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Scott's Bass Lessons technique accelerator


nekomatic

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I see that enrolment for another session of this course is now open. I'm wondering whether it might be a worthwhile investment to scrub up my very rusty technique (and frankly it's never been brilliant) and get me into a daily routine of playing something given I don't have any bands or projects going at the moment.

 

Has anyone done it and would you recommend it? It promises to be suitable for all musical styles, is that true or is it really all funky semiquavers?

 

 

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I have done it and found it helpful for improving my technique. I would recommend it; it improved my finger style, slap, and pick technique. 
 

There is not much musical content to the course. If I was to invest simultaneously in something to improve me musically, I would also buy Jeff Berlin’s etude books, starting with number 1 in his ‘Bass Mastery’ series. I have never seen such a logically laid out number of pieces for bass. Playing this from start to finish also improved my technique, and gave me something to use the Technique Accelerator for. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Well I've watched the first lesson and while it's obviously much too early to rate the course, I like his style and he's already suggested some significant changes to how I've simply been holding the bass, so I'm definitely going to learn something! Watch this space…

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34 minutes ago, nekomatic said:

Well I've watched the first lesson and while it's obviously much too early to rate the course, I like his style and he's already suggested some significant changes to how I've simply been holding the bass, so I'm definitely going to learn something! Watch this space…

 

Thats the thing with the early lessons, there is a lot of fundamentals, including sections on just listening

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  • 2 months later...

Well so far I have mainly learnt two things: 1) the basic right hand stuff is completely kicking my derrière and 2) I'm finding it a lot harder than I realised to consistently set aside even the suggested 20 minutes five days a week for practice. So I'm already way behind the latest lesson (although Scott says 'there's no such thing as falling behind' and everyone will go at their own pace, it still feels like that).

 

It's definitely doing the job though, of giving me something to focus on and some sense of having committed to something that I need to keep at, and if the material stays as challenging to my current level as it has so far then it'll keep me happy for a few years… 

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I've just signed up for his jazz accelerator course, which starts Wednesday.  Curiously, I think this is first time out for this course, yet his blurb is smothered with 'quotes' from delighted students.  Maybe he trialled it on a focus group.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Bad news: Now further ‘behind’ than ever

Good news: Actually starting to get the hang of the economy plucking thing!

Bad news: Have realised that for one of the early left hand exercises where it’s all about making sure you don’t do… that thing, and I thought ‘well that’s OK, because I definitely don’t do that thing’, I do, in fact, do that thing

Good, er, actually further bad news: while I think I’ve isolated where doing that thing happens, when I actually watch my left hand doing it it looks so weird I can’t yet concentrate on how to do anything about it.

 

I’m definitely enjoying it though!

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I did this course in 2019 as a relatively new bassist, I'd been playing for less than a year.  I think it is one of the best courses for bass out there, it helped me immeasurably.  You have to knuckle down and do some quite repetitive exercises for 6 months and you don't learn a single song but you come out the end with the foundations of your future bass playing life well laid.

 

The other really stand out Scotts Bass Lessons course is the 'Harmonic Layering' course, which is one of the courses you can do when you subscribe to SBL.

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  • 4 weeks later...

I'd agree with BillyBass with regards to the technique accelerator; it is well thought out and structured and the exercises are extensible to a certain extent so that less experienced bass players might just do exercises 1, 2 and 3 while more experienced bass players would have additional exercises which incorporate faster tempos or more complex articulations. It is certainly a big step up from the standard SBL courses in terms of organisation and structure.

 

The harmonic layer course is also very good although the production is somewhat dated. I'd love to see this with more examples of how to apply the theory in the real world but google usually provides additional assistance when I need it.

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The SBL Accelerator courses run outside of and at additional cost to the SBL subscription - you get a small discount on the accelerator course if you do also subscribe to SBL. Enrollment is generally open for the accelerator courses every 12 months or so depending on the course.

 

It is a little frsutrating that the accelerator courses are at additional cost and going forward I'd consider dropping the SBL subscription and just choosing a standalone accelerator course when it is available. The accelerator courses tend to be a cut above the subscription courses in terms of organisation and structure although you could probably dig out the same information from across a number of the SBL subscription courses and You Tube videos.

 

Of course, "Accelerator" is really just SBL marketing jargon. All they really provide is the structure to allow someone to progress in a more structured and organised way and hence potentially progress more quickly .... if they put the practice in. Are they worth it? Each individuals mileage will vary but they do come with a 30 day money back guarantee to allow you to at least test the water (not that you cover much in the first 30 days). I've found them useful in terms of organising my practice which might say more about me than the course ...

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5 minutes ago, Gramski said:

The SBL Accelerator courses run outside of and at additional cost to the SBL subscription - you get a small discount on the accelerator course if you do also subscribe to SBL. Enrollment is generally open for the accelerator courses every 12 months or so depending on the course.

 

It is a little frsutrating that the accelerator courses are at additional cost and going forward I'd consider dropping the SBL subscription and just choosing a standalone accelerator course when it is available. The accelerator courses tend to be a cut above the subscription courses in terms of organisation and structure although you could probably dig out the same information from across a number of the SBL subscription courses and You Tube videos.

 

Of course, "Accelerator" is really just SBL marketing jargon. All they really provide is the structure to allow someone to progress in a more structured and organised way and hence potentially progress more quickly .... if they put the practice in. Are they worth it? Each individuals mileage will vary but they do come with a 30 day money back guarantee to allow you to at least test the water (not that you cover much in the first 30 days). I've found them useful in terms of organising my practice which might say more about me than the course ...

 

Thanks.  I don't fancy subscribing to anything, but I'd consider a one-off hit for an accelerator course.  If it's closed, I guess I'll keep my money.  If I happen to notice when it's open, I'll probably give it a try.  12 months though...

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