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What's New At The IIB!
The IIB Online Bass Courses - Sight Reading For Bass The IIB's NEW Online Bass Course
The Next Session Of Sight Reading For Bass Guitar & Acoustic Bass Begins June 4 - Enroll Today!

May 14, 2012

Sight Reading For Bass is a beginner to intermediate level course that explores all aspects of reading and writing music notation for bassists. The ability to not only read but also write music notation is essential for any bass player who prepares music to be performed by other musicians. Following a clear analytical approach that begins by connecting the notes on the fingerboard to the notes on the staff, you will be presented with the standard guidelines of music notation, common note and rest values, articulation markings, intervals, triads, chords, and scales before moving onto more advanced rhythm studies. You will learn how to decipher key signatures, time signatures, and chord symbols as well as navigate lead sheets and chord charts. ... Enroll Today!


The IIB Online Bass Courses - Music Theory For Bass The Next Session Of Music Theory For Bass Begins June 4 - Enroll Today!
May 14, 2012

Music Theory For Bass is a beginner to intermediate level course that examines the essential elements of music. For beginners, this course will provide an introduction to the theory and practice of harmony as it pertains to bassists in contemporary music. More seasoned bassists will gain insight from this course as concepts already obtained from past musical experiences will be reinforced to expand the depth of their musical awareness. As you increase your understanding of music theory, you will be able to communicate more effectively with other musicians through the language of music. You will also become more efficient and productive in your own practice sessions. ... Enroll Today!



The IIB Online Bass Courses - Soloing Techniques For Bass The Next Session Of Soloing Techniques For Bass Guitar & Acoustic Bass Begins June 4 - Enroll Today!
May 14, 2012

Ever since the introduction of the bass guitar and acoustic upright bass, a bassist's primary role has been to provide a supportive function as an accompanist within the setting of a rhythm section. Today, as a well-rounded bass player, you are also expected to produce lyrical solos with proficiency. Soloing Techniques is an intermediate to advanced level course that explores all of the fundamental elements required to improvise effective solos. Featuring classic bebop to modern era techniques, you will be presented with a wide array of improvisation concepts and learn how to create your own horn-like solos in the jazz idiom. Following a step-by-step analysis, this course begins by examining basic theoretical principles including the construction of intervals, triads, seventh chords, tensions, and scales. ... Enroll Today!



The IIB Online Bass Courses - Jazz Bass Lines The Next Session Of Jazz Bass Lines Begins June 4 - Enroll Today!
May 14, 2012

Jazz Bass Lines is a beginner to intermediate level course that examines all of the fundamental components of walking bass line construction. During this comprehensive 12-week course, you will acquire a vast knowledge of improvisation techniques by studying the bass lines of the most prominent jazz bassists. Following a systematic and guided approach of analysis, Jazz Bass Lines reviews the key elements of walking bass line creation. This course begins by concentrating on the basic building blocks of bass parts including intervals, triads, seventh chords, and scales. As the course progresses, you will be introduced to concepts such as walking bass line cells, rhythmic embellishments, the two feel, and the utilization of those components in practical application. ... Enroll Today!



Cliff Engel Bass Lessons - Sight Reading For Bass
Connecting The Changes With Roots, Fifths, Octaves, Triads, Seventh Chords & Scales

April 30, 2012 - *Subscriber's Area*

This collection of exercises consisting of roots, fifths, octaves, triads, seventh chords, and scales will illustrate how you can connect the chord changes of any composition in any style of music and expand your fretboard familiarity by establishing a map of the fingerboard which will help generate ideas when improvising bass lines and solos.

The most basic method of outlining chord changes in any style of music is through the utilization of root notes, fifths, and octaves. To demonstrate these concepts, I have notated just a few of the different combinations featuring roots, fifths, and octaves over three choruses of the 12-bar blues in F. The 12-bar blues is the first song form that musicians learn to play when they begin studying jazz. You will notice that there are only two different chord types present in this common version of the 12-bar blues including dominant seventh (7) and minor seventh (m7). The notes you have available to play using the root-fifth-octave approach over both the dominant seventh and minor seventh chords are only the root note, perfect fifth, and octave. For example, on an F7 chord, you could play the notes F and C. Over a Gm7 chord, the notes you could use are G and D.

After you feel comfortable in your ability to connect the changes with roots, fifths, octaves, triads, seventh, and scales over the 12-bar blues, you can take these concepts and apply them to any other song. For demonstration purposes, the 12-bar blues was utilized in these examples, but you can greatly expand these concepts because they can be easily applied to any set of chord changes you need to analyze. Not only do these exercises work well when familiarizing yourself with the material you could potentially play on jazz compositions, but these techniques can be applied to any song in any style of music. ... Read More!