gary mac Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 Hi. I'm after some advice concerning tuitoring a bass novice. I have been asked by a family friend to help her son with some lessons. I am not a teacher, although I have been giving my daughter some lessons, but she has always been around musicians and has played drums from a young age, so she picked up things quite quickly. I met the lad a couple of days back and showed him some warm up exercises and the major and minor scales. What next? Would some simple tunes be the best approach, a basic twelve bar maybe,or more in the way of scales etc. He is a very shy lad and its not easy prying info out of him, as to his musical influences and what he is interested in learning. Any advice would be appreciated, I so want to get it right and ensure that he doesn't get either bored or overwhelmed. Thanks, all the best Gary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparky Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 [quote name='gary mac' post='126824' date='Jan 24 2008, 12:31 PM']Hi. I'm after some advice concerning tuitoring a bass novice. I have been asked by a family friend to help her son with some lessons. I am not a teacher, although I have been giving my daughter some lessons, but she has always been around musicians and has played drums from a young age, so she picked up things quite quickly. I met the lad a couple of days back and showed him some warm up exercises and the major and minor scales. What next? Would some simple tunes be the best approach, a basic twelve bar maybe,or more in the way of scales etc. He is a very shy lad and its not easy prying info out of him, as to his musical influences and what he is interested in learning. Any advice would be appreciated, I so want to get it right and ensure that he doesn't get either bored or overwhelmed. Thanks, all the best Gary.[/quote] Get him on the basschat! once he joins he'll be hooked Seriously though, it's perked up my interest no end and i'm playing more than ever since I joined. Good luck. Sorry i can't offer anything more substantial Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul h Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 If the lad is staying tight lipped on his musical taste, try asking his folks to have a butchers at this record collection. I have taught a few novices from time to time and I think the biggest problem is keeping their attention. A good friend of mine who is a professional gtr tutor swears by it. He makes sure he works on a song every lesson...preferrably one of the students choosing, or at least something that they will know and enjoy. I feel that getting a novice playing along to a favourite tune is more important than scales etc. You can move onto scales later, and then explain them by referring to the songs you have already gone through. They will make more sense that way. An example of keeping kids interested or not as the case may be is typified by a friends son. Someone gave him a couple of guitar lessons, and started out by showing him the opening riff to "Eye of the Tiger". The lad got bored and hasn't touched the guitar since. He's 12. He had never knowingly heard it. He had of course, when he watched Rocky! But that wasn't enough of a reason to learn it! You have to keep the lessons relevant to the kids interests and they have to be fun!...so finding out what he's into is paramount. A friend has asked me to teach her son. I am planning to teach him the bassline to Dance, Dance by FOB in his first lesson. That should get him hooked! Paul. Disclaimer. Personal opinion only, feel free to ignore! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
queenofthedepths Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 [quote name='Sparky' post='126838' date='Jan 24 2008, 12:40 PM']Get him on the basschat! once he joins he'll be hooked Seriously though, it's perked up my interest no end and i'm playing more than ever since I joined. Good luck. Sorry i can't offer anything more substantial [/quote] Great advice! Show him a few songs you could teach him to play from different styles and then ask him which he likes best? Or carry on with a few more exercises and stuff? Oh yeah and tell him to get into a band ASAP! That should cure his shyness and bring out the best of his natural abilities - it worked for me! I as a total beginner when I joined my first band and it really gave me some direction with my playing, so he'll be able to tell you what he wants to do with the lessons, rather than you having to dictate the way he learns for him - that should make things easier for you, more interesting for him and of course make him more of an individual in terms of playing style Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 [quote name='paul h' post='126847' date='Jan 24 2008, 12:47 PM'].... I think the biggest problem is keeping their attention.... he works on a song every lesson... something that they will know and enjoy. I feel that getting a novice playing along to a favourite tune is more important than scales etc.[/quote] This is exactly right; get them enthused by teaching them how to play 2 favourite tunes, then 2 more favourites, and so on. When starting out if a learner can hear themselves playing something that their heroes can play it will spur them on to greater things. You don't need scales until much, much later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 If he's really a complete novice, and you need some sort of structure to the lessons, try working through one of the better teach-yourself books with him, building in his favourite toons while you're at it. Stuart Clayton's stuff is very good, and builds very sensibly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassbloke Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 show him some photos of Nikki Sixx, Gene Simmons and Michael Anthony surrounded by a bevvy of scantily clad women. Once he realises the loose-totty pulling potential of the bass guitar (potential I've yet to experience I should add) he'll open up in no time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gary mac Posted January 24, 2008 Author Share Posted January 24, 2008 Thanks for the tips chaps, much appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Foxen Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 Make sure his bass is intonated right and he knows how to check its in tune, so his ear learns with his fingers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunderthumbs Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 Be adaptable as a tutor to each student. We're not all the same, and there's not only one defining way to play each style. One thing I always remember from when I was a young kid, and a very good violinist, was that my tutor insisted on trying to force me to play my violin high on my shoulder, whereas I found it very comfortable to play it in front of me instead (a la Irish "fiddle" players). I completely lost interest in the violin because of his insistence despite the fact I was a damned good violinist. I've discovered much later in life I'm round shouldered, so that could've been the reason all along. My point was that he couldn't adapt to my style at all. It was his way or the highway. My guitar tutor however, allowed me to play how I felt comfortable (my right hand style was much like Mark Knopfler's with the heel of my hand sitting on the body rather than the classic claw type finger style). He did ask me to try and practice his way, which I did, as it was out of choice rather than feeling as if I was forced. His style of tutoring was much more accommodating. I loved playing the guitar because of him, and it eventually led me onto the bass, so I'm very happy. Mark King also tells a very interesting story in a similar vein involving Billy Cobham and his tutor when he was young. Billy's tutor wouldn't allow him to play open handed, insisting he had to play cross handed or leave. So Billy left. Years later, with Billy being one of the leading drummers in the world, he met his tutor and said "well I didn't do bad did I?", and his tutor had the audacity to say "yes, but imagine how good you would've been if you'd done it my way"!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lfalex v1.1 Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 You guys are right. It is all about maintaining the interest of a student. That, and being flexible to both their wants, needs and ability. I had a tutor once. It didn't last long. He could sight read, his theory was strong, and his technique good. But he couldn't learn/play by ear, or play straight "rock" numbers! I asked him for some pointers on slap technique (etc.) and he flatly refused (?) He could slap, too, so it wasn't that. I quit there and then. I still can't slap on any of my basses (but most are tightly spaced, and me thumbs is HUGE!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bass_In_Yer_Face Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 Luckily when I started playing I was 38 so I had a wide choice of songs to choose from...plus my tutor introduced me to some tracks I'd never heard of. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunderthumbs Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 [quote name='Bass_In_Yer_Face' post='127913' date='Jan 25 2008, 05:55 PM']Luckily when I started playing I was 38 so I had a wide choice of songs to choose from...plus my tutor introduced me to some tracks I'd never heard of.[/quote] Actually, that's not a bad idea too. I do remember reading a thread on here with regards to Jamiroquai/Stevie Wonder (let's not go over it again though!). But use the idea of finding out who he likes, and introducing him to some stuff from the past to show where his inspirations got their inspirations from. I've done this pretty much all my life myself anyway, so I think that gives a reason as to my very wide tastes in music. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dabootsy Posted January 28, 2008 Share Posted January 28, 2008 i have 2 bass bible cds which helped me when i was teaching, they cover all music genres from novice to professional if you send me a stamped address envelope i can send you them all the best Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted January 28, 2008 Share Posted January 28, 2008 From the start, make sure your student to uses all fingers on his left hand, including his little finger, and uses a right hand finger technique, not a pick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ARGH Posted January 28, 2008 Share Posted January 28, 2008 Hey...If his hero uses a pick LET HIM USE A DAMNED PICK!... I had a few lessons on 12 bar etc..and that got me started,but ideal-ly playing with friends and records were my tutors,the 1st 3 Sabbath records being the the best tutors,that and watching live vids of musicians (Jack Bruce with Cream in the Albert hall made me start to use my ring finger on the fret board...Geezer got me on the little finger..) And I still stand by that as a better way,because its in a musical situation,of learning,yet if you f*** up,you can press rewind and retry until you get it right.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gary mac Posted January 29, 2008 Author Share Posted January 29, 2008 Thanks chaps. Gave him his second lesson last night. Concentrating on his left hand techique, including using the little pinkie. Showed him a simple 12 bar and a Fratellis tune, that he will tormenting his folks with over the next weeek. I'm actually enjoying it. All the best Gary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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