Today, my daughter became a bass player

[Mark Zeger]

I bought her a Blue Agave Fender MIM Jazz for her birthday. We surprised her with it today. I haven't bought the combo amp yet but she'll probably end up with the used SWR WM15. She's making do with a small Peavey practice amp that I had in storage.

 

(Actually, the bass is for more reason than her birthday. Over the past 6 months, she participated in 2 NY State juried performances on trumpet and receive scores of 96 and 97 out of 100 scale. So I agreed that she could start another instrument.)

 

I've been hearing her noodling around on it all day. I'll get her a method book next week. Until then, I've showed her the first position notes across the fretboard but, mostly, she's just having fun playing by ear.

 

Earlier tonight, she tells me to come hear her play something: "Dum-dum-dum-dukka-dum-dum...Under Pressure".

 

Then she asks me "Dad, in the morning can we go over ii-V-Is?"

 

My teenage daughter wants to play ii-V-Is?!?

 

 

I love being a Dad.

[Dave Brown]

Gave me a grin too.

 

Life don't much better'n that.

 

Two-fives, eh? Wow.

[BigKahuna855]

that is awesome man!

 

...how old is she?

 

just kidding, hope her chops dont end up blowing you away!

[EddiePlaysBass]

Très cool The world needs more bass players

[Phil W]

Congrats Mark, you must be proud, I hope something similar happens to me with my son one day!

[Mark Zeger]

You might wonder how she first learned about ii-V-I.

 

The big Maroon 5 hit "All I Need (Sunday Morning)" is just ii-V-I throughout. One day when she was listening to it, I took her to the piano and explained ii-V-I.

 

Next stop, walking "All The Things You Are".

[suspendedindusk]

That's awesome! It's great that she has such a supportive parent. I wish mine were. It took my mom 15 years to tell me that she was proud of me for what I've done with my music. Before that, she was always hinting against it.

[Seamy ALB]

Thats cool man, I hope to do something like that some day. When I first started playing music my parents thought I'd lost the plot but when I put myself through college with it they changed their tune (pun intended). I think its great to see this support.

[Bass_in_August]

Hey man,

 

I'de like to offer my congrats as well, getting into bass earlier is one of my bigger regrets, like the guys said above to have a supportive parent is pricless, of late my dad has been pushing me to really make a go of my music and that would have been completly unheard of about a year ago

 

Best of luck man

[davebassman]

So when does she join us here on the Lowdown?

[_Sweet Willie_]

That's great.

 

Wish her the best in her expanding musical life!

 

Peace.

--SW

[moot]

Awesome. It is amazing that a teenager would get serious enough about something like this to commit time and energy. You must be doing something right Mark!

 

I have been suggesting piano lessons to my 8 year old in sideways hope of getting a keyboardist some day but he too wants to play bass. *sigh*

[bassdrummer]

She has begun her journey of discovering the power of the Low Side of The Force.

[kenfxj]

Mark - Congratulations! You have succeeded in your fatherly duties. Alas, my two beautiful daughters have become a guitarist and a drummer. (Where have I failed?)

[butcherNburn]

Congrats!!! I wish I had an influence like you.

 

Wow another trumpet to bass player.. I once asked about this but I was told there was no connection...

 

If she can pick up a bit of the keys too (and if she doesn't already, probably will, thanks to you) she'll be a force to be reconed with. Just remember, it's pride that hits you when your children surpass you.. You have a wealth of knowledge, I suggest that you start working on a 2 bass band...

 

BTW.. when I think Blue Agave, I think Tequilla.

[saxofunk]

Very cool Mark!

 

I have two boys, one just turned four and figured out how to blow a sax rather than sing through it. He can't even hold the horn, it's a tenor, but that's just reason to get an alto that he can start learning sooner. Maybe his little brother will go for the bass.

[ATM]

Very cool. Nothing like a musical family. I wish my parents had been more into instruments, but they supported my bass playing and raised me with music.

 

ATM

[Soundcrafter]

I'm another trumpet/bass player! My dad and brother both play trumpet to boot, but I'm the first to delve into the rhythm section. I played drums in my early years for a while. Congrats on such an astute daughter, it's become rare to see young people truly into playing music.

[veganeric]

Add another to the trumpet/bass column.

 

That's very cool that she's picking it up so quickly!

[Mr. Phil]

Originally posted by Mark Zeger:

Next stop, walking "All The Things You Are".

I have to interject here, that song is my favorite, most fun-est song to play on.

[Tom Capasso]

Looks like you are building your own family band. Congrats on her musical moves !!

 

She still has to do NYSSMA at the all-state level. You can tell her I said that, because of course she doesn't!

 

After the II-V-I, get her your basic 12-bar blues and show her how many songs in how many genres use it.

 

Best to you guys!

Tom

[WickedBassPlayer]

That's awesome to hear. I'm hoping someday, one of my 3 kids will show an interest in music. My daughter bangs away on the old piano, so maybe there's hope. Cherish the moment, doesn't get better than that right now!

[Mark Zeger]

Originally posted by ATM:

Nothing like a musical family.

What's cool is that soon after my oldest took up trumpet 4 years ago, I started studying it again.

 

Then, my middle daughter started playing French horn a year ago. She got a perfect score on her first NYSMMA performance a month ago.

 

My youngest is a year away from starting an instrument, but she has already made a choice: TUBA. Seriously. She's already tried playing one and she can. I encouraged her to try trombone because it affords more different playing opportunities. Also, tuba parts can be dull. Painfully dull. But, she's sold on playing tuba.

 

In a few years, we'll have an in-house brass quartet.

[basses_arent_fish]

Originally posted by Mark Zeger:

My youngest is a year away from starting an instrument, but she has already made a choice: TUBA. Seriously. She's already tried playing one and she can. I encouraged her to try trombone because it affords more different playing opportunities. Also, tuba parts can be dull. Painfully dull. But, she's sold on playing tuba.

My band teacher would love her... she plays tuba as her primary instrument. And as I am usually forced to read tuba music in school band, I can attest to the fact that not... much... happens.... I counted up one of our pieces, we have 94 bars of rest and 20 of playing.

 

I was lucky to be born into a musical family - my mom is a singing teacher. I was always surrounded by music, but never forced to do lessons. I seem to have turned out alright - I've always been in love with music.

[JBFLA]

Originally posted by Mark Zeger:

... I encouraged her to try trombone because it affords more different playing opportunities. Also, tuba parts can be dull. Painfully dull. But, she's sold on playing tuba.

 

In a few years, we'll have an in-house brass quartet.

My daughter played trombone in elem school band for two years before discovering Girls' Softball and Hoops. That's OK - she's very good at both, and still wants my old 'Ray. We had a lot of fun practicing together.

 

...and she reads better than I do! I tell her my eyesight is going away at this age - she says "You just don't practice enough!"

 

I musta done something right - and it sounds like you have too.

 

Congrats Mark!

 

Jim

[Caevan O’Shite]

Mark, that's great!

 

My friend's niece played violin in school, and is now picking up guitar. I've been doing all I can to encourage her; I think it's great when kids (or anyone, for that matter, but especially kids) get interested in guitar or bass. I feel like I've got to do my part to "further the cause"...

[way2fat]

Let me relate a true story that will help to point out how fortunate you are: My then 7th grade daughter was first clarinet at her Jr. High. She dropped band because she wanted to play in the jazz band and the %^& music teacher told her no, because "There are no clarinets in jazz."

[Mark Zeger]

way2fat:

 

I wonder if Marcus Miller's school music teacher told him there were no bass clarinets in jazz?

 

I almost made that mistake with my middle daughter, the French horn player. She asked me if she could play horn in jazz ensemble when she goes to middle school next year. I tried to explain to her that there weren't typically French horn parts written for that level of jazz ensemble.

 

Then, I played her some Miles with Gil Evans, pointed out the French horns and that made her happy.

 

There's an ensemble at the Eastman School of Music here called a "studio orchestra". It's the Eastman Jazz Ensemble augmented by a small string section, some woodwinds, French horns and tuba. It's the type of group you might hear backing a singer recording jazz standards. It's a great opportunity for violin, French horn, and other "classical focused" students to play in a jazz setting. Sounds absolutely amazing.

[SpookyKid]

That's great! Sounds like she's going to pick up very quickly and before you know it, she will be showing you some tricks.