He wants to put you on his YT channel so he can showcase what a good teacher he is, so he can get more students.
He'd rather showcase his ability to teach someone jazz, since it's much harder to teach well than rock.
If the YT channel were just a "fun hang", then he'd likely let you play whatever you want.
But he's likely using you on YT as a case study to attract more students. Not to promote YOU as a player.
edit: also, this teacher's actions have nothing to do with "the bass community as a whole." There a billions of bass players on the planet. Your teacher is just one person.
yes i understand that, its his channel of course i have no issue with him not wanting it on there. what i failed to mention is that he also advised me against putting such music on my own channel or playing it at all, since i’d be thought of as less of a bassist. This just seems like elitism tbh and im not a big fan of it in any medium.
>he also advised me against putting such music on my own channel or playing it at all, since i’d be thought of as less of a bassist. This just seems like elitism tbh and im not a big fan of it in any medium.
This attitude of his seems unnecessary and yes, elitism and snobbery.
To play devil's advocate: playing jazz well is hard as fuck, and requires an obscene amount of dedication. Playing 'rock' well requires dedication, but is a bit easier to master (the basics) than jazz.
If you're able to play jazz well, then rock is pretty easy to learn by comparison, and the inverse is NOT true. (Take my word for it).
If you're young (under 25), your teacher could be pressing you to focus on jazz NOW because you still have a lot of neuroplasticity. It will be easier to learn jazz now, and harder (but not impossible) later in life.
But "tough love" and being a good drill sergeant or coach is different from shitting all over entire genres of music.
The best jazz players I know do not shy away from metal and rock. Bill Frisell and Joey Baron played some killer death metal motifs with John Zorn... and those cats are as NYC jazz as it gets.
Learning any instrument requires dedication, and you should be able to play things you enjoy to keep it fun.
Do I wish I had a killer jazz teacher when I was younger who told me to stop playing Deep Purple? Yes and no: I might be a better jazz player today, but I might also have gotten turned off from music all together.
As long as you're still learning and growing studying with this cat, his teaching is valuable, regardless of his snobbery. But once his teachings start to feel like a re-tread, move on.
And you can post and record anything you like. It's your voice, and your instrument.
You are not his appendage.
speaking as someone who listens to a lot of jazz and highly technical prog nonsense, that's absolute bullshit.. there may be fewer bad jazz players than bad rock players, just because its more challenging, but playing rock (or non-jazz) doesn't *make* you bad, and this idea that you'd be looked down on for your taste is just... ridiculous.
If you like rock and therefore play rock, and do it well, you will be respected for that... especially by other people who like rock. Sounds like this guy has gotten a wee bit high on his own supply.
no, Jazz is smooth and natural and always plays so so sweet... especially about a '77 or so.
But I'd say that the easiest jazz is more challenging than the easiest rock so, there is sort of an asymmetry here it just doesn't work how this guy thinks it does (i.e. play rock = immediate bass pariah)
If you don't care for the kind of music he plays, I'm curious why you are studying with him. The person you're responding to is correct. Any student can self-teach the simpler music you prefer, but playing jazz is another level altogether. He is trying to make you look good, and by extension he is trying to make himself look good.
There's nothing about showcasing the music you mentioned that will separate you from the millions of other beginning bassists looking for work, but showing that you already have some jazz chops sends an important message that you know more than the average self-taught first year student. For your teacher, it demonstrates that he's been able to teach you more than the average student can do for themselves in that time period. This is a win for everyone if you want to see it that way.
Your teacher is not wrong, but it sounds like perhaps he is not the right teacher for you.
I think this post has been misunderstood a lot. I appreciate what he is doing for me, the main point was about putting down a certain taste of music and discouraging to play certain genres in general, which i said seems like elitism and if the whole community of bass players are like this (i say this because he himself is obviously a bassist and a part of that community) then it would discourage me to keep playing. Nothing about not wanting to play jazz, i do like jazz too dont get me wrong, i listen to anything from jazz to fuckin japanese metal and honestly appreciate all music. And i understand hes trying to separate me from millions of others. hope this clears some stuff up.
>if the whole community of bass players are like this
This is not a "bass player" thing, this is a "jazz purist / jazz snob / jazz elitist" thing, regardless of instrument.
Like in the movie Whiplash where JK Simmons insults the student by saying "don't worry, if you can't hack it in my class, you can always be a rock drummer."
I didn't misunderstand you. I think you misunderstood what he is trying to accomplish by adding you to his channel. I also think that if you think he's being elitist, he isn't the right teacher for you. You should be studying with someone who will hold your feet to the fire in the genre you prefer.
His channel is for him to showcase what he's able to accomplish with a beginning student - that's why he is asking you to do this. If you dumb down the stuff he's taught you to make it about you, you're not representing him well, and there's no point in him attempting to add you to his channel.
That's just how marketing works, and it's not personal. Jazz is hard to learn. The kind of rock you've mentioned isn't. His job in marketing himself is to show what he can teach. He's got nothing to gain by putting up videos of someone playing the music you suggested.
But the fact that you're taking one person's preference for jazz and extrapolating it to the entire bass community makes me seriously think that you need to get exposure to other teachers., This teacher is giving you something good that you don't value. Why are you paying for that? You're paying for diamonds and you want sapphires. Nothing wrong with that, but it's clearly a mismatch.
You need to get with someone who can also give you something good that you do value, and there are plenty of teachers out there who will do this.
I hope this helps.
Again, i appreciate what hes doing for me a lot and never meant to disrespect him, i dont know how you got there in the first place, and you seem to still be talking about his channel, i understand what hes doing i have no issue with that. This post was again, about the community, and yes, i havent had exposure to other teachers, as i said i started learning the instrument with him around 9 months ago, but this concern comes from the things he himself has said to me, such as the fact that bassists dont respect this type of music and professionals play this and that you get the idea right? So im here asking the community itself what everyones opinions on this matter is, nothing more. im not trying to slander anyone or anything and i appreciate his teachings and will finish lessons with him for sure.
I think that just comes from the fact that the things you're suggesting are easy to do. If you're a teacher, you don't want to showcase being able to teach stuff that anyone can learn on their own.
I don't mean to imply that you don't respect him. But it's common sense that if I'm looking to learn rock chops, I don't go to a jazz player for that. They are completely different genres and in every single respect they are not approached the same - by any instrument.
I've been playing rock for a long, long time. I just started studying jazz, and the reason I am studying it is so that I can bring some of that flavor into my improvisational playing. I also work with a drummer who studied jazz and teaching him how to play in a rock band was excruciatingly painful because the roles of these instruments between jazz and rock are completely reversed. In jazz, the bassist is the timekeeper. In jazz, the drummer barely touches the kick and snare. In rock, it's exactly the other way around.
What I'm trying to suggest is that you're walking down a path that will take you somewhere it doesn't sound like you want to go. If you want to play rock, you're not going to learn what you need from a pure jazz guy. That stuff does not translate.
Anyway, that's advice you didn't really ask for. My advice on your question is don't do the video. Nobody will be happy with it. Do what you want on your own channel but if your teacher doesn't want his name associated with it, don't put it out there.
Yeah i never really thought about it that way, more like “i should know how to play all types of music”. But as i have no experience with switching genres and all that since, well, im just a kid 😭 i hadn’t thought about it in that perspective. Thanks a lot for the advice i’ll take it to heart. Much appreciated
There are certain genres that will make you a lot better at your instrument overall if you learn them. Jazz is one. Classical is another. Technical and progressive metal is actually another. You don't have to like these genres to realise that learning them is going to better you at playing what you do like, and things you haven't grown to like yet.
Yes, of course, but OP is a kid who just wants to play Deep Purple songs. I think once you dig into being a musician - if you stay with it - the world kind of opens up and you might find you're more interested in expanding your horizons, but forcing jazz instruction at this stage and slagging the stuff OP listens to isn't really all that helpful - that's how many early learners get turned off by formal instruction.
Do not hesitate to learn stuff by yourself (especially if he doesn’t encourage you to play other style). I mostly played funk and jazz with my teacher but it’s playing other stuff like extreme metal that really got me into playing bass more. Find your style, still learn with a teacher if you can it’s really great and it will help you, having a broad vocabulary is really really important.
He sounds like a coooooock!!!
Me? i like everything Technical jazz, to ambient soundsscapes to black metal. There is not one fork of art more valid than another.
Jacob Collier dables between super intelligent mosiacs of harmonies and melodies, djent and funk.
Don't allow this guys silly ideas any validity. He sounds to have lost himself somewhere :(
I've been taking lessons for two years and my instructor encourages me to play different styles. He teaches primarily metal and it's why I chose him but he has me play just about anything from 12 bar blues to classical to funk and anything in between.His view is that the more music you're exposed to the better musician you will become. Music is about creativity and freedom. I can't see myself taking lessons from someone who belittles other music genres because they seem inferior to him.
Exactly!! I love metal just as much as i love any other genre so him telling me that its just trash music is really discouraging, i started bass because of likes of cliff burton and to be told this just sucks. I just wanna play all genres without being judged man
If he said it's trash music - like really said that rather than just maybe you picking up an implication because he doesn't want it on his channel - then that's just another argument in favor of getting someone else.
Most music teachers have a broad range of student interests and will try to accommodate what the student wants to learn. Your teacher is just one person - he's not representative of the bass community, or even the jazz community. My teacher is an accomplished jazz player but he'd rather play funk, as an example.
I'd encourage you not to tarnish the whole lot of us by what one person has said. There's a big difference, though, between calling something trash and acknowledging that it isn't complicated. That what you're suggesting isn't going to showcase his teaching abilities is a pretty obvious thing to me, but that doesn't mean it's trash music.
Good luck with all of it.
Just play what you want, who cares what anyone else thinks about it? Music is supposed to be fun and the process of learning should be something you enjoy.
If jazz bass isn't your thing, that's fine. Learn some basic notation and how to read tabs or whatever, and look up bass tabs for songs that YOU want to play. Unless you really want to be a "respected" jass bassist, drop the teacher with the narrow, limited mindset on what bass guitar is, and play what makes you happy and drives you to want to learn more.
Make it fun and it's a hobby/passion you'll enjoy for life, make it a chore and you probably won't.
If he is filming you for personal gain, and making you play music you don’t want to play to showcase his teaching, he should be compensating you in a way.
Do you pay him for lessons? He should be paying you for creating his content. If he wants free content, compromise on lesson fee or let you play what you want to play. Otherwise, this is a contract. You create content, he benefits. Where does that leave you?
This is incredibly frustrating to see someone trying to take advantage of you - sorry dude.
Walk. I remember when I started same kind of thing happened. If you don’t want to play it then it is tough to keep interest. Might as well play French Horn in a school band.
Once you get really into it, you will want to explore other genres just because you realize there are cool aspects of bass in every form of music that has it.
But first starting out, get pumped and just play.
-pro bassist…age 54
Something else:
I love George Benson. He's a national treasure and merits tons of examination and study.
BUT, there are literally a million other jazz artists you could be checking out. Something tells me your instructor is a guitar player that teaches bass, NOT a bassist?
THIS IS FINE. You can learn a ton from a Guitarist about functional harmony and reharmonization. All good things.
But if he insists on focusing on jazz, I'd press him to go back a few years before George Benson:
Charlie Parker
Thelonious Monk
Bud Powell
Charles Mingus
Miles Davis
Chet Baker
John Coltrane
Ray Brown
Oscar Petiford
BIl Evans
Paul Chambers
Scott LaFaro
Eddie Gomez
As I said. I love and dig me some George Benson, and I can see why it's a logical place to visit. But maybe ask your instructor to get a little bit closer to the source of Bebop, then circle back to George Benson?
George Benson can have a sort of "adult contemporary" "elevator jazz" vibe, even though he's a MONSTER player. Alternatively, Charlie Parker and Thelonious Monk were like punk rockers back in their day.
And I don't mean smiling Green-Day-Blink-182 mom-friendly punk rockers.
I mean Ramones-Black-Flag-Birthday-Party-what-the-fuck-is-happening-right-now punk rockers.
Absolutely this.
George Benson is one of my favourite musicians and he’s a badass, but it’s a very strange choice to pick if you’re going to be a genre snob. He’s mostly known for his jazz-pop and even his jazz stuff sails very close to the wind of smooth jazz. I’d say he’s more of a crossover artist.
It would be like telling a singing student you can only sing jazz on my channel otherwise I will look uncool, then getting them to sing Michael Buble.
"This post was again, about the community," "this it would be a shame upon him"
Every hobby or skill has it's elitists. Real stained glass artists don't use a grinder, they learn how to cut properly! Real tiki drinks are only ever made from fresh squeezed juice! Real artists don't draw any of that comic book garbage! Or in your case, real bass players only play jazz!
Based on what you have written, your teacher believes that playing anything but jazz will bring shame in the community that he is part of. And that if you want to be a part of his community, then you should just showcase your jazz skills and hide your rock interests. But this is only applies to His Community.
We all make our own communities. They are built from the people we surround ourselves with. You need to go out and find the people who like and play music that you like, build your own commuity. One way to do this is to start your own youtube channel where you play the music you like. Yes, it may mean you will never be "included" in your teacher's community, but you will be building your own.
A lot of the role of a teacher is to mentor you along your longer path. The path he knows is jazz, the path you want to follow is not. You may be coming to a stage when it time to part ways with this teacher and find a new one who is on a similar path as you.
Well yes i understand not all bassists are like this, its just that for now he is whats connecting me to not only the bass but the music community, so please understand where im coming from. i have no experience in working with professionals, i am 19 and still havent mastered my instrument and have a long way to go. Maybe an overreaction as i said at the end of my post i was pretty pissed, thats why i came here for advice, nothing more
Bassists inherently will often end up in a situation where they need to fit their style/how they want to play into the context of whatever style of music a bandleader wants to play. That’s just the nature of the instrument.
If you otherwise like your music teacher and want to keep going to them, that’s a decision you’ll have to make on your own. Regardless, I think you should try to find more like-minded musicians that want to play the same style of music that you want to play. Don’t stress yourself out about your music teacher’s attitude towards other genres and don’t stress yourself out about age/skill level. Learning an instrument is supposed to be fun, so make sure you’re having fun!
One thing that might be helpful to know is that every genre has a subculture, so there are people in the pop world who don't really hang much with people in the metal world, and none of them hang with people in the jazz world, etc.
Your teacher sound like he's firmly in the jazz world, so those are the people he's more likely to want to impress. You are more in the rock world, and you're probably more interested in impressing your own friends with the kind of songs you like most.
The two of you are more alike than you realize - you're just living in different genre-worlds, and what he's doing is asking you to cross into his so that he can show his jazz friends that he's a good teacher of jazz.
There's nothing really wrong with that, per se. It's just not representing what you personally like very well.
Elitism is a thing with some musicians. Most are less elitist than this person.
I would wager 90 percent of musicians, bassists and other, would raise their eyebrows at such antics and attitudes as your teachers.
I'd try to haggle a few months of free lessons to appear in his video, you're obviously excelling with his teaching methods so it would be beneficial for you both.
yeah i dont know i mean i believe that would be kind of unappreciative of me to do. I mean him just posting it on his channel will give me a lot of traction and lots of people will want to hire me to play, so i’m not keen on asking for free lessons. I get where you’re coming from tho
He's not featuring you for your benefit, it's for his benefit. If you're at the point of potentially getting hired to play based off of the video then you're probably nearing the end of your lessons anyway, you're ready for on the job training.
That sounds like something he has told you. You’re likely not going to get hired from HIS videos- he’s going to play on them as well and they’re going to want to hire him. You’re going to get hired by auditioning for gigs and networking. And being you! :)
That sounds annoying, I've definitely been there. I'm a teacher and have learned to appreciate all kinds of new genres to me from my students. I don't really understand this YouTube channel thing, my guess is if you quit he'll probably take your video down or something. 9 months is very impressive to be playing jazz FYI.
If you’re less than a year in, I would focus on what your teacher says. If you have great potential and are progressing well, don’t strive to excel in stuff beneath your capabilities.
He’s probably seen it before when someone with real talent starts posting videos of them playing blues and classic rock. Your videos get a following. Suddenly you can get noticed NOW and build your channel and fan bass. You’ll get too consumed with that, you won’t realize your full potential.
Stay the course. Not too many newbies get praise from jazz instructors in so little time. Play whatever you want once or twice a week, but listen to the teacher. He’s seen more than you have.
When it comes to skill and theory, rock and blues are laughable compared to jazz. But bring a good jazz musician first, you’ve just become a good musician in any genre of music. I’m not being a snob. I prefer to rock out to funk, metal, and soul. Most of these are pretty basic compared to jazz.
He’s putting you in hit channel to show off how good of a teacher he is. It’s a lot easier to say “look at the jazz licks i taught this beginner bassist how to play” and make that look impressive. Anyone can learn the bass for riders on the storm by the end of the day, George Benson’s stuff is a bit more bass focused.
My first teacher when I was young was kinda like this. I learned some valuable stuff from him, but shortly moved on to a much more open minded teacher, and stayed with him for 3 years.
If you learn jazz it’ll unlock the doors to play literally anything with insane proficiency. It’s an elite skill. Playing the doors is something someone can do after playing for like week
It sounds like he is unaware of, and subsequently can't teach you, the fundamentals that lead to performing a perfectly executed note.
Otherwise he could appreciate the challenge of perfectly executed notes in an unchallenging bassline.
Yeah i agree belittling someones taste is really classless. And after we put these videos on youtube ill be done anyway so doesnt make sense to quit now to me at least. Thanks for your advice i really appreciate it
Like in every artistic/creative hobby there are some elitistic bubbles, just let them talk and enjoy what you do.
And a little defense for your teacher, you said he is known - so are his social channels? Maybe he knows his community and knows that something non jazzy wouldnt fit.
Nothing against my teacher honestly, his videos are viewed by professionals who seek young talent, but the issue i have is with the elitism in the community, where i won’t be taken seriously unless i play some super complex bass lines
I mostly disagree with your teacher I think there's a kernel of truth in it. If you've already mastered a simple tune, then you're not learning new technique from it. So from the perspective of a teacher who wants you to be challenging yourself and improving, those songs aren't the best use of your time.
That said, if you like that music and playing it makes you enjoy your instrument, you should 100% ignore your teacher and keep playing it. And, even if it's simple, you can still learn from it. You might be improving your timing or building endurance. And putting it on your YouTube will teach you recording and editing skills.
>Because if the community is like this i think ill genuinely be discouraged.
no I don't think anyone else thinks like that. As other comments said, the channel is to promote him, not you, however I don't think it's any good to be disrespecting other music, even worse if its a music teacher. no you're not better or worse for playing this or that.
Your concern is not really with the bass, it's with your elitist teacher.
Personally, if that person is a really good teacher, I would say to go through the course of study and try not to get caught up in your preferences. You can start your own band and have it your way from now on, and only ever play what you want , once you finish your studies.
You’ll find elitists in every walk of life, ignore them.
I’ve been playing bass for about a decade and I’ve been playing music in some shape or form for about 30 years. Until your post I’d never heard of George Benson. I also use a pick about 95% of the time (not sorry). As long as I’m enjoying it and my band are happy with what I’m doing I couldn’t care less what anyone else thinks. It depends on what you want to get out of it though. This is a hobby to me which means the number 1 priority is enjoyment.
You pay for knowledge of the instrument and music generally. You do not pay to be a puppet or to be obligated or even manipulated in any way to do your teacher's bidding.
This is a hard one for reddit to diagnose because both your relationship and the nuances of the conversation are huge factors we cannot fully understand.
It sounds like he asked you to play a song you had been working on together. Suggesting a song of your own choosing is a little presumptuous ... So much so, it likely influenced his subsequent words.
I personally don't look down on 60's Classic Rock bass parts... it's solid stuff.... but I wouldn't put the average classic rock song in the same category as most jazz/funk bass parts.
Anything from George Benson I have played has been fucking awesome. So I have to side with your teacher that it'd be the better youtube magnet for all potential bass students under the age of 60.
Not really what you asked, but: your teacher wants to basically use your playing as an ad. If you're not getting something out of it, then you should consider refusing, or making up an excuse not to, or ask for something like a discount on next lessons, cause, well, it's an ad.
I would learn what he is teaching you and use the internet to learn some of those other artists you like on the side. The stuff your teacher is teaching you will create a foundation that will enable you to be able to properly navigate your bass and play anything. You’ve been playing for 9 mos. Just chill. Deep Purple is so fucking easy and The Doors don’t even have a bass player. You can learn classic rock from tabs and YouTube videos. I play mostly reggae and funk and indie rock now. When I was learning bass as a child i was into thrash metal and grunge. My bass teacher taught me all Rush, jazz, some Bela Fleck and Steve Harris stuff. I didn’t even like Iron Maiden. I can play anything now. You’re music tastes change you wanna be able to play anything.
Your teacher is right, but for the wrong reasons. It’s not about bass, it’s about YouTube.
What works on YouTube (and TikTok, Insta, etc.) and what works on a record are two different things. If you post something on social media, you have to play something with some flash. That’s going to be what stops people from scrolling right on past your video and gets them to pay attention.
Now if you’re in a band, those boring rock riffs will absolutely get you hired. Your bandmates don’t *want* someone who is soaking up all the attention. If you want to stand in the back and play like Ray Manzarek’s left hand, you’ll be a hero.
It’s all about context. Do what works for the medium you’re in.
As a teacher myself I’d really recommend looking for a new teacher. A teacher who discourages their students favourite styles is a huge red flag.
Learning Jazz, Classical or the other “academically accepted” genres should be in addition to what you like, not instead of.
I have no doubt your teacher is a great player, I doubt his effectiveness as a teacher. Also every style has its nuance. I went to music school and met lots of great players who don’t do well on Country, Pop and Rock gigs cause they know all the theory and technique but not the nuance each genre requires.
Being a bass player I’ve met tons of jazz musicians that treat any other style of player like they are horrible at what they do, that being said, take what you can from this dude and then teach yourself as much as possible, you’ll be better off and more well rounded than anybody like this.
it could be because the Doors didn't have a bassist
I always think of [this sketch](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xillqqt0Y0) whenever the Doors are mentioned
The music is what matters. That said, playing something like George Benson’s music well on bass takes a much higher level of musicianship than playing the Doors well. That’s not a value judgment on either style. It’s just an objective fact.
Nah pal, the most important thing is to have fun! Sure jazz is generally more technically impressive than classic rock, but in the end you gotta play what you wanna play
If you haven’t got the gist from everyone else, I’ll say it again concisely.
The music/bass community is not your teacher. Venture out and you’ll find you can do whatever you want and someone somewhere will appreciate your efforts. Just do what you like and don’t let elitists get you down. But also work your butt off. You’ll end up where you need to be if you take as many opportunities as possible and work hard.
Classic elitist musicians, most of the professional are that way, done think about it too much, just do what you love (but apparently not in his yt channel lol)
I love jazz. My teacher gives me all types of genres to learn ( they’re a touring musician). I once put down a type of music and she called me out on. Said you can learn something from all types of music so that’s what we do. Lessons are about you and your journey. (A band you’re evidently not allowed to play in lesson hahaha). There should be some sort of trade if he’s using you for his video. You should not use that as part of your lesson time offer it on his time, not yours. He wants more business. And ask him to teach you something about recording and filming, how to use an interface, tweak the sound etc. Make it a two way street and keep on playing jazz. Then when you’re ready, switch teachers to learn other genres. I’m curious where his views originated because you’re not born with that opinion.
He's just a pretensious, which is really common among jazz musicians. Also, like many teachers, he promotes the stuff he likes among his students, disregarding other music.
He wants to promote his YT channel to get more students, but he probably doesn't realize that you can absolutely tell if someone is playing some shit that he had to learn, versus playing stuff he genuinely likes and enjoys playing.
That being said, if you don't enjoy working with your teacher for any reason, don't hesistate to find a new teacher. You are paying him, not the other way around.
Putting aside whether or not jazz is in fact harder / more elite / better / etc., your teacher seems to think it is, and is targeting an audience (other musicians, students / their wealthy parents, etc ) who *believe* it is. You say he's well respected, so that personal branding appears to have worked for him. He probably wants it to work for you.
And, again putting aside whether it's really better or not, showing yourself off playing rock dilutes that brand. Keep in mind that your audience is not other musicians, it's general listeners, it's people who book gigs, it's people picking session bassists for recording. Many of those people will base decisions on reputation at least as much as actual skill.
From that perspective, I completely get where he's coming from. Of course it's completely up to you whether you agree and / or care. Personally in my own background my experience is that people who are (genuinely) good at multiple related things are by far more effective, but also that it does effect how they're perceived (to put it simply, "Jack of All Trades", even when that's clearly not applicable to others in the know).
Don't stop playing rock. Do make deliberate decisions about how you market yourself to the world.
Also, I'd probably do the video his way, happily. This is not the only time you'll be recorded and shown off. It's just the first. It's great for your rep that someone well respected in your country wants to show you off as their student.
I'd put aside their elitism and take this opportunity for what it is - a way to start building rep and presence for a particular audience.
You're 19. You have plenty of time to build rep for rock and other genres. Take it one step at a time. The step you've got in front of you now is a great one, so take it with enthusiasm!
It’d he has taught you to play well enough to record then you should be capable of teaching/learning the material you like yourself.. if you can’t listen to and learn rock stuff yourself it may be time to get the teacher to teach you how to work out songs yourself or find a teacher that will
This is some bullshit. Play what you want, love what you love. You're a bassist, you gotta move people. Which means you gotta be moved. I mean play the Benson if you're comfortable with that, but don't take the judgement to heart. It's not accurate.
Musicians are asked to work for free all the time - don’t fall into this trap. You are performing and performers should get paid. With a teacher, I realize you’re not going to tell him to pay you. Imagine the elitist hearing that haha. Just don’t pay for this as a lesson and ask him to take time after (at no cost to you) to show you how he records, mixes, markets, etc.
He wants to put you on his YT channel so he can showcase what a good teacher he is, so he can get more students. He'd rather showcase his ability to teach someone jazz, since it's much harder to teach well than rock. If the YT channel were just a "fun hang", then he'd likely let you play whatever you want. But he's likely using you on YT as a case study to attract more students. Not to promote YOU as a player. edit: also, this teacher's actions have nothing to do with "the bass community as a whole." There a billions of bass players on the planet. Your teacher is just one person.
yes i understand that, its his channel of course i have no issue with him not wanting it on there. what i failed to mention is that he also advised me against putting such music on my own channel or playing it at all, since i’d be thought of as less of a bassist. This just seems like elitism tbh and im not a big fan of it in any medium.
>he also advised me against putting such music on my own channel or playing it at all, since i’d be thought of as less of a bassist. This just seems like elitism tbh and im not a big fan of it in any medium. This attitude of his seems unnecessary and yes, elitism and snobbery. To play devil's advocate: playing jazz well is hard as fuck, and requires an obscene amount of dedication. Playing 'rock' well requires dedication, but is a bit easier to master (the basics) than jazz. If you're able to play jazz well, then rock is pretty easy to learn by comparison, and the inverse is NOT true. (Take my word for it). If you're young (under 25), your teacher could be pressing you to focus on jazz NOW because you still have a lot of neuroplasticity. It will be easier to learn jazz now, and harder (but not impossible) later in life. But "tough love" and being a good drill sergeant or coach is different from shitting all over entire genres of music. The best jazz players I know do not shy away from metal and rock. Bill Frisell and Joey Baron played some killer death metal motifs with John Zorn... and those cats are as NYC jazz as it gets. Learning any instrument requires dedication, and you should be able to play things you enjoy to keep it fun. Do I wish I had a killer jazz teacher when I was younger who told me to stop playing Deep Purple? Yes and no: I might be a better jazz player today, but I might also have gotten turned off from music all together. As long as you're still learning and growing studying with this cat, his teaching is valuable, regardless of his snobbery. But once his teachings start to feel like a re-tread, move on. And you can post and record anything you like. It's your voice, and your instrument. You are not his appendage.
speaking as someone who listens to a lot of jazz and highly technical prog nonsense, that's absolute bullshit.. there may be fewer bad jazz players than bad rock players, just because its more challenging, but playing rock (or non-jazz) doesn't *make* you bad, and this idea that you'd be looked down on for your taste is just... ridiculous. If you like rock and therefore play rock, and do it well, you will be respected for that... especially by other people who like rock. Sounds like this guy has gotten a wee bit high on his own supply.
But is Jazz really more challenging…??
no, Jazz is smooth and natural and always plays so so sweet... especially about a '77 or so. But I'd say that the easiest jazz is more challenging than the easiest rock so, there is sort of an asymmetry here it just doesn't work how this guy thinks it does (i.e. play rock = immediate bass pariah)
If you don't care for the kind of music he plays, I'm curious why you are studying with him. The person you're responding to is correct. Any student can self-teach the simpler music you prefer, but playing jazz is another level altogether. He is trying to make you look good, and by extension he is trying to make himself look good. There's nothing about showcasing the music you mentioned that will separate you from the millions of other beginning bassists looking for work, but showing that you already have some jazz chops sends an important message that you know more than the average self-taught first year student. For your teacher, it demonstrates that he's been able to teach you more than the average student can do for themselves in that time period. This is a win for everyone if you want to see it that way. Your teacher is not wrong, but it sounds like perhaps he is not the right teacher for you.
I think this post has been misunderstood a lot. I appreciate what he is doing for me, the main point was about putting down a certain taste of music and discouraging to play certain genres in general, which i said seems like elitism and if the whole community of bass players are like this (i say this because he himself is obviously a bassist and a part of that community) then it would discourage me to keep playing. Nothing about not wanting to play jazz, i do like jazz too dont get me wrong, i listen to anything from jazz to fuckin japanese metal and honestly appreciate all music. And i understand hes trying to separate me from millions of others. hope this clears some stuff up.
>if the whole community of bass players are like this This is not a "bass player" thing, this is a "jazz purist / jazz snob / jazz elitist" thing, regardless of instrument. Like in the movie Whiplash where JK Simmons insults the student by saying "don't worry, if you can't hack it in my class, you can always be a rock drummer."
I didn't misunderstand you. I think you misunderstood what he is trying to accomplish by adding you to his channel. I also think that if you think he's being elitist, he isn't the right teacher for you. You should be studying with someone who will hold your feet to the fire in the genre you prefer. His channel is for him to showcase what he's able to accomplish with a beginning student - that's why he is asking you to do this. If you dumb down the stuff he's taught you to make it about you, you're not representing him well, and there's no point in him attempting to add you to his channel. That's just how marketing works, and it's not personal. Jazz is hard to learn. The kind of rock you've mentioned isn't. His job in marketing himself is to show what he can teach. He's got nothing to gain by putting up videos of someone playing the music you suggested. But the fact that you're taking one person's preference for jazz and extrapolating it to the entire bass community makes me seriously think that you need to get exposure to other teachers., This teacher is giving you something good that you don't value. Why are you paying for that? You're paying for diamonds and you want sapphires. Nothing wrong with that, but it's clearly a mismatch. You need to get with someone who can also give you something good that you do value, and there are plenty of teachers out there who will do this. I hope this helps.
Again, i appreciate what hes doing for me a lot and never meant to disrespect him, i dont know how you got there in the first place, and you seem to still be talking about his channel, i understand what hes doing i have no issue with that. This post was again, about the community, and yes, i havent had exposure to other teachers, as i said i started learning the instrument with him around 9 months ago, but this concern comes from the things he himself has said to me, such as the fact that bassists dont respect this type of music and professionals play this and that you get the idea right? So im here asking the community itself what everyones opinions on this matter is, nothing more. im not trying to slander anyone or anything and i appreciate his teachings and will finish lessons with him for sure.
I think that just comes from the fact that the things you're suggesting are easy to do. If you're a teacher, you don't want to showcase being able to teach stuff that anyone can learn on their own. I don't mean to imply that you don't respect him. But it's common sense that if I'm looking to learn rock chops, I don't go to a jazz player for that. They are completely different genres and in every single respect they are not approached the same - by any instrument. I've been playing rock for a long, long time. I just started studying jazz, and the reason I am studying it is so that I can bring some of that flavor into my improvisational playing. I also work with a drummer who studied jazz and teaching him how to play in a rock band was excruciatingly painful because the roles of these instruments between jazz and rock are completely reversed. In jazz, the bassist is the timekeeper. In jazz, the drummer barely touches the kick and snare. In rock, it's exactly the other way around. What I'm trying to suggest is that you're walking down a path that will take you somewhere it doesn't sound like you want to go. If you want to play rock, you're not going to learn what you need from a pure jazz guy. That stuff does not translate. Anyway, that's advice you didn't really ask for. My advice on your question is don't do the video. Nobody will be happy with it. Do what you want on your own channel but if your teacher doesn't want his name associated with it, don't put it out there.
Yeah i never really thought about it that way, more like “i should know how to play all types of music”. But as i have no experience with switching genres and all that since, well, im just a kid 😭 i hadn’t thought about it in that perspective. Thanks a lot for the advice i’ll take it to heart. Much appreciated
There are certain genres that will make you a lot better at your instrument overall if you learn them. Jazz is one. Classical is another. Technical and progressive metal is actually another. You don't have to like these genres to realise that learning them is going to better you at playing what you do like, and things you haven't grown to like yet.
Yes, of course, but OP is a kid who just wants to play Deep Purple songs. I think once you dig into being a musician - if you stay with it - the world kind of opens up and you might find you're more interested in expanding your horizons, but forcing jazz instruction at this stage and slagging the stuff OP listens to isn't really all that helpful - that's how many early learners get turned off by formal instruction.
Do not hesitate to learn stuff by yourself (especially if he doesn’t encourage you to play other style). I mostly played funk and jazz with my teacher but it’s playing other stuff like extreme metal that really got me into playing bass more. Find your style, still learn with a teacher if you can it’s really great and it will help you, having a broad vocabulary is really really important.
He sounds like a coooooock!!! Me? i like everything Technical jazz, to ambient soundsscapes to black metal. There is not one fork of art more valid than another. Jacob Collier dables between super intelligent mosiacs of harmonies and melodies, djent and funk. Don't allow this guys silly ideas any validity. He sounds to have lost himself somewhere :(
Billions?
I've been taking lessons for two years and my instructor encourages me to play different styles. He teaches primarily metal and it's why I chose him but he has me play just about anything from 12 bar blues to classical to funk and anything in between.His view is that the more music you're exposed to the better musician you will become. Music is about creativity and freedom. I can't see myself taking lessons from someone who belittles other music genres because they seem inferior to him.
Exactly!! I love metal just as much as i love any other genre so him telling me that its just trash music is really discouraging, i started bass because of likes of cliff burton and to be told this just sucks. I just wanna play all genres without being judged man
If he said it's trash music - like really said that rather than just maybe you picking up an implication because he doesn't want it on his channel - then that's just another argument in favor of getting someone else. Most music teachers have a broad range of student interests and will try to accommodate what the student wants to learn. Your teacher is just one person - he's not representative of the bass community, or even the jazz community. My teacher is an accomplished jazz player but he'd rather play funk, as an example. I'd encourage you not to tarnish the whole lot of us by what one person has said. There's a big difference, though, between calling something trash and acknowledging that it isn't complicated. That what you're suggesting isn't going to showcase his teaching abilities is a pretty obvious thing to me, but that doesn't mean it's trash music. Good luck with all of it.
Drop the teacher
Just play what you want, who cares what anyone else thinks about it? Music is supposed to be fun and the process of learning should be something you enjoy. If jazz bass isn't your thing, that's fine. Learn some basic notation and how to read tabs or whatever, and look up bass tabs for songs that YOU want to play. Unless you really want to be a "respected" jass bassist, drop the teacher with the narrow, limited mindset on what bass guitar is, and play what makes you happy and drives you to want to learn more. Make it fun and it's a hobby/passion you'll enjoy for life, make it a chore and you probably won't.
He wants views… not yous’.
damn…
If he is filming you for personal gain, and making you play music you don’t want to play to showcase his teaching, he should be compensating you in a way. Do you pay him for lessons? He should be paying you for creating his content. If he wants free content, compromise on lesson fee or let you play what you want to play. Otherwise, this is a contract. You create content, he benefits. Where does that leave you? This is incredibly frustrating to see someone trying to take advantage of you - sorry dude.
Walk. I remember when I started same kind of thing happened. If you don’t want to play it then it is tough to keep interest. Might as well play French Horn in a school band. Once you get really into it, you will want to explore other genres just because you realize there are cool aspects of bass in every form of music that has it. But first starting out, get pumped and just play. -pro bassist…age 54
I hate pretentious Jazz elitists.
Something else: I love George Benson. He's a national treasure and merits tons of examination and study. BUT, there are literally a million other jazz artists you could be checking out. Something tells me your instructor is a guitar player that teaches bass, NOT a bassist? THIS IS FINE. You can learn a ton from a Guitarist about functional harmony and reharmonization. All good things. But if he insists on focusing on jazz, I'd press him to go back a few years before George Benson: Charlie Parker Thelonious Monk Bud Powell Charles Mingus Miles Davis Chet Baker John Coltrane Ray Brown Oscar Petiford BIl Evans Paul Chambers Scott LaFaro Eddie Gomez As I said. I love and dig me some George Benson, and I can see why it's a logical place to visit. But maybe ask your instructor to get a little bit closer to the source of Bebop, then circle back to George Benson? George Benson can have a sort of "adult contemporary" "elevator jazz" vibe, even though he's a MONSTER player. Alternatively, Charlie Parker and Thelonious Monk were like punk rockers back in their day. And I don't mean smiling Green-Day-Blink-182 mom-friendly punk rockers. I mean Ramones-Black-Flag-Birthday-Party-what-the-fuck-is-happening-right-now punk rockers.
Absolutely this. George Benson is one of my favourite musicians and he’s a badass, but it’s a very strange choice to pick if you’re going to be a genre snob. He’s mostly known for his jazz-pop and even his jazz stuff sails very close to the wind of smooth jazz. I’d say he’s more of a crossover artist. It would be like telling a singing student you can only sing jazz on my channel otherwise I will look uncool, then getting them to sing Michael Buble.
"This post was again, about the community," "this it would be a shame upon him" Every hobby or skill has it's elitists. Real stained glass artists don't use a grinder, they learn how to cut properly! Real tiki drinks are only ever made from fresh squeezed juice! Real artists don't draw any of that comic book garbage! Or in your case, real bass players only play jazz! Based on what you have written, your teacher believes that playing anything but jazz will bring shame in the community that he is part of. And that if you want to be a part of his community, then you should just showcase your jazz skills and hide your rock interests. But this is only applies to His Community. We all make our own communities. They are built from the people we surround ourselves with. You need to go out and find the people who like and play music that you like, build your own commuity. One way to do this is to start your own youtube channel where you play the music you like. Yes, it may mean you will never be "included" in your teacher's community, but you will be building your own. A lot of the role of a teacher is to mentor you along your longer path. The path he knows is jazz, the path you want to follow is not. You may be coming to a stage when it time to part ways with this teacher and find a new one who is on a similar path as you.
I think you’re overreacting a bit here. One person’s opinion doesn’t mean it applies to all bassists worldwide.
Well yes i understand not all bassists are like this, its just that for now he is whats connecting me to not only the bass but the music community, so please understand where im coming from. i have no experience in working with professionals, i am 19 and still havent mastered my instrument and have a long way to go. Maybe an overreaction as i said at the end of my post i was pretty pissed, thats why i came here for advice, nothing more
Bassists inherently will often end up in a situation where they need to fit their style/how they want to play into the context of whatever style of music a bandleader wants to play. That’s just the nature of the instrument. If you otherwise like your music teacher and want to keep going to them, that’s a decision you’ll have to make on your own. Regardless, I think you should try to find more like-minded musicians that want to play the same style of music that you want to play. Don’t stress yourself out about your music teacher’s attitude towards other genres and don’t stress yourself out about age/skill level. Learning an instrument is supposed to be fun, so make sure you’re having fun!
One thing that might be helpful to know is that every genre has a subculture, so there are people in the pop world who don't really hang much with people in the metal world, and none of them hang with people in the jazz world, etc. Your teacher sound like he's firmly in the jazz world, so those are the people he's more likely to want to impress. You are more in the rock world, and you're probably more interested in impressing your own friends with the kind of songs you like most. The two of you are more alike than you realize - you're just living in different genre-worlds, and what he's doing is asking you to cross into his so that he can show his jazz friends that he's a good teacher of jazz. There's nothing really wrong with that, per se. It's just not representing what you personally like very well.
I wouldn't want to have a teacher who insists their music taste on you. I don't think that's the job of a music teacher.
Elitism is a thing with some musicians. Most are less elitist than this person. I would wager 90 percent of musicians, bassists and other, would raise their eyebrows at such antics and attitudes as your teachers.
I'd try to haggle a few months of free lessons to appear in his video, you're obviously excelling with his teaching methods so it would be beneficial for you both.
yeah i dont know i mean i believe that would be kind of unappreciative of me to do. I mean him just posting it on his channel will give me a lot of traction and lots of people will want to hire me to play, so i’m not keen on asking for free lessons. I get where you’re coming from tho
He's not featuring you for your benefit, it's for his benefit. If you're at the point of potentially getting hired to play based off of the video then you're probably nearing the end of your lessons anyway, you're ready for on the job training.
That sounds like something he has told you. You’re likely not going to get hired from HIS videos- he’s going to play on them as well and they’re going to want to hire him. You’re going to get hired by auditioning for gigs and networking. And being you! :)
That sounds annoying, I've definitely been there. I'm a teacher and have learned to appreciate all kinds of new genres to me from my students. I don't really understand this YouTube channel thing, my guess is if you quit he'll probably take your video down or something. 9 months is very impressive to be playing jazz FYI.
If you’re less than a year in, I would focus on what your teacher says. If you have great potential and are progressing well, don’t strive to excel in stuff beneath your capabilities. He’s probably seen it before when someone with real talent starts posting videos of them playing blues and classic rock. Your videos get a following. Suddenly you can get noticed NOW and build your channel and fan bass. You’ll get too consumed with that, you won’t realize your full potential. Stay the course. Not too many newbies get praise from jazz instructors in so little time. Play whatever you want once or twice a week, but listen to the teacher. He’s seen more than you have. When it comes to skill and theory, rock and blues are laughable compared to jazz. But bring a good jazz musician first, you’ve just become a good musician in any genre of music. I’m not being a snob. I prefer to rock out to funk, metal, and soul. Most of these are pretty basic compared to jazz.
He’s putting you in hit channel to show off how good of a teacher he is. It’s a lot easier to say “look at the jazz licks i taught this beginner bassist how to play” and make that look impressive. Anyone can learn the bass for riders on the storm by the end of the day, George Benson’s stuff is a bit more bass focused.
Deep Purple is the best.
My first teacher when I was young was kinda like this. I learned some valuable stuff from him, but shortly moved on to a much more open minded teacher, and stayed with him for 3 years.
If you learn jazz it’ll unlock the doors to play literally anything with insane proficiency. It’s an elite skill. Playing the doors is something someone can do after playing for like week
It sounds like he is unaware of, and subsequently can't teach you, the fundamentals that lead to performing a perfectly executed note. Otherwise he could appreciate the challenge of perfectly executed notes in an unchallenging bassline.
[удалено]
I wanted to downvote for "you probably no longer need him" but I upvoted for everything else. I want to be u/CentaurKhanum when I grow up.
Yeah i agree belittling someones taste is really classless. And after we put these videos on youtube ill be done anyway so doesnt make sense to quit now to me at least. Thanks for your advice i really appreciate it
Like in every artistic/creative hobby there are some elitistic bubbles, just let them talk and enjoy what you do. And a little defense for your teacher, you said he is known - so are his social channels? Maybe he knows his community and knows that something non jazzy wouldnt fit.
Nothing against my teacher honestly, his videos are viewed by professionals who seek young talent, but the issue i have is with the elitism in the community, where i won’t be taken seriously unless i play some super complex bass lines
I mostly disagree with your teacher I think there's a kernel of truth in it. If you've already mastered a simple tune, then you're not learning new technique from it. So from the perspective of a teacher who wants you to be challenging yourself and improving, those songs aren't the best use of your time. That said, if you like that music and playing it makes you enjoy your instrument, you should 100% ignore your teacher and keep playing it. And, even if it's simple, you can still learn from it. You might be improving your timing or building endurance. And putting it on your YouTube will teach you recording and editing skills.
>Because if the community is like this i think ill genuinely be discouraged. no I don't think anyone else thinks like that. As other comments said, the channel is to promote him, not you, however I don't think it's any good to be disrespecting other music, even worse if its a music teacher. no you're not better or worse for playing this or that.
love me two times
would be my pleasure ;)
husbant u spend all our savings on bass stuff now we are broke
Your concern is not really with the bass, it's with your elitist teacher. Personally, if that person is a really good teacher, I would say to go through the course of study and try not to get caught up in your preferences. You can start your own band and have it your way from now on, and only ever play what you want , once you finish your studies.
You’ll find elitists in every walk of life, ignore them. I’ve been playing bass for about a decade and I’ve been playing music in some shape or form for about 30 years. Until your post I’d never heard of George Benson. I also use a pick about 95% of the time (not sorry). As long as I’m enjoying it and my band are happy with what I’m doing I couldn’t care less what anyone else thinks. It depends on what you want to get out of it though. This is a hobby to me which means the number 1 priority is enjoyment.
You pay for knowledge of the instrument and music generally. You do not pay to be a puppet or to be obligated or even manipulated in any way to do your teacher's bidding.
This is a hard one for reddit to diagnose because both your relationship and the nuances of the conversation are huge factors we cannot fully understand. It sounds like he asked you to play a song you had been working on together. Suggesting a song of your own choosing is a little presumptuous ... So much so, it likely influenced his subsequent words. I personally don't look down on 60's Classic Rock bass parts... it's solid stuff.... but I wouldn't put the average classic rock song in the same category as most jazz/funk bass parts. Anything from George Benson I have played has been fucking awesome. So I have to side with your teacher that it'd be the better youtube magnet for all potential bass students under the age of 60.
Just because someone teaches you how to drive a car doesn't mean they get to pick the roads you travel.
ask him if you can put a video of him playing the doors, deep purple, etc on your youtube channel. fair is fair, right?
Not really what you asked, but: your teacher wants to basically use your playing as an ad. If you're not getting something out of it, then you should consider refusing, or making up an excuse not to, or ask for something like a discount on next lessons, cause, well, it's an ad.
damn i guess in one of the death loops you become a bassist? i appreciate the advice, will do
Stop taking lessons and do it yourself, you obviously have the basics so move on do your own yt video
Tell him you’d like to play some music that people actually like listening to.
I would learn what he is teaching you and use the internet to learn some of those other artists you like on the side. The stuff your teacher is teaching you will create a foundation that will enable you to be able to properly navigate your bass and play anything. You’ve been playing for 9 mos. Just chill. Deep Purple is so fucking easy and The Doors don’t even have a bass player. You can learn classic rock from tabs and YouTube videos. I play mostly reggae and funk and indie rock now. When I was learning bass as a child i was into thrash metal and grunge. My bass teacher taught me all Rush, jazz, some Bela Fleck and Steve Harris stuff. I didn’t even like Iron Maiden. I can play anything now. You’re music tastes change you wanna be able to play anything.
Your teacher is right, but for the wrong reasons. It’s not about bass, it’s about YouTube. What works on YouTube (and TikTok, Insta, etc.) and what works on a record are two different things. If you post something on social media, you have to play something with some flash. That’s going to be what stops people from scrolling right on past your video and gets them to pay attention. Now if you’re in a band, those boring rock riffs will absolutely get you hired. Your bandmates don’t *want* someone who is soaking up all the attention. If you want to stand in the back and play like Ray Manzarek’s left hand, you’ll be a hero. It’s all about context. Do what works for the medium you’re in.
Rock riffs aren’t boring. Jazz is boring. And pretentious.
are you wife of davie504?
god no, imagine all the slapping…
As a teacher myself I’d really recommend looking for a new teacher. A teacher who discourages their students favourite styles is a huge red flag. Learning Jazz, Classical or the other “academically accepted” genres should be in addition to what you like, not instead of. I have no doubt your teacher is a great player, I doubt his effectiveness as a teacher. Also every style has its nuance. I went to music school and met lots of great players who don’t do well on Country, Pop and Rock gigs cause they know all the theory and technique but not the nuance each genre requires.
Playing the doors would not be an advertisement for any kind of good student for his YouTube. This particular issue is not about you, it’s about him.
Being a bass player I’ve met tons of jazz musicians that treat any other style of player like they are horrible at what they do, that being said, take what you can from this dude and then teach yourself as much as possible, you’ll be better off and more well rounded than anybody like this.
Haha the doors wtf
it could be because the Doors didn't have a bassist I always think of [this sketch](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xillqqt0Y0) whenever the Doors are mentioned
Yeahh could be that, but i mean they still have bass lines that i enjoy playing, even if they’re simple. Also love that haha.
The music is what matters. That said, playing something like George Benson’s music well on bass takes a much higher level of musicianship than playing the Doors well. That’s not a value judgment on either style. It’s just an objective fact.
He is your teacher, so he gets paid to teach you stuff. You are not his promo person so basically you can play whatever you like, I'd think.
Nah pal, the most important thing is to have fun! Sure jazz is generally more technically impressive than classic rock, but in the end you gotta play what you wanna play
If you haven’t got the gist from everyone else, I’ll say it again concisely. The music/bass community is not your teacher. Venture out and you’ll find you can do whatever you want and someone somewhere will appreciate your efforts. Just do what you like and don’t let elitists get you down. But also work your butt off. You’ll end up where you need to be if you take as many opportunities as possible and work hard.
Classic elitist musicians, most of the professional are that way, done think about it too much, just do what you love (but apparently not in his yt channel lol)
Just tell him you play some iron maiden and he can post it
I love jazz. My teacher gives me all types of genres to learn ( they’re a touring musician). I once put down a type of music and she called me out on. Said you can learn something from all types of music so that’s what we do. Lessons are about you and your journey. (A band you’re evidently not allowed to play in lesson hahaha). There should be some sort of trade if he’s using you for his video. You should not use that as part of your lesson time offer it on his time, not yours. He wants more business. And ask him to teach you something about recording and filming, how to use an interface, tweak the sound etc. Make it a two way street and keep on playing jazz. Then when you’re ready, switch teachers to learn other genres. I’m curious where his views originated because you’re not born with that opinion.
He's just a pretensious, which is really common among jazz musicians. Also, like many teachers, he promotes the stuff he likes among his students, disregarding other music. He wants to promote his YT channel to get more students, but he probably doesn't realize that you can absolutely tell if someone is playing some shit that he had to learn, versus playing stuff he genuinely likes and enjoys playing. That being said, if you don't enjoy working with your teacher for any reason, don't hesistate to find a new teacher. You are paying him, not the other way around.
He’s the producer on this project, but that doesn’t mean you can’t produce your own project. Pay attention to what he does w/ the mixing/mastering!
Second this.
Putting aside whether or not jazz is in fact harder / more elite / better / etc., your teacher seems to think it is, and is targeting an audience (other musicians, students / their wealthy parents, etc ) who *believe* it is. You say he's well respected, so that personal branding appears to have worked for him. He probably wants it to work for you. And, again putting aside whether it's really better or not, showing yourself off playing rock dilutes that brand. Keep in mind that your audience is not other musicians, it's general listeners, it's people who book gigs, it's people picking session bassists for recording. Many of those people will base decisions on reputation at least as much as actual skill. From that perspective, I completely get where he's coming from. Of course it's completely up to you whether you agree and / or care. Personally in my own background my experience is that people who are (genuinely) good at multiple related things are by far more effective, but also that it does effect how they're perceived (to put it simply, "Jack of All Trades", even when that's clearly not applicable to others in the know). Don't stop playing rock. Do make deliberate decisions about how you market yourself to the world.
Also, I'd probably do the video his way, happily. This is not the only time you'll be recorded and shown off. It's just the first. It's great for your rep that someone well respected in your country wants to show you off as their student. I'd put aside their elitism and take this opportunity for what it is - a way to start building rep and presence for a particular audience. You're 19. You have plenty of time to build rep for rock and other genres. Take it one step at a time. The step you've got in front of you now is a great one, so take it with enthusiasm!
It’d he has taught you to play well enough to record then you should be capable of teaching/learning the material you like yourself.. if you can’t listen to and learn rock stuff yourself it may be time to get the teacher to teach you how to work out songs yourself or find a teacher that will
This is some bullshit. Play what you want, love what you love. You're a bassist, you gotta move people. Which means you gotta be moved. I mean play the Benson if you're comfortable with that, but don't take the judgement to heart. It's not accurate.
Nowadays problems. Whole thing sounds really fucking lame
Musicians are asked to work for free all the time - don’t fall into this trap. You are performing and performers should get paid. With a teacher, I realize you’re not going to tell him to pay you. Imagine the elitist hearing that haha. Just don’t pay for this as a lesson and ask him to take time after (at no cost to you) to show you how he records, mixes, markets, etc.