Bass Lesson Topics

Here you will find 93 possible bass lesson topics, many of which can usually be broken down into several lessons and/or courses of study. Feel free to browse. If you have further suggestions, please email them to me. Your input will be helpful and appreciated. Thanks ... and stay in the groove.

George Urbaszek

  1. Pedals
  2. Pulse
  3. Note finding
  4. Instrument knowledge
  5. Skeletal lines
  6. Number patterns for II V I's
  7. Number patterns for turnarounds
  8. Time Signatures
  9. Nomenclature
  10. Leading notes
  11. Note lengths
  12. Dynamics
  13. Form
  14. Chromatic approach notes
  15. Accents
  16. Metronome playing
  17. Around the beat
  18. Speed training
  19. Straight/even 1/8ths vs. swung 1/8th notes
  20. 1/16th-note grooves
  21. Double time vs. double-time feel and half time vs. half-time feel
  22. 4 on 6, 6 on 4, 2 on 3, 3 on 2, etc.
  23. Scales
  24. Arpeggios
  25. Climbs and drops
  26. Embellishments
  27. Styles - any and many
  28. Tensions
  29. Soloing - much and more in many styles
  30. Bass set up
  31. Equipment
  32. Attitude and ethics
  33. Sight reading
  34. Singing
  35. Total recall
  36. Left-hand/right-hand co-ordination
  37. Right-hand techniques (right-handed player assumed) including muting, picking, slapping and strumming
  38. Right-hand placement to create different timbres
  39. Substitute chords
  40. Substitute scales
  41. Slap and pop and thump and snap and spank
  42. Tapping
  43. Hammers, pull-offs and lift-offs
  44. Right-hand and left-hand articulation
  45. 1200 walking bass lines - and more if you like
  46. Listening and interacting
  47. Practise techniques
  48. Instrument and vocal combinations
  49. Sight transposition
  50. Business and career skills
  51. Learning pieces
  52. How to use playalong recordings
  53. Subdivisions and superdivisions
  54. Tags (extended endings)
  55. Arranging for several basses
  56. Teaching skills
  57. Natural harmonics
  58. Artificial (false) harmonics
  59. Arranging a performance set
  60. Free playing
  61. Solo cadenzas
  62. Chord voicings
  63. Transcription techniques
  64. Stamina and endurance
  65. Playing alone
  66. Consistency
  67. Constant structure
  68. Leading a band
  69. Ensemble supervision
  70. Touring
  71. Scheduling practice
  72. Back to basics
  73. Contour development in soloing and comping
  74. Swinging - various approaches incl. laid back and hard swing
  75. Listening as a listener
  76. Sonic balance
  77. Focussed listening and interpretation
  78. Personal interpretation
  79. Recording - preparation
  80. Recording - unprepared
  81. Performing
  82. Rehearsal techniques
  83. Turnaround patterns
  84. Number patterns for solo lines
  85. Tension number patterns
  86. Groove creation
  87. Composition
  88. Voice leading
  89. Rhythmic displacement
  90. Enclosure
  91. Playing fast
  92. Playing slow
  93. Visualization