Chili
Site Moderator
Yes it is. A Squier Bronco. I like it.
Short Scale Bass and Lessons
- Thread starter Chili
- Start date
Yes it is. A Squier Bronco. I like it.
grimtraveller
If only for a moment.....
It was certainly a watershed for me though I didn't realize it for a couple of decades. Starting around 1990, every couple of years or so, I'd feel like I had come to the end of my invention and abilities as a bass player. My first complete songs were written on bass and I used to have such a ball improvising and after 10 years I thought I'd shot my bolt.
Homerecording and learning guitar were my bass playing salvation in a way. Homerecording because having to put one's songs into some kind of cohesive form means all of one's composing {and by extension, playing } become part of a different ball game. And the guitar enabled me to approach songs in a slightly different way. It eventually enabled me to write with the option of thinking about the role the bass would play or even dispensing with it altogether, instead of starting with it and working everything else around it.
WI Amateur
New member
Just wonder how he's taking to the lessons now that some time has gone by. Love short scale basses myself, not many people talk about them often.
Chili
Site Moderator
Thanks for asking, WI. He's taking private lessons and doing really well. I started out teaching him myself, but you know kids think parents don't know anything. He really didn't like me teaching him.
Started him on private lessons at a local music school. The first instructor was wrapped way too tight and didn't connect with my kid. I gave him about of month (of torture) before asking for another instructor. The 2nd guy owns the school, is very adept at playing and teaching, and has that kind of personality where you like him right away. My kid is really enjoying it.
Started him on private lessons at a local music school. The first instructor was wrapped way too tight and didn't connect with my kid. I gave him about of month (of torture) before asking for another instructor. The 2nd guy owns the school, is very adept at playing and teaching, and has that kind of personality where you like him right away. My kid is really enjoying it.
WI Amateur
New member
That's awesome, tried my son on bass and later guitar but in his typical fashion he lost interest really quickly. I know what you mean about kids not thinking their parents know anything, classic situation. My son is also a fantastic artist and has some real airbrushing skills. We got him the whole set up for his bday a couple years ago, for a few months he went nuts, made a little coin by painting several pickguards and one bass for me. But as usual, after about 6 mos he set that aside and hasn't touched it. Drives me crazy because he has that talent and doesn't use it at all!
Good luck with the future bass player.
Good luck with the future bass player.
grimtraveller
If only for a moment.....
I think much of that depends on the ages of the kids and to some extent, the dominant mindset of the peer group they hang with and/or are influenced by, as well as the state of your relationship with them at that particular moment. It is important to stress though, that just because your kids think you know nothing of any value to them, it doesn't mean you don't have a good relationship with them. It may mean that but it could as easilly mean that they're growing up and are testing the waters of their own views.
Pre~teens and teens, when they actually get around to listening as opposed to hearing are often suprised at just what their parents know !
I still laugh at Paul McCartney's explanation of the song "Your mother should know". He ended it by saying "it means your mother may know more than you think !".
Slowrider
STOP Voting!
One thing I did to weed out potential Bass, Guitar, Drums, students; was tell them to snap their fingers in time.
If they couldn't clap, or snap their fingers, pat their foot, etc. in time, I'd send them to someone else.
Then, teach them a simple, 3 chord, bass song; such as "Bad Moon Rising".
It built up their confidence quickly.
Confidence, makes great players.
I didn't do, "Row, Row, Row Your Boat"--or any of that other crap.
Teach them real songs that they love to listen to.
Try to record every practice for them, that way they will hear their own improvement.
Speaking of short scale Basses, I had to borrow a short scale bass on a tightly scheduled, 2 night, gig; back when I was a Pup.
Hated it.
Congratulations, Chili!!
Cool thing, teaching your kids music.
Another fast teaching technique, is to have them learn/fill out a fretboard chart, naming all the notes on just the top two strings.
Once they are able to remember the notes, it will increase their confidence.
Or, just teaching them all the notes on the E string, is a good beginner exercise.
Then, teach a few walks or runs.
If they couldn't clap, or snap their fingers, pat their foot, etc. in time, I'd send them to someone else.
Then, teach them a simple, 3 chord, bass song; such as "Bad Moon Rising".
It built up their confidence quickly.
Confidence, makes great players.
I didn't do, "Row, Row, Row Your Boat"--or any of that other crap.
Teach them real songs that they love to listen to.
Try to record every practice for them, that way they will hear their own improvement.
Speaking of short scale Basses, I had to borrow a short scale bass on a tightly scheduled, 2 night, gig; back when I was a Pup.
Hated it.
Congratulations, Chili!!
Cool thing, teaching your kids music.
Another fast teaching technique, is to have them learn/fill out a fretboard chart, naming all the notes on just the top two strings.
Once they are able to remember the notes, it will increase their confidence.
Or, just teaching them all the notes on the E string, is a good beginner exercise.
Then, teach a few walks or runs.
Chili
Site Moderator
He's got no problem with timing, he's 1st or 2nd chair in the school's elite band (they have three bands in this middle school!! )
He's doing really well. The teacher will ask him what note he is hearing expecting my son to find it on the fretboard. My son can name the note just by listening!! Freaks us out.
The teacher is an ear-guy, meaning he learns songs by ear. He knows the notes and can read a little, but he prefers to learn a song by working it out. I'm okay with that, though my son needs to learn to play the bass by reading music without looking at the fretboard. The teacher brings a new song to class each week that highlights a different aspect of the bass. I like this approach. It's not the typical run-through-scales and name-me-all-the-notes-in-that-chord type lessons which is probably what I would have taught.
He needs to work on his tone a little more. He gets a lot of fret buzz and isn't yet consistent between notes. Mostly because he struggles with strength in his pinky finger. lol. But he's getting there. He CAN name most of the notes on the fretboard.
Thanks for your thoughts!!
)He's doing really well. The teacher will ask him what note he is hearing expecting my son to find it on the fretboard. My son can name the note just by listening!! Freaks us out.
The teacher is an ear-guy, meaning he learns songs by ear. He knows the notes and can read a little, but he prefers to learn a song by working it out. I'm okay with that, though my son needs to learn to play the bass by reading music without looking at the fretboard. The teacher brings a new song to class each week that highlights a different aspect of the bass. I like this approach. It's not the typical run-through-scales and name-me-all-the-notes-in-that-chord type lessons which is probably what I would have taught.
He needs to work on his tone a little more. He gets a lot of fret buzz and isn't yet consistent between notes. Mostly because he struggles with strength in his pinky finger. lol. But he's getting there. He CAN name most of the notes on the fretboard.
Thanks for your thoughts!!
grimtraveller
If only for a moment.....
It was only after playing bass for 7 years that I learned the actual names of the notes because I was playing in an aggregation that played some songs out of music books ! When they first said to me 'it's in C' or whatever, I'd think, "daaaamn !".
Only took a day to learn it though.
But I don't practice, I just like to play, so I'll never get much better at it. lol
grimtraveller
If only for a moment.....
Amen, amen, and I'll say it again ~ amen !
I'm not interested in getting better. Not at 50. I might improve in tiny smidgens but I know enough to be able to do a song as I want it.
rayc
retroreprobate
I only "know" up to the 8th fret. After that it's the 3-2 finger stretch octave and feeling my way between them that gets me by.
I learnt to read better when I went to 'cello but there was a 30 year time gap so maybe I was "ready" by the time I made it to the bow & grind.
My 1st bass lessons were tuning - THAT was a waste of my time as I just wanted to play something. Tune for me, teach me a roff and then I'll need to tune it to play it next day - that's the kind of student I was/am.
I learnt to read better when I went to 'cello but there was a 30 year time gap so maybe I was "ready" by the time I made it to the bow & grind.
My 1st bass lessons were tuning - THAT was a waste of my time as I just wanted to play something. Tune for me, teach me a roff and then I'll need to tune it to play it next day - that's the kind of student I was/am.
Slowrider
STOP Voting!
"My 1st bass lessons were tuning - THAT was a waste of my time as I just wanted to play something."
That right there, was why I would tell each student to bring their #1, favorite tune, to my studio on the second lesson.
I told them, "I'll have you mastering that song/tune in two lessons".
Worked every time, because; they all tried a little harder to learn THEIR favorite song.
Their second tune, went even easier.
Up front though, I outlawed them bringing in any type of Rap tune.
That right there, was why I would tell each student to bring their #1, favorite tune, to my studio on the second lesson.
I told them, "I'll have you mastering that song/tune in two lessons".
Worked every time, because; they all tried a little harder to learn THEIR favorite song.
Their second tune, went even easier.
Up front though, I outlawed them bringing in any type of Rap tune.
BrentDomann
Has a Dedicated Member.
I skipped ahead to answer (so others might have said what I'm going to say), but there are some good short-scale options. In addition to the Squiers, Gretsch makes one that's a little kooky looking for a kid but I've always kind of liked them. G2210 is the model I think. Also, Ibanez makes a Mikro series that are 28"-scale. They have four-stringers with PJ pickups for $180 or so and five-stringers with J pickups for about $200. If he likes hard rock or anything downtuned, the fiver is about the most affordable one out there from a major manufacturer. Ibanez guitars of all levels are remarkably consistent IMO.
Hope he takes to it - sounds like he's good a lot of good support from the old man.
Hope he takes to it - sounds like he's good a lot of good support from the old man.
Chili
Site Moderator
Digging this thread back up due to a Proud-Papa moment.
As you know, the kid has been taking lessons since last spring and is coming along nicely. Today was the first rehearsal for the middle school jazz band and his first time playing along with a group, ever. I went down to the school to help him set up the amp and help with what I could for the songs. We have been working on about 4 tunes for the last month or so. Well, he frikkin did awesome. They did the typical middle school jazz songs; Louie Louie, Chamelon, In the Mood and My Funny Valentine. While not perfect, he sat right into the groove and didn't miss too much.
For the valentine song, we never really practiced it so I told him to just sit it out. Well, of course the kid won't listen to his dad, he improvised on it and he nailed it. If you were casually listening, you wouldn't have known he didn't know the music. In the mood has a typical blues walking scale and the kid just grooved on it. So nice. At the end of the rehearsal, the band director came over and shook his hand; grinning ear to ear.
He had a blast. Couldn't stop singing on the way home.
Anyways.... just had to share.
As you know, the kid has been taking lessons since last spring and is coming along nicely. Today was the first rehearsal for the middle school jazz band and his first time playing along with a group, ever. I went down to the school to help him set up the amp and help with what I could for the songs. We have been working on about 4 tunes for the last month or so. Well, he frikkin did awesome. They did the typical middle school jazz songs; Louie Louie, Chamelon, In the Mood and My Funny Valentine. While not perfect, he sat right into the groove and didn't miss too much.
For the valentine song, we never really practiced it so I told him to just sit it out. Well, of course the kid won't listen to his dad, he improvised on it and he nailed it. If you were casually listening, you wouldn't have known he didn't know the music.
In the mood has a typical blues walking scale and the kid just grooved on it. So nice. At the end of the rehearsal, the band director came over and shook his hand; grinning ear to ear.He had a blast. Couldn't stop singing on the way home.
Anyways.... just had to share.