Skip to content
My resume' for a ne...
 
Notifications
Clear all

My resume' for a new teacher

24 Posts
5 Users
0 Likes
1,989 Views
(@minotaur)
Noble Member
Joined: 16 years ago
Posts: 1089
Topic starter  

Thanks Chris.

Well, the deed is done. I'm signed up. My first lesson will be May 6th because this week is the 5th week of the month, which they reserve for make-ups and a breather. I've got a 6pm Wed. time slot. Same as my last class.

I spoke with a woman who was waiting for her daughter and 50 something husband to finish their lessons, with the instructor I'll have. The woman was singing his praises; both husband and daughter love the guy and are learning what they want. So it sounds good.

I have my edited down list of goals and things I think I need to learn and improve on. The co-ordinator said to definitely bring it and talk to him about it. I've even got my iTunes list printed out to show the type of music I like and want to learn (and learn from), and a couple of my chords sheets. She said bring it all.

I'm looking forward to this. :D

But I rained on my own parade about inquiring about the Ibanez acoustic-electric bass. It's $349.99 on sale + 7% for the state, and they do 90 day layaway! Probably a typical sales tactic in telling me he can't always get them: "Roll on up for the price is down; come on in for the best in town... name your price I've got everything... come on in it's going fast... " :roll: I'd put $75 down then $100 each month, or 3 payments of $175 and be done with it.

A new Ibanez acoustic bass in 'Dark Violin Sunburst', you want, don't need and can't play: $349.99 + tax
An additional set of lessons: $80/month
Having your partner hand you your head on a cake plate (too poor for a silver platter): Priceless!

Decisions, decisions!

It is difficult to answer when one does not understand the question.


   
ReplyQuote
(@minotaur)
Noble Member
Joined: 16 years ago
Posts: 1089
Topic starter  

First session was last night. This guy has a good sense of humor, is somewhat animated, though he says he's laid-back. I told him I want him to be a drill sgt. at times if I need it.

I spent a lot of the time talking about what I wanted as goals, where I was, what I can do and not do, want to do and not want to do. I said right now, I want to learn things like blues shuffle, work on 12 bar blues, reggae (if only to play Bad Boys :lol: ), chord/melody, which will probably be the time to revisit pentatonic scales, and things like that. I gave him a copy of the resume' I put together. He liked the idea. I told him about my aversion to pentatonic scales and why. He agreed that they won't do or mean much to me right now. We can do things like lead and solo much later. He said we'll do whatever I want to do... I tell him. As well as continuing to do what I've been doing on my own. I'll bring that to class as working material.

So when I mentioned blues shuffle and 12 bar blues, we started talking about it, I did a little, he whipped out his blank tabs and wrote out a 12 bar blues tab for me to work on. He gave me something a little more to work on than this, which was all I ever did (but it works for I Hear You Knocking):
--------------------------------------|
--------------------------------------|
--------------------------------------|
---------------------2-2-4-4--2-2-4-4-|
---2-2-4-4--2-2-4-4--0-0-0-0--0-0-0-0-|
---0-0-0-0--0-0-0-0-------------------| &c.

His exercise is
------------------------------------------------|
------------------------------------------------|
---------------------------2-2-4-4-6-6-4-4-2-2--|
---2-2-4-4-6-6-4-4-2-2-----0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0--|
---0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0--------------------------|
------------------------------------------------|

------------------------------------------------|
------------------------------------------------|
------------------------------------------------|
---------------------------2-2-4-4-6-6-4-4-2-2--|
---2-2-4-4-6-6-4-4-2-2-----0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0--|
---0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0--------------------------|

That's not the full 12 bars, of course, just to show. The progression is something like (I'm doing this from memory):
A D D A
D E E D
A A E D

So I've got the pinky working in there too, didn't before. And I have some chromatic finger exercises, but disciplining myself to not move my fingers so far from the strings. We're going to work on "efficiency of motion".

I'm looking forward to making progress.

Oh and btw... I've started a savings fund for the Ibanez acoustic bass (Gloss Black!) and amp.

It could be mine around Sept 12. :D I told my teacher about noodling around with bass later on... he said sure, we can do that too.

It is difficult to answer when one does not understand the question.


   
ReplyQuote
 cnev
(@cnev)
Famed Member
Joined: 21 years ago
Posts: 4459
 

Way to go Frank it sounds like you guys are on the same page and hopefully you won't feel frustrated the way you were the last time.

It's nice to have a teacher that is flexible which is like the guy I go to. You sound much more "organized" than I am and lately I've been wondering if I should change directions with my teacher as there are still many (OK there are always)many things that we don't work on that I need to.

I've concentrated on learning songs for the past year and a half and I've learned alot and there is good and bad.

The good is that I've learned alot of songs form beginning to end all fairly close to the original and some of the solo's. The other good thing is that learning all these songs has forced me to learn alot of new techniques along the way. The bad thing is if I go to an open mic which I have been no one else knows enough of the songs to play along with and I am not a solo performer.

what I need to do is get better at soloing so I can at least participate when they do some 12 bar blues. I mean I can jump in and solo to a 12 bar blues with mixed results and I think I can rhymically get in the groove but I don't always have the most interesting solo's and the speed is really lacking at least the kind of speed I would like.

But I'm my own worst enemy. I know just learning songs is not enough but that's what I keep asking him to do because every week I hear a new song and then get the itch to learn it.

"It's all about stickin it to the man!"
It's a long way to the top if you want to rock n roll!


   
ReplyQuote
(@minotaur)
Noble Member
Joined: 16 years ago
Posts: 1089
Topic starter  

Way to go Frank it sounds like you guys are on the same page and hopefully you won't feel frustrated the way you were the last time.

I told him I did not want to make the same mistakes I made twice before in not knowing the direction to go in, and just following the teacher's lead. And I keep giving the disclaimer that I'm not dogging my previous teacher, but our personalities did not mesh. He was very low key, it was hard to have a conversation; I have a goofy, twisted, warped, macabre sense of humor. The new guy seems twisted also.
It's nice to have a teacher that is flexible which is like the guy I go to. You sound much more "organized" than I am and lately I've been wondering if I should change directions with my teacher as there are still many (OK there are always)many things that we don't work on that I need to.

I've learned that you have to be organized. That's why I put that resume' together. It's going to serve as a checklist and "curriculum". "Plan your work, and work your plan". :wink: I showed him my colorful cheat sheets for all the natural scales, major and minor, as well as an abbreviated one for I IV V chords in each key.
I've concentrated on learning songs for the past year and a half and I've learned alot and there is good and bad.

The good is that I've learned alot of songs form beginning to end all fairly close to the original and some of the solo's. The other good thing is that learning all these songs has forced me to learn alot of new techniques along the way.

...

But I'm my own worst enemy. I know just learning songs is not enough but that's what I keep asking him to do because every week I hear a new song and then get the itch to learn it.

Sounds like me. I have a list of the songs I've been working on, and even though I can get through them, they are still on my "short list". But I think I may move them to a "completed" book so that if I want to play, those are the ones. I also removed some I added because I got that same itch you got. So, I will have 3 books... the huge one that has all the songs I eventually want to get to (94 at last glance :roll: ), the "working on" which will be kept to a minimum, and now the newly forming "can play".

He also reiterated what I've heard before... take a song in chunks and work on the parts that are giving you a hard time; don't keep working on what you can do easily. Those hard things for me are House of the Rising Sun arpeggio style (I can 6/8 strum it fine); full barre Fmaj and Bm; the 4 chords in My Sweet Lord I am unfamiliar with.

It is difficult to answer when one does not understand the question.


   
ReplyQuote
 cnev
(@cnev)
Famed Member
Joined: 21 years ago
Posts: 4459
 

Yea I do keep track of all the songs I've learned..still not exactly sure why and it's over 100 now. I can play all of them all the way through but the ones I haven't played in awhile I'd have to spend alittle time with to get the up to speed.

actually that just came up Tuesday. One of the guys we play with at the open mic's was mentioning the song Play that Funky Music, and it's a song I know but hadn't played in awhile so I had to break it out Wednesday and relearn it, but the good thing is that to "re-learn" these songs usually only takes a half hour or so now.

"It's all about stickin it to the man!"
It's a long way to the top if you want to rock n roll!


   
ReplyQuote
(@minotaur)
Noble Member
Joined: 16 years ago
Posts: 1089
Topic starter  

Speaking of our respective song lists, how many does one typically have? As I've said, I'm in the neighborhood of about 94-95. My goal is to be able to get to play them all one day. Oh sure, some are simply variations on a key, timing and strumming pattern by several different artists. So if you learn one of those 3-4-5 chord songs, you've learned them all, pretty much. Some are much tougher. But as Mark, my new teacher said, for a tough one (e.g. Sultans of Swing) you can always find an easier way to play it, then work up to the more difficult (as written?) version.

I know I'm getting way ahead of myself, but hear me out...

If I were to play with others, let's say a garage band that plays backyard bbqs or Bar Mitzvahs (yes, seen videos) or birthdays, etc. I guess we would pick out other songs maybe from my book, or from Joey Baggadonuts's, or from Frankie Fafandone's and learn them if we are that proficient at playing. Yeah? I saw the list of songs that the band one of the teachers plays in plays on request, and hoo boy! is it long!

It is difficult to answer when one does not understand the question.


   
ReplyQuote
 cnev
(@cnev)
Famed Member
Joined: 21 years ago
Posts: 4459
 

Well let's see if this posts but here's my list. Like I said I don't really know why I keep this list it doesn't really serve any useful purpose other than for those Alzheimer moments when i can't remember what songs I've learned, but if I can't remember them chances are I won't remember the whole song either and I have to "re-learn" it

  • 30 Days in the Hole Humble Pie
    867-5309 Jenny Tommy Tutone
    Ain't it Fun GNR
    All My Life Foo Fighters
    All Right Now Free
    American Woman Guess Who
    Back in Black AC/DC
    Badge Cream
    Bang a Gong T Rex
    Beer drinkers and Hellraisers ZZ Top
    Birthday Beatles
    Black Magic woman Santana
    Blue on Black Kenny Wayne Shepard
    Boom Boom The Animals
    Born to be Wild Steppenwolf
    Bring Me to Life Evanescence
    Buddy Holly Weezer
    Californication RHCP
    Call Me Blondie
    Call Me the Breeze Lynard Skynard
    Can't get Enough Bad Company
    Cocaine Eric Clapton
    Cold Hard Bitch Jet
    Come Together Beatles
    Crazy little thing called love Queen
    Crazy on You Heart
    Day of the Eagle Robin Trower
    Electric Eye Judas Priest
    Enter Sandman Metallica
    Everlong Foo Fighters
    Everything Zen Bush
    Facedown Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
    Fool for the City Foghat
    Four Day Creep Humble Pie
    Funk #49 James Gang
    Get Up Stand Up Bob Marley
    Godzilla Blue Oyster Cult
    Goin Down Jeff Beck
    Good Riddance (Time of your Life) Greenday
    Got a line on You Spirit
    Hashpipe Weezer
    Headknocker Foreigner
    Hell's Bell's AC/DC
    Hey Joe Jimi Hendrix
    Hollywood Thin Lizzy
    Hot Rockin Judas Priest
    I just wanna make love to you Foghat
    I shot the sheriff Eric Clapton
    If you could only see Tonic
    In Memory of Elizabeth Reed Allman Brothers
    Jesus just left Chicago ZZ Top
    Kyrptonite 3 Doors Down
    La Grange ZZ Top
    Lit Up Buckcherry
    Livin after Midnight Judas Priest
    Love Removal Machine The Cult
    Machinehead Bush
    Mama Kin Aerosmith
    Miami Counting Crows
    Mother Danzig
    Mr. Jones Counting Crows
    Nobody to depend On Santana
    Paranoid Black Sabbath
    Play that Funky Music Wild Cherry
    Pork and Beans Weezer
    Prayer to God Shellac
    Purple Haze Jimi Hendrix
    Rebel Rebel Bowie
    Redhouse Jimi Hendrix
    Rock n Roll Ain't Noise Pollution AC/DC
    Rockstar Nickelback
    Rocky Mountain Way Joe Walsh
    Roots, Rock, Reggae Bob Marley
    Round Here Counting Crows
    Sad But True Metallica
    Satisfaction Rolling Stones
    School's Out Alice Cooper
    Secret Agent Man Johnny Rivers
    Seek and Destroy Metallica
    Sex on Fire Kings of Leon
    Sgt. Peppers Beatles
    Shook me all Night Long AC/DC
    Simple Man Lynard Skynard
    Since U Been Gone Kelly Clarkson
    Smoke two Joints Sublime
    Smooth Criminal Alien Ant Farm
    Space Oddity Bowie
    Stone Cold Crazy Queen
    Strange Brew Cream
    Suffragette City Bowie
    Sunshine of your Love Cream
    Sweet Jane Lou Reed
    Takin Care of Business BTO
    Teenagers My Chemical Romance
    Thayer Street Dogmatics
    The Stroke Billy Squires
    Tie your mother down Queen
    Tighten Up Archie Bell and the Drells
    Too Rolling Stoned Robin Trower
    Troublemaker Weezer
    Two tickets to paradise Eddie Money
    Walk Away James Gang
    Walk This Way Aerosmith
    War Pigs Black Sabbath
    War with the World Foreigner
    We're an American Band Grand Funk
    White Room Cream
    White Wedding Billy Idol
    Wicked Game Chris Isaac
    Woman Wolfmother
    Yer Blues Beatles
    You Got Another Thing Comin Judas Priest
    Ziggy Stardust Bowie
  • "It's all about stickin it to the man!"
    It's a long way to the top if you want to rock n roll!


       
    ReplyQuote
    (@minotaur)
    Noble Member
    Joined: 16 years ago
    Posts: 1089
    Topic starter  

    Well let's see if this posts but here's my list. Like I said I don't really know why I keep this list it doesn't really serve any useful purpose other than for those Alzheimer moments when i can't remember what songs I've learned, but if I can't remember them chances are I won't remember the whole song either and I have to "re-learn" it

    Hey, that's a pretty good list. There are more than a few on there I may add to mine. I've scoured the internet and published song books for tabs and chord sheets, so I have all that to go along with my list.

    Here's what I have so far:

  • Across The Universe The Beatles
    Angie The Rolling Stones
    Bad Boys Inner Circle
    Bad Company Bad Company
    Bad Moon Rising Creedence Clearwater Revival
    Bang A Gong T Rex
    Blowin' In The Wind Bob Dylan & George Harrison
    Blue On Black Mark Selby
    Bolero Charo (I'm going to learn this!)
    California Dreaming The Mamas & The Papas
    Can't You See The Marshall Tucker Band
    Coconut Nilsson (like this is really hard... finger pick C7 for 3:48)
    Come Together The Beatles
    Could It Be Magic Barry Manilow
    Crying Roy Orbison
    Dream On Aerosmith
    Dust In The Wind Kansas
    End of the Line The Traveling Wilburys
    Every Breath You Take The Police
    Fields of Gold Sting
    Fire and Rain James Taylor
    For What It's Worth Buffalo Springfield
    For You Blue The Beatles
    Friends Led Zeppelin
    Get Back The Beatles
    Give Me One Reason Tracy Chapman
    Greensleeves Stevan Pasero
    A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall Bob Dylan
    Heart Of Gold Neil Young
    Here Comes The Sun George Harrison
    Hey Jude The Beatles
    Hold My Hand Hootie & The Blowfish
    Horse With No Name America
    Hotel California The Eagles
    House Of The Rising Sun The Animals
    How You Remind Me Nickelback
    I'm Your Captain/Closer to Home Grand Funk Railroad
    I Don't Know How To Love Him Andrew Lloyd Webber / Jesus Christ Superstar
    I Hear You Knocking Dave Edmunds
    I Heard It Through The Grapevine Marvin Gaye
    I Will Survive Gloria Gaynor
    Imagine John Lennon
    It's Too Late Carole King
    It Don't Come Easy Ringo Starr
    Jet Airliner Steve Miller Band
    Law and Order theme
    Lay Down Sally Eric Clapton
    Layla Eric Clapton
    Let It Be The Beatles
    Light My Fire an acoustic version
    Lola The Kinks
    Lonely People America
    Losing My Religion R.E.M.
    Maybe I'm Amazed Paul McCartney
    Me and Bobby McGee Janis Joplin
    Moondance Van Morrison
    My Sweet Lord George Harrison
    Night Moves Bob Seger
    The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down The Band
    Ode To Billy Joe Bobbie Gentry
    Only Wanna Be With You Hootie & The Blowfish
    Photograph Ringo Starr
    Proud Mary Creedence Clearwater Revival
    Rhiannon Fleetwood Mac
    Rock'n Me Steve Miller Band
    Runaway Train Soul Asylum
    Serenity Godsmack
    Sister Golden Hair America
    Sittin' On The Dock Of The Bay Otis Redding
    Something The Beatles
    Spirit In The Sky Norman Greenbaum
    Stairway To Heaven Led Zeppelin (maybe, maybe not)
    Stand by Me Ben E. King
    Still The Same Bob Seger
    Stuck in the Middle with You Stealers Wheel
    Sultans Of Swing Dire Straits
    Sundown Gordon Lightfoot
    Sunshine (Go Away Today) Jonathan Edwards
    Tears In Heaven Eric Clapton
    That's All Genesis
    This Masquerade Leon Russell
    Tight Rope Leon Russell
    Tin Man America
    Turn The Page Bob Seger
    Two Of Us The Beatles
    Venus Shocking Blue
    The Weight The Band
    Werewolves of London Warren Zevon
    While My Guitar Gently Weeps George Harrison
    Woodstock Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
    Working Class Hero John Lennon
    The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald Gordon Lightfoot
    Yesterday The Beatles
    You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet Bachman-Turner Overdrive
    You Don't Mess Around With Jim Jim Croce
    Your Song Elton John
  • I can't find Magic Mirror (Leon Russell) for love or money. I heard it's out of print. But someone has to have tabbed it.

    It is difficult to answer when one does not understand the question.


       
    ReplyQuote
    (@minotaur)
    Noble Member
    Joined: 16 years ago
    Posts: 1089
    Topic starter  

    Instead of a new thread whining, I mean describing the process of getting back into learning with a teacher, I have found a few bad habits I've developed while I was learning on my own, that I must correct.

    1. My practice habits suck! All I've been doing is trying to learn songs. I've neglected finger and hand exercises. For some (most?) open chords I cradle the neck in my hand. Not quite a baseball bat or death grip (the death grip has actually almost gone away, yay me! :D ). But I find my palm hitting the bottom of the neck, thereby making the e string often twang. Though I need to cradle it because if I don't, I seem to lose control of the neck. My thumb is usually where it should be. I just need to have more of a gap between my palm and the bottom of the neck.

    2. I am trying to play too fast; I find my fingers landing on the wrong strings, you know, either one sting up or one down. I can finger a note on the D string for example, but strick the A or G string. :roll: I simply haven't been slowing down and watching where my fingers are going. This is probably the reason my chord changes (some not all) are very rough and inaccurrate.

    3. This one I never considered and don't remember from last time... my fingers, mostly index finger, stick up and out from the fretboard when I am playing a chromatic scale for exercises, or any other series of notes. My teacher has a thing about "efficiency of movement" and likes to see the fingers very close to the fretboard to be ready to make a note. I'm trying, I'm trying! But that index finger sticks out. Kind of like people drinking tea with their pinky sticking out.

    Well, seeing it written out it's not as bad as all that. It seems slowing down and palying attention is the biggest issue. So if that helps any other newbies, I will be happy. :wink:

    It is difficult to answer when one does not understand the question.


       
    ReplyQuote
    Page 2 / 2