I’m excited to be teaching at Augusta again, and even more so to be teaching Beginning Bass!   I think I’m most fond of teaching this level because it’s so much fun to watch folks make that transition from worried trepidation about the bass, (it is such a large and formidable instrument), into the happiness of smiling faces of enthusiasm and excitement, experiencing the utter joy of playing music.

You will be one of those folks, I promise!  We will start with the down and dirty basics.  This class is designed for the complete beginner in mind, so you don’t have to have played before.

You will need an upright, acoustic bass, and you may want to make sure it’s ‘set up’ as well as you can get it before coming to Augusta.  By set up, I mean getting decent strings and a good bridge with playable ‘action’.  Action is the distance of the string to the fingerboard.   You should be able to press down the string fairly easily to make a sound.   A good luthier in your area can help.   We will spend time in class talking about set up, so don’t worry if you are not sure if yours is just right yet.  Just getting it close will be a good start. 

Electric players are welcome; however the focus will be on the upright.  While the ‘theory and notes’ are the same on each instrument, technique is quite different. 

Any time you can put into the instrument such as practicing alone, jamming with others, watching instructional DVD’s, etc., before the class will be helpful.  If you already play another instrument, use your knowledge of chords to help you follow along with songs.

I teach according to the students in the class at any particular time.  So, if there is a mixed level of beginners, I will try to meet everyone’s needs.  And while this is considered a “beginner’s” class, I have found that there are a lot of very important skills we’ll be covering that have been most useful for players from all levels, and who may have a few years under their belt.  Keep this in mind if you have been playing for a while but are looking for a refresher course.  

What we will cover:  

We will focus on learning the strings, the fingerboard, left and right hand techniques, the importance of good timing, some insights to getting good tone, practice tips on how to get to the next level and more.  We will also spend time with the number system and will do some bluegrass ‘ear training’ with tunes.  We’ll play some tunes, learn some scales, and have a lot of fun. I don’t typically have hand outs, (although I often find articles or exercises that I think are important and will bring them) and I don’t do any bass tab.  We will be learning by ear.  Feel free to bring any recording device for AUDIO ONLY.  No video cameras, please. 

And lastly, the most important tool you can buy right now is a Metronome.   They are inexpensive and will help you enormously to get a sense of time.  Timing is the most important part of playing good bass, without it, you are just not doing your job.  If you’ve never worked with one before, spend some time with it between now and camp.  It’s really easy if you just give it some ‘mindful’ attention. Practice one note, (maybe the open 1^st string, a G) at a very slow pace, say, 50 beats per minute. Your goal is to hit the note exactly when you hear the ‘click’ or the beep.  Then add the open D, (second string), and go back and forth.  Do this till it feels really solid, and then do it some more!  You are well on your way to being a great player.   If you don’t have time to work with a metronome beforehand, no worries, just come to class with an open mind, a sense of humor and a bass. We’ll have a great time.

There are lots of DVD’s out there.  Let me suggest something from the Murphy Method featuring Marshall Wilborn or my Beginning Bass with Missy Raines available on my website www.missyraines.com.
 
Also, feel free to email me with any questions at missy@missyraines.com.