Advice on teaching basic bass

[DaveAlex_ZAR]

So.. my son has been mucking about with one of my basses for a few years on and off, basically working out Green Day patterns and the like, but he has no knowledge of theory, chord construction etc.

I have put a few wall charts up for him that have a fretboard map, scales and arpeggios, and we sit and go through some things and the question arose.... Where do you actually start? Which got me thinking that when I was playing the six string , I started the same way... trying to string together a few chords, some tabs and copying what I heard on the radio, I only really got into theory, patterns and progressions when I started playing in a band and that was because I needed to know how to stay in key (or else). 

Cut a long story short, I've been on the web and theirs a minefield of instructional material and videos and all sorts supposedly telling us what to do but without wasting money, time and effort on putting him in the wrong direction. If I was to clean the slate on his ability and treat the project as a fresh lump of clay, where would you more experienced players start to mold.

[Cato]

I think the best way for a beginner to keep interested in an instrument is for them to learn to play tunes that they know and enjoy.

You also pick up quite a lot of theory, almost subconciously, as you learn how different songs are put together.

Formal theory comes later, if the individual is interested enough in that side of things to want to learn.

All IMO of course.

[DaveAlex_ZAR]

Thanks Cato, I think thats where he is at at the moment, I'm just conscious that when I moved from playing by myself in my apartment to actually playing with others... it was almost like I had to start over in a way. Theres probably no easy answer.,

[Cato]

16 minutes ago, DaveAlex_ZAR said:

Thanks Cato, I think thats where he is at at the moment, I'm just conscious that when I moved from playing by myself in my apartment to actually playing with others... it was almost like I had to start over in a way. Theres probably no easy answer.,

I think joining your first band is always going to be a different kind of learning curve, but I reckon if someone is good enough to play along to a record then they're good enough to be in band.

[TheGreek]

One of the most useful things I learned was the fretboard on the E string and the relationship to the other strings - A string = 5 down or 7 up, D string = 2 up, G string 3 down. Knowing this you can find any note on any string.

Scott Devine has a lesson on scales starting with the first, middle and little fingers which I found useful too.

[PaulWarning]

I'm with Cato on this one, just teach him how to play the songs he likes, trying to teach theory early on is a turn off, it's not until you've learnt some songs that you understand the relevance of it

[leftybassman392]

I live in the Solihull area and ran a tuition business for around 15 years. I don't do it professionally any more but if you like I can take a quick look at where he's at for you. I don't want money and I don't want to restart my teaching career - it would just be a one-off session. If you're interested feel free to drop me a PM.

[Monkey Steve]

Personally, I learned most when i got started playing the bass by going round to a guitar playing mate's house and playing along with him.  Great for understanding the dynamics and timing, etc, and with an experienced guitarist who would gently point out where I'd got things wrong.  Then on to bands within months of getting my first bass (in fairness I had got a bass because all my mates played guitar so i could get into a band pretty easily).  Beyond the first few weeks where i was just starting to work my way around the fretboard, I learned far more being in a band and writing my own bass parts (and working out how to play them better) than learning other people's songs.

However, the opposite applied when I learned the guitar.  After having a guitar for years, I only started making significant progress by learning covers - showed me so much about chord structures and changes.

In summary, there's no right or wrong, and it's probably best to let him try a few different things and see what he responds to

[Grangur]

Have you asked your son what he wants?

Different strokes for different folks. If he's the analytical type and wants to know theory, then www.studybass.com is good. Also a 14day trial on www.Scottsbasslessons.com would be good.

If hes not into theory, encourage him to get into a band with mates, or help him to search for Tabs online, or maybe leave him to find his own way.

Right now he's developing his ear for music which is great.

[bubinga5]

Learn scales etc. Then listen listen listen to music while playing. Work out what is going on musically while playing. Good bass teachers are hard to come by.depending on where you are in the country. Also, what Grangur said. There is no right way. It depends on the learner.

Edited June 5, 2018 by bubinga5

[scalpy]

If you pitch walking basslines to a student correctly you can cover a lot of ground very quickly, particularly if you comp along on guitar or piano. Then keep bolting on the next baby step- they’ll feel like they’re doing the job for real, upping their motivation. 

[Lozz196]

I think learning to fret notes properly up and down a single string, then moving on to learning to do the same across the strings is a good place to start. If notes can be played without dead-fretting or buzzing, then go on to songs. And as mentioned, songs that the beginner likes, much more likely to keep interest that way, or certainly I did when I was learning.

[Reggaebass]

I just think it’s great that he wants to play    I would print off the bass tabs to the songs he likes  it’s a good  way for him to start learning tabs  he will be all over the fretboard in no time 

[leftybassman392]

I know everybody here is offering their advice freely, sincerely and with good intentions but, with all due respect, every student is different. What works for one may not work for another.

As an ex tutor I guess I would say this wouldn't I, but nobody can really know what is the best approach for any given individual sight unseen. Some of the above may well work, but then again it may not. I have nothing to gain or lose by saying this, but if he's to

i) benefit,

ii) enjoy the experience

then he (and his father) really ought to get some professional guidance from somebody at some point. Unless of course dad's expecting him to get bored fairly quickly...

Just my two penn'orth. 

[Coilte]

3 hours ago, Grangur said:

Have you asked your son what he wants?

Different strokes for different folks. If he's the analytical type and wants to know theory, then www.studybass.com is good. Also a 14day trial on www.Scottsbasslessons.com would be good.

If hes not into theory, encourage him to get into a band with mates, or help him to search for Tabs online, or maybe leave him to find his own way.

Right now he's developing his ear for music which is great.

Plus one to all the above. The only thing I would add is to encourage him to practice safe... (note I did not say... "correct"...   😉.) technique. Might as well start him on good habits before the bad ones have a chance to get a hold. A safe technique will help him to play to the best of his ability, at the same time avoiding potential injury problems later on, due to bent wrists, gripping the neck too tight, fretting too hard etc. IMO safe technique is the very first thing a new player should be taught...regardless of where he wants to go with his playing.

 

 

[josie]

The route my excellent teacher took with me was - first and most important - what do you want to play? What would give you joy hearing it coming from your own instrument and your own fingers? I'd loved the blues for years, the first time I played through the root notes for a 12-bar was a joy, the first time I played a turnaround and understood it was an utter revelation.

I'm very grateful that he then steered me gradually into the RGT exam syllabus. Naturally I had some resistance to taking exams, but it's very well designed, everything in there is important to playing well, and much of it I wouldn't have bothered with if I hadn't been going for the grades. It's well worth getting hold of the early grades study material and working through it, even if he doesn't want to actually take the exams:

http://www.rgt.org/exams/