Electric Bass Lesson Routine

Generally, an electric bass lesson follows the following format; however, adjustments are made to meet the needs of each student.

Set-Up
Each lesson will begin with tuning the instrument and getting the student settled with the instrument. Because tuning the instrument is a relatively easy task, I usually use this time to make sure that the student is set-up correctly. It is a great time to check if the strap is adjusted correctly and if the thumb of the right hand is in the correct place. Who knew that the learning began even before the instrument had been tuned?

Scales
Most of the time the lesson then moves on to playing the scale of the week. While learning the notes of the scale is important, scales are also a time to focus on technique. It is essential that proper technique is used so the student can move quickly and effectively around the instrument.

Etudes/Repertoire
I typically use two books with my electric bass students. The first book is Mel Bay's Electric Bass Method. This book allows the student to learn their way around the bass with fun and simple melodies. The second book is Easy Pop Bass Lines. I believe that the most important thing is to keep the student playing, and what better way than giving them fun music to play! Beyond these books, we will cover much more jazz and rock repertoire.

Ensemble Music
While this is not the focus of the lesson, I am more than happy to help my students with their jazz or rock ensemble music. This help can allow students to play well in their current ensemble, or even place into a more advanced ensemble!