Gone Fission wrote:Mike,
I've got a short-scale bass on the way and a wife who keeps wanting to play an instrument, so I thought I'd ask -- is your GF using any particular instructional book/cd/dvd thing that has been panning out well? (If we can play together a bit, the bass is all hers.)
She's not using much. When she showed a small amount of interest, I jumped at the chance to encourage her. We watched a few Youtube videos about basic technique-- how to hold it, how to fret a note, and how to play a note. Once she understood the concepts, which was very quick, we moved right into playing songs.
I don't want to get bogged down in scales or theory. I doubt that would be fun for her, and I think that keeping it fun is the best way to encourage her want to play more. What is fun is playing songs she knows.
I had her pick out a bunch of songs that she likes and knows well, and then I listened to them to see which were possible for me to teach her right away. I found or made accurate tab for a few songs, and she has been learning them. I play a lot of blues (sorry to those who don't like it... heh), so I taught her a bunch of progressions and variations. She has also expressed interest in learning a few Christmas songs, since they are all so familiar and simple, so she is working on those, too.
I play with her every other time she plays. I want to make sure she can have time without me sitting over her, which I imagine is unsettling. Whenever she plays, though, I always pop in to see if she needs a pep talk. On Wednesday, when she got the amp, I went downstairs to find her having a miserable time. There was a piece of trim that vibrated every time she played a G, and it was driving her nuts.
When I do play with her, I let her warm up, and then we work on some songs. Strumming along really helps complete the musical picture, and allows for quick progress in rhythm, timing, and transitions.
I am surprised by how much her playing has advanced. About a month ago, I put a thumbrest on the bass, and it made a
huge difference for her. She had a hard time finding a way to rest her hand while still being able to cleanly access the strings. Now, she is able to be much more consistent.
She has also picked up quite a bit of theory as a byproduct of playing. She knows the notes of the open strings, can name pretty much any note below the fifth fret, fully understands octaves, and has a beginner grasp on some relative pitch.
We have been together for over a decade and a half. As a huge Pink Floyd fan who hasn't played with anyone else in a long time, it is a ridiculously fun experience to play Comfortably Numb together.
Mike
