Zero to on stage in 5 days - teaching suggestions?

[Tosya]

I'm going to be teaching bass at a summer "Girls Rock" camp next month. It's one of those camps where (preteen and teen) kids go from never having played an instrument to learning to play bass, writing a song with other kids learning guitar, drums, and vocals, and performing their song live at the end of the week. I've done this a couple times before, but honestly, I've never actually had bass instruction of my own, so thought maybe I should see if you all have any pointers! I'm going to pour over the "Learning Links" resource, too, because I'm sure that will be helpful.

Any thoughts would be most appreciated!

Amy / Clatter

 

[MalcolmAmos]

I take for granted you will pick a song that all can relate to and that everyone will be playing from the same sheet music. Never before bassists only need to keep the beat and lets hope they can change roots dead on when the changes happen. Beyond that I would not go any deeper.

Notes in the first position (first 5 frets). With C as the home note.

• D is over two frets from the C.
• The B is one fret toward the nut from the C.
• E is over the B.
• F is up a string same fret as the C.
• G is down a string same fret as the C.
• A is under the D.
• That takes care of the roots they will need.

Rhythm is next and perhaps the hardest to teach. I'd let them have fake chord sheet music which gives the lyric word with the chord name over the lyrics. Follow the song's lyrics and this should help with the rhythm beat. Have them sing, or recite the lyrics, as they play. This should help with the rhythm.

First day someone will have to teach them how to hold their bass, how to tune it, how to get sound from it and how to mute the growl.
May take all day that first day.

I took claw hammer banjo lessons with about 20 other people at The George C. Campbell Folk School 20+ years ago. We were able to play, as a band, our first song in 5 days.

Mornings were "show and do" and afternoons we split into one on one sessions with an instructor for about 15 minutes each. There was jamming in the cabin after dinner. Some of the more experienced students helped the newbeys with jamming and this turned out to be a great leaning experience..

Sounds like fun. Good luck.

 

[Spin Doctor]

Sounds like a great program. I was reading a little about it. Seems like contacting the folks who run it and asking what the best approach is might be one way to go. It's probably less about being good at bass an more about being left with a feeling that they can do something/anything they want if they try.

I'd definitely make sure the song had no more than 3 chords, lol. Only have them pluck with one finger, not two. It's easier for a beginner. I dunno. That's a tough question.

 

[Tosya]

Thanks so much for your responses! The chart will be very useful, thanks for that! Your banjo lessons sound like a lot of fun – what a cool challenge! I should have added that my instrument instruction is only 90 minutes a day for 5 days…the rest of the time the campers meet with their band mates to figure out how to be in a band and write a song, plus they do cool activities to bolster their confidence and learn about empowering themselves.

Spin Doctor, it IS a great program, and it's really interesting to watch the students go from terrified and positive this will never work to rocking it out on stage with their band mates like it was no big deal. So yes, it's an incredible sense of accomplishment for them.

I've always taught them "Smoke on the Water," which seems to be a good one to start with for learning rhythm, fretting, etc. And yeah, I always need to be reminded about the things I take for granted, like how to hold a bass or how to tune it.

 

[reddog]

contact Mark J Smith at talkingbass.net (via facebook). He can focus on things like no other. i can see him whipping up some magic for you.

 

[Tosya]

Oooo, sounds intriguing! Thanks!

 

[Bob_Ross]

You know the old joke about the kid who comes home from his first bass lesson. Dad sees him carrying his bass case and asks "What'd you learn in your first lesson?"
"Today I learned E!"
A week later Dad sees him carrying his bass case and asks "What'd you learn in your second lesson?"
"Today I learned A!"
Another week later Dad sees him carrying his bass case and asks "And what'd you learn in your third lesson?"
"Didn't go, I had a gig!"

 

[Tosya]

Hahaha brilliant!