Okay, I’m finally ready to move on to Lesson 5, but thought I would do a quick recap of the first 4 lessons to discuss what I’ve learned thus far.
Lesson 1 gives us an overview of the bass guitar and it’s components as well as introduces us to the musical alphabet and the notes on the fretboard. Â Roy gives us a couple of different exercises to work on to get used to playing and learn your way around the bass. Â I personally benefited from some of the info on left hand technique. Â There is definitely some great information here for total beginners. Â The exercises gave me something to focus on while practicing and have helped me to improve my technique.
Lesson 2 starts us playing in the first position and we dig a little deeper into the musical alphabet and how it works. Â We start to learn the major scale as well as some simple rhythms and the 12 bar blues form. Â From here we learn a couple of tunes and get to jam along with the band on the video, with and without Roy’s bass. Â In this lesson I really started to understand how scales work and why they are important. Â I went into the lesson thinking, “Oh no, music theory!” and finished it up by thinking “Wow, I think I’m starting to get it!”
Lesson 3 introduced us to the pick, explaining why it is a good idea to know how to play with both a pick and your fingers. Â We get a little more theory and talk about triads and improvisation. Â We learned a couple more tunes, the second of which was a little tricky for me to master, but once I did it seemed so simple I couldn’t figure out why I had been stuck on it.
Lesson 4 moves us down to the fifth position and fills our brains with a lot more theory. Â We revisit the Major scale as well as learn the Natural Minor, Harmonic Minor, and Melodic Minor Scales. Â We are presented two more songs to learn, which proved to be a bit of a challenge for me personally. Â I especially got hung up on the “Bach to Bass-ics” song as that I was trying to play along while solely looking at the tab, but quickly realized that I was missing the rests and note durations. Â I definitely gained a new respect for reading notation and can understand why it is such an important skill to master.
So, with the first 4 lessons behind me I can say that my practicing is more structured and productive. Â I used to just screw around playing a few riffs and then play along with songs I liked. Â This got old fast and it was almost a chore for me to get my bass out. Â Now I feel more invigorated and creative and am eager to learn all that I can. Â On that note, lesson 4 really inspired me to work harder on music theory. Â Part of the reason that it took me so long to get through the lesson is that I went on a bit of a music theory tangent and started looking online and at books that I have for more information. Â I have a copy of Robby Garner’s “Essential Music Theory for Electric Bass” that I bought back in 1996 and never got past page 10. Â Now I feel like I am looking at it with new eyes. Â This course has really inspired me to learn all that I can about the bass and music in general. Â I can’t wait to see what Lesson 5 has in store for me.
As for this blog, I will keep writing and am hoping to start posting updates more often, if only to report on my progress or to discuss things that I have learned along the way. Â As always, if you have any specific questions feel free to ask them and I will do my best to get you an answer in a timely manner. Â Cheers for now.
To read this series from the beginning start here:  http://wp.me/pRvjK-h
Thanks for update! I'm considering this course. I appreciate this blog.
My pleasure! I am glad you have found it useful.