Electric Bass Lessons
Electric Bass Lessons
There is music in the world without a clear rhythm, without an obvious groove, but it’s rare. The electric bass, sometimes known as the bass guitar, or simply “the bass”, has been the bass instrument of choice for rhythm sections in popular music for the last few decades. Tuned in a manner similar to its predecessor, the double bass, the electric bass most often has four strings tuned one octave lower than the guitar’s bottom four strings (E-A-D-G). We can’t imagine what popular music would look – or sound – like without the bass, which is why we have exciting plans to help you reach your very own playing potential.
Our Courses
In-Home/Online Learning
The first element of our program is electric bass online or in-home lessons. There are many advantages to learning any instrument in the comfort of your own home. For parents, it’s great because you don’t have to drive your kids to music lessons; this can free up time to clean, cook, or even – could it be – to relax and unwind. You get to do all of this while listening to your child develop their musical abilities in real-time. Our online electric bass lessons for kids allow them to delve deeper into what’s unknown, surrounded by a sense of security while developing coordination and patience. At the same time, if you wish to learn yourself, we can optimize our lessons to suit any experience level you already have – even if you’re a beginner! For this reason, adults who want to work at home can also benefit; you won’t have to make your way to a music school, and playing at home can reduce anxiety or tension.
Hal Leonard’s Essential Elements
The second element is our multi-track, customizable course plans, taught by world-class teachers. The track we recommend for bassists beginning their journey is Hal Leonard’s Essential Elements, which offers a comprehensive suite of resources in a concise package. The course guides you through various mediums including videos of how to play, course books you can read through and workbooks to write in, and music you can play along with. Throughout this course, you’ll learn theory and practice, with each lesson compounding on the last. The best part is, our course has the same songs for each instrument, so you’ll be able to get together with a band learning the same material and play. We also offer customizable courses for bassists of all levels; our instructors can personalize a program of study that best suits the needs of the student, whether to simply have fun, prep for school music programs or bands, or otherwise!
Get to Know the Electric Bass
Techniques
The number of different techniques for playing the bass are astounding. You can play slap and pop style with your thumb, fingerpick the instrument, use a pick, tap – the list goes on! There’s a variety of different bass guitars, amplifiers, pedals, and other accessories that you can use as well, and you don’t have to grab something fancy to learn the ropes with our instructors.
Playstyles Aplenty
One of the thrills of being a bassist is the diversity of styles that you can play, which includes everything from pop to funk, classical, and more. The bass can be used as a steady player in the rhythm section, as an instrument for soloing, to create drones or melodies – your imagination is the limit. Let’s help you harness it!
A Near-Exhaustive – yet Exciting – Repertoire
To list the repertoire of songs that you can play on the electric bass would be an impossibly daunting task. The reality is, most popular songs that you’ve heard are likely to feature the electric bass in them and, even if the bassline is played on a synth, there’s nothing that says you can’t duplicate it using your instrument. There’s a good chance that the electric bass will continue to be an important part of our popular music for decades to come, so that incredible repertoire will continue to grow.
Learning the bass means learning about yourself. We can help you in the following ways and more:
Become more dexterous, your fingers growing stronger than ever as they fly across the fretboard;
Gain a keener sense of rhythm, as your locked in grooves will keep the rest of the band in time;
Grow emotionally as you learn to pour your heart and soul into the songs that you play;
Develop your reasoning skills as you learn a whole new language – the language of music and music theory; Grow more confident as you practice, diligently, until you’re an accomplished bassist.
It’s time to not only evolve musically but in a myriad of other ways, and we’ll be here every step of the way to help you get the most out of your journey. Instructors at the Academy of Music are ready to mentor and guide you, offering an exciting and fun way to grow and thrive not only in music but in everyday life through these skills.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the age limit for electric bass lessons?
There’s no age limit to learning an incredibly capable new instrument – especially if you’re driven to become a capable player! The Academy of Music offers personalized, fully remote and in-person learning experiences for children and adults alike, regardless of their age.
Does my experience level matter?
Nope! The great thing about music programming is it can be adapted to any skill level. We love working with newcomers and seasoned bassists alike, helping people from all backgrounds refine their abilities so they can further enjoy their instrument of choice.
Do I need to buy an electric bass before signing up?
Not necessarily! While it’s important that you have even a basic, low-cost electric bass handy so we can practice together, you might have the option to rent or lease one in your area. We recommend checking out local music schools, rec centres, and mom-and-pop music shops in need of your business to find the best possible deals on rentals or outright purchases.
Are electric bass online lessons as effective as in-person ones?
We ensure they are! It’s important to us at the Academy of Music that students from all areas, not just near us, can enjoy the same high-quality and deeply rewarding learning experience. With our electric bass online lessons via Zoom or Facetime, it’s easy not only to communicate with instructors but understand what they are trying to show you. It’s a zero-compromise, convenient approach that also means you won’t have to travel to further develop your skills if you wish to avoid doing so.
How long do sessions last?
We can cater our lesson plans to suit your availability as needed, so no worries about missing that Zoom meeting for work in the afternoon! For kids, our approach is to be nonintrusive with our programming, offering the same flexibility so we don’t interfere with their everyday school studies. For further details on session duration, pricing and more, feel free to reach out to us.
