A Broad Bass Education Doesn't Work. A Narrow Education is Superior

[JeffBerlin]

Bryan,

I find most of Jeff's comments and views on electric bass education revolved on the discussion around "crafts" versus "arts." I believe his approach more focuses on the "crafts" side of playing an instrument, and he has mentioned a couple of times that he is not talking about creating "art" but rather he cares about the mechanics of playing an instrument, again not from a specific technical perspective but rather its musical aspects. Actually, that can be achieved by a "narrow" sort of education to me, the way Jeff describes. Don't get me wrong, I am not saying it is superior. In contrast, I think that sort of narrow focus leads most musicians being just musicians, but not artists. One can play the hell out of his/her instrument, but I find most such examples quite tasteless and it really does not appeal to me. Again, this is just my preference; one can like some of the stuff I find lame, and I won't get into that discussion. All good...

I believe reaching a level of certain aesthetics can be achieved either way; you can be extremely focused on your instrument, learn it to its fullest possible extent within a musical context, and then start looking for going over boundaries of the instrument and/or music. Most classically trained musicians who I can also refer to as artists fall in this category for me. Or you can approach the instrument just as another tool to create art. In this second approach, you are fed not only with music and music theory or the specifics of the instrument, but other subject matters (including, but not limited to, philosophy, literature, other forms of art, etc.) that would enhance your intellect and hence contribute to the way you create art. To me, the whole question is revolved around if I want to be an artist or a craftsman/woman.

I might have digressed from the topic a bit, but this is how I read most of the discussion, myself. Sometimes, I believe electric bass players take their instruments way too seriously! I do too, I take my instrument quite seriously. But I try not to get lost in some of the details of the instrument. Who cares? Some of the "artists" I respect a lot that use bass as their main instrument cannot even tell the most basic chord progression, let alone functional harmony. I personally picked a way for myself that is heavily involved with music theory, so day after day, I started caring less about my instrument... Maybe that is why I seldom listen to bass player albums, most of which I find distasteful.

Anyway, this is not to start flame wars but rather to share my two cents...

Best,

Alper

Thank you for your comments Alper. My view of being taught via narrow musical lessons works in an academic-for-pay learning environment.

What should accompany academic training is being self taught. Being self taught allows players to learn what isn't necessary to learn in music school.

Being self taught is not only a broad and diverse way to learn, but it is free, but for a reason; it is here where players are different and choose different avenues to learn from. Everyone chooses what CD's and live bands they wish to listen to. They choose with whom they will jam or gig. They choose what instrument, strings, amps and pedals they wish to experiment with as they seek a sound. Everything in the self taught experience is acquired from a broad variety of choices as one can imagine for themselves. It is here where 100% of every bass player that we ever heard found their musical thing.

There is a precedence that shows that literally every popular bass player acquired their special musical thing through being self taught. You can trust this precedence as it shows that if there is a history of function for everyone, then you qualify to benefit from the same experience.

A broad education in a music school shows me that the schools where the electric bass is taught don't teach music exclusively to their students for two reasons:

1. They might not have bass teachers capable of teaching musical content to their students as an exclusive method of teaching, or don't have enough lessons to teach their bass students continuously for two or more years of weekly musical assignments. Or,

2. It is likely that the bass teachers teaching at music schools are not interested in teaching music as an exclusive method to their bass students.

Other than these two reasons not to teach music exclusively, I can't seem to think of a third reason.

It has been said that there is more than one way to skin a cat. There are! But, if cat skinning was a career that one wished to enter, it would be wise to know that there are only one or two ways to skin animals successfully. If you haven't learned how to skin an animal correctly, it is possible to destroy the pelt. Thus, even here, a narrow education in "cat skinning" saves you years of wondering how to do this correctly. Bass educators should pay attention to how they teach people to skin an animal and teach their bass students in the same manner, just applying the details to music.