AS approached me for bass lessons and has recently tried the electric guitar. Recently he has passed his grade and felt ready to share his playing.
I have intended to learn the bass guitar since I was a teenager but never
had the patience nor self-discipline to begin in any realistic sense. In
July 2014 I walked into an independent retail outlet and bought an amp,
lead and a crimson & black bass guitar, making a commitment to myself to
then finding a guitar teacher.
I knew Gavin as a colleague at our mutual college and asked him to teach me
the rudiments of playing the bass. Over the last 18 months I have acquired
much more than basic skills and knowledge. I was determined that my
learning should have a target which Gavin advised me would be the
Preliminary Grade Exam which I subsequently passed with a Merit last
August. Furthermore, thanks to Gavin’s experience, flexibility and sincere
encouragement, I have gained knowledge of scales, keys and arpeggios, basic
musical notation (on the instrument and written on the stave) and have
developed the ability to transfer these skills to the six-string electric
guitar and the keyboard.
As such, I derive great pleasure not only from replicating and reproducing
familiar and famous musical themes across the three instruments but also
learning rhythmic timings and techniques, tablature reading and
interpretation as well as using my new confidence to play solo,
accompaniments and even discover great pieces and themes from legendary
music and musicians from The Police and Paul Simon from Led Zeppelin to the
late David Bowie.
It is my intention to progress further and increase my “repertoire” as well
as to attempt the Stage One examination on the bass guitar in July 2016.
With Gavin’s challenging and cheerful motivation, I have little doubt that
further accomplishments are forthcoming as will be my enjoyment in learning
and playing music for the first time in my life.
For part 2 click here
Coutersy of AS
