Teaching Beginners

[Bass Catcher]

Hello -

Not sure if there are any private teachers on here . . . but we'll see.

I have several beginner bass students and I'm looking for more ideas as to what to do with them.

Currently - they're working on simply alternating their plucking fingers in their right hand - going up and down all four strings.

Then I'll add in their left hand playing a simple finger excercise 1-2-4-2 (#s = fingers in left hand)

Then we'll work a little out of a Hal Leonard bass book by Ed Friedland.

After that we might work on a song they like - but most of the time - they never have one they want to learn.


I'm wondering what anyone else does? Keep in mind - these are absolute beginners. A major scale is way beyond their abilities. I'd really like to teach them some easy songs with good bass lines - any suggestions?

Thanks a lot.


Matt

[BBMS]

Hello! I will begin my first class this Wednesday, and although my bass players are in my band class, this one will be just for them after school. I may be naive, but, why not scales? If you use the fingering pattern 2 4 124 134, then they can play a boat load of major scales without even knowing the names of the notes. This also enables them to play simple chord progressions (1 3 5 3 1) which could lead them to understand chord charts. I'm starting my class with the left hand exercises you mentioned, then I'm going to major scales, then we will go through the I IV V I progression (with ideas to embellish them), then we will take a few popular tunes to learn (hopefully one will directly relate to the I IV V I walking bass line, although no one has responded to my post about that!). The tunes I have for this Wednesday are: Let Me Go, All the Small Things, You Can't Hurry Love, American Woman, Kokomo, Are You Happy Now, Since You've Been Gone, A Horse With No Name, and Speed of Sound. I'm sure we'll settle on one (or two), and go from there. After major scales will be minor scales. Good luck! MY

[utopia_imminent]

i would go like teching them fingering exercises to improve dexterity. then, the major and minor scales. modes. ear training. and then, supervise them to see if they can use what they learnt to play a particular song.

[Bassist4Life]

I feel like Adam Nitti's lessons are a strong foundation for any beginner.

Left Hand Technique:
http://www.adamnitti.com/bass_player_03.shtml

Right Hand Technique:
http://www.adamnitti.com/bass_player_02.shtml

Putting It All Together:
http://www.adamnitti.com/bass_player_04.shtml

There is enough stuff here to keep a beginner busy for weeks.

Joe