Worship training specialist Musicademy has launched a series of bass guitar teaching DVDs specifically for people involved in worship. The Intermediate set contains three DVDs for more advanced players who are already confident playing in a worship band setting.
As well as the highly professional tuition from top
worship session player and teacher Matt Weeks there is additional practical advice from worship leaders David Ruis, Stuart Townend, Chris Bowater, Leeland Mooring and others as well as input from professional bass players including Jesse Reeves from the Chris Tomlin Band.
The DVDs also feature backing tracks and drum grooves as an ongoing daily practice tool. The on screen animated graphics and camera close-ups mean that by working through the DVDs the student can learn as easily as with one to one lessons with the added advantage of being
able to pause and repeat the lesson whenever they need to.
Songs used include Blessed Be Your Name, Everlasting God, Here I am to Worship, Hungry, Holy Holy, Hosanna and Beautiful One.
Intermediate players will learn to:
• Develop their timing, technique and learn a range of new grooves
• Play in different styles using slap, string skipping, damping, and chromatic runs, pedalling and harmonics
• Develop music theory knowledge of intervals, major, minor and chromatic scales
• Learn about chord construction, substitutions and inversions
• Play by ear, in different keys using Nashville numbering
• Improve their positional playing and left and right hand technique
• Use 10ths and arpeggios for creating melodic bass lines
• Create fills and licks using pentatonic scale shapes
• Develop 16th note playing and sub division awareness
• Improve their communication, dynamics and learn three steps to shaping a bass line
The series represents about a years’ learning and is great value with over two hours of lessons, advice and daily practice backing tracks on
each DVD.