole?) a cheap p-bass at Xmas. Found in a loft and I had a play without the slightest idea what I was doing. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Started reading books and learning scales. Decided to spoil the habit of a lifetime and get taught properly by a bass tutor in Sedbergh. Slowly getting slightly better than crap with significantly more enthusiasm than skill. 
 

would love to play blues in a band with similar ambitions to my own (none) but given where I live, highly unlikely. 
 

I am expecting to do Grade 2 this year though and am as pleased as punch. 
 

rob

 

 

[bassbiscuits]

Same. I learned from Harvey Vinson and Jim Gregory’s books which had the floppy 7” record in the back. Got about halfway thru the book and then learned the rest from listening to Iron Maiden and Kiss albums from the local record library. 
 

Been winging it ever since, rather effectively it must be said. 
 

Still can’t read a note of music but after 38 years of playing I think I’ve probably missed the boat on that one. 
 

Edited June 21, 2023 by bassbiscuits

[SPHDS]

Basically self taught....

I am left handed, and had (classical) guitar lessons (LH) for a couple of months when I was about 8 (I got frustrated and gave up as my (still) best mate was (and still is) far better than me.....despite now deciding he is a pianist.....!) About 8yrs later I started (trying) to play my father's guitars (I thought I was being secretive.....he knew....) As a result I was now playing 'right handed' (not really thinking of flipping the guitar/playing 'upside down')

I had stalled on guitar, so my father suggested I try bass, bought a Jazz copy (complete with hard case and strap!) from a fellow student whilst at uni, then basically went from there......I got a couple of tuition books, and I admit, got bored.....so just then just tried to learn by ear (with varying amounts of success) or looked for/working from TAB/chords (also....varying amounts of success.....!) Made my live debut on my 21st for the band I roadied for, and got my uni band our only gig....!

I probably have a lot of bad habits, and find 'theory' rather confusing......but who cares.....just gotta find a band now (or rather, get better at herding drummers/singists......the pet guitarist is fairly obedient....!)

[fleabag]

Yupski, self taught here too.  But i do use my pinky a lot.  In fact i use all 4 fingers on my fretting hand.

 

On the other hand, I'm  about as good at reading music as i am at rocket surgery.  Zilch. Nada. Zip.

[zbd1960]

Evidently, I'm a weirdo...

 

When I was about 10, so over 50 years ago 😱, my gran started to teach me to read music (she had a piano). I went to a grammar school and we had two music lessons a week all the way from 1st to 5th form (err years 7 to 11 in modern speak??). One of those lessons was music theory / reading music. I started playing cello at school (that was a second form option, so age 12/13) so had to read bass clef. Sadly, I only had the one year of peri lessons as my parents didn't know how the system worked...

 

I took music O level as an optional subject studied in lunchtimes in 6th form. 

 

Roll forwards to my mid-30s and I start singing lessons. I soon end up singing bass/baritone in various choirs and regularly performing in concerts - some quite major.

 

In my 40s I do the OU music theory course, which gets you to around grade 7/8 equivalent. I started learning playing the bass viol - you have to have lessons as the techniques are very different to cello. The viol uses bass clef and alto clef (C3) when it goes higher. Some music is notated in octave treble (sounds octave lower than written). Then I bought a tenor viol, which is all written in alto clef (treble when higher). 

 

Roll forward to my early fifties and I start playing sax and buy my first cello. Cello uses bass, tenor clef(C4), and treble. I am well aware of how easy it is to acquire bad habits that can really hold you back, so it's find-a-teacher time again...

 

So... it should be no surprise that starting bass, I found a teacher. Lessons currently in abeyance pending a house move.

 

So yes, I always get a teacher to help me to get good technique. Online can help with some stuff, but you do need a teacher that can point out exactly what you need to do/change/fix.

 

I can read all four of the 'standard' clefs - bass, tenor, alto, and treble. There are other clefs, which at various music summer schools have been thrown at me to read - baritone or soprano clef anyone? I'm a bit out of practice on the alto clef as I've not played viol for a while. At some point I'd like to take G8 theory just for fun... (I know, I'm weird).

 

Bagpipes anyone?