Craig D.

Focus: Confidence and personal musicianship Topics: • Learning songs by ear • Tone shaping and amp EQ basics • Playing with dynamics and expression • Recording a bass track (optional) • Building a practice routine

Focus: Genre exploration and creativity Topics: • Playing different styles: funk, rock, blues, reggae, R&B, country • Basic slap and pop technique (optional based on student interest) • Walking bass lines introduction • Creating your own basslines from chord charts • Improvisation using scale degrees

Focus: Fretboard fluency, scales, and arpeggios Topics: • Major, minor, and pentatonic scales (1–2 octaves) • Triads and chord tones • Connecting patterns across the neck • Hammer-ons, pull-offs, and slides • Applying scales to real grooves

Phase 2: Building Groove & Timing (Weeks 5–8) Focus: Locking in rhythm and understanding the bassist’s role Topics: Understanding the role of the bass in a band • Root–5th–octave patterns • Muting techniques (right/left hand) • Playing with drum loops/backing tracks • Timing drills: Syncopation and rests Basic 12-bar blues structure

Focus: Mechanics, sound, and rhythm basics Topics: Playing with a metronome Right-hand vs left-hand coordination Bass anatomy, tuning, holding, and finger positioning Plucking technique Fretting clean notes, avoiding buzz Basic rhythm reading: quarter and eighth notes Notes on the fretboard (E and A strings focus) Simple root-note grooves and one-string riffs