Focus? (Developing a Curriculum)

[swrjunkie04]

The following questions are to supplement my research for a final project in a college level technical writing course. The paper will be titled "Determining a Curriculum for a First Year Electric Bass Student". This is a very broad topic so I've specifically chosen to narrow it to:

1) Interviews of bassists with 5 years or more of experience only.

2) It's assumed the student wants to pursue playing in a 1960-current "rock" band. Not necessarily become a soloist, studio musician, orchestra player, etc.

 

I promise to post the results of my one-on-one interviews, but first I wanted to allow you to answer without skewing your responses too much! Feel free to write as much or as little as you like:

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1) Do you have 5 years or more experience playing bass?

2) What areas do you think are the *most* important for a beginning bassist to focus on?

3) How important is it to find a bass instructor?

4) Are there any books/videos that are a "must have" for a beginner?

5) How should a beginner divide up their practice time?

6) Is there anything you would like to add that I didn't ask?

 

Thank you very much!

[BenLoy]

1) Do you have 5 years or more experience playing bass?

 

Yes.

 

2) What areas do you think are the *most* important for a beginning bassist to focus on?

 

Musicianship (theory, harmony, reading. Learning tunes. Learning the fingerboard (you should know where every note is).

 

3) How important is it to find a bass instructor?

 

It depends: If you're a total genius and can learn an instrument inside and out in a matter of minutes, then you'll probably figure out everything on your own. If you're like most musicians, however, you'll need a teacher. A good teacher can help you by sharing his or her knowledge and experience that can help you progress faster.

 

4) Are there any books/videos that are a "must have" for a beginner?

 

"New Method for the Double Bass" by Franz Simandl

"Modern Reading Text in 4/4" by Louis Bellson

"The Evolving Bassist" by Rufus Reid.

Videos are overrated, IMO. They're fun to watch, but I'd rather take lessons or use a book.

 

5) How should a beginner divide up their practice time?

 

Spend time working on technique, musicianship, and reperatoire. Break it up and try to keep things interesting for yourself.

[SteveC]

1) Do you have 5 years or more experience playing bass?

 

Yes, about 24 years.

 

2) What areas do you think are the *most* important for a beginning bassist to focus on?

 

Reading standard notation

Learning to count

Learning good technique

Styles

 

3) How important is it to find a bass instructor?

 

I think that as you first start it is important to have someone guide you in the basics. No matter what you go on to do, a basic grasp of fundemental skills is a good thing.

 

4) Are there any books/videos that are a "must have" for a beginner?

 

Hal Leonard's 3 book series revised by Ed Friedland - an excellent beginner book series; also the Simandl New Method for Bass. It's for upright, but very applicable to electric as well.

 

5) How should a beginner divide up their practice time?

 

warm up

theory/fundamentals

songs

[BBReBozo]

1) Do you have 5 years or more experience playing bass?

 

Yes.

 

2) What areas do you think are the *most* important for a beginning bassist to focus on?

 

Theory (including harmony and reading)

Good rhythm (feel)

Versatility (various styles, ear training)

 

3) How important is it to find a bass instructor?

 

Vital in the beginning.

 

4) Are there any books/videos that are a "must have" for a beginner?

 

The above books are great.

I'd also add the Real Book for Jazz Standards.

Michael Manring's "Bass Essentials" instructional video is wonderful, both from a practical standpoint and an inspirational one. By far the best instructional video I've ever seen.

 

5) How should a beginner divide up their practice time?

 

- playing with other musicians of all calibers

- working on reading skills and theory.

- playing along with records/CDs/mp3s etc.

- Figuring out new songs.

- composing new lines, new music

- working on rhythm exercises

[getz out]

1) Do you have 5 years or more experience playing bass?

 

Yes.

 

2) What areas do you think are the *most* important for a beginning bassist to focus on?

 

Theory; it's easier to communicate in the real world when you speak the language.

 

3) How important is it to find a bass instructor?

 

Relatively important; finding a quality instructor will accelerate your development and will help you avoid pitfalls.

 

4) Are there any books/videos that are a "must have" for a beginner?

 

Some are good, some are not as good. But there are plenty and just as many ways to learn.

 

5) How should a beginner divide up their practice time?

 

1. Understand theory

2. Develop technique and familiarity with the instrument

3. Learn to listen critically to music

4. Start playing with peers

[davebrownbass]

Originally posted by swrjunkie04:

1) Do you have 5 years or more experience playing bass?

2) What areas do you think are the *most* important for a beginning bassist to focus on?

3) How important is it to find a bass instructor?

4) Are there any books/videos that are a "must have" for a beginner?

5) How should a beginner divide up their practice time?

6) Is there anything you would like to add that I didn't ask?

1. I began playing bass in 1973. I began teaching bass in 1984. I began teaching bass in college in 1998.

 

2. Most important: Fretboard knowlege, finger facility and memory, reading music, theory, common bass line development, the relationship of bass lines and time, opening ears by guided listening, general knowlege of bass history, construction etc.

 

3. Bass instructor: is vital to efficiently guide the player through the exercises.

 

4. "Simandl Method" to develop finger facility, reading, shifting strategies.

"Modern Reading in 4/4 time", to develop sense of time and groove.

"The Bass Player Book," to fill in missing information. If student were to purchase only one, it would probably be "The Bass Player Book" and a staff paper tablet so I could write out various exercises. No videos...spend that money buying the Beatles, Stones, Who, etc. recordings.

 

5. Warmup daily on scale exercises and the reading etudes. This will take 1/2 of practice time. Work on listening and transcribing bass lines of various styles. Very little time practicing their "band's" music alone.

 

6. Left out? Yep. A bass is an ensemble instrument, especially in the beginning. A student should make every effort to play with others from the very beginning. A rock band, church group, school jazz group or even a friend with a guitar. In the absence of that, the Aebersold books/CD's come in handy, or other "Music Minus One" resources.

 

Also, I would make it clear here that I do not believe a first year student is well served by a teacher who just transcribes a bass line and teaches it by rote. This will not help them.

 

I have a comment about one part of your premise. It IS assumed that the student wants to play '60's-current rock. That is generally true. However, I think that this goal many students have is mis-informed. I make it a part of my teaching that students need to know quite a bit more than this narrow scope. I expect them to listen to jazz and try to develop a walking bass line. This goal (whether they like it or not) makes them vastly improved bassists.

[...]

1) Do you have 5 years or more experience playing bass?

 

Yes. 12 years on bass, 5 years of guitar before that.

 

2) What areas do you think are the *most* important for a beginning bassist to focus on?

 

Theory and listening.

 

Learning to read music isn't difficult. Learning where all the notes are on the fretboard is absolutely necessary.

 

Listen to as much music as possible in as many different genres as possible; while focusing on the music that you enjoy playing the most. As the bass player, you will be expected to know how to play every style imaginable.

 

Next, I'd focus on ear training.

 

3) How important is it to find a bass instructor?

 

It depends on how motivated you are, although even the most motivated people aren't going to just instinctively know good posture and right/left hand technique. A bass instructor is going to teach you that and possibly prevent really bad habits from developing. After learning these things, a really motivated person could learn a lot of simply studying with books instead of paying a teacher to show it to them. Most people need that little kick in the booty to get them practicing all the time and working on stuff that isn't necessarily the most fun to work on (like scales and modes).

 

4) Are there any books/videos that are a "must have" for a beginner?

 

Dunno... I was completely self taught as a beginner. I had a fretboard diagram and learned where the notes were from that. It wasn't until my first year of college that I really even knew the entire fretboard. I knew the first 7 frets real well, but above that was hazy. Playing in a jazz combo and having to play walking lines forced me to learn the rest of the fretboard very quickly. I already knew how to read/write music from years of playing trumpet.

 

5) How should a beginner divide up their practice time?

 

50/50. Half "new" stuff and half "fun" stuff. Beginners especially need that fun stuff to keep them motivated and interested in playing bass in the first place. Fun stuff is usually playing along to your favorite songs or working on songs of your own if you feel inclined to write.

 

6) Is there anything you would like to add that I didn't ask?

 

Yeah, make sure you ask them if they still play trumpet.