As much as I really, deeply love books as a source of music
instruction, this is the 21st century after all and various online school
and courses are the go-to places for all kinds of education, so playing bass is
no exception. While still nowhere near the amount of instructional material
available for guitar (or drums), there is enough bass dedicated options in the
World Wide Web to cause hardship when attempting to use the one that would be
right for you. If that is the case, let me try and offer some help!
Speaking of the online schools, I have always been
skeptical of the term “academy”, but the website presented here is probably the
most deserving of such title of all. Tony Grey’s has already
been mentioned in this blog, but the simple fact is that as great as his
book is, it contains just a fraction of the material offered in the Tony Grey
Bass Academy website.
There are several elements working in conjunction that
make this resource excellent. Obviously, the sheer amount of the material is
staggering, but there are even “heftier” ones out there. The instructor’s
expertise and professional background are also undisputable, but again, some of
the other instructors are probably even more impressive in this regard. Visual
design and ease of use are of the top shelf level, yet, certainly not the clear
winner… OK, so what is it then!?
The aspect that takes the cake, and makes the TGBA my
favorite (even among a few other I deeply like) is its methodology of
presentation and thorough lesson plan. Being that my day job is a school
teacher, there is nothing that speaks so sweetly to me as a well-though, expertly
crafted, and skillfully taught curriculum. On top of that, Grey puts a premium
on helping his students in figuring out how to organize their practice sessions
in a manner that would be most conducive to achieving the desired results.
Not only is the practice planning the first item on
his default teaching agenda, but he will give all the newly joined students a
free personal lesson/session to address the topic. Besides that, the academy
has a forum reserved for the members, where Grey regularly addressed all the
questions and clarifies any doubts about the lessons, if the students have any.
As an instructor, Tony is a mild mannered, soft spoken gentleman, who will
spare you the TV infomercial over the top sort of banter, and will instead focus
on the details of the material being taught and how it will help you become the
best player you can. And detailed it sure is! The academy lessons are done as
videos with graphics where needed, supported by PDF files of written notes and transcribed
music examples from the videos (no tabs, but fingerings indicated), as well as
backing tracks for your practice. Here is an example of his teaching:
Now, the membership fee, while not among the lowest on
the ‘Net, is more than fair if you keep in mind everything you get for it. Many
other people strive to give the impression of a great deal, with a bunch of so-called
bonuses thrown with the main offer, but the fact is that you probably won’t
even look at those more than once. The Tony Grey Bass Academy, on the other
hand, is founded on a premise of sincere care for the students’ progress, and conceived
in such a manner that you will keep coming back and referencing its material
regularly to get the reap the full benefits from learning.
Finally, Tony’s own personal story of learning music
is the one of overcoming obstacles and dealing with doubts that many of us “average
Joes and Janes” face quite frequently. Learning about it will probably
reinforce your confidence in the material and the man teaching it, this further
inspiring you on the path of musical development.
