Courses

This is an instrumental lab for bassists that focuses on the Brazilian styles of bossa nova, samba, partido alto, chorinho, and afoxé. Weekly assignments will cover a wide range of Brazilian music repertoire, including bass lines and melodies. Students will be exposed to reading in 2/4, 4/4, and cut-time meters, as well as Brazilian percussion instruments and their patterns.

This course will use the study of Afro-Cuban music as a departure point into other styles, demonstrating how to apply folkloric elements to jazz, funk, rock, pop, odd-meters, and hybrid rhythms over a common pulse. Numerous styles will be analyzed, studied, and memorized. This course is designed to allow the student to gain a working knowledge of Afro-Cuban music and its application to other styles, and refine groove and articulation. Please note that students should have a least a 4 in their reading rating to participate in this class.

A lab for bass principals wishing to begin coordinating their playing with singing, or to further develop their skills playing while singing. In addition to opening a new range of working possibilities, this study will significantly expand students' musicianship levels by developing musical independence and multitasking skills.

This course will introduce the double bass student to orchestral performance. Basic bowing techniques will be covered and suitable ‚études will be presented for practice.

This course will focus on practicing and playing orchestral repertoire to help each student gain advanced bow technique, bow control, bowings, and articulations. Left hand dexterity will also be a residual development. 

Students will study the utilization of pick bass technique through performance of exercises, études, and transcriptions of various artists. Weekly lessons will consist of harmonic, rhythmic, and technical aspects of pick bass playing. Topics will include holding the pick, pick choices, picking patterns, tone, angles, sweeping, economy picking, switching from finger style, and stylistic and artistic analysis.

Students will study through performance of transcriptions from various artists in the indie rock style. Weekly lessons will consist of harmonic, rhythmic, and technical aspects of indie rock bass playing, including finger style, pick style, bass effects, and bass line construction. The lab emphasizes modern indie rock repertoire.