Can you teach reading (notation, not tab)? theory? ear training? technique - finger and pick? If yes, great!
Too much depends on good teachers. If you suspect you aren't qualified to teach, do not teach.
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I've been tasked to give Bass lessons. No clue where to start
- Thread starter zachcook99
- Start date
Can you teach reading (notation, not tab)? theory? ear training? technique - finger and pick? If yes, great!
Too much depends on good teachers. If you suspect you aren't qualified to teach, do not teach.
I forget whether the OP’s student is a kid or an adult. But either way, lots of beginners have no idea what their goals are, other than in the abstract. It is certainly good to know the student’s goals, whatever they might be. I think it may not affect the content of the first couple months of study.
I keep on looking for a way to bring Miyagi and LaRuso into this. Can’t quite figure how.
Learn notes on the fretboard
Learn patterns of major and minor scales
Learn basic technique and how to hold your arms and hands
Learn some easy songs
Learn patterns of major and minor scales
Learn basic technique and how to hold your arms and hands
Learn some easy songs
^^^^^
This.
I did exactly this when I started.
The Friedland book does what many others here suggest.
Then
Expect the student to practice 30 minutes per day. Every day.
If not, pass.
In our worship band, we expect a good level of play. It takes some time to get to.confidence to even hit root whole notes reliably.
.
.
I didn't mean to offend, it was just my opinion. That is a great beginner bass line, but I think of it as advanced beginner.
A bass line a very new student - first or second lesson - can start to learn is "Wonderful Tonight" by Eric Clapton. Slow, steady, but still melodic. "Breathe" by Pink Floyd is another possibility, although there's a kinda tricky turnaround in that song. Again, this is just my opinion, just fodder for discussion or food for thought, or safely ignored.
Watch a few total beginner lessons on YT. Have the kid run through those to see where he's at technically. Also pick out some exercises and a song or two that will fit well to his level, work through those a few times. Give him pointers on his technique compared to yours, and have him practice all you went thru at home, then gauge the progress.
Tip; Keep notes on each students progress.
Tbch, teaching isnt that hard. It's a joke saying but it's got some truth to it; "you only have to be one lesson ahead of your student".
So bunker down with YT and go through free courses. Adopt what you think will be useful, discard all the filler. That way you'll put together a program in no time.
Tip; Keep notes on each students progress.
Tbch, teaching isnt that hard. It's a joke saying but it's got some truth to it; "you only have to be one lesson ahead of your student".
So bunker down with YT and go through free courses. Adopt what you think will be useful, discard all the filler. That way you'll put together a program in no time.
Since what you seemed to be in disagreement with in your response wasn't something that I had written to begin with, I wasn't offended.
I was merely pointing out that those were in fact your words and not mine.
I didn't have any students who had even the slightest problem learning the simple, repeating pattern/line to which I was referring.
Had I sensed that they were struggling, I would have gone with something even easier. I just wanted them to have some immediate success.
I think that the lines/songs that you have suggested would work just as well in that regard.
I just stuck with I-IV-V because it has so often been the basis of popular songs.
Generally speaking I would have a completely different student-centric approach, starting by understanding why they want to study the instrument i.e. what they think they would like to do with it. Then, set a target in the not distance future, like 6 months or 1 year, depending on their age and amount of time they expect to be able to invest in practicing. And from the target, figure out what they need to learn or improve in order to make it happen.
However, I see that you have already decided what they need to know. So you are asking about the methods for making what they learn persistent, and growing them more capable of making music (which I suppose is what you mean by 'musicianship').
Something I have learned on myself about persistency, is that for me it is better to have periods of focus on fewer topics, as opposed to studying/practicing many things at once. Instead of studying a little bit of theory, a little bit of technique (or maybe 10 different techniques), repertoire, improvisation, all scales all modes everywhere on the fretboard... all in parallel at the same time, I feel like the skills most persistent in my knowledge are those which I focused on for a few weeks or a month at the detriment of others. This doesn't mean strictly to study one thing at a time. You can have a few topics in parallel, especially if they are in completely different set of skills (theory, reading, technique...) but don't put too much on the plate at once. For example, if you want to study modes, you can focus on one mode for a month before moving to the next, or work on two modes for two months before adding a third.
To foster musicianship (or any other complex activity, really), a generally accepted idea is indeed to apply what you learn as soon as possible. When you are teaching a technique such as for example 'slide' or 'pull-off', don't just stop at the exercises, but see if you can find either etudes or real songs which use that technique, or otherwise if using improvisation, require to incorporate such technique when improvising grooves or phrases.
My first bass teacher asked me that. I didn't even know what I didn't, much less everything. Dumb, naive, young, all of that and maybe more. My answer was "play bass." To me at the time, I thought what's up with that ... isn't it obvious? Yeah, I was that kind of student.
Anyhow, I'm not a music teacher and not even a good bass player. I'm fairly certain that questions has been asked many times and the responses were much more explicative and inspiring for the teacher.
If I was in your situation and wanted to go forward, I would tell the student something along the lines of "You're beginning on bass and in music, I'm beginning as a teacher, so we're in this together, let's see how it goes. If we find that it works and we're a good fit, great. If not, I will do my best to help you find the right situation." Personally, I think the fact that you have some reluctance about it is understandable and a good sign. Teaching is leading and leadership is a both a service position and a burden. I trust those who enter into it reluctantly far more than those are too eager.
Break up the lessons. If these will be 45 minute sessions, do 15 minutes of technique and 15 minutes on theory. The next 15 minutes should depend on what the student wants to focus on; could be reading, could be improvisation, could be transcriptioning, etc.
What specifically do you mean by “I - IV - V”? Can you provide an example Chuck Berry song that shows what you are suggesting that isn’t a 12-bar blues?
My post was shorter than I should have left it. Reading back it comes across as flippant, and that is definitely not what I intended. This thread is an excellent example of bassist with different goals and expectations of themselves, even though they probably wouldn't have been able to completely articulate them in the beginning.
I've never been a music teacher, and will be the first one to say I am not qualified to really be one. I did just retire after 30 years of being a middle and high school teacher. Mostly science, although I taught some woodworking the last few years (It's a sideline, and I am a more accomplished woodworker than musician.
). I did include music in my science courses where it fit, kept a guitar and bass in my classroom, encouraged students to play, and worked very informally with several over the years. The woodworking was very different than my regular classroom. The classroom curriculum was already established, it would be tested at the end of the year, and my job was to get each student to master it to the best of their ability. The woodshop was different. Some students were interested in a construction-related career of some sort. They wanted to know the how and why of everything. The more they learned, the more their interests and abilities guided them toward some aspects as opposed to others. Some students showed me a picture of what they wanted to build. In one case, "Grandpa made this when he was in school, Grandma still has it, and I want to make one for my mom." My responsibility was to identify the skills necessary to build it, find ways for them to develop those, and then assist them in making a plan that allows them to apply those skills and build their project. A couple of students just needed an elective and took my woodworking course because they were already comfortable with me as a teacher.Knowing that a student doesn't have any idea what their goals might be is important. What kind of music do you like? Some people will start by saying I want to be able to play Green Onions. Even something as simple as, "Have you seen Duck Dunn? Who doesn't want to be a bass player?!?" provides a little information that will let the teacher know where to start and what goals to set. If you are the bassist in the worship band, then they may want to be like you, and they may or may not say that. Some people have played a guitar a little and will relate to how the instrument works. Some people have played piano; after they understand how bass strings and frets work, and that moving from one fret to another is like moving from one key to another, their current understanding of music theory starts applying to bass.
I agree that working with a group of students is good. It's nice to see that you aren't the only one struggling because your hand hurts, and you can't make that note ring out clearly.
Be engaged, aware, and enthusiastic. There are a ton of valuable resources already listed - I don't have much to contribute to them. As the student develops, the student will demonstrate (consciously or not) the direction in which they are headed, and the teacher's role is to build a road that will get them there. A large percentage of them will give up when it hurts and starts to look like work. Encourage them to stick with it, but if they quit don't hold it against them and don't take it personally.
Enjoy!
All good advice above which I will not repeat. But an important aspect that's not been mentioned is to be consistent and correct in your own approach. A student will mimic the teacher, so if you display bad practices they will be tempted to do the same. This includes: Posture, Technique, habits (tune before you play, no noodling - keep strings quiet when you talk, count out rhythms and learn to use a metronome well, learn to play slowly but accurately before playing fast etc etc.). Also equally important: use correct musical terminology as far as possible and be consistent. It's a "C" on the A-string, not just the "third fret on that second thickest string" (of course, you may need to start by explaining the fretboard and the notes in some detail) , learn to clap out rhythms from seeing the notation.
Take a song that the student would like to play and create a very simple bass line for it. Practice that and use that to discuss the interplay between harmony and the bass line. Then, when the lessons have moved on, take the same song and make a more interesting bass line for it. Do that together with the student and explain the choices available.
And finally: motivation. Regardless of the songs the student wants to play, have a few pieces at the appropriate level prepared, with backing tracks (at the correct and several slower tempos) and chord charts and notation for the student to work from. This is where the books will be really helpful.
And sometimes you will make mistakes. Accept that. Nobody is perfect. Admit you made a mistake, correct it and move on. But take notes after your sessions on progress and things you will want to address next time, then refer back when you plan the next lesson.
You got this!
Take a song that the student would like to play and create a very simple bass line for it. Practice that and use that to discuss the interplay between harmony and the bass line. Then, when the lessons have moved on, take the same song and make a more interesting bass line for it. Do that together with the student and explain the choices available.
And finally: motivation. Regardless of the songs the student wants to play, have a few pieces at the appropriate level prepared, with backing tracks (at the correct and several slower tempos) and chord charts and notation for the student to work from. This is where the books will be really helpful.
And sometimes you will make mistakes. Accept that. Nobody is perfect. Admit you made a mistake, correct it and move on. But take notes after your sessions on progress and things you will want to address next time, then refer back when you plan the next lesson.
You got this!
Very nicely stated.
I had dinner with a couple of former coworkers yesterday. One, who had previously been a practicing lawyer, asked the other how they got into teaching anyway? They had both worked under my supervision and were both way better teachers than almost any of the ones who told me stuff like, "teaching has been a lifelong passion for me". After they told their story of becoming a teacher, I laughed and told them both exactly that.
First ask them what they want to achieve. That will help you understand where you need to focus, IMO.
That said, for the love of God (quite literally in your situation, it seems), teach them the notes on the fretboard first.
I have no idea what it is with bass, but the amount of bassists who don't understand their instrument is shocking.
That said, for the love of God (quite literally in your situation, it seems), teach them the notes on the fretboard first.
I have no idea what it is with bass, but the amount of bassists who don't understand their instrument is shocking.
It is not a problem to be "that kind of student". It is very normal for youngsters picking up their first instrument. It can also be the case for adults who just want to start music as a hobby. It does make a huge difference for the teacher.
If a teacher has a student in this situation, making a study plan is more difficult. He could, in theory, still decide on behalf of the student what kind of musician the student should be, and make a study plan accordingly. Maybe it turns out to be ok, but it can also ruin the student, who will eventually quit maybe for good, and the teacher may even blame the student for not being hardworking enough.
Probably a more fair decision by the teacher, is to make a fluid plan. Cover different things at different times to try and expose the student to many musical possibilities, until the student develops an idea of where he wants to go.
However, zachcook99 mentioned that he's being told to teach by his worship pastor. So he could in fact choose a study plan centered around the needs of their parish: maybe they have resident musicians who play during church celebrations, so the target can be simply to prepare the student to fill such role.
Imagining myself in OP's position -- which I easily can -- there are several things I would want to know before making a decision about whether or not to do this.
First, would you be just doing this as a favor for your pastor (and the prospective student), or will you be paid? Personally, I wouldn't hesitate to give a few informal lessons to my niece as a favor to my sister, but I'd be reluctant to hang out a sign advertising paid lessons to the general public -- at least, without putting a lot of hours into figuring out how I would do it.)
Second, I'd have a number of questions about the prospective student, including:
1. What are their goals and aspirations? Are they just wanting to try out bass for a bit to see if they like it, or are they aiming to be in a gigging band six months from now? (Or maybe replacing you in your worship band? )
2. Do they have any background/experience with bass, and if so how much?
3. Do they have any background/experience with any other musical instruments, and if so how much?
4. Do they already have a bass and amp, or would I (you) need to provide them?
I don't think I can offer any useful advice without knowing the answers to these questions.
First, would you be just doing this as a favor for your pastor (and the prospective student), or will you be paid? Personally, I wouldn't hesitate to give a few informal lessons to my niece as a favor to my sister, but I'd be reluctant to hang out a sign advertising paid lessons to the general public -- at least, without putting a lot of hours into figuring out how I would do it.)
Second, I'd have a number of questions about the prospective student, including:
1. What are their goals and aspirations? Are they just wanting to try out bass for a bit to see if they like it, or are they aiming to be in a gigging band six months from now? (Or maybe replacing you in your worship band?
)2. Do they have any background/experience with bass, and if so how much?
3. Do they have any background/experience with any other musical instruments, and if so how much?
4. Do they already have a bass and amp, or would I (you) need to provide them?
I don't think I can offer any useful advice without knowing the answers to these questions.
When I was 17 years old I taught guitar lessons for a living.
In hindsight...I probably shouldn't have. tbh I had no business introducing neophytes to an instrument that I'd only been playing for ~5 years. All I was really doing was parroting what my guitar teachers had said to me, without recognizing how my students' needs differed from mine, much less one anothers'.
So, fast forward a couple of decades... a guy comes up to me after a gig where I'm playing bass with an avant-jazz comprovisational ensemble, and he says "I would love to take bass lessons with you." With memories of 17-year-old me raising my hackles, I tell him I don't teach. But he implores me, with all sorts of fawning and obsequious flattery, until finally I tell him "okay, here's the deal: I can't really explain how I do anything on the instrument, I can only tell you why I do anything on the instrument."
To which he says "And that's why I would love to take bass lessons with you."
Most gratifying $150 I ever made in my life.
In hindsight...I probably shouldn't have. tbh I had no business introducing neophytes to an instrument that I'd only been playing for ~5 years. All I was really doing was parroting what my guitar teachers had said to me, without recognizing how my students' needs differed from mine, much less one anothers'.
So, fast forward a couple of decades... a guy comes up to me after a gig where I'm playing bass with an avant-jazz comprovisational ensemble, and he says "I would love to take bass lessons with you." With memories of 17-year-old me raising my hackles, I tell him I don't teach. But he implores me, with all sorts of fawning and obsequious flattery, until finally I tell him "okay, here's the deal: I can't really explain how I do anything on the instrument, I can only tell you why I do anything on the instrument."
To which he says "And that's why I would love to take bass lessons with you."
Most gratifying $150 I ever made in my life.
Definitely different for more advanced players. I had grown up with a father who was a high school band director and already had 2 years of theory under my belt by the time I was 21 and began studying with a great jazz bassist in the area. He taught me a lot up front, but it eventually became as much of a "hang" as anything, and I was fine with that. I think he even asked me at one point if I wanted to keep coming and I told him that I was still getting a lot out of our time together. Learning through osmosis might be one way to think about it, and just hanging with him kept me highly motivated to practice.When I was 17 years old I taught guitar lessons for a living.
In hindsight...I probably shouldn't have. tbh I had no business introducing neophytes to an instrument that I'd only been playing for ~5 years. All I was really doing was parroting what my guitar teachers had said to me, without recognizing how my students' needs differed from mine, much less one anothers'.
So, fast forward a couple of decades... a guy comes up to me after a gig where I'm playing bass with an avant-jazz comprovisational ensemble, and he says "I would love to take bass lessons with you." With memories of 17-year-old me raising my hackles, I tell him I don't teach. But he implores me, with all sorts of fawning and obsequious flattery, until finally I tell him "okay, here's the deal: I can't really explain how I do anything on the instrument, I can only tell you why I do anything on the instrument."
To which he says "And that's why I would love to take bass lessons with you."
Most gratifying $150 I ever made in my life.