How to help my kid play Bass

Dodgy rythym and thick strings here...

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sty
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How to help my kid play Bass

Post by sty »

My Son is re-evaluating his music lessons and stuff at home and school at the moment which is a bit tricky and I feel I have some fixed views (having played trumpet in all my school years and now being a guitar collector).

He's 12 and about to go into year 8 at High School (we don't have intermediate here, the high school covers years 7 through 8)

He's a great singer (his voice hasn't broken yet), he's auditions for and got into the Canterbury Representative choir for the last two years, and he was the overall winner of the High School's Talent Contest this year for his solo singing of Rainbow Connection (with a little help from a Kermit puppet and singing the odd line as Kermit). He did Singing lessons at school last year but his amazing (itinerant music) teacher has retired.

He's been learning Piano with a teacher at home for a few years but is frustrated because he has a great ear and would rather learn by ear than sight read etc. He's never going to be a classical pianist.

He's been learning drums, had a few lessons, and he has a natural talent - he actually sounds musical rather than mechanical. He has a long way to go and currently practice is 5 minutes of fills and one 2 bar rhythm or variable tempo before he gets bored.

He genuinely wants to be musical and do it at school, I just haven't yet got to the bottom of where his heart lies. After a fair amount of discussion he seems to want to give Bass a go, it's musical (which suits my preference) as opposed to percussive, he'd probably be able to play with the school music groups, they use Bass on occaisions, and long term it might be easier for him to sing and play bass.

Maybe I should just let him learn drums at school?

but in the mean time I'm at a loss because I know very little about Bass and have so many questions, such as how will he handle the instrument given he's still pretty small physically. Nobody locally plays Bass so I can't get him to spend an hour hanging out with someone and giving it a go. What sort of gear will he need for practice and playing etc.

Where do I start? any advice or pointers?

thanks in advance

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Re: How to help my kid play Bass

Post by sty »

I thought I'd do a bit more research, but it seems all the folks over at NZBass are only really interested in their fishing these days ;)

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Re: How to help my kid play Bass

Post by Kev77 »

Anything by Ed friedland is gold
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Re: How to help my kid play Bass

Post by jeremyb »

Just get him watching Davie504 videos on youtube, he'll learn everything he needs to know on there!
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Re: How to help my kid play Bass

Post by Lyle »

jeremyb wrote:Just get him watching Davie504 videos on youtube, he'll learn everything he needs to know on there!
EPICO!

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Re: How to help my kid play Bass

Post by Cdog »

Shortscale basses are great fun and easier for small hands!

My daughter took a couple of terms of lessons on bass last year, and has continued with it. I think a big factor has been her legend of a teacher, who sets the kids up in bands and tees up little gigs for them of they're serious enough. They choose their own songs practice once a week. She no longer does lessons but is practicing regularly as she has 2 gigs coming up soon. Next one is a church community day, they have a set of 3 songs planned :)

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Re: How to help my kid play Bass

Post by Bg »

How did you learn guitar?

You can learn the bass the same way, its just 2 strings less ;)

Ear training is still the best way to learn, tabs are invariably shit. Being able to pick notes from a tune is a skill for life. I still use and can tell when a tab is bollocks.

Alternatively, pay for a bass teacher :)
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Re: How to help my kid play Bass

Post by Jake »

I started that age on a full scale but I were a pretty big lad... I’d recommend something like this, cheap as chips second hand and it’s shorter scale so would be a bit easier to start on while not feeling like a kids toy: https://www.trademe.co.nz/music-instrum ... 110067.htm
Here it is new: https://www.rockshop.co.nz/shop/squier- ... n-red.html

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Re: How to help my kid play Bass

Post by kdawg2a »

I learned 95% of my musical ability as a bored teenager with access to instruments and nothing else to do. There's a lot to be said about forcing the brain to be creative when faced with boredom.
That said, 30 years ago we didn't have cell phones and gaming consoles so i'd imagine it's a harder task these days.
Try and get a short scale bass. They're fun to mess about on (for you too!) and if it's lying around i'm sure he'd give it a crack.
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Re: How to help my kid play Bass

Post by foal30 »

sty wrote:I thought I'd do a bit more research, but it seems all the folks over at NZBass are only really interested in their fishing these days ;)
It's great your Son has had opportunites to try different things. IMO there is no need to specialise too early in a young persons development.

There is always work for Singing Bassists

He does not have to play a short-scale instrument. He'll be able to manage fine. (Well maybe not a Broadneck 6) :P

Keep at the theory regardless of what he is playing. Skills for life.

I've had at least 5 or 6 12 year old Bass students. A couple of things I found 'useful' was crossover of 'Song lessons' and having a list of Artists and Bands they like.
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Re: How to help my kid play Bass

Post by Terexgeek »

Lyle wrote:
jeremyb wrote:Just get him watching Davie504 videos on youtube, he'll learn everything he needs to know on there!
EPICO!
Slappers!
Tin arse!!

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Re: How to help my kid play Bass

Post by sty »

Bg wrote:How did you learn guitar?

You can learn the bass the same way, its just 2 strings less ;)
That's very interesting...

I didn't learn guitar very well at all. I tried acoustic/classical at primary school and my parents guitar was far to large and I was possibly too young, I lost interest, or we moved and my parents split up and it all ended there. I didn't pick up guitar again until I was 30 I think and I just dabbled and was unstructured.

I did however play trumpet (cornet actually) all the way through high school and played in wind band and orchestra. So I learned "Music" in a very academic way which probably has given me a big helping hand when learning guitar (I can read music, I understand basic theory and I have a good ear).

To be honest my guitar issue is probably that I didn't, and haven't, play with others in band situations. BUT there's ground work that needs doing before then and I'm sure there are teaching techniques that give strong results early which must be massively motivational. For example his interest in Bass was sparked when they passed around some instruments at the options experience day at high school last year and someone played a rough version of Seven Nation Army, he worked that out pretty quick on guitar at home but I think a spark had fired...
Ear training is still the best way to learn, tabs are invariably shit. Being able to pick notes from a tune is a skill for life. I still use and can tell when a tab is bollocks.
He's got a strong ear and musical memory which is probably why he rebelled against his Piano teacher, so that's hopefully a strong advantage.
Alternatively, pay for a bass teacher :)
I suspect we'll be doing this at school this year if this is his route. That was another one of my mistakes, not getting a guitar teacher, and when I did it was Ed and then Dave !! (Only kidding they were both a great help)

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Re: How to help my kid play Bass

Post by sty »

foal30 wrote:It's great your Son has had opportunites to try different things. IMO there is no need to specialise too early in a young persons development.
kind of my thinking really. I'm sure he'll settle on something one day and he'll be off. in the meantime he's picking up useful knowledge and skills. If he starts to write songs he'll need an appreciation of the other instruments anyway.
There is always work for Singing Bassists
that's the carrot. and I haven't even mentioned yet that it's far easier to cart a bass around than Drums, especially in this modern age of DI.
He does not have to play a short-scale instrument. He'll be able to manage fine. (Well maybe not a Broadneck 6) :P

Keep at the theory regardless of what he is playing. Skills for life.
consensus seems to be that it's worth giving him a go on full size, which is cool.
I've had at least 5 or 6 12 year old Bass students. A couple of things I found 'useful' was crossover of 'Song lessons' and having a list of Artists and Bands they like.
What's a crossover song?

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Re: How to help my kid play Bass

Post by sty »

Cdog wrote:Shortscale basses are great fun and easier for small hands!

My daughter took a couple of terms of lessons on bass last year, and has continued with it. I think a big factor has been her legend of a teacher, who sets the kids up in bands and tees up little gigs for them of they're serious enough. They choose their own songs practice once a week. She no longer does lessons but is practicing regularly as she has 2 gigs coming up soon. Next one is a church community day, they have a set of 3 songs planned :)
That sounds awesome, what a great idea.

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Re: How to help my kid play Bass

Post by Vince »

Hand size is not huge issue on bass as you don't have to do chords. It's mainly single note runs.
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