Online Lessons

[Groove Finder]

Good day fellow Bass Talkers!

I was wanted to take a second to pick your brains. I have been tooling around with the bass for 2-3 years and in that time have tried to teach myself off YouTube videos, had some online 1:1 lessons during the pandemic and even tried Fender play during that span.

I've decided that I need a little more structure and want to invest in some online go at your own pace lessons and wanted to know if you've tried them and what your experience was. I've looked around and see Scott's bass lessons, Fender Play, Bass Buzz, Jam Play & Talking Bass to name a few. Some substantially more expensive than others.

What's the best option without breaking the bank?

 

[FatStringer52]

One-on-one lessons would be the best approach. Having someone right there with you is invaluable. There are a lot of good online options though. My Top 3 Choices would be (in alphabetical order) would be 1) Scott's Bass Lessons, 2) StudyBass, and 3) TalkingBass. You'll just have to find a teaching style that fits you. They are all excellent resources. If you do choose the online approach, you must have the discipline to stay focused and follow the lesson plan and not go off chasing the next shiny object.

 

[Malcolm35]

Talking bass with Mark has been mentioned, I find it fits my learning style the best.

I like to see a path (and know where it is taking me) and then use it to accomplish what I want. Once I understand how the path will help me I'm good to go. Mark's path is easy to follow.

 

[WrapRough]

Good day fellow Bass Talkers!

I was wanted to take a second to pick your brains. I have been tooling around with the bass for 2-3 years and in that time have tried to teach myself off YouTube videos, had some online 1:1 lessons during the pandemic and even tried Fender play during that span.

I've decided that I need a little more structure and want to invest in some online go at your own pace lessons and wanted to know if you've tried them and what your experience was. I've looked around and see Scott's bass lessons, Fender Play, Bass Buzz, Jam Play & Talking Bass to name a few. Some substantially more expensive than others.

What's the best option without breaking the bank?

If you got the cash, get 1:1 lessons. You can find some great teachers right on this forum who will do Zoom lessons. Nothing really comes close to that IMO. However, if cash is an issue, then I would personally recommend Talkingbass.

 

[Groove Finder]

One-on-one lessons would be the best approach. Having someone right there with you is invaluable. There are a lot of good online options though. My Top 3 Choices would be (in alphabetical order) would be 1) Scott's Bass Lessons, 2) StudyBass, and 3) TalkingBass. You'll just have to find a teaching style that fits you. They are all excellent resources. If you do choose the online approach, you must have the discipline to stay focused and follow the lesson plan and not go off chasing the next shiny object.

One-on-one lessons would be the best approach. Having someone right there with you is invaluable. There are a lot of good online options though. My Top 3 Choices would be (in alphabetical order) would be 1) Scott's Bass Lessons, 2) StudyBass, and 3) TalkingBass. You'll just have to find a teaching style that fits you. They are all excellent resources. If you do choose the online approach, you must have the discipline to stay focused and follow the lesson plan and not go off chasing the next shiny object.

I agree that a 1:1 lesson is undoubtedly the best way I guess I should have prefaced that time is my lacking factor as the parent of a very active 2-year old and a 10U travel baseball player it's hard to find the time to squeeze a 1:1 lesson in. I usually bring my bass to work with me and tool around on my hour long lunch or tool around with a Vox AP2BS amPlug 2 bass headphone amplifier not to wake anyone. Additionally, 1:1 lessons can be pricey and you can pay for an entire year subscription for what someone would charge for just 2 or 3 lessons hour long lessons.

 

[Groove Finder]

Talking bass with Mark has been mentioned, I find it fits my learning style the best.

I like to see a path (and know where it is taking me) and then use it to accomplish what I want. Once I understand how the path will help me I'm good to go. Mark's path is easy to follow.

I have been intrigued by Mark's Talking Bass lessons. He seems to be in the top 3 when people talk about online lessons and seems to be pretty cost effective. 1:1 lessons can be pricey and you can pay for an entire year subscription for what someone would charge for just 2 or 3 lessons hour long lessons. My biggest challenge right now is time. As a parent of a very active 2-year old and a 10U travel baseball player it's hard to find the time to squeeze a 1:1 lesson in so this may be the best option. I usually bring my bass to work with me and tool around on my hour long lunch or tool around with a Vox AP2BS amPlug 2 bass headphone amplifier not to wake anyone at night.

 

[FatStringer52]

Well, if you want to stick to the free route, then I would say that StudyBass and TalkingBass would be the two that I looked toward within that realm. StudyBass has a very well structured, well written lesson plan and there is a lot of information to be garnered there. Mark (TalkingBass) has a free course titled Music Theory for Bass that is also very well written and presented on video. That course of study will provide you with a very sound foundation as a bass player. I'm not a fan of the site's new layout however. The Music Theory Course used to be laid out in a very organized, logical order. With the new layout, you have to go to the end of the 2nd page and work back towards the top. And that could be confusing to many users. But it is a very good course and I would highly recommend it.

If you're hellbent on paid lessons, then TalkingBass and Scott's Bass Lessons (SBL) would be my two recommendations. The paid lessons you get at TalkingBass aren't much different than what you see in the free lessons with regards to production and lesson material. The paid lessons go into much greater detail and pdf lesson material is available. With SBL, within the membership, the lessons are much more focused and direct without all the extraneous chatter. There is also a much wider variety of lessons available as well as numerous instructors. For the price of two courses at TalkingBass (that you would have lifetime access to) you can get an annual membership at SBL. So the question would come down to "do you need lifetime access to the course?" If you have not already done so, I would highly recommend that you take advantage of the 14-day free preview at SBL and get inside and see if what they have to offer would better fit your needs. I have purchased courses at TalkingBass and I am an SBL member and for me, dollar for dollar, you get more bang for your buck at SBL

 

[lfmn16]

If you got the cash, get 1:1 lessons. You can find some great teachers right on this forum who will do Zoom lessons. Nothing really comes close to that IMO. However, if cash is an issue, then I would personally recommend Talkingbass.

+1

And if you don't have the cash, find it.

The problem with teaching yourself, and watching a video is teaching yourself, is that you don't know what you don't know. Having someone that knows what they are doing watch and critique is worth 10,000 Youtube videos. BUT, you need to find a good teacher, usually through referrals. Don't go down to the corner music store and trust that the guy who teaches guitar, piano, trombone and kazoo is going to be able to teach you how to play the bass at a pro level.

 

[Katoosie]

Studybass and talkingbass are my two favourite. I would recommend these two!

 

[mmon77]

Go to every site that people mention here, and consume all the free material you can. From that, you can glean which site/teacher matches your particular style of learning. Go with that one.

Finding the best teacher for you is a very personal process. Everyone learns differently, so just because 100 people on TB say site X is the best, doesn't mean that it will be the best for you.

 

[WrapRough]

It really depends on your goals and how serious you. If you are genuinely serious, make the time and find the cash. Nothing will progress you faster or better than 1:1 lessons with a good teacher. No online course is going to know whether you actually understand the video you have just watched.

Also, Ari Caps books are very good, and may give you enough to keep you busy for a year or so

 

[gtirard]

Good day fellow Bass Talkers!

I was wanted to take a second to pick your brains. I have been tooling around with the bass for 2-3 years and in that time have tried to teach myself off YouTube videos, had some online 1:1 lessons during the pandemic and even tried Fender play during that span.

I've decided that I need a little more structure and want to invest in some online go at your own pace lessons and wanted to know if you've tried them and what your experience was. I've looked around and see Scott's bass lessons, Fender Play, Bass Buzz, Jam Play & Talking Bass to name a few. Some substantially more expensive than others.

What's the best option without breaking the bank?

I took an intensive course at Scott bass lessons a year ago, and I loved it. I think it's really worth the cost (+ the cost is sort of motivation to really work every day). It really helped me improve my playing, especially for fretboard nowledge and left hand technique which was my main initial goals.

Unfortunately I got tendonitis in my wrist, but that my 100% fault (I suddently went from 0 to 2 hours a day for bass practice, it was too brutal, plus I didn't listen to Scott's advices about the body position in the first classes).

I strongly recommand SBL

 

[JRMK]

Anyone has been in Tony Grey's Bass Academy? I don't see it being mentioned much but read some positive reviews which got me thinking

 

[BigDrew]

I subscribe to Scott’s bass lessons but I find it really hard to navigate. I don’t know where to start and I don’t really feel like there is a logical progression. I sort of log in, look at the lessons a bit and then just go play tabs. I’m sure that there is a structure, I just haven’t figured it out yet.

 

[jchrisk1]

As always, I can't recommend Joe Hubbard's Bass Foundation Course enough! Well structured, and very informative beginners course with weekly lessons, video instruction, and accompanying PDF's.

 

[JoshS]

I subscribe to Scott’s bass lessons but I find it really hard to navigate. I don’t know where to start and I don’t really feel like there is a logical progression. I sort of log in, look at the lessons a bit and then just go play tabs. I’m sure that there is a structure, I just haven’t figured it out yet.

I don't want to hijack away from OP's topic, but have you tried player's path?
I'd do the 101, jump into player's path, and then follow the recommended courses from there based on the interest or topic of the time.


For OP, I like SBL and I also like StudyBass. I haven't been to studybass in awhile b/c SBL has so much stuff I'm way down rabbit holes into. I also did some 1:1 stuff and recommend it, but where it didn't work for me was timing. It was every week with an instructor, and some weeks I'd be done with whatever in 2 days, sometimes I needed 3 weeks (and then I'd spend a year's worth of SBL on essentially nothing, or a glorified practice session). I should say shedding time wasn't an issue. However, @lfmn16 is exactly right in that no online portal will notice what real life will. Submitting a video to Scott or Ian Allison is the closest to that.

 

[Mikich]

Two more worth mentioning are
Jim Stinnett Real Bass Lessons
and
Dan Hawkins Online Bass Course

I really like Dan’s presentation style. It has an informal feel to it. He has a couple of books and some in depth courses but a lot of great stuff is free. I emailed him once with a question and he replied quickly and clearly. It was very helpful. Also, his playing is beautiful

 

[WrapRough]

It was every week with an instructor, and some weeks I'd be done with whatever in 2 days, sometimes I needed 3 weeks (and then I'd spend a year's worth of SBL on essentially nothing, or a glorified practice session).

I think this is very much down to the teacher. My last teacher was similar to that, but my new teacher definitely isn't.

Two more worth mentioning are
Jim Stinnett Real Bass Lessons
and
Dan Hawkins Online Bass Course

I really like Dan’s presentation style. It has an informal feel to it. He has a couple of books and some in depth courses but a lot of great stuff is free. I emailed him once with a question and he replied quickly and clearly. It was very helpful. Also, his playing is beautiful

Yeah Dan is good, solid player

 

[JoshS]

I think this is very much down to the teacher. My last teacher was similar to that, but my new teacher definitely isn't.

Yeah, I had the wrong one for sure, which was my fault, not his. I didn't direct it to where it needed to be so as we moved into the Pandemic, that sort of took care of itself.

If I were to do it again, I'd want to do a focused mini-session with pre-defined goals and a start / end point.

 

[Groove Finder]

It really depends on your goals and how serious you. If you are genuinely serious, make the time and find the cash. Nothing will progress you faster or better than 1:1 lessons with a good teacher. No online course is going to know whether you actually understand the video you have just watched.

Also, Ari Caps books are very good, and may give you enough to keep you busy for a year or so

I just picked up the Hal Leonard Bass Method - Complete Edition: Books 1, 2 & 3 and Ariane Cap's Music Theory for the Bass Player.