4-String Flyboy Posted March 30, 2005 Share Posted March 30, 2005 I'm about to have my regularly scheduled @$$ wipping from my bass instructor this evening. Although I enjoy the lessons and learn a lot, I always get stressed out before the lessons. Is this normal, or am I just completely unworthy? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basshappi Posted March 30, 2005 Share Posted March 30, 2005 Totally normal. I completely understand the feeling of "unworthiness", it will pass. Don't worry, you will get used to the stress of being "on" before long and much of that anxiety will disappear. However,I will say that your description of your lesson as being an a** whipping does concern me. If your instructor is doing or saying things that are deliberately intimidating, then you are in a bad situation. I don't think this is what you meant, but if it is you need to find different instructor. Best of luck with your lessons. Cheers! Nothing is as it seems but everything is exactly what it is - B. Banzai Life is what happens while you are busy playing in bands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicfiend Posted March 30, 2005 Share Posted March 30, 2005 The real question being imposed is: What can I do to stop being so nervousr before a lesson? The answer: BE PREPARED! When I went to my lessons I would have to be prepared for anything, that means memorizing my key signatures, being ready to come up with a bassline on the fly or bring i something beforehand and then write it out for the teach. I also had to be able to walk up scales with triads or sevenths. Instead of getting nervous the day of your lesson, get prepared the week before. Hiram Bullock thinks I like the band volume too soft (but he plays guitar). Joe Sample thinks I like it way too loud (but he plays piano). -Marcus Miller Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DONUTHOLE Posted March 30, 2005 Share Posted March 30, 2005 Yeah. I guess the "A$@ whipping" concerns me as well. Is the teacher wasting time "Jacoing" to show off instead of starting off with the fundamentals of the bass guitar? It all comes in time. Gotta learn how to walk before running. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4-String Flyboy Posted March 30, 2005 Author Share Posted March 30, 2005 Ok. Maybe the @$$ whipping is the wrong statement. He doesn't degarade or make me feel stupid. He certainly doesn't do the Jaco thing. i prepare the best I can, but I don't always know what he's gonna cover during the next lesson. After the lesson tonight, I pinpointed what it is that stresses me out. The first is that my rote memory sucks, so when we practice something, it take me several attempts before it "sticks". Tonight, he kept asking me what the minor third of a chord was. I kept answering with the minor third down from the chord. I need to do a better job of distinguishing "of" and "down from" in my head. Of course, once I realized my brain fart, I answered correctly. I noticed I made this mistake twice tonight. The other thing is sight reading. Can't do it for squat. I need to spend much more time on that. I can read, but I'm super slow. At least now I have "Autum Leaves", "Ladybird" and "Bach in Cm" to read from. The latter is super fun to play. It's wierd, because I've been playing for about 15 years, but didn't start getting formal instruction until just over a year ago. I don't get nervous playing in front of the audience, but I just feel so dang unworthy in front of my instructor. I guess it's the fact that he can easily assess my skill and point out my weaknesses. But I guess that's what I'm paying him for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Brown Posted March 30, 2005 Share Posted March 30, 2005 My second URB teacher missed my first lesson because his band was in Washington playing Ronald Reagan's Inaugural Ball. He went from the North Texas One O'Clock lab band to a steady gig with Ray Price. A monster, who really intimidated me. I was prepared every lesson, but still fell apart. He used to walk out of my lessons and let me practice. One day, I realized he was just another man, like me. That day, I had my first, best lesson, followed by 3 more years. I teach a lot like he does to this day. Fact is, your teacher has something, does something at a level you desire. But he is a real person, there to help you. Just be real, and realize his own humanity, and you'll be okay. Yep. I'm the other voice in the head of davebrownbass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy c Posted March 30, 2005 Share Posted March 30, 2005 Your teacher is there to help you. He understands (or should) when you are having trouble. I've had plenty of students show visible nervousness. I try to reassure them that I'm just a person and I am there to help them. Maybe if you can learn to play for your teacher without getting nervous then you will be able to play for any audience in the world without being nervous. Free download of my cd!. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Friedland Posted March 30, 2005 Share Posted March 30, 2005 I see it all the time. Students get nervous in lessons and make mistakes, no matter how well prepared they claim to be. I usually try to diffuse the situation by picking my nose or something... Seriously, in cases where the student really HAS practiced a lot, I find they come in with the expectation that they're really going to nail it and "show me" how well they've done. But if they make the slightest error, or have a moment's hesitation, they start to crumble. This is often a result of them feeling like they're not allowed to make a mistake. In extreme cases, I make them take the pledge - "I (insert your name here) do hereby give myself permission to make mistakes." That often sets things in the right direction. I tell them how I make mistakes all the time. I've just become very skilled at covering my @$$. Now, if the student HASN'T been practicing and they make mistakes, that's understandable. I use the lesson time to reinforce the material and send them home to try again. www.edfriedland.com The Bass Whisperer Bass Whisperer TV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davo-London Posted March 30, 2005 Share Posted March 30, 2005 Had lessons with England's only full-time harmonica tutor. The guy was a complete clown. He would have folk wonder into my session and jam along. Man it was dreadful. I have drum lessons now and the instructor is my age and we get on great. Don't feel you have to stick with the same tutor. Sometimes it's best to move on. "We will make you bob your head whether you want to or not". - David Sisk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy c Posted March 30, 2005 Share Posted March 30, 2005 Student nervousness is a strange thing. My wife teaches voice. She has taught many recording artists. And if she goes out to actually hear one of them live, she has to hide behind a pole or something so they will not see her from stage and totally freak out. I've actually heard someone say on stage to an audience of 3000, "Oh, no, my voice teacher is here, I can't sing anymore". Free download of my cd!. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattC Posted March 30, 2005 Share Posted March 30, 2005 If you want to really go far, having a teacher that puts the fear of God in you is a good thing. Learn how to practice and perform for the forgiving instructor and it'll make juries and auditions that much easier. That is not to say that teachers should be @$$es, but rather for the students- if you think that you'll never be as good as your instructor, that's a good sign. My teacher, he would give me a nice long series of chord changes and have me play through them during the week. Come lesson time, I'd pull out the sheet and he his guitar and we'd play along to them. After this was done satisfactorially, he'd tell me to put away the sheet and he'd play the chords from memory and have me play a bass line under them from memory. Talk about stressful- these were on the order of 40-some-odd chord progressions. But it worked- as I'd stumble and crumble, he'd give me tips on how not to remember the chords but the sequence. Next we'd switch keys and play blindy again, and I could. Need a confidence boost or cut? Tape it, baby! Metronomes and tape can bring the biggest ego down to its knees but can also show you how you are progressing. Tape yourself before every lesson and go back a few weeks later, re-record the same material and compare. ...think funky thoughts... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4-String Flyboy Posted March 30, 2005 Author Share Posted March 30, 2005 Thanks for the replies. I've been wanting to start recording the lessons. Didn't think to record the practice. That's a good idea. I hope I didn't give the impression that my instructor is and @$$. He's FAR from it. I can sometimes sense when I'm driving him to drink, but he's always cool about it. I'm just a slow learner. But once I learn something, it sticks! I guess I was just faster. He can explain something during a lesson, and I'll have difficulty recalling it for a few minutes. Then something clicks, and I get it. Oh well. At least I can tell that my playing has improved quite a bit over the last year. I just wish I didn't get stressed out before each lesson. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruiser_dup2 Posted March 31, 2005 Share Posted March 31, 2005 My attitude is that the teacher works for me; he is my employee. I hire him to work with me and I pay him to work on what I want to do, just like any other employee. Yes, I respect him for his abilities, and that's why I hired him. A lot of the people in my day job have different or more developed abilities in some areas, and that's why I want them working for me. In the case of the bass teacher, the product we're building is a better bass player-- me. We both work at it to the best of our abilities, and some days the product works, some days it doesn't. Nothing to be nervous about. It's music, not nuclear weapons. But if despite our best efforts, it's just not working out to my satisfaction, well, I just might have to let him go. Bruiser Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicfiend Posted March 31, 2005 Share Posted March 31, 2005 Originally posted by Bruiser: My attitude is that the teacher works for me; he is my employee. I hire him to work with me and I pay him to work on what I want to do, just like any other employee. Yes, I respect him for his abilities, and that's why I hired him. A lot of the people in my day job have different or more developed abilities in some areas, and that's why I want them working for me. In the case of the bass teacher, the product we're building is a better bass player-- me. We both work at it to the best of our abilities, and some days the product works, some days it doesn't. Nothing to be nervous about. It's music, not nuclear weapons. But if despite our best efforts, it's just not working out to my satisfaction, well, I just might have to let him go. Bruiser ....Um Yea, teach...did you get the memo about the tps reports..I'm gonna need you to come in saturday, ok Super. Hiram Bullock thinks I like the band volume too soft (but he plays guitar). Joe Sample thinks I like it way too loud (but he plays piano). -Marcus Miller Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4-String Flyboy Posted March 31, 2005 Author Share Posted March 31, 2005 Originally posted by musicfiend: Um Yea, teach...did you get the memo about the tps reports..I'm gonna need you to come in saturday, ok Super. That's hilarious! I just watched that on Saturday. How much time do you actually spend reading TPS reports? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silver32012 Posted April 1, 2005 Share Posted April 1, 2005 I agree with most of the other posts. Getting nervous is a natural feeling to have before a lesson. I used to get it lots. Once I got comfortable with the environment and the teacher then it wasn't a problem. As far as the sight reading goes, I wouldn't sweat that. Sight reading is one of the most difficult musical skills to master. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deanmass Posted April 2, 2005 Share Posted April 2, 2005 I would do two things. Practice more (or less if you are overdoing it) Find a 2nd teacher, and take a lesson. See if the feeling follows the teacher or the student. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aldena Posted April 2, 2005 Share Posted April 2, 2005 Originally posted by Ed Friedland: I see it all the time. Students get nervous in lessons and make mistakes, no matter how well prepared they claim to be. I usually try to diffuse the situation by picking my nose or something... How strange.... Right when I was reading this..... I realized I was picking MY nose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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