Overview
The objective of our bass guitar program is to help our students to understand the unique role that bass plays in making music and to encourage the development of sound technique, confident sight-reading, and the ability to play in a wide range of musical genres.
Requirements
Prerequisites
A willingness to learn and the ability to make time for practice. The minimum should be three days a week at 30 minutes per day. There should also be an area to practice with a chair and music stand (or some equivalent means of sitting and placing a book for reading).
Equipment
The student will need to have access to a bass guitar with strap and tuner along with a method of amplifying it in their private practice. This can be a bass amplifier, soundcard, or headphone amplifier.
Textbook
The required text is the “Hal Leonard Bass Method, Complete Edition”. This can be purchased online or at Music Mart.
Syllabus
Playing positions
R.H. & L.H. Technique
Open Strings
The rake technique
Using the shift
12 Bar Blues
Notes in the 1st, 2nd & 3rd position
Playing Octaves
Classic Rhythm
Shifting through positions
The box shape
Understanding Tablature
Major & Minor scales
The Blues line
The major & minor triads
The shuffle rhythm
The chromatic walk up
Seventh Chords
Minor Pentatonic scales
Hammer-ons and pull-offs
Slap and Pop