Teaching Bass to Beginners Book or course

[Swerve]

I learned to read treble clef from playing alto sax in school, but in my 25 years of playing bass I've never found sight reading useful. I learned a bit of it for the whole 6 months I took upright lessons, but with electric it's never been necessary. Then again I'm only a hobbyist and my ear works fine for rock, metal, bluegrass, country, funk, etc.

That said, if I were giving formal lessons to an absolute beginner I would incorporate some reading. It doesn't have to be a huge focus but it will help fill out some of the time in your half hour or hour. Ed Friedland's bass method books 1-3 would be my recommendation.

I don't give lessons but the one time I did the dude wasn't a beginner and just wanted some tips on how to slap. I didn't feel right taking money from him but since he owned an auto-shop he hooked me up with a free oil change and some minor car repairs.

 

[JohnnyChatter]

I'm not your target student but why don't you just teach yourself to read music? I'm not going to want to learn from a person that isn't also wanting to learn. I am self taught but later taught myself some theory and how to read. I feel like a well versed person could teach mostly what needs to be taught in an afternoon if your not going to teach the nitty gritty. I have taught some younger people who just wanted to learn to play rock music. I gave them notes on the fundamentals to study as they saw fit and than told them to grab some tab of songs they wanted to learn and we broke them down. That being said I didn't charge as I felt like I was just pointing people in the right direction of doing something I also love to do.

 

[BassicJazzy]

When I picked up the bass again after putting it down for 25 years prior, I went to an online teacher on Youtube that I will bet cannot read a lick of music, yet has a wonderful way of communicating and organizing lessons for all levels of playing. I started on clarinet and then moved to bass in college, and there is just something missing in my brain, because I absolutely cannot learn to read. I cannot do math in my head either, yet I was a CPA. I can follow a lead sheet, even a complex one, just fine, or read tab, but my mind does not translate musical notation. So I think those who are saying "you must be able to read" maybe aren't considering that some cannot do so, yet they compensate just fine. So many fine players out there are just like me in this respect.

Not being able to read does not make you "musically illiterate," or necessarily inferior to those who can read.

So if you cannot read, you just need to find other ways of communicating instructional material to your student. Perhaps you are a natural teacher, perhaps not. You will find out soon enough.

 

[DWA2469]

When I was taking my first lessons, it was the "Mel Bay electric bass guitar method ".
Micheal rooow the boat ashore..Halleluuuuujha.
I worked really hard not learning that.

I was going to jokingly add Mel Bay!

 

[salmon256]

While I do know of a funny story, Peter Zummo was a trumpet player who was task with teaching low-brass so he understood the theory and pitch but he was learning trombone as he taught students... now today he is a great experimental trombone player...

Story aside - I hate to say I would not want to take lessons from someone who doesn't understand theory. I had a guitarist as my teacher and he was amazing - why? Because he understand basic theory and bass clef still and we learnt that, he wasn't a pro at bass but he helped me understand basic music. I moved on to bass players now but I am sorry to say people here saying "I didn't need no theory" tell what genres you play... if you play classic rock, basic 12 bar blues... yes those genres do not need charts, sheet music etc but sure as hell Jazz, Salsa, Big Band, you name it need sheet music. Knowing sheet music is the best thing ever and charts are so helpful the best way to get better is to practice ad maybe join a community band if one allows it or a beginner swing band...

I just want to say as a blues bassist knowing charts, sheet music is so helpful and only makes future gigs easy... IMO

Learn sheet music do not make this student suffer I'm sorry if that sounds harsh. They can learn tabs and use their ears on their own time IMO.
Best of luck.

 

[salmon256]

Have no idea if this is true but I heard in Berklee a lot of students come in not knowing sheet music as guitarist or bassist, they are force to learn it for a reason...

 

[BassicJazzy]

While I do know of a funny story, Peter Zummo was a trumpet player who was task with teaching low-brass so he understood the theory and pitch but he was learning trombone as he taught students... now today he is a great experimental trombone player...

Story aside - I hate to say I would not want to take lessons from someone who doesn't understand theory. I had a guitarist as my teacher and he was amazing - why? Because he understand basic theory and bass clef still and we learnt that, he wasn't a pro at bass but he helped me understand basic music. I moved on to bass players now but I am sorry to say people here saying "I didn't need no theory" tell what genres you play... if you play classic rock, basic 12 bar blues... yes those genres do not need charts, sheet music etc but sure as hell Jazz, Salsa, Big Band, you name it need sheet music. Knowing sheet music is the best thing ever and charts are so helpful the best way to get better is to practice ad maybe join a community band if one allows it or a beginner swing band...

Learn sheet music do not make this student suffer I'm sorry if that sounds harsh. They can learn tabs and use their ears on their own time IMO.
Best of luck.

Huh? I hope you are not confusing knowledge of theory with ability to read sheet music? Those are two separate things. I agree that if you want to play in a Big Band, or be able to pick up songs quickly (or on the spot), ability to (sight) read sheet music is essential. That said, there have been some really great studio musicians and Jazz players who couldn't read a lick of sheet. But that's not what the question was here - - is it an essential requirement in order to be able to teach?

 

[BassicJazzy]

Have no idea if this is true but I heard in Berklee a lot of students come in not knowing sheet music as guitarist or bassist, they are force to learn it for a reason...

Yes, it is true. Any college music school is going to make you read and write music if you cannot already do so (most new entry students can already do so), because they are training you to be a working professional, and they are working from a fixed curriculum. It is "mass production" and they have one way of doing it for all students. Plus Berkley, your example, is very intensive on complex theory, hard to communicate without charts, and they want you to compose too.

 

[salmon256]

Huh? I hope you are not confusing knowledge of theory with ability to read sheet music? Those are two separate things. I agree that if you want to play in a Big Band, or be able to pick up songs quickly (or on the spot), ability to (sight) read sheet music is essential. That said, there have been some really great studio musicians and Jazz players who couldn't read a lick of sheet. But that's not what the question was here - - is it an essential requirement in order to be able to teach?

I'll just leave this since this thread is just another validation thread...
My opinion is: Learn sheet music before teaching someone you could know it but doesn't mean you can teach it...
I don't care if this artist didn't know theory, you're not them you are you...

 

[Heiwa]

I disagree. There is no need to learn to read music. Not saying it's bad, but there are a whole lot of pro bass players who make a great living myself included who never learned to read music and have no desire to. But if that's the way someone wants to go, then they should find a teacher that would teach them to read music. I'm looking for something where I can get started on teaching. How to play bass without reading music.

This doesn't make any sense, why would anyone want to learn from you then, if YouTube is full of free tutorials and lessons?

 

[Heiwa]

I'll just leave this since this thread is just another validation thread...
My opinion is: Learn sheet music before teaching someone you could know it but doesn't mean you can teach it...
I don't care if this artist didn't know theory, you're not them you are you...

Thieves make money without knowing how to work. The underlying concept is the same.

 

[KenSmithFan]

The once per month "this is why i don't need to read" forum. LOL. Ok.

Or
“Why my ignorance is better than your knowledge.”

 

[BassicJazzy]

Wow, you know, I had no idea this was such a polarizing topic here on TB, or I probably wouldn't have weighed in. I still think the question related to teaching, not value of the ability to read? Look, I had a friend, piano player, concert level, Julliard trained. He could sit and after one read-through play he could play any piece pf music you put in front of him. Tremendous skill. Of course I envy that ability, and of course it is extremely valuable, for so many reasons. I cannot do it. So I just repeat, this thread started as "can I teach if I cannot read" and I think there are many examples of people who can do that. So let me throw it back a different way - - "should you teach if you cannot read?" I think that is up to you. Will anybody show up? Depends on how good you are.

Enough. This is annoying.

 

[Manticore]

When I picked up the bass again after putting it down for 25 years prior, I went to an online teacher on Youtube that I will bet cannot read a lick of music, yet has a wonderful way of communicating and organizing lessons for all levels of playing. I started on clarinet and then moved to bass in college, and there is just something missing in my brain, because I absolutely cannot learn to read. I cannot do math in my head either, yet I was a CPA. I can follow a lead sheet, even a complex one, just fine, or read tab, but my mind does not translate musical notation. So I think those who are saying "you must be able to read" maybe aren't considering that some cannot do so, yet they compensate just fine. So many fine players out there are just like me in this respect.

Not being able to read does not make you "musically illiterate," or necessarily inferior to those who can read.

So if you cannot read, you just need to find other ways of communicating instructional material to your student. Perhaps you are a natural teacher, perhaps not. You will find out soon enough.

The very definition of "illiterate" is the inability to read or write. So? Not reading music pretty much makes one musically illiterate. I never took a course on any topic from someone who couldn't read. Doing so really seems like preparing for a hike by breaking one's own foot.

 

[BassicJazzy]

The very definition of "illiterate" is the inability to read or write. So? Not reading music pretty much makes one musically illiterate. I never took a course on any topic from someone who couldn't read. Doing so really seems like preparing for a hike by breaking one's own foot.

Unlike reading, there are other ways of communicating music. Just as people who cannot see can still "read" with Braille. But I'm really tired of arguing this point, which was not the point I was arguing anyway. If you read my other posts you will see what my point was. You, of course, are free to choose whatever teachers you wish. I don't think I'd consider it a "plus" if my teacher could not read, but then, I don't have a teacher. I prefer to go the route of seeking education from whatever source meets my needs of the moment. Best luck to you in your pursuits, I hope they are equally or more fruitful.

 

[salmon256]

I apologize if I came off harsh or super strict on this idea that you need to read sheet music.

It is a bit hypocritical of me to say that since I do love Irish session music which yes you can read sheet music especially fiddlers but it is super look down upon to read sheet music during a session and to use your ear. The music is very oral tradition, which a topic in history amazes me.

I love early Blues, all of that is oral tradition. I am not against that idea at all and yes people can understand charts (for bassist and guitarist is a chord and root note so I think that is a super case by case idea, with anything in life of course I think everything is complex and case by case at the end of the day...) and yes you can know the sound of the notes you play on bass which is great.

But as someone said we have youtube, tons of amazing books and sadly the world is setup today that you need to understand sheet music outside of rock/blues context if you ask me. If you are joining a gigging bar band that plays classic rock and may provide sheet music but tells you "Don't worry about it we will teach you during practice" ok awesome! If you join up a jazz band/swing band not knowing at least the 1 to 5 fret notes on paper... then I argue you are gonna not have a fun time. It is so dependent on your genre, career, and all that stuff.

I won't get into this anymore I said my piece no need to go on thousand times. I think we all can give billions of examples on both sides of the argument, I came into music playing Irish session which was tabs, ABC method, and sheet music for fiddles, all ear. I then learnt open tunning blues guitar and was in love but I had so much fun and life change when getting into bass, yeah I was able to just know the roots but learning sheet music made me a better player I am nowhere near pro-status hell I freeze b/c I am super rusty but I been seriously playing again and using basses I enjoy and I tell you it is getting ingrain and I can pickup most sheet music and I feel like I could play with groups again... today is different community bands, groups want you to know sheet music my college swing band puts beginners on bass or drums and they learn sheet music and people advance amazingly, if they wanna play with for-fun/community jazz bands then they are setup for the future... just my opinion and I'm ending it at that. Peace.

 

[SteveCS]

IME, reading brings several advantage to the learning/teaching process, both for the teacher and the student.

• Lessons written in standard notation enable the immediate communication of the music by the teacher and the immediate playing of the music by the student;
• Lessons written in standard notation provide an unchanging and reliable reference source. For the teacher this means consistent delivery of lesson material. For the student this means not having to conflate memorisation with learning and practice.
• Lessons written in standard notation enable deeper levels of detail and analysis in the lesson;
• Lessons written in standard notation provide independence and portability. For the student this means taking the music home to work on aoutside of lesson time. For the teacher this means the student is less likely to be learning mistakes;
• Lessons written in standard notation free the student to concentrate on interpretation and personal musicianship over parroting the teacher's renditions;
• Easy access to unlimted repertoire.

Without written music, much of the lesson time is inevitably wasted on repeated demonstrations and go-around listening, note by note explanations, 'show-and-tell' fingering demonstrations, which actually means the person doing most of the playing in the lesson is the teacher, which is absurd. And for the student, the learning process is compromised by having to learn and remember simultaneously along with the inevitable 'unlearning' of mistakes.

 

[SteveCS]

I disagree. There is no need to learn to read music. Not saying it's bad, but there are a whole lot of pro bass players who make a great living myself included who never learned to read music and have no desire to. But if that's the way someone wants to go, then they should find a teacher that would teach them to read music. I'm looking for something where I can get started on teaching. How to play bass without reading music.

The fact that a few people that cannot read are working professionals is of no consequence. For the most part we are talking about individuals in originals bands that, because they are the source of the music 1) only have to play what they can play and 2) cannot get it wrong because it is theirs to do with as they see fit. Also, in the context of music lessons/education, we are not talking about sight reading (plenty of folks that read cannot sight-read) i.e. reading scores in standard notation in immediate performance. We are talking about a means of capturing, validating, delivering illustrative academic music lesson material for education and practice. If your lessons do not include this, I'm left wondering what they will consist of?

 

[Geddaric]

It comes down to whether you plan to be a recreationalist or a (semi)professional. Being able to read music and understand theory is ALWAYS gonna be helpful. If you are gonna be one to make it professionally, you better learn to read, write, take notations, etc. because you will have to be able to learn on the fly and perform styles you may not be readily accustomed to performing. Personally, I`m old and have never been more than semi-professional and enjoy playing live within the genres I grew up listening to. Go with what you aspire to be, playing for fun or playing for fun professionally. Expose yourself to different ideas and develop from there. You will know how far you need to take your skills, but if its not fun and you find yourself not enjoying the experience, it may be time to find a new direction.

 

[dreamadream99]

“Why my ignorance is better than your knowledge.”

Oh, that is perfect. I’m SO stealing that!