JK - Lesson Plan: Lesson 7

Complementary Studies: Liam Marley

Date: 28/01/08 (J Kosminsky)
Planning Time: 3hrs
Lesson Time: 1hr


The seventh lesson would be the first lesson that would have the pupil playing a song or at least part of a song. This will give the pupil experience with rhythm, which will improve coordination and finger techniques, while experience with tempo will aid in the pupils musical timing. These are all important for a bass player when playing with other musicians and especially on your own, when there is no one else to keep you on time with a tempo.


Lesson Objectives:

1.) To recap on the blues bass lines that we have been working on, these include the basic root to fifth pattern and the bay-on-bass pattern. The newly introduced ‘walking’ bass line, from last lesson, will also be played utilising quarter (crochet) notes and eighth (quaver) notes.

2.) To have the pupil playing along to part of a song or the entire song, whether it would be the actual bass line or a simplified version.

3.) To introduce the use of open notes being utilised in conjunction with fretted notes.


Introduction:

The pupil will be asked how he/she thought the previous lesson had gone and whether they are anxious about anything during this week’s lesson. After this the lesson ahead will be explained with some aims set so that the pupil has specific goals to reach.


Lesson Material:


1.) Although the pupil had played these basic blues patterns time and time again, it was important for timing and rhythm to be grasped. As before it was more important for the pupil to just learn the pattern and now that they are confident with the bass line, a constant rhythm and tempo should be demonstrated by the pupil. This will be aided with either the use of a hand clap from the tutor or a basic drum beat to convey a simple 4/4 beat, with a kick as beat one and three and a snare as beat two and four, (as demonstrated in the sound file below).




(SOUND FILE OF SAMPLE DRUM BEAT)


The pupil will be encouraged to increase the tempo if they feel comfortable and will be watched carefully, in case the pupil strays from the set tempo. After using these two basic blues patterns as a warm up, the more advanced ‘walking’ bass line will be recapped.

There will be two variations to this bass pattern, the first will use quarter or crochet note lengths, (refer to Figure 1), while the second will use eighth or quaver note lengths, (refer to Figure 2). The second variation, which incorporates eighth notes, will only be attempted if the pupil is confident and satisfied with their performance on the first ‘walking’ bass pattern. This is because the eighth note length bass line has double the number of notes played per bar; as eighth notes are half the length of quarter notes so this enables two notes to be played in the place of one quarter note, (as shown below in Figure 1 and Figure 2).

G -|---------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------|
D -|---------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------|
A -|---------------2--------5--------2---------|--------------2--------5--------2--------|
E -|-----3---------------------------------------|-----3------------------------------------|

(Figure 1 – quarter note lengths)

G -|---------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------|
D -|---------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------|
A -|--------------2-2------5-5------2-2------|-------------2-2------5-5------2-2-----|
E -|-----3-3------------------------------------|----3-3-----------------------------------|

(Figure 2 – eighth note lengths)


2.) It was time that the pupil played along to a song, firstly to aid their timing and rhythm but also to keep them occupied and interested during the lessons, as repetitively playing the same old blues bass line is not fun. To continue with the blues and reggae theme, ‘Waiting In Vain’ by Bob Marley and The Wailers, (refer to the link for the bass tablature), will be taught to the pupil. This song incorporates a similar structure to the blues bass line but manages to keep that familiar reggae groove that is tricky to master at high tempos; which is why a simplified form will be shown to the pupil so that they can work up to the actual bass line.

**’Waiting In Vain’ tablature**


It was also important to have a song of another genre to broaden the pupil’s knowledge of bass patterns. This came in the form of Kings Of Leon’s ‘Milk’, (refer to the link for the bass tablature), which had a constant root note based pattern that will help to improve the pupils rhythm and right plucking hand.

**’Milk’ tablature**



3.) At this point during the lesson the introduction of open notes in conjunction with their fretted counter parts will be established. An open note was not a new avenue for the pupil, as they have come across them before during fret board objectives and tuning of the instrument. However the use of open notes incorporated with fretted notes in a bass pattern can be tricky at first due to the coordination between the two hands.

The coordination issues consist with the left fretting finger being able to release the pressure from the string so an open note can be pronounced and then reapplying the pressure again for a fretted note, (refer to Figure 3).


G -|---------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------|
D -|---------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------|
A -|---------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------|
E -|--2--0--2--0--2--0--2--0--2--0--------|--2--0--2--0--2--0--2--0--2--0-------|

(Figure 3)

This exercise should be repeated until the pupil grasps the technique, at which time the pupil will be introduced to another Kings Of Leon song, called ‘Molly’s Chambers’, (refer to the link for the bass tablature), which contains a bass pattern made up of fretted notes and open notes, similar to the example above.

**’Molly’s Chambers’ tablature**