The best Formal, and Informal, musical lesson of your life?

[Stub Mandrel]

Most useful?

 

Putting on Planet Rock and trying to play along to as many songs as possible,  by ear, for months.

 

Least useful?

 

A teacher I asked about improving my technique who wanted me to learn theory I pretty much knew already.

[tauzero]

I don't think I've had any single lesson that stands out as a major contributor - probably the biggest push was playing in the house band at an open mic night so I became quite adept at working out chord sequences and grace/passing notes on the fly.

 

I think the most useless lesson was at school. Dr Roy Massey, MBE, head of music, was evaluating that year's intake of pupils for membership of the choir. In turn, he would play a note on the piano to us and we each had to sing the note. It came to my turn. "Ding" "Laaaa". "Dang" "Laaaa". "Dong" "Laaaa". "Zero," he said, "you have an ear like an old boot". Words that have stayed with me for 55 years.

[diskwave]

S'funny I got into Philly Soul at a young age, Ronnie Baker, Scott Edwards et al but the one player that got me to focus decades ago was an older guy I eventually  took over from in a local soul band. He had such a smooth technique, you cld barely see his fingers moving and Ive always tried to emulate him. No idea if hes still around. Super player.

[casapete]

Formal -Mr Wyatt,  my old choirmaster at our village church. Taught me all about intervals, key signatures etc.

I sang all different parts in the ten years I was in the choir ( from the age of 8 to 18) starting off with

treble, then alto, tenor and occasionally bass (due to a lack of enough male voices.) From there I lost

my soul to rock n roll, but it stood me in good stead throughout. I’ve had many gigs where I got the job

because I could harmonise all thanks to Mr Wyatt.

 

Informal - my partner in my acoustic duo, Gary Gillyett. The most amazing musician I’ve had the pleasure

of working with. We met some 40 years ago, and he immediately blew me away with his knowledge of

theory and old school music, and is 8 years younger than me! Previously I’d learned a lot from older

players, but Gary has been an inspiration and informal teacher ever since we have worked together.

Every gig is a school day for me, ( after 30 years together ) and also an absolute blast. I look forward

to every gig too, wherever / whatever it is, so I feel truly blessed. 

(Below is a recent pic of Gary at a jazz gig)

 

 

[Mykesbass]

8 hours ago, BassTractor said:

 

I hope your experience in that record shop hasn't closed you down for Al DiMeola c.s.

 

Not at all! 

 

What this exchange did for me was to unlock for me what I really love about music. Swing, groove, arrangement and attitude. And it stopped me being too sniffly about more popular styles. 

[bassbiscuits]

Best formal lesson for me was a tutor called Thomas Lorenzo at Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts in 1998. I was in his class for a two-week summer school and his speciality was arrangement. He first got me thinking about how to use proper arrangements to make songs come alive. What a legend he is/was. Proper dude. 
 

Informal? Probably everything else that I learned from playing along to records. 

 

 

[bass_dinger]

My daughters' music teacher once told me "if you can't play it slowly, then you won't be able to play it fast."

 

 

[paul_5]

29 minutes ago, bass_dinger said:

My daughters' music teacher once told me "if you can't play it slowly, then you won't be able to play it fast."

 

 

True dat.

 

[Dankology]

11 hours ago, tauzero said:

I don't think I've had any single lesson that stands out as a major contributor - probably the biggest push was playing in the house band at an open mic night so I became quite adept at working out chord sequences and grace/passing notes on the fly.

 

I think the most useless lesson was at school. Dr Roy Massey, MBE, head of music, was evaluating that year's intake of pupils for membership of the choir. In turn, he would play a note on the piano to us and we each had to sing the note. It came to my turn. "Ding" "Laaaa". "Dang" "Laaaa". "Dong" "Laaaa". "Zero," he said, "you have an ear like an old boot". Words that have stayed with me for 55 years.

I had a very similar experience in my first year of secondary school: asked to sing a verse of Good King Wenceslas in front of a class of 30 boys. "Unremarkable" was the quietly crushing verdict.

 

I'm still horrifically self-conscious of my singing, to the point it nearly caused a major argument at soundcheck tonight.

 

If angers me that the process was based entirely on identifying easy wins for the choir/other school stuff, rather than nurturing potential. But I'm fairly certain that I'm the only person fron that cohort gigging at a professional level so what did they know?

[Richard R]

The most encouraging thing was a comment made by a friend and great musician at church when I first took a borrowed bass to him and asked if he could show me how to play.

"Yep, you're a bass player".

He died not long afterwards and I am still trying to live up to that statement seven years later.

[Stub Mandrel]

13 minutes ago, Dankology said:

I had a very similar experience in my first year of secondary school: asked to sing a verse of Good King Wenceslas in front of a class of 30 boys. "Unremarkable" was the quietly crushing verdict.

 

I'm still horrifically self-conscious of my singing, to the point it nearly caused a major argument at soundcheck tonight.

 

If angers me that the process was based entirely on identifying easy wins for the choir/other school stuff, rather than nurturing potential. But I'm fairly certain that I'm the only person fron that cohort gigging at a professional level so what did they know?

 

Me too. They failed whole generations who could have benefited from a bit of instruction and encouragement.

 

The jokes on them as I never suffered being in a choir, and get to play being a rock star at weekends 😁

[Lozz196]

Similar for me, wasn’t allowed to be in the choir at school, couldn’t sing apparently 

 

Good job I got into punk I suppose……..

[bassbiscuits]

Yup I dropped music lessons at school at the first chance because I hated them - unengaging, badly taught and with no element of performance at all. It was some bloke rambling on about classical composers which meant nothing to a bunch of 1980s teenagers. 
 

Sad really as I’ve spent my whole life playing and relying on my own devices. Seems to have worked out ok.

Edited October 26 by bassbiscuits

[SimonK]

I quite liked music lessons at school, especially GCSE/A-levels - lots of young ladies whose parents wouldn't let them go to gigs or busking (which we did most weekends & holidays) unless I went with them... this one time, at band camp... 🙂 

[Heathy]

8 hours ago, SimonK said:

I quite liked music lessons at school, especially GCSE/A-levels - lots of young ladies whose parents wouldn't let them go to gigs or busking (which we did most weekends & holidays) unless I went with them... this one time, at band camp... 🙂 

I think that you need to clarify whether you were a fellow student or the teacher!  

[SimonK]

24 minutes ago, Heathy said:

I think that you need to clarify whether you were a fellow student or the teacher!  

 

Student - definitely student!!!

[Beedster]

Best lesson ever? Seeing a video of myself gigging fretless. On stage I assumed I looked/sounded like a cross between Jaco and Jamerson. I was very wrong. Just as Richie Benaud used to say ‘There’s only three things wrong with the England Cricket Team - they can’t bat, they can’t bowl, and they can’t field….’, there were only three things wrong with my playing; tuning, timing, and tone 🤫

[Bass Novice]

On 24/10/2024 at 11:02, diskwave said:

Not so much persons etc but technique, and it's.... Jazz. Study Jazz, learn the board so you can walk all over it. I'd say in general the best bassists in our time have been good Jazzers. Sorry thats not quite what ur looking for but I think its important. 

 

What is so good about jazz that makes for good bassists?

[OliverBlackman]

23 minutes ago, Bass Novice said:

 

What is so good about jazz that makes for good bassists?

Jazz typically teaches you more about harmony than other genres, because standards are typically repetitive in form but not in the notes that are played.

To play jazz you need to fully understand the notes available, how they make up the chords, how you can manipulate the sound, and how you can solo through changes.

This is not necessarily the case across all genres but learn these key fundamentals and you should be able to navigate a tune in any other genre. 

[StingRayBoy42]

On 24/10/2024 at 16:59, ahpook said:

"Turn up on time and be nice."

Amazing how many people don't know this simple trick!

[Rosie C]

On 24/10/2024 at 10:53, ARGH said:

Who has been your best tutor, the one person..or persons that gave you something that lasted, you may even still use what they taught to this day.

 

A recorder teacher at a residential weekend. We were playing in a quartet, and she explained the importance of being aware if you had the third of the chord, and if you did to make sure you played a little sharp if it was a minor chord, and a little flat for a major chord. That blew my musical mind, opening up a world away from equal temperament. 

 

[Stub Mandrel]

11 hours ago, Bass Novice said:

 

What is so good about jazz that makes for good bassists?

 

I teaches harmony, but it's usually pretty pedestrian on the rhythmic side.

[Stub Mandrel]

3 minutes ago, Rosie C said:

 

A recorder teacher at a residential weekend. We were playing in a quartet, and she explained the importance of being aware if you had the third of the chord, and if you did to make sure you played a little sharp if it was a minor chord, and a little flat for a major chord. That blew my musical mind, opening up a world away from equal temperament. 

 

 

It's quite a surprise/revelation to find yourself doing this on a fretless.

[BassTractor]

3 minutes ago, Rosie C said:

 

A recorder teacher at a residential weekend. We were playing in a quartet, and she explained the importance of being aware if you had the third of the chord, and if you did to make sure you played a little sharp if it was a minor chord, and a little flat for a major chord. That blew my musical mind, opening up a world away from equal temperament. 

 

Great stuff, and IME most singers would do that naturally ...
.. sadly with the exception of my ex-girlfriend, who had a great voice but who'd sing the 3rd in a VIm just like the 1st in the I chord. Ground my gears, that. 😀

[diskwave]

12 hours ago, Bass Novice said:

What is so good about jazz that makes for good bassists?

Yep as above harmony. It teaches you play away from the root of a tune which in itself opens up an entire new way of looking at music. But its not just that. Jazz encompasses so many styles, sub genres etc.... But if all u want to do is for eg play punk, simple rock, or country then it doesnt really matter to much.