Bass Guitar Lessons

Basic Class Objectives:

Progressive development of dynamic, warmup exercises over the bass, with specific coordination, mechanical agility, motor and mental dexterity goals over the instrument.

Development of specific exercises for each hand separately (left hand over the fretboard, right one for plucking and picking).

Practical and written exercises for note location over the bass. These exercises have as a fundamental objective to kickstart the process of deeply internalizing and dominating the fretboard of the instrument.

Physiotherapy exercises for repetitive motion, for both hands, specific to musicians.

Basic interpretation of musical score and TABs (tablatures, printed) for rock and other genres.

Tempo exercises, with & without metronome.

Study of the first scales (in a dynamic way) over the entirety of the instrument's arm, with practice and theory applied over them.

Clear, concise methodology of pattern transposition for scales (in real time) over the instrument.

Introduction to blues as a basis of rock, and as ideal genre to learn to develop good sound and technique over the instrument. It's also worked as a first genre for improvisation.

Study of basic accompaniments on the bass, over standard musical forms.

Mastery of all Major and pentatonic (M & m) scales, and freedom of motion throughout the fretboard of the instrument.

Special emphasis on the development of rhythmic and percussive fundamentals over the instrument.

Intermediate Class Objectives (I):

Study of extended scale patterns and Greek Modes, over them.

Horizontal scales.

Theoretical study of the Circle Of Fifths / Fourths, intervals, rhythmic figures (and its corresponding rests), special rhythmic figures, metres / metric structures, straight & shuffle rhythms.

Intermediate improvisation over blues forms.

Harmonic mastery of the blues forms.

Study of intermediate blues licks over both kinds of pentatonics, combination of scales for improvisation, turnarounds.

Theoretical and practical study over possible chords on the bass. Introduction to voicings.

Basic principles of composition over harmonic progressions over each of the natural (unaltered) modes, and intermediate improvisation, combining different scales and theoretical concepts.

First mechanical exercises specific for speed; correct procedure for approaching such exercises.

Advanced reading skills and writing of tablatures.

Basic & intermediate rhythmic studies.

Introduction to the personal studio setup and recording equipment (software, hardware).

Intermediate Class Objectives (II):

Detailed study of the 6th mode, with all its basic scale variations (special for students interested in hard rock & metal).

Study of all the basic arpeggios (with all heir inversions) for triads and seventh chords, corresponding to each of the scale patterns of the different types of patterns previously studied.

Intermediate string-skipping exercises and dynamic transposition over different scale and mode patterns. Melodic inversions of the different patterns, and improvisation using these concepts.

Improvisation over 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 y 7 simultaneous scale patterns.

Improvisation over modal blues.

Altered and suspended arpeggios and chords, and their uses.

Fundamentals of altered modes.

Speed-specific intermediate exercises over the instrument.

Advanced Class Objectives (I):

Study and composition of predetermined (and student-written) sequences of 3, 4 & more notes, over each of the scale patterns previously studied.

Study of each of the corresponding modes to each of the scale variations of the sixth mode, and a more detailed study over the rest of the minor natural (unaltered) modes (especially for students interested in rock & metal).

Basic usage of a DAW for recording of the student's own materials, backing tracks or loops and ideas, and improvisations.

Exotic scales; uses, application and improvisation over them.

Improvisation and basic jazz lines.

In-depth analysis of form, instrumentation, composition and creation of solos over rock songs, metal (or other musical genre(s) that the student is interested in working on).

Principles of digital audio. Study and utilization of each of the audio effects categories (in digital plugin format, multi-effect units, or analog equipment).

Basic composition of songs from the student's own riffs and musical ideas.

Advanced Class Objectives (II):

Further study and composition of more advanced, complex sequences (predetermined and written by the student) of 3, 4 & more notes, combining several of the scales patterns previously studied.

Deeper recording & mixing analysis over rock songs, metal (or other musical genre(s) that the student is interested in working on).

Advanced improvisation of bass lines with complex melodies and/or rhythms.

A much deeper study of rhythm over the instrument.

First-sight reading of more advanced TABs and scores with the instrument.

Intermediate & advanced composition intermedia of the student's own songs and materials.

Please keep in mind,

The above is only a general outline, covering only the basic parts of the different contents of the class. The different programs extend beyond the content described here, especially for advanced students.

Due to the fact that the classes are personalized, the order, contents, intensity and the requirements of each topic varies according to each student, to adapt to their current level in the instrument (for those students who do not start from scratch), any possible problems or weak points in technique, clean sound, coordination or speed that may occur throughout the classes; their musical tastes, particular interests over the instrument, etc.

The learning process within the classes includes many other topics apart from those described in the program above, such as:

Learning about how to perform a correct setup of the bass guitar; arm bend and truss rod setup vs. string gauges & type of bridge; setup of the particular instrument bridge, string changes and octave intonation of the instrument.

The special importance of a fresh set of strings on this particular instrument (with anti-rust protection, frequent replacement or salt baths).

Different types of strings; advantages and disadvantages with respect to a specific bass and pickup configuration.

Learning about the different brands of basses; models, microphone configurations and formats, electronics, tone woods, instrument construction, etc.
Wiring diagrams and cabling setups. Cable routing, welding/soldering and pickup installation.

Different neck scale lengths; most compatible tunings and string gauges, in each case.

Instrument neck assemblies (pros and cons of each).

Proper neck/truss rod adjustment.

Different types of bridges installed on basses (pros vs. cons of each system).

Types and brands of amplifiers, pre-and-power tube amp sections, different types of tubes and their best features, for each specific genre of music.

Types and brands of analog pedals & digital multi-effects; pros and cons of each.

Digital/virtual amplifier emulators and effects, advantages and disadvantages of each, with respect to their analog and physical digital counterparts.

Digital amplification and/or software effects emulators; advantages and disadvantages with respect to its analog & hardware counterparts.

Principles of digital audio editing software, management of audio plugins, DAWs, etc.

* The class program begins in a generic way for almost all beginner students, and the class becomes more personalized in each case, as the student progresses.