I need practice not lectures...

R

Raphael-

Aug 5, 2021
4
10
1,531
#1
I've spent a lot of time on this forum looking up online courses and trying them out (reviews, free trials, youtube...)

Unfortunately I must say most of them do not suit me, including two of the most popular ones: SBL and Talkingbass. The reason is that most online lessons are basically video lectures, with little to no explicit guidance on what to practice and how.

Personally, lectures come into one ear and go out the other one. I'd prefer to use my bass when I'm learning bass...

I was lucky enough to find Bassbuzz (Josh Fossgreen) and made HUGE AND FAST progress. It is a structured and linear program, divided into small bits. Each concept is taught in a short ~10-15mn video which is accompanied by a "workout" video, usually based on a well-known song, that makes you practice each concept, and thereby learn by doing.

For eg. to explain the major scale, Josh would teach you a short riff and have you play along the video slowly and then faster and faster. And then magic, no only do you know the major scale, your fingers know it too.

The only problem with Bassbuzz is it's a beginner course. I finished it a couple months ago and have since been making desperately slow progress. I'm now looking for another course, similarly based on practice rather than lectures, but for intermediates.

Any ideas?
 
  • Like
Reactions: DirtDog, Flying B, dutchwife and 7 others
#7
OOD said:
That’s awfully expensive for an online lesson. Do they have a free trail? I didn’t see one.
Click to expand...
Check out her entire web site. There are other courses. She has written a highly acclaimed book: Music Theory for the Bass Player with a corresponding course. She also has a ton of fre videos on No Treble to give you an idea of her teaching approach. She has also done extensive research specifically on successful teaching methods. Her courses are structured differently for a reason.
 
  • Like
Reactions: design, equill, bassb66 and 4 others
#8
Once you know the notes of a scale and the chords that can be made from that scale and where those notes are located on the fretboard it's just a matter of how to use all of that information to produce what you want.
Scale Degree 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 octave.
C scale = ......C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C
C Major chord = the 1, 3 and 5 scale degree of of C major scale.
C minor chord = the 1,b3, 5 scale degree of the C major scale.
C Pentatonic Major = 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 ..... you take it from here.

Now go run the C major scale about a zillion times. Everything C is based upon that scale.

People that play piano use sheet music all the time

I think the getting started post in the general information section has all that. Course you have to dig it out yourself. If you have to dig it out you will remember it. That fish thing.

After spending time with that string come back with specific questions. The guys will jump on your reply.

Good luck.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Rilence
#10
It's not really a course, but Jim Stinnett's you tube videos are most certainly "play-alongs". He often says, "go get your bass." It would probably be time well spent working through a few of his videos.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTLM0C5Acp-0xi4ZEb-mSQg

Here's another vote for Ariane Cap. Her new book "The Pattern System for the Bass Player" is intermediate level. I'm finishing up Chapter 2 out of 12 and I can see how this system will pay big dividends.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: weird_hermiston, Marihino, StatesideRambler and 7 others
#12
This reminds me of when people give you really fast talking directions with accompanying finger arrows to get to a place you have never been before. It always makes som much sense to the giver.

There is probably too much talking on youtube in general. Talking content is cheap to make and easy to edit though. Maybe that is why it lives.

On the other hand, I have heard of some very advanced teachers and students having talk sessions as part of the learning. It doesn’t sound like that is what you have though.
 
  • Like
Reactions: weird_hermiston
#13
Get private lessons. A good teacher should give you your technique exercises each week, and then customize them and expand on them to address your developmental needs. Videos are really good for introducing new concepts, but fall short of teaching progressive technique. Technique is all about fixing lots of tiny problems, and if nobody is looking at you to identify your problems and give you exercises to target those problems, then how would you ever know?
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mr Cheese, legalbass, JonathanPDX and 4 others
#14
Raphael- said:
I've spent a lot of time on this forum looking up online courses and trying them out (reviews, free trials, youtube...)

Unfortunately I must say most of them do not suit me, including two of the most popular ones: SBL and Talkingbass. The reason is that most online lessons are basically video lectures, with little to no explicit guidance on what to practice and how.

Personally, lectures come into one ear and go out the other one. I'd prefer to use my bass when I'm learning bass...

I was lucky enough to find Bassbuzz (Josh Fossgreen) and made HUGE AND FAST progress. It is a structured and linear program, divided into small bits. Each concept is taught in a short ~10-15mn video which is accompanied by a "workout" video, usually based on a well-known song, that makes you practice each concept, and thereby learn by doing.

For eg. to explain the major scale, Josh would teach you a short riff and have you play along the video slowly and then faster and faster. And then magic, no only do you know the major scale, your fingers know it too.

The only problem with Bassbuzz is it's a beginner course. I finished it a couple months ago and have since been making desperately slow progress. I'm now looking for another course, similarly based on practice rather than lectures, but for intermediates.

Any ideas?
Click to expand...

Other than joining a band, I got nothing.
 
  • Like
Reactions: el jeffe bass, marchone, dutchwife and 2 others
#15
Raphael- said:
I've spent a lot of time on this forum looking up online courses and trying them out (reviews, free trials, youtube...)

Unfortunately I must say most of them do not suit me, including two of the most popular ones: SBL and Talkingbass. The reason is that most online lessons are basically video lectures, with little to no explicit guidance on what to practice and how.

Personally, lectures come into one ear and go out the other one. I'd prefer to use my bass when I'm learning bass...

I was lucky enough to find Bassbuzz (Josh Fossgreen) and made HUGE AND FAST progress. It is a structured and linear program, divided into small bits. Each concept is taught in a short ~10-15mn video which is accompanied by a "workout" video, usually based on a well-known song, that makes you practice each concept, and thereby learn by doing.

For eg. to explain the major scale, Josh would teach you a short riff and have you play along the video slowly and then faster and faster. And then magic, no only do you know the major scale, your fingers know it too.

The only problem with Bassbuzz is it's a beginner course. I finished it a couple months ago and have since been making desperately slow progress. I'm now looking for another course, similarly based on practice rather than lectures, but for intermediates.

Any ideas?
Click to expand...

Then go back to talkingbass and actually practice what is lectured. That's how higher learning often works. YOU have to have tue discipline to stop the video when a concept is demonstrated. YOU have to practice it before you keep going in the video. He does actually demonstrate how to tldo tue techniques. Do what he shows you and don't move on until you've nailed it.


You don't need your hand held. You have to do a lot of it on your own.
 
  • Like
Reactions: WrapRough, Marihino, Black Out Jazz and 12 others
#18
I started out with Bassbuzz and I also thought it worked well. Like you, I wished there was an intermediate course to proceed with. I ended up taking private lessons, first with a local guy and lately with someone online. You might want to try going the route of private lessons because a good teacher will cater the instruction to the areas you need/want to work on.
 
  • Like
Reactions: tonym
#19
two fingers said:
Then go back to talkingbass and actually practice what is lectured. That's how higher learning often works. YOU have to have tue discipline to stop the video when a concept is demonstrated. YOU have to practice it before you keep going in the video. He does actually demonstrate how to tldo tue techniques. Do what he shows you and don't move on until you've nailed it.


You don't need your hand held. You have to do a lot of it on your own.
Click to expand...
Not everyone learns the same, or gels with a specific teacher the same as another person might.
 
  • Like
Reactions: weird_hermiston, StatesideRambler, El_Charro and 1 other person
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back