Wow the bokeh is pretty awesome
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Just curious - is the Bass Guitar the first musical instrument youâve ever played? If so - pretty amazing! If not - what was your musical experience previous to taking up bass?
Thanks!
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@SteveAG evening buddy, Iâve never picked up any type of instrument before, like most of us though a huge devourer of music over a lifetime.
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Not much, @SteveAG, I had an old, nylon stringed acoustic guitar at university that I learnt chords on, but that was over 30 years ago. Using those chords, I thought I could write songs, but to say I was cr@p is an understatement!
I really enjoy the bass and play most days, much to my wifeâs annoyance!
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Impressive progress, IMHO. Iâve been taking in-person weekly lessons for just over a year - but am not as far along as you are. I practice about 45m-1h15m 5-6 days a week.
I guess the important thing is that weâre each improving every week. My challenge is timekeeping/rthym - although Iâm working on it.
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Interesting. I wonder whether a lot of folks who take the online B2B type courses have never played another instrument prior?
Other than âbeating aroundâ on an acoustic guitar I have no prior musical experience either.
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@SteveAG my apologies for rely I thought your question was to me.
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Thank you @SteveAG. I agree that itâs about trying to make incremental improvement. Todayâs was playing different versions of songs I know, but in different keys and at different bpms.
I am thinking about signing up for the Dan Hawking Funk Bass course - Funk Bass Course - Online Bass Courses - I could do with some structure again, rather than just hearing yet another song I want a go at (I heard two today while in a cafe with my familyâŚ).
The journey weâre all on really coolâŚ!
Why did you pick in person lessons over something like B2B?
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No need for apologies. It was basically an open-ended question to anyone (in addition to the OP).
The more - the merrier 
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I know where youâre at - hearing songs on the radio and adding them to your âIâd like to play thatâ list. Just added E.C.âs version of I Shot the Sheriffâ today.
I retired recently and there was a roughly 30 year old Yamaha bass that our son left here with a broken string. I got new strings for it and bought a decent practice amp. I used to bang around on it when I walked in our sonâs old bedroom every now and then - but really had no idea what I was doing. I wanted to be more structured and learn the instrument better than banging around would yield. My wife was in a music store - buying a used cello. The salesman professed that he knew little about cellos - as he plays upright and electric bass. He was in the USAF band for 26 years. I asked whether he gave electric bass lessons - which he does. So I set up a meeting with him to see whether it would be a good arrangement for both of us. So, Iâve been taking a weekly lesson for just over a year. As I started looking at online bass resources I discovered the main online courses that can be purchased. At the time I made this discovery I was already well invested in in-person lessons. I wouldnât mind trying the online courses - but, between my wife and I, weâre already spending around $350 a month on in-person lessons (she takes violin and cello lessons). So, if I give the online courses a shot I will want to stop the in-person lessons for a while - both from a budgeting standpoint as well as not trying to serve two bass masters at once (so to speak).
I watch Dan Hawkins free weekly (short) lesson and like him and his teaching style a lot. Originally I didnât like Mark (from TalkingBass) as much - due to his very energetic personality. Recently heâs been growing on me - as he seems (to me) to know his stuff and also be good at presenting it.
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Follow this little lesson @SteveAG and youâll be knocking it out of the park on this song before you know it.
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In my experience, Mark is a phenomenal teacher. The amount, depth and worth of the information he imparts is unrivaled by any online bass resource, and, Iâd bet, any in-person teacher as well.
Granted, his presentation is more intense than most other online instructors, but I believe it springs from his enthusiasm for bass and a sincere desire to share help students learn.
I have many of his college music school-level courses and they are excellent.
I sure wasnât disrespecting Mark at all. Just saying that, I wasnât initially enthusiastic about his delivery. After seeing more of his content Iâve come to greatly value his work. Heâs grown on me. Part of my personality is that I tend to feel a connection with a more laid back delivery. No criticism- just pointing out that enthusiastic deliveries donât usually speak to me in the way that more laid back ones do.
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No worries. I didnât mean to suggest any disrespect on your part.
Markâs presentation initially didnât work for me, either. That said, I came to appreciate his style for the sincerity it is.
I didnât read your post as that I disrespect Mark. I kinda just thought that my initial post wasnât as clear as it could have been about saying what I was thinking - so I tried to clarify it a bit.
My experience with TalkingBass reinforces the idea that first impressions arenât always spot-on and itâs worthwhile to get some more experience with things and our thoughts might change.
I look forward to the weekly TalkingBass lessons now.