Life comes in the form of opportunities, which are easy to recognize, after they have been wasted...

Ian

Ah yes... this goes hand in hand with
"The early bird catches the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese..."

Although practice at home, and a good teacher (best of luck finding a good one used to teaching ADULTS!) are the start of developing a new technique, nothing beats the pressure cooker of forcing yourself into a position where, on a nightly basis, you have to use those new skills in front of a crowd, with no opportunity for do-overs...

Case in point... About ten years ago, I was offered a job/gig in a high energy 9-piece on Bourbon St. in N.O.. The catch was, despite being a large band, they used key bass! (4 horn players and two singers made it necessary). Well, I had always made a firm commitment, playing in bands, that I NEVER played any bass parts at all. I HATE hearing keyboard players step all over the bassist, when they can use their LH for far more important things. So I had long developed a style where my LH comped, or played string or horn lines, or played the piano part while the RH did the organ part, etc., etc.. Basically, ANYTHING but the bass line.

But the offer was good, the club owner thought I would work out OK, so off I went. A couple of weeks to get all the basslines down for the show, and straight in... Now, I'm not saying, at the start, I was doing it very well Just even THINKING like a bass player was foreign, and disciplining yourself to place that much concentration on the hand that used to take care of itself most of the time was initially strange.

BUT.... having to do this, five nights a week with some VERY highly skilled players on stage with me (the drummer had spent years with Harry Connick Jr, Charmaine Neville, and a who's who of NOLA players) pretty much pressure cooked the skill, and soon enough it became second nature.

So... although home study and teachers can get you part way, nothing beats forcing yourself to use those new skills on a nightly basis, where stumbling exacts a greater penalty than at home, with no-one watching...

Left hand bass comes naturally to any competent piano player...it's part of what you learn.

Bass pedals are the way to go...frees up the left hand for chording...especially whilst you solo.

Can't understand why more pros don't use them.

Ian

Ian, I don't find this common..In fact I find that most trained pianist are week in left hand bass lines..

I find Diki's comment truest...You have to think like a bass player..

A bass player...with some key skills seem to adapt fairly easy..

Bass pedals are good , but I find dexterity in my left hand more suitable than my feet.[Yes I use to play bass pedals]..Root and fifths is easy enough, but when you start walking the bass, or play more intricate bass lines...I am glad my left hand is available..

I also find it very hard to play bass pedals , and expression pedal...while standing..

For the most part ..I have found ex accordion players adapt to left hand bass on piano keys..the best.. ..Both dexterity and a stronger theory/chord structure know how also helps..

You've been hangin' out with the wrong piano players Fran.

The important thing is having the dexterity in the hand, which most piano players develop if they are trained properly..."thinking" like a bass player is merely an adjustment.

Ian

Ian, I think I have been around a lot of trained pianists..We are talking classical trained ?

I have found that most classical trained pianist are not strong left hand bass players..They excel in site reading, so if the bass line was written out..they do fine..

The other fault of classical trained pianist..they do not understand chord structure and theory..

Place a Fake book version chart in front of them and let them interpret the bass line .."live"..the vast majority can not do it..

Classical training relies on technique and site reading..

Sorry I have to disagree with you on this point..as usual

That's fine, Fran, I don't mind. I still think you're a nice guy.

Ian

Fran: trained when (how long ago?), and by whom?

Every piano teacher I studied with (from Mark Levine to Larry Dunlap ), had me working out & playing LH bass lines 'early on'. I gotta agree with Ian that learning to play LH bass lines with RH playing melody, solo, and chords, an essential basic acoustic piano skill taught by competant piano teachers. - Scott

Fran,

I should mention that most enlightened piano teachers today teach a combination of pop, jazz, and classical and other types of music.

Things have improved muchly since you were in short pants and tripping off to your lessons.

Yamaha's piano course addresses those genres, and also has the students play in ensemble, with each player doing a part of a score...including the bass.

Not all teachers/music schools are created equal.

Ian