Learning While In School

dunky · #1 05-08-2007, 07:17 AM

I'm a junior in high school and beginning bass player. A lot of my classes right now are boring and we don't do much during them. Is there anything that I can bring with me to school (short of bringing my bass) that will help me learn a little more about the bass? Any specific books I should read or something? Maybe someone could post links to something that I could print out and take with me to read during classes where I have nothing to do?

Thanks in advance.

uturnbass · #2 05-08-2007, 07:19 AM

Maybe you could learn some music theory by buying books or looking online and just kind of indulge yourself in that and try to put it to use when you do get home and are able to practice.

dunky · #3 05-08-2007, 10:46 AM

Are there any specific books that I can read during school that I don't actually need to have my guitar with me?

Earthday · #4 05-08-2007, 10:59 AM

I take songs that I know by heart and write them in standard notation. It's great for your sense of rhythm, and you'll eventually get good at writing, which is very handy to communicate with other musicians.

DocBop · #5 05-08-2007, 11:02 AM

Any book on basic theory and quiz yourself on how to spell major, minor, diminish, and augmented triads in all twelve keys. Once you can nail any triad in a split second, then add the 7th's to the triads. Drill them in the order of Circle of Fifths so you are learning two things at once. I used to do this when driving as a way to practice while sitting in traffic.

Get a book on rhythms and work on your reading. You could quietly tap rhythms while tapping your foot. In summer I used to go to the beach with a rhythms book and metronome and clap rhythms. Some will think your nuts, but other hotties will stop and ask what your up to....

Don't high school have music classes any more take a music class. Music theory, music history, if you want to be a musician join the choir and learn to sightsing. All that sounds boring but it lays a solid musical foundation.

dunky · #6 05-08-2007, 02:30 PM

My high school does have music classes, but none of them involve bass. We actually have (or at least had) a jazz band, but that is for kids who already have experience with the instruments used. The choir thing, I just find it a bit weird. I'm not one to sing and, although learning skills that I could apply to bass would be good, I'd rather not embarrass myself in the process. I'm gonna try to make it to my local music shop and see if they have any books I can read during school.

uturnbass · #7 05-08-2007, 03:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dunky

My high school does have music classes, but none of them involve bass. We actually have (or at least had) a jazz band, but that is for kids who already have experience with the instruments used. The choir thing, I just find it a bit weird. I'm not one to sing and, although learning skills that I could apply to bass would be good, I'd rather not embarrass myself in the process. I'm gonna try to make it to my local music shop and see if they have any books I can read during school.

Music theory applies to everything, whether it's bass, piano, guitar whatever. So a music theory class could be pretty helpful for you.
As a book I recommend, hmm...

I don't know if any of the books I have would work well in school, but just look into triads, scales/modes and chords, etc..

You could also get music you like, and just practice reading standard notation notes to practice recognizing notes to work on your sightreading abilities.. as well as the rhythm idea.

dunky · #8 05-09-2007, 04:20 PM

There was some helpful information posted on my New Member Intro, so I'd thought I'd relay it here. I figure if anyone else needs something like this and doesn't want to/unable to spend money on/find a book then they can't print out a few of these like I did.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cybane

I am also a new bass player and I just bought my bass too. Ibanez EDB400 I got it used so it was nice and cheap but the sound is awesome. Now I have also been looking around a lot for places to learn and have even found a few bass teachers in my area. Now the one place I did find online was awesome was www.studybass.com. It is a site with almost everything. Great resource I am going to use as much as possible.

This is helping me quite well. I've printed out a LOT of pages from this site to take with me and read when I'm bored at school.

Quote:

Originally Posted by lopxtc

Welcome to the family ... I just started myself back in December, and I can say that getting a teacher is a big help. Even if its just one that you see once in awhile to get some advice and such.

Here is a nice little tool for finding notes for scales, modes, etc, from the studybass site;

http://www.studybass.com/tools/chord...-note-printer/

Aaron

This is a link to the Chord Scale Note Printer on the StudyBass.com site above. I printed one of these out as well as a cover sheet for all the pages I've printed.

dlloyd · #9 05-10-2007, 05:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dunky

I'm a junior in high school and beginning bass player. A lot of my classes right now are boring and we don't do much during them. Is there anything that I can bring with me to school (short of bringing my bass) that will help me learn a little more about the bass? Any specific books I should read or something? Maybe someone could post links to something that I could print out and take with me to read during classes where I have nothing to do?

Take your bass to school and practice at lunch time. Your school should have a room somewhere that they'll allow you to do this.

When you're in class, concentrate on the subject that's being taught.

dunky · #10 05-10-2007, 10:51 AM

I do focus on school, but I've got like 3 classes where I do absolutely nothing because they don't count towards anything.

dlloyd · #11 05-11-2007, 03:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dunky

I do focus on school, but I've got like 3 classes where I do absolutely nothing because they don't count towards anything.

That's a bad habit to get into. What are the subjects?

202dy · #12 05-11-2007, 04:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dunky

My high school does have music classes, but none of them involve bass. We actually have (or at least had) a jazz band, but that is for kids who already have experience with the instruments used. The choir thing, I just find it a bit weird. I'm not one to sing and, although learning skills that I could apply to bass would be good, I'd rather not embarrass myself in the process. I'm gonna try to make it to my local music shop and see if they have any books I can read during school.

Free singing lessons? Do it.

In almost every audition, the bassist that sings gets the job.

Singing helps you internalize the notes so that you can hear them, not just think through them.

While you are at it, sing your bass lessons while playing them. Sing the note names. Your reading ability and knowledge of the fingerboard will increase exponentially.

dunky · #13 05-11-2007, 06:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dlloyd

That's a bad habit to get into. What are the subjects?

The first one I have is an internetworking class. I took this same class last year, only the curriculum is more advanced. It's still extremely easy and I can access the curriculum at home if I really need to do something. This does not count towards any credit I need to graduate. The second is a Spanish 3 class, where we have gone through multiple teachers after the original one quit. My high school only requires that I have 2 credits in a foreign language, so that was taken care of already. And my last class I don't even stay for, it's my AP US History class. I failed the first semester, I'm on my way to failing the second semester and I've already signed up for summer school for US History. Since this is the last period of the day, my bro usually takes me home (he doesn't have class that period) and I'll end up playing my bass. But sometimes I'll hang around with friends in their classes if there's something going on after school.