Hello all,
I am now on Module 4, Lesson 2 of the B2B course and I do not know if I am making very much progress. I really like Josh’s “positive” style and his style in his teaching. But I find myself making many mistakes and get the feeling that I am not progressing very much.
Until I discovered BassBuzz and the B2B course, I was taking lessons with an instructor at a local store of a national guitar & music store chain. I have taken 3 lessons there and am paid up for 1 more. But I think that I am going to stop taking lessons at the store and concentrate on the B2B course and its DVDs. The instructor at the store seems to be very skilled at playing the bass but when he talks, he talks very fast (due to his ethnic origin?) and I have asked him to slow down, which has helped a little. Between this and my less than best hearing, from working in loud factories for much of my life, my learning experience with him has been less than what I had hoped for.
He has had me playing short “lines” out of a Hal Leonard instruction book, but I am not sure what the title is. Anyway, I thought that I would stop taking the in-person lessons and just concentrate on my B2B DVDs. It is a 14-mile trip to the store and I would just as soon stay home and work at my own pace. Does this sound like the right way to go?
Being an absolute newbie at playing bass, I have a few questions. I see that the more accomplished bass players never have to look at the frets or strings and I have to look at the frets and where to put my fingers. How long does it take to where a person does not need to look at the frets & strings while playing? Months? Years?
Also, I was wondering if it would be a good idea of obtaining music for some of the more simple songs I would like to learn to play, such as songs by Creedence Clearwater and Steppenwolf (I am showing my age here). Is this how people really “learn” bass playing - by obtaining the music and practicing and memorizing the notes?
I am very sorry for asking these dumb questions, but I thought that maybe I could get some good advice here. Thanks for reading this and also for the encouragement that I have received in the past from the BassBuzz members!