Self taught bassist problem

[pbass2]

Here's the thing--I was a hotshot bassist in high school, entirely self-taught. Played in bar bands with much older guys when I was under-aged--that kinda thing. Couldn't read a lick of music but was learning theory by virtue of learning to play by ear(I learned piano by ear too, and used to pretend to read the music at recitals, but did it all from memory.
I went to music college straight out of high school not being able to read at all.
I quit after a year to go on tour but that's another story...
I would put as much time into learning theory (and reading) on piano as possible. That's the "big picture"-- way more valuable than awesome bass chops. You have the natural ability on the bass, then let it develop but do not limit yourself to the bass.

 

[MYLOWFREQ]

If the schools you want to apply are close to where you live, I'd suggest going there and meeting the students. You might get to talk to an advisor. Most of the schools have open houses where you can get a chance to talk to the instructors. If you ask for their advice, they'd be happy to help you and you'd know what you should focus on specifically. Good luck!

 

[slagheap]

So I am 17 and I've been playing bass for around 3 years now. Next year is my last year of high school and I want to go to school for music. The two schools I am looking at are Louisiana State and University of New Orleans. Lsu's jazz studies class requires knowledge of certain scales and, uh, jazzy things. This is where that whole self taught problem comes in. I can play bass, I can play pretty damn good, at least for my age, but actually music knowledge is something I'm not too informed on. Can anyone provide some kind of site or resource I can use to learn what I need to know. And sorry if some of this sounded dumb.

You have a lot of catching up to do, depending on just how lofty your goals. First learn all the musical traffic signs, the rules of the road, key signatures, etc. I got started reading with Dr. Licks' Motown book/cd package, and several Jamey Abersold combos. Also an arpeggio book, there are several good ones. Yeah learn the important chord tones, and inversions. It's not quite as easy-peasy as Carol Kaye says, but you'll be surprised what you'll learn in one year of more or less daily practice and study. Go for it.

 

[HiEnd Basses]

So I am 17 and I've been playing bass for around 3 years now. Next year is my last year of high school and I want to go to school for music. The two schools I am looking at are Louisiana State and University of New Orleans. Lsu's jazz studies class requires knowledge of certain scales and, uh, jazzy things. This is where that whole self taught problem comes in. I can play bass, I can play pretty damn good, at least for my age, but actually music knowledge is something I'm not too informed on. Can anyone provide some kind of site or resource I can use to learn what I need to know. And sorry if some of this sounded dumb.

www.studybass.com
Go through the lessons in order!

 

[bibbc]

Adam Neely gives great lessons on youtube

 

[aprod]

Any music school you apply to will have you do an audition where you will be required to read various pieces. You should also be piano friendly, meaning you don't have to be a virtuoso but you need to know where the notes are. It will be useful for your theory studies.

 

[ThePresident777]

So I am 17 and I've been playing bass for around 3 years now. Next year is my last year of high school and I want to go to school for music. The two schools I am looking at are Louisiana State and University of New Orleans. Lsu's jazz studies class requires knowledge of certain scales and, uh, jazzy things. This is where that whole self taught problem comes in. I can play bass, I can play pretty damn good, at least for my age, but actually music knowledge is something I'm not too informed on. Can anyone provide some kind of site or resource I can use to learn what I need to know. And sorry if some of this sounded dumb.

Music theory subreddit is a great place to ask questions. Also, wikipedia has a lot of good music theory pages. Those are good places for basic stuff. 99% of the lessons I have seen focus on notes. But that's putting the cart before the horse. Notes are symbols. The entire system is based on intervals. It's the basis for tuning instruments, scales, chords, and frets: Interval (music) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[trebbihm]

You have a year of high school left, do they offer music classes there? Seems like a no-brainier. If you can't play a stringed instrument in it, learn something new.

 

[bassthumpersf]

 

[Ric5]

So I am 17 and I've been playing bass for around 3 years now. Next year is my last year of high school and I want to go to school for music. The two schools I am looking at are Louisiana State and University of New Orleans. Lsu's jazz studies class requires knowledge of certain scales and, uh, jazzy things. This is where that whole self taught problem comes in. I can play bass, I can play pretty damn good, at least for my age, but actually music knowledge is something I'm not too informed on. Can anyone provide some kind of site or resource I can use to learn what I need to know. And sorry if some of this sounded dumb.

Do you really want to take on student debt for a music degree?

 

[Jay Corwin]

You are going to have to learn how to sight read before you even think about a university level music program. You can't fake it at that level.

On that note, learning to read will open the doors for you musically even if you don't go to school for music. I'm just a serious hobbyist, but learning to read meant I could now "self teach" out of any respectable educational book.

 

[Clef_de_fa]

First thing first, I would go to the university website and look for the requirement at the audition.

With that document you'll know what they will be asking and of course you'll have to nailed that.

In my case when I when to audition I faced this :

They'll probably ask you to prepare 3 piece of music on the instrument ... of course a jazz standart, a jazz blues and something like a bossa. The teacher will put a music sheet infront of you that you never saw and have to play a walking bass. Maybe you'll have to sight read a little thing like max 10 bars.

You'll meet the solfege teacher. You'll have a music sheet with a scale, arpeggio and intervals maybe a chord or two. She will play a little something so you have the key and give you the first note of the scale, then you have to sing it with the name of the notes. Then same thing with the arpeggio.
For the interval she will give you the first note and you have to sing the next note... like the first note is a C, the next may be a minor 3rd up then a 5th down, minor 2nd up etc etc
For the chord you'll have to tell her the name of the chord and she will give you the first note. I don't think they'll throw V7 or inversion. Just basic major and minor in first position.

Then you'll have to take a test on your theory knowledge. They'll ask what is the name of this sign and its purpose. Write a scale, they give the name of the chord you have to write it. Maybe have to identify keys etc. That part is seriously the easiest.

 

[Clef_de_fa]

If you want to get into any kind of musical university in Canada you need your grade 2 RCM to even get by. You cannot just waltz in knowing nothing. I know there is no American equivalent but RCM 2 involves basic reading and theory knowledge.

I didn't have that and still did the audition and nailed it but I knew what I had to know to get in. It was still quite a challenge for the first semester... choir, music analyse, theory class, solfege, music history, basic piano lesson, 1rst instrument and 2nd instrument. Every class was short but you had so much to work outside to keep up.

 

[oldNewbie]

+1 clef_de_fa
And OP, do you want to major in music or take it as a minor, in which case got a major in mind yet ? Can you major in bass guitar ? how are your grades - can you handle school well already so that if you find you've gotten in too deep with music class the rest of your studies will be OK ?

 

[J Gold]

Take piano lessons ASAP.

 

[cheechi]

I'm probably going to catch hell for saying this. If you're self taught and pretty good, go to school for a different major and play paying gigs while you're there. You can take as many music classes as you want and can even get a second major. You aren't ready yet and may not be ready within a year's worth of weekly lessons to play with players who have known the scales, modes, and jazzy things since age 12, even while you may learn them in time they won't have enough time to marinade.

Take it from someone who went to school for engineering and spent a semester part of the marching band having done it all through high school. it is possible. But the music majors are expected to learn (by my count) at least 5 non-related instruments, know all the theory already because you don't really 'learn' it in the theory classes, you are expected to demonstrate increasingly more complex theory knowledge that you already have a solid foundation. When they ask a trumpeter to learn guitar and piano in a semester, and play a fairly complex piece as their final exam, they aren't screwing around.

The value of an education you can use if you get injured or your life changes in some unexpected way is more valuable to me. And it should be to you at 17. For example, Tom Morello is a Harvard graduate, but not in music. Sting went to school to be a teacher.

 

[Glasiron]

I, like you, did not have a solid understanding of music for the first several years of my playing. I played tuba in orchestra, and I could read music, but I didnt understand theory. Learning theory took a long time for me. Im a pretty slow learner. A year would not have been enough time for me to learn enough to get a good return out of my investment at a university.
That said, dont feel like you have to jump into a university right out of high school. If you feel like you need more time to prepare then take it! Take a class or two at your community college if you want, gain a solid understanding of music theory, and then if you still want to go to a university to study music at a deeper level your head will probably be way more open to the information theyre trying to throw at you.

 

[RyanKW]

Even as little as 5 or so private lessons with an emphasis on walking bass lines and jazz improvisation, coupled with a lot of practice, would do a lot.

You need your Dorian minor scale, your Lydian major scale, and that weird dominant 7 scale where you augment the 4.

 

[jamro217]

Mickey Baker's Jazz Guitar books are a great tool for learning jazz. They are written for guitar, not bass, but the information is still helpful. The first volume is the better of the two IMHO. Hope this helps.

 

[DirtDog]

So I am 17 and I've been playing bass for around 3 years now. Next year is my last year of high school and I want to go to school for music. The two schools I am looking at are Louisiana State and University of New Orleans. Lsu's jazz studies class requires knowledge of certain scales and, uh, jazzy things. This is where that whole self taught problem comes in. I can play bass, I can play pretty damn good, at least for my age, but actually music knowledge is something I'm not too informed on. Can anyone provide some kind of site or resource I can use to learn what I need to know. And sorry if some of this sounded dumb.

I'm certain there's a site for this somewhere, but my self-taught bassist self gained a LOT of knowledge working one on one with a teacher (weekly, for a year or so) and with a laser sharp focus on chord theory. As a bassist, it's just not scales, modes and such that you need to know (which I kind of did), but the chords that all those things work with (which I didn't up to that point) and helped me apply my knowledge of scales and modes. And I've been fortunate enough to have this knowledge apply to my guitar and steel guitar playing.

I guess one online resource is YouTube. I stumbled on to a whole well produced series that dealt with minor chords and the whole gamut of seventh chords. I can't recall the channel, but I'll post up a link when I have a chance.