Online Bass Lessons

 

IMPORTANT UPDATE - 7th AUGUST 2011

For most of this year I've been getting 3 or 4 emails a week for people looking to join my online bass lesson program - and not only has the program been full, but the waiting list has been full.

And I've hated sending every one of those emails - and wondered about a way to change it.

Finally I've come up with a solution.

There will now be a column in my weekly membership ezine which steps through this program. And there will be video content too - and over the course of the next year or so I'll create a resource that will be permanently available to Annual Subscribers to my membership ezine.

So - by this time next year there will be a complete course finished and posted. To get access to it, you just have to join my membership ezine. That current subscription is just $97 - so the cost of less than 3 or 4 lessons. (Plus you'll get all the content of the membership ezine too! So if you're just starting out....that's a lot of bang for your buck).

The first lesson of this course goes live on August 26th - but please note that the subscription cost will increase to $127 on Monday August 15th.

Below is the original information from the Protege Program. Please Note that the version of the course in the Membership Ezine is non-interactive.

 

ORIGINAL INFORMATION

For some reason just about every private bass teacher you go to wants to teach you how to play scales. And arpeggios. And variations of those scales and arpeggios. In two octaves. And different postions. And yada yada yada. And that's just lazy teaching in my opinion. Sure you have to know about scales and how to use them - but when you're starting out what you need to know is how to hold the bass, how to fret a note, how to pluck the note so it sounds, and then apply that knowledge to a tune you like to play along with.

And that's how My Protege Program works- It's A Systematic Song Based Approach To Learning The Bass That You Can Take In The Comfort Of Your Own Home Or Even On The Beach!

The course starts with basic right hand technique, which is then applied to a real world song (With or Without You by U2). Each succeeding lesson builds upon this approach - there is further technique work which is then immediately applied to a real world song. Whatever theory is needed to back up the technique and its real world application is also taught.

The Lesson Plan is structured over 50 lessons - as you progress through the lessons here are some of the areas you'll work on:

• Basic Left Hand Technique
• Basic Right Hand Technique
• Fretboard Familiarity
• Rhythmic Understanding
• Using Rhythms As The Foundation Of Basslines
• How To Analyse Basslines
• Creating Your Own Basslines

And the best way to truly learn something is to immediately apply it in a real world context - and that's done in the form of the songs that form the spine of the lessons. And learning songs also gives a sense of achievement that learning scales or arpeggios won't. Oh, and it's fun!

If you check out the 50 Songs Page you'll get an idea of the progression of songs through the course - although please note that this list was originally published in March 2008 and has been updated subsequently (but the current master list is confidential - which is why it's not published on the website).

So How Do These Online Bass Lessons Work?

The way the lessons work is simple. Each time you take a new lesson you are directed to a password protected page on the Online Bass Lessons website. There you can download all the materials relevant to that lesson. One of the PDFs will be an action plan/assignment and will tell you what you need to achieve with that particular lesson.

When you feel you have completed the lesson you film the assignment and post it for me to watch. Either I will then critique it and move you onto the next lesson. Occaisonally I'll ask you to work on something specific for a few days and re-film it for further critique before we move onto the next lesson.

What Form Does Your Critique Take?

Critiques are usually done by email. Sometimes for technique issues I will film a further short video to fully illustrate a point I'm trying to make. And sometimes these short videos get used for different students who have similar technique issues.

What Do You Get With Each Lesson?

Each Lesson is split down into constituent parts. The song (or songs - see below for different options) featured in each lesson has two videos - a playalong so you can see how it sounds played in context, and a detailed 'how to' lesson showing how to play the song. Additionally each lesson has a theory video and a technique video.

Here's an example of a 'how to' lesson: though please note that the actual video quality has been degraded by the compression process that YouTube uses!

 

 

All of the basslines are notated out in Standard Notation and Bass Tab in the accompanying PDFs. Plus there are PDFs for the Theory and Technique Videos, an Action Plan and an assignment. And if you choose the Premium package there's also a mini bonus video on a topic related to the bass guitar (and yes, they can be a bit random!).

Who Are These Lessons For?

These lessons are for firstly for bass players who want a system that will help them improve their ability on the bass guitar. They are suitable for complete beginners, or for bassists who've played a bit and just don't seem to be getting any better. And can't figure out why.

The only requirements are that you own a bass, are prepared to practice as regularly as possible, can pay by PayPal (though you can use a credit card), and you have the ability to film yourself playing and post it to the Internet, and obviously that you have a semi decent Internet connection (some of the video files are 30 mins/300 mb).

At some stage in the future I will implement a system to 'fast track' intermediate level players into the later stages of the program - but that's a way off yet.

Complete Details Of The Protege Program

Format: The videos are in MP4 format - so they'll play in the majority of media players. My recommendation is that you play them in either Quicktime or iTunes - both programs are available on Mac and PCs. The PDF files can be read (and printed out) in whatever PDF Reader you use - if you don't have one Adobe have a free downloadable reader available.

Delivery: The information is delivered via the Internet. Each lesson has its own password protected page with links to all the files you will need for each lesson.

Payment Methods: All payments are via PayPal. If you don't have a PayPal account they are extremely easy to set up and use - or you can pay securely by credit card.

Currency: All payments are in US Dollars. Paypal will convert the USD amourt to your own currency when you get your credit card statement. In some cases, depending on where you're from, you may be able to see the conversion rate in your own currency before you pay (this feature is not available for all currencies though).

Compatibility: Is The information used for each lesson is compabible for both Macs and PCs. If you have any issues, don't hesitate to email me and I'll help you sort them out.

Guarantee: Is there a guarantee? Yes there is. If after two lessons you find that this course is not what you expected, or is not working for you for any reason I will issue you a prompt refund. All you have to do is email me and let me know.

Support: If something in a lesson is unclear all you need to do is email me. I'll get back to you with answers and help as soon as possible.

 

The $1,000,000 QUESTION: HOW MUCH DOES EACH LESSON COST?

Ok here are the details - what's included and what each lesson costs. Note there are two options - The Standard Bass Lessons or Premium Bass Lessons.

How To Sign Up

Use the contact form to send me an email. Tell me a little about yourself, how long you've been playing, what you'd like to achieve with the bass guitar, wherabouts you live, etc etc. I'll reply within 12 - 24 hours. Or you could email me directly - paul(at)how-to-play-bass.com.

Important: Reasons Why You Shouldn't Delay

1) Space is limited. Once all the spaces are filled then I won't take on any new Proteges for the immediate future. Once that happens there will be a waiting list and IF someone drops out of the program then that space will be offerered to the first person on the waiting list.

2) There's no risk. Take the first two lessons. If you find that this program is not for you - for whatever reasons - simply email me and I'll immediately refund the cost of those first two lessons. And yes I'll ask you some questions about why my course was not for you - but not until after you've been refunded.

If You've Still Got Any Questions?

If you've still got questions then use the Contact Form and let me know. I'll reply as soon as I can - usually within 12 hours. Oh, and you could also check out the Teaching Articles - which you'll find indexed on the Articles Page.

Paul Wolfe, London

 

 

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As soon as I discovered Paul Wolfe's website and his approach I knew he was the right teacher for me. I found well thought out lesson plans, videos, PDFs of songs, and techniques to improve my finger/brain co-ordination. Paul's personal insight as a seasoned professional musician surfaces thoughout the lessons, bringing the subject to life on another level. I really like that the access to information is whenever or wherever I want. With my iPhone I can review a lesson in the car or on a plane, lying on a beach or waiting for my son at school. With face to face lessons the information was disseminated once and that was it. I could rely only on memory, an audio tape or notes to review. Thanks to technology and Paul Wolfe taking bass lessons has never been more convenient, effective and fun. My playing with musicians has improved in just a few months. And I feel confident I will only play better in months to come! Although improving my bass playing depends largely on my consistant practice, Paul Wolfe's online bass lessons provide me with a clear and concise road map to successful and meaningful practice sessions. I take the time I need to progress to the next lesson and am not rushed to absorb the information. Plus I'm still amazed that I can live in the States and take lessons from a dude in the UK. That is very cool! Mary Judge, Boston, USA

When I came across Paul's lessons I instantly liked the idea - the only thing that would have prevented me taking them would have been if they were too expensive. I've found that buying this service has helped me structure my learning more than a free for all approach. Being able to play through songs after only a few lessons is more satisfying than just being able to run through some scales and exercises - having the song lessons, theory, technique, videos and PDFs (plus what I put in) makes me feel I'm getting more than enough bang for the buck! What I like most about the lessons is that I can work them into my schedule. So if I have to 'take' a lesson at 10 at night, or 5 in the morning then I'm able to. Whereas if I had to physically go and see a teacher I probably wouldn't be taking lessons. Chris Johnstone, Montreal, Canada

My initial concern regarding on-line lessons centered around feedback. I wasn't sure how performing a lesson without direct dialogue with the instructor would help. Frankly with Paul Wolfe's system I have more contact than I did through private, in person lessons. I have a video lesson that I can play as often as I like, it's like being with the instructor several times a week. If I ever have a question Paul is very responsive. He also checks my video assignments and gives me personal feedback on my progress. Frankly although skeptical in the beginning, this is the best lesson program ever. I like Paul's lesson plan - it is well thought out and has a technique section, a theory section and song sections. It builds from the basics to enhance and develop higher level play. Having the video to reference during practice sessions is very helpful. Paul is very open and accessible - you feel like you are his only student. Glenn Magee, Columbus Ohio, USA

When I first started with Paul's Protege Program I was skeptical about its effectiveness. But Paul's approach won me over, he is very personable and attends to my needs as necessary. I enjoy the fact that I can view the tutorials on MY time and not a time I have to agree with someone else. Plus I don't have to lug my bass around and I can stay comfortable at my place and concentrate on my bass playing. I would absolutely recommend Paul's Protege program. There are plenty of products out there to teach how to play scales and stuff. The uniqueness that this program provides is a basic foundation of bass knowledge which is then applied to real world songs that you can actually use in a band situation! Thomas Nelson, USA

I was originally concerned with 3 things: whether taking long distance lessons would be effective, whether I would have enough time to work on a lesson before going onto the next one, and whether I would get personal attention. I'm glad I decided to give it a go because the lessons are very effective. The videos are essential to the learning process and very, very detailed. If it takes 3 weeks to get through a lesson before moving onto the next that's OK with Paul. And the personal feedback - via video and email - is regular and 'on target.' And I am having a lot of FUN!!! I really enjoy the process of playing along with REAL SONGS - not the mindless tunes you see in typical bass teaching materials. I cannot say this too many times - THIS IS FUN. Bob Juggle, New York, USA