In 1995 I attended a 2-day seminar with Pat Martino (btw, a bass player trying to learn from a guitar player? You kidding??).
Many rightly remember him for his way of playing, for his musical history or for his personal adventure.
I remember him for his teaching and philosophical synthesis skills.
In those two days from the very first minutes he handed out his booklet on how the guitar is organized and how to sort and tackle the various study topics (you can see some of the material in these pictures).
In short, a complete program to develop year by year, working for decades.
As a bassist I was bewitched by his way of explaining in detail and immediately performing everything on the instrument in a perfect and technically virtuoso way.
Each exercise or concept was immediately shown on the instrument. His musical, technical and theoretical skills were at a very high level.
I have since understood that there is a clear way to logically learn to play a stringed instrument and use it to improvise. Great teaching.
When at the end of the seminar he was asked “How can we now get on on our own to improve our skills?” he replied: “Keep your ears and eyes always open, get an internet connection, search and practice“.
It was 1995 and the “Internet era” had just begun in Italy, most musicians believed it was something only for scientists only
From that time onwards, always keeping an open mind.
Tiziano
P.S. My book “The Contemporary Bassist vol.1″ has been deeply inspired by Pat Martino’s approach and teaching. You can get your copu HERE.
