The art of teaching? Help!

[Mikemike]

So, I have been offered a job as a bass teacher for a new music store opening in a nearby suburb. It starts mid-August, and it's some nice money. I will be teaching absolute beginners, i.e. 12 year old suburbanites who have never touched an instrument. I have 8 yrs. experience, I have amassed a great deal of musical knowledge, pitch recognition, theory, etc. Basically, I'm qualified. Thing is, I have never personally taken a lesson. I don't really know how this whole process works. Where do I start? What do I tell an absolute beginner? I'm getting increasingly nervous, because I don't want to stunt any kids' musical development, but I do want to help them. I just don't know what the hell to teach! I'll only be doing one hour long lesson every other week, so I'll have time to think and prepare, but god, I'm lost. How do other teachers approach lessons from the beginning? Suggestions or guidance, anyone?

[thatguy5623]

I've only been playing for a couple years and I've never taught but I've been taught by a very good teacher IMO. I think for a beginner to become interested in an instrument it has to be fun. My teacher always gave me a song or two to learn that week but also taught me scales and notes and all the less fun stuff (to a beginner). It seemed to work very well. Maybe even just do songs for the first week just to peak their interest.
Also, try to teach them songs they know and like (most of them will be easy to play anyway hopefully).

That's just my humble oppinion on teaching. YMMV.

Good luck.

[BassChuck]

1. Make sure they know how to hold the instrument properly with good posture. It makes doing everything else so much easier.
2. Make sure they know how to tune the instrument and take care of it. If they don't have a guitar stand impress on them how to lay it down carefully or better yet put it back in the case.
3. Check with the student to find out what kind of music they are into. Start teaching them things like that to build their interest.
4. Every lesson point out something that they can show their parents and/or friends.
5. Give assignments of things to learn. Check those assignments. Impress on them good practice schedules.

And always remember: The best thing a teacher can do for a student is to save them time.

[Deacon_Blues]

Are you saying you have completely free hands to do whatever you want with those kids? (As long it's about teaching bass, of course..)

If you haven't taken any lessons on bass yet, take a few from a local pro ASAP. When I had my first lessons, I had been playing for 4-5 years and still those lessons really boosted my playing instantly. Anyway, I've heard my teacher didn't have any formal education when he teach me. I'm not even sure if he had ever taken any lessons. He's just considered a bass phenomenon around here...

Even though I've never given any lessons in bass (only guitar), here's what I'd do:

- On the first lesson with a new kid, ask him about what music he likes and tell him to bring a cd or some mp3's for the next lesson with his favourite music or other music that he would like to be able to play. Then help him with that.
- Technique is important. Give a few technique exercises for both the left and right hand, and both together. (I posted a couple of LH exercises in the thread "Help with finger numbness" earlier today).
- Teach the kids about timing and be sure to tell them it's at least as important as knowing what notes to play.
- Teach them how to tune the bass (also without a tuner).
- Give lots of complements.
- Be an inspiration source. Teach the kids some nice chops every once in a while to keep them happy.
- Teach them lots of different styles of music.
- Keep the kids interested in the bass. Show them how powerful an instrument it is.

I could probably go on longer, but this is enough for this time. Good luck!

[Charling]

there is loads of good advice in this thread already, so i'll just add my 2c, and double up points I feel are important!

- stress the importance of good posture and technique, warn them that bad technique, excessive wrist bending etc, wil cause painful damage in the long run, and make sure they respect that enough to want to play 'properly'

-as they are quite young, make sure you (as said above) get them to tell you what they are into musically, as a 12 year olds attention span will waver quite quickly if your not teaching them stuff they dig. thats not to say just teach them songs they want to learn, but make sure they go away from every lesson having something they can play that they dig, as well as having learned something that will be important later.

-at 12 or so they will be allot more receptive to learning things that can be a stumbling point for older musicians, I would try and introduce them to a little theory when they are ready. I dont mean give them major scale harmony theory to work on, but just, for example, tell the then them the intervals so they 'grwo up' into bass knowing what a fifth is etc.
that way, when they are older and maybe want to take there understanding further the idea of 'what a fifth is' or what any other interval is for that matter will be fairly natural, and not seem confusing as it does to some older players.

- be aware that, at that age, some students will just leave because they loose interest, its ok, its not you as a teacher, kids just loose interest sometimes. they may come back, they may not, but its a whimsical thing of youth, not neccassarily an error in your way of teaching so dont let it get to you!

[Charling]

oh yeah, as for a first lesson, I like to give my students a few simple, topical lines to base the first few lessons around. my choice of tracks is probably a bit different in the uk, but when I started I got taught smells like teen spirit, peter gun theme and the grand prix theme (which was a fleetwood mack tune, I forget the real name..)

in those three you have a tune which moves simply around the strings (teen spirit) a tune which does a slightly more complex riff on one string (peter gun, so they get used to the motions needed in stretching around 1 string, as well as open notes) and a simple riff that moves between strings and also has some of the elements of peter gun (the fleetwood mac thing)

your choice could be different, and I would suggest something they recognize, but any three or four lines that are simple but require different ways of playing will do. you will also find different students find different things difficult, so with that you can start to tailor the lessons to suit them as individuals!

[Dr_Funkdamental]

Originally Posted by Charling

- stress the importance of good posture and technique, warn them that bad technique, excessive wrist bending etc, wil cause painful damage in the long run, and make sure they respect that enough to want to play 'properly'

An important note along with this (and where ever else it will fit) is "Replacement always overrides restriction". What I mean is if you are trying to get them not to do something or break a bad forming habit, its better to give them something to replace it instead of just saying "dont do that".

[202dy]

That is a bit of a tough spot to be in. Approach it like anything else you might do in music, that is, with a plan. Think about the best teachers you have had be it in grade school, high school, or college. They all had lesson plans and text books. And they had a way about them that made it easy for you to learn. These are the things to do while you are figuring out a better way to do it.

1. Find some texts that you are comfortable using. Make sure the store will stock them regularly.
2. Put together a plan to start beginning students. Be specific. The general plan might be something like:

Lesson one, Mel Bay Bass Method I pages 1-4 .3 hours,
Master Theory pages 1-10 .5 hours,
Instruction on hand, thumb and finger placement, .2 hours

Be ready to alter the plans as you move through the weeks. Some students will require a lot of attention and move slowly. Others will move quickly and spit back everything you throw at them and ask for more.

3. Using the teaching methods that others used to reach you, tailor your style by tempering with these methods. It might be as simple as thinking, "Old Mrs. So and So used to call my name if my mind wandered", or "Mr. Whatsits got my attention when he would tell a quick story about...". What ever worked for you will probably work for them.

[GreyBeard]

Find a good bass teaching method. Purchase the teachers addition and study it from cover to cover. I'm sure someone on this forum can recommend a good one.