As of now, I’m in the middle of Volume 1 Music Theory by Talking Bass.
By working on Module 3, is it sufficient to learn more songs (transcribing) and create a bass line by experimenting with some of them?
How are these topics can give me an impact of my musicianship?
Once I’ve finished Volume 1 of Music Theory, I plan to take the Chord Tones and Scale Essential course. I can’t decide to get a continuation of Music Theory which is Volume 2. Which are they beneficial?
Hi @Samantha.Cooper, sounds like you’ve made some great progress in the theory course. You’re also doing sight reading and ear training right? Mark recommends you do Chord Tones before doing scales (as in he says do scales AFTER Chord Tones). I think Chord Tones is essential to creating your own bass lines. For me the theory course helped me understand the “why” of what I was learning in Sight Reading and Chord Tones. Chord Tones repeats much of what is in Volume 1 of Theory, but at a deeper level so you should move quickly through the first two modules of Chord Tones having completed Volume 1 of Theory.
Theory Volume 2 (which I’m in the middle of) is all about functional harmony and how chords fit together to create harmony, so very useful for how a song is constructed. That being said, when transcribing, it’s easy enough to go look up the chord progression online and that gets you started (at least you know the key, the chords, and therefore the root notes).
When it comes to transcribing, have you been trying to transcribe already? What would you say is giving you the most trouble? I’d recommend taking songs you already like and just go online and grab a standard notation transcription and analyze it for the chord progression, then analyze the chord tones in the bass line to understand what they’re doing (example: is it simple root-3rd or root-5th? Are there 7th chords? Are there other devices at play like chromatic notes, enclosures, etc). By analyzing a transcription, you can start to see how the chord progression turns into a bass line.
Assuming you’re doing ear training and can hear a note and find it on your bass, and assuming you’re doing sight reading and can translate notes on your bass to standard notation, I assume these two things are not what’s holding you back?
Transcribing songs is difficult. I can pretty quickly figure out simple repeating bass riffs I hear, and I can also usually figure out root notes and what key something is in, and work out the chord changes (when it’s not too complicated) but I have not attempted to transcribe an entire song unless it’s mostly one or two repeating patterns (example pattern A for the chorus and pattern B for the Verse). For complicated music I just google ‘sheet music for song “blah blah blah” and go from there.
@jefflangford67 Thanks for the response.
Yes I’m still on my journey about Sight Reading Volume 2, when I practice that I use 40-60 BPM to absorb anything especially in Accidentals, Google said by using slow BPM it can be helpful to us to recognize and improve our ear for a specific we play. Have you tried by that?
I actually hold my ear training course for the meantime once I completed my Theory Course Volume 1, I’ll continue that if ever while doing Chord Tones.
When it comes to transcribing I’m comfortable to hear obviously basslines or riffs so I can play that randomly on my fretboard even I’m not sure what notes, scales if that fit to the songs what I play. I use my Major, Minor, also the Pentatonic Scales. I’ve been simple selected songs to play and trying to figure out what I learned on Volume 1 of Theory.
Chord Tones is a very comprehensive course. If I were you, I’d take it after you finish volume 1 of Mark’s Ultimate Theory Course for Bass.
While Chord Tones certainly delves into the theory of harmony, it also provides analysis and practical application of how arpeggios (chord tones) are the backbone of bass lines.
In short, Chord Tones brings together the essential theory concepts and technique exercises that, together, shed light on how bass lines are constructed and why they work.
By the way, for what it’s worth, I got an email today saying the Talking Bass 50th Birthday Sale Ends tonight.
The Ultimate Theory course is excellent. It starts with absolute basics, assuming that the student is totally new to the topic. Each lesson then methodically builds on all previous lessons to paint a knowledgeable picture of music theory as it applies specifically to bass playing.
That’s awesome. Joe is really good at telling me the what and how it relates to making music. He seems to have a harder time with teaching me the why, and my brain kinda needs that to be able to put the pieces together. I can do the things he’s asking me to do… but to start writing anything but the most basic riffs, I still don’t feel like I’m really getting how things fit together. Hopefully Mark can put some of that together in my brain.
No doubt. Ultimate Theory is purpose-built to be a systematic deep dive into theory for bass.
Essentially, each of Mark’s courses delve into necessary music theory concepts, to a varying degree — some more than others.
But Ultimate Theory is unique as it is an in-depth exploration and presentation of the subject. Of course, it also contains a slew of exercises to play that flesh out the concepts, because, after all, that’s the point of learning the subject to begin with.
I got the “last day” email as well. I already have 13 Talking Bass courses, but theory wasn’t one I had considered. Looking at the curriculum it seems a no brainer, and the price drop makes the bundle price nice. It has been added to the daily routine.
Hi @MikeC, What’s your insight about Simple Steps of Walking Bass?
Are those two good choices to choose Chord Tones and Simple Steps of Walkings? Since I’ve planned to explore about Jazz things? I let finish my Volume1 of Music Theory then will proceed these two if ever? waiting for other response here. Really appreciate you guys.
I have Simple Steps to Walking bass on my list of next courses, here’s my current plan:
Sight Reading (currently wrapping up level 6 (end of module 2)
Chord Tones, 95% done
Theory Volume 1 complete
Theory Volume 2, 30% done
Scales (will begin after completing Sight Reading)
Simple Steps to Walking Bass (will begin after completing scales or I may start after making significant progress through scales)
Walk That Bass (after Simple Steps to Walking Bass)
However I am attending a jazz workshop this summer and had to submit a walking bass line audition so I’ve done some of Marks free YouTube lessons on walking bass to prep for that and I’ll be doing walking bass for the whole week at the workshop. Between Chord Tones and Sight Reading I figure I can muddle my way through it.
Simple Steps to Walking Bass is a killer course for any bass player, but particularly so for those who dig blues and jazz. Again, virtuallyany bass player would get a ton out of this course, but having a strong desire to learn walking bass theory is the ideal reason for studying it.
I bought Walking Bass long ago. Since then I have bought and studied Mark’s Walk that Bass workbook.
Of the two, Walking Bass is the mothership course. In contrast, Walk that Bass expands on the Walking Bass concepts, but it is much briefer and without core concepts explained. So keep in mind that Walk that Bass is not a full course, with hours of instructional videos like Mark’s other deep dive courses.
Anyway, I highly recommend both walking bass offerings.
Thanks @MikeC@jefflangford67 that kind of response would be help for my study method.
Here’s my progress on my bass journey:
Sight Reading (currently wrapping up on Volume2)
Music Theory Volume 1 (Currently working on the Last Module which is Harmony)
Once I completed Volume 1 Music Theory, I’m going to focus previous topics and review it and learn many songs that I want to play then put all the stuffs what I learned from. I think 10 simple songs is enough?
Focusing on Chord Progression (not completely sure what course will be cover it from TalkingBass)
I’ll get into Chord Tones and Simple Steps of Walking?
Not sure if that kind of study method it will be work for my target goal as a good musician.
Depending on your goals as a player, choose the course of study that best fits them. Given what you’ve said about your interests, studying Chord Tones would be a great choice following your theory course.
Walking Bass is also a great course, but it understandably is focused more narrowly than Chord Tones.
Again, regardless of the music genre, all bass lines are constructed with chord tones. Knowing what those tones are for a given key’s harmony, and how chords in that key relate to one another to create a line, are essential to creating walking bass lines. So studying Chord Tones first is a logical choice. Good luck and let us know how you’re doing.
Volume I starts with very basic riffs, but it steadily presents more complex lines as it progresses. Volume II presents faster annd more complex tempo riffs.
I also own the Cyborg Bassist workbook. Among other things, they contain scales and lines that cover the entire fretboard, with some going all the way to the highest G on a 24-fret neck.
These workbooks are very helpful for learning/practicing significant shifts across each string in order to play a single bass line. These exercises help greatly with teaching how to create extended walking bass and solos bass lines
