[Ethan.Bassist.]

Okay, I've been playing bass for 7 or 8 years. This ain't my first rodeo haha. I need to learn Jazz. Which is a very broad statement. Here are the specifics. I essentially need to learn Jazz to get into the music school over at Hartford University in Connecticut.

Here are the requirements:

Originally Posted by Hartt School

Demonstrate the ability to improvise over the following forms
12 bar blues (concert F and Bb)
"Rhythm" changes (concert Bb)
Song from the standard literature, i.e.: "Body and Soul", "All the Things You Are", etc.
All jazz instrumentalists should be prepared to demonstrate the following technical skills
Scales: major, minor, whole-tone, chromatic
Playing or arpeggiating chords: Maj. 7/Dom. 7/Min. 7/halfdim./full dim./ also adding upper partials: 9th/llth/13th
Sight-reading may be included.
Acoustic and Electric Bass: play the melody of a standard song in addition to improvising on form.

Okay, so I can kind of read music. Well I can read music. But it just takes me a while.

So my question is is this something I should get a teacher for? I've taught myself bass thus far, but this is much more theory dependent and theory hasn't been a gigantic part of teaching myself thus far.

Thoughts?
Thanks!

[Rainer.]

Yes, you will definitely need to learn your chords and scales, plus walking, playing forms, and a general sense of playing melodically.

Could teach yourself, but if you really want to know what you need to know, and if you really want to accelerate your learning, I would find a good teacher. And be prepared to start transcribing some tunes.

[gtrdave]

Most of that stuff I learned on my own, but that was when I was younger and had more time, more drive and less responsibilities.
If you can muster the self-discipline then you can probably learn the majority of what you need yourself, but a good teacher can always help you set goals and critique/encourage you.

[jthomas1600]

I'd get a teacher. Here's why. If I'm paying for lessons from an instructor I trust and I've bought into his program when he says "learn A, B, and C by next Thursday" I'm a lot more likely to accomplish that. If I set that goal on my own, with no lesson to go to on Thursday it's too easy come Wednesday to say "well, I'll just try to have it learned by Saturday".

[Ethan.Bassist.]

Good thoughts everyone. I think I'll be looking around for a teacher in my area.
Gracias!
Ethan.