New Tim Lerch interview/lesson: Ask Zac/Truetone Lounge

[ruger9]

Some people are better players than teachers. Satriani.

Some people are better teachers than players (this is where the old, but only somewhat accurate, "those who can't do, teach" came from.)

[pamosmusic]

Some people are better players than teachers. Satriani.

Some people are better teachers than players (this is where the old, but only somewhat accurate, "those who can't do, teach" came from.)

Ah good. That old chestnut.

Not accurate at all.

The best players are not the best teachers, the best teachers are not the best players, but you can’t teach it if you can’t do it.

People who were exceptionally good exceptionally young are sometimes not very good teachers because they didn’t have to do a lot of deliberate teaching of themselves, probably. Beyond that, I’m not sure you’d find much correlation between good player, bad teacher.

Teaching is also a skill like any other. So people who teach a lot (Brad Shepik comes to mind) are quite good at it, and people who don’t aren’t

[nyc chaz]

I don't understand how Lerch has achieved the kind of traction he seems to have...He's the most ordinary player and yet he seems to have an avid following.
I guess the enthusiast/amateur/hobbyist crowd, who can't really tell, think he's great.
Thus it has ever been.

You think Tim is ordinary?Thanks for making me laugh this mornimg.You should get together with the guy on here who said Frank Vignola is just a decent pro.

[supersoul]

You think Tim is ordinary?Thanks for making me laugh this mornimg.You should get together with the guy on here who said Frank Vignola is just a decent pro.

Tim Lerch makes it sound easy, but what he does isn't easy. But he's a good teacher because he was able to point out the importance of simple triads. He even played some sophisticated "jazz" sounding things and pointed out that it was all triads. If you're beginning it can feel overwhelming, but he's giving an "in" that is relatable to anyone. Everyone knows the major scale and the major triad. Here's a way to systematically use that make more interesting music than Happy Birthday: learn your triads up and down the neck, and here's what an inversion is, etc.


I think a good teacher helps the student find their own voice, not churn out a copy of themselves. That involves being able to step back and think about what would be useful to the student to help them improve. There's an art to being a good teacher.


When I was doing it a lot I realized that I didn't want to teach the student how to do things, but I wanted to teach students how to figure out how to do things on their own, if that makes sense. I wanted to help them develop their own practice, because that's something that continues as long as they're doing what they do. Practice as a noun, not a verb, that sort of thing.

[Picker]

So, in the words of a prior poster, Tim Lerch, "...is the most ordinary guy...".

I would say it's extraordinary people who take ordinary things and do them in extraordinary ways. Somewhat akin to that Stradivari guy; didn"t all his instruments look the same as as everyone else's? (Probably even sounded the same when played by a lot of violin gear heads of the 17th and 18th centuries.)
Rolling on the floor laughing out loud - okay, maybe just smiling - but not at Tim Lerch.

:-)

[Skip Ellis]

I was a lousy teacher! Played violin all through school, then took up guitar in 1960. Got real good (at the time) real fast and started teaching in local music store while in college and again after military and started hating it because the students, whether young or old were just 'not ate up with it' as much as I was. Decided I'd rather play in bands and run a music store. Nowadays, I rarely play at all as I'm into GAS and Chet Atkins/Merle Travis and there's no place to play it in my area, so I just look at my guitars and remember the fun times.

[JazzIsGood]

Yes I agree, this stuff is not easy and Tim makes it look effortless. I think he's got the steak more than the sizzle. Some musicians want to see amazing virtuoso stuff, but 99% of the music in the world that people love is devoid of virtuoso playing. For me, I'd rather hear a nice melody with a good swing feel, I don't need to get my head blown off by fast 16th notes or weird post-modern chords. There's something out there for everyone, plenty of virtuosos and plenty of great melody makers in this world.

Tim Lerch makes it sound easy, but what he does isn't easy.

[Oscar67]

Tim is intrinsically musical right down to his bones. With him it’s all about the right note, the right chord, timing, space, making it breathe, being in the moment. In short, the really important stuff.

[Ukena]

Tim is intrinsically musical right down to his bones. With him it’s all about the right note, the right chord, timing, space, making it breathe, being in the moment. In short, the really important stuff.

For me, he is the keeper of the flame of Ted Greene, plus being accomplished at Gypsy Jazz and everything in between. Like many extremely accomplished musicians, he is modest about his own accomplishments, and he doesn't tour the big cities, but pretty much stays in the Pacific Northwest.

Some people mistake that for ordinariness.

[nyc chaz]

For me, he is the keeper of the flame of Ted Greene, plus being accomplished at Gypsy Jazz and everything in between. Like many extremely accomplished musicians, he is modest about his own accomplishments, and he doesn't tour the big cities, but pretty much stays in the Pacific Northwest.

Some people mistake that for ordinariness.

Totally agree with you on Tim sounding like Ted Greene.Can't give a guitar player a higher compliment than that.Unfortunately some people think you have to play a blizzard of 32nd notes all the time to be considered great.

[johny_gtr]

I really dig into Tim's approach of teaching guitar and passed some of his TF courses and paper books. He shares his guitar wisdom without snobbish and elitist replies that could kill any intention to learn quite hard jazz music further. I can't compare pro guitar players who is better and can only vote by my ears who is more musical for me - Tim is in the top league... and I can't listen to Vai/Satch/SRV/Govan at all

[TLerch]

Hey guys, thanks for your thoughtful and encouraging comments about the Ask Zac interview. I enjoyed doing it and thought Zac asked good and interesting questions. I have to say, reading the above comments i was particularly pleased to read the often quoted guy who said I was "The Most Ordinary Player" I love this comment even though i suspect that he wasn't trying to be complimentary. The way i see it, being ordinary is a wonderful way to be since most of my audience are ordinary people as well. I think i may have found the perfect epitaph for my grave stone. "The Most Ordinary Player"
all the best
Tim

[Ukena]

Hey guys, thanks for your thoughtful and encouraging comments about the Ask Zac interview. I enjoyed doing it and thought Zac asked good and interesting questions. I have to say, reading the above comments i was particularly pleased to read the often quoted guy who said I was "The Most Ordinary Player" I love this comment even though i suspect that he wasn't trying to be complimentary. The way i see it, being ordinary is a wonderful way to be since most of my audience are ordinary people as well. I think i may have found the perfect epitaph for my grave stone. "The Most Ordinary Player"
all the best
Tim

Ah, Tim, what a graceful reply. The original post has been removed, so only the quotes are available.

There is "ordinary" – and then there is "most ordinary." I think it suitable that you would be described with a superlative.

[Mick-7]

I have to say, reading the above comments i was particularly pleased to read the often quoted guy who said I was "The Most Ordinary Player"

Great, Tim, we will do our best to discourage anyone from calling you extraordinary.

[Flat]

Conundrum: A fantastic player like Tim having the humility to call himself "ordinary" is one of the many things that makes him so extraordinary.

[cmajor9]

If I were somehow in charge of Tim’s tombstone, I would be sorely tempted to make a small revision to the epitaph, to “The Most Extraordinary Player”


Sincere thanks Tim, for all you’ve given and are continuing to give in enjoyment and learning to the guitar-loving community.