The Associate of Arts in Performance (Bass) program includes a combination of general and instrument-specific courses designed to produce skilled, knowledgeable, stylistically versatile bassists. Courses are described below (see course catalog for specific course descriptions and other information). Combined with regular seminars, clinics, and small open counseling sessions with internationally-known bassists, the AA-Bass program provides the world's premier contemporary bass educational experience.
GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
Degree requirements vary by instrument and include some or all of the following courses. See each emphasis for details on specific requirements.
Major Area (All Instruments)
Private Lesson
Weekly instrument lesson with an instructor who guides you in developing technique, musicianship and style in support of core curricular goals. You and the instructor will custom-design a lesson plan specific to your needs, strengths and experience. One private lesson hour per week per quarter.
Live Performance Workshops 1-6
You perform regularly throughout the program in a variety of styles and settings. Minimum requirement of ten performances per quarter. One ensemble hour per week per quarter.
Blues
Classic Rock
Country Rock
Modern Rock
Hard Rock
Metal
Classic R&B
Punk
Contemporary R&B
Hip-Hop
Fusion
Funk
Reggae
Latin
Billboard Hot 100
Musicianship (Requirements vary by instrument)
Harmony and Theory 1
An introduction to harmony and theory as it applies to popular music. Includes the development of fundamental music notation skills for pitch and rhythm, major scales and key signatures, intervals and triads, and major scale harmonies. One lecture hour and one lab hour per week for one quarter.
Harmony and Theory 2
A continuation of the study of musical notation and structures, including rhythmic values, time signatures, natural minor scales and key signatures, harmonized minor scales, diatonic seventh chords and key centers. One Lecture hour and one lab hour per week for one quarter.
Harmony and Theory 3
Variations on diatonic structures. Topics include pentatonic scales and blues, inverted, extended and non-standard chord types, chord symbols and modes. One lecture hour and one lab hour per week for one quarter.
Harmony and Theory 4
Non-diatonic melody and harmony. Topics include variations in minor-key harmony and melody, modal interchange, secondary dominants, diatonic substitution and modulation. One lecture hour and one lab
Harmony and Theory 5
A study of advanced concepts in harmony, including altered scales and chords, symmetrical scales and chromatic harmony. Students learn to analyze scale/chord relationships and understand non-diatonic progressions from the perspective of both the player and writer. One lecture hour and one lab hour per week for one quarter.
Ear Training 1
An introduction to Ear Training as it applies to popular music. Areas of focus include matching pitch, major scale melodies and melodic intervals in the context of examples drawn from contemporary popular music. One lecture hour and one lab hour per week for one quarter.
Ear Training 2
Topics include meter and rhythm, eighth-note phrases, sight singing, transcribing melody and rhythm on the staff, harmonic intervals, triad qualities and diatonic major chord progressions. One lecture hour and one lab hour per week for one quarter.
Ear Training 3
Concentrates on the recognition and transcription of diatonic minor-key melodies and chord progressions as applied to contemporary popular music. One lecture hour and one lab hour per week for one quarter.
Ear Training 4
Concentrates on the recognition and the transcription of diatonic major and minor melody and harmony, and rhythmic figures including sixteenth notes. Includes specific examples drawn from contemporary popular music. One lecture hour and one lab hour per week for one quarter.
Ear Training 5
Recognition and transcription of non-diatonic melody and harmony, rhythmic figures based on triplets, and compound time signatures. Concepts are related directly to their application in the contemporary popular music. One lecture hour and one lab hour per week for one quarter.
Ear Training 6
Applied transcription skills, including chart notation, rhythm charts and lead sheets. Concepts are related directly to their application in contemporary popular music. One lecture hour and one lab hour per week for one quarter.
MAJOR AREA
Private Lesson
Twelve credit units required (two per quarter). See “General Requirements” for course descriptions.
Live Performance Workshops 1-6
Six credit units required (one per quarter). See “General Requirements” for course descriptions.
Playing Techniques 1
Covers techniques for finger style bass playing including correct posture, hand positioning, finger independence, picking and muting. All techniques are trained through extensive exercises. One lecture hour plus one lab hour per week for one quarter.
Playing Techniques 2
Covers techniques for slap-style bass playing, including thumb/pluck technique, muting, articulation, rhythmic variations and embellishment. All techniques are trained through extensive exercises. One lecture hour plus one lab hour per week for one quarter.
Playing Techniques 3
Class applies the techniques developed in Playing Techniques 1-2 to fundamental styles and grooves, including straight eighth-note rock, straight and swing sixteenth-note funk, standard shuffles and 4/4-meter swing. One lecture hour plus one lab hour per week for one quarter.
Playing Techniques 4
A continuation of Playing Techniques 3 with concentration on styles and grooves including 3/4 rock, 3/4 swing, odd-meter grooves, standard Brazilian grooves, sixteenth-note funk and standard Afro-Cuban grooves. One lecture hour plus one lab hour per week for one quarter.
Playing Techniques 5
Course applies both finger and slap-style electric bass techniques to a variety of contemporary grooves, including Latin, jazz, odd-meter, funk, swing, shuffles, hip-hop and others. One lecture hour and one lab hour per week for one quarter.
Playing Techniques 6
Continued application of finger and slap-style electric bass techniques to a variety of contemporary grooves, including Afro-Cuban, jazz ballad, 4/4 swing, blues, cut-time Latin and funk. One lecture hour and one lab hour per week for one quarter.
Fretboard Basics 1
Trains you to break the diatonic scale into smaller components (modal patterns, intervals and triads) and directly relate this information to the electric bass fretboard. One lecture hour plus one lab hour per week for one quarter.
Fretboard Basics 2
Trains you to break the harmonized major, minor, harmonic minor and melodic minor scales into their fundamental components, including triads and diatonic seventh chords, and directly relate this information to the electric bass fretboard. One lecture hour plus one lab hour per week for one quarter.
Fretboard Basics 3
The curriculum is designed to develop an electric bass player’s knowledge of arpeggios. Major triads, minor triads, major seventh, dominant seventh, and minor seventh-flat five chords will all be discussed. One lecture hour plus one lab hour per week for one quarter.
Fretboard Basics 4
The curriculum is designed to develop an electric bass player’s knowledge of chords. Double stops, major, minor, diminished, and augmented triads, seventh chords, and playing chords with bass lines in a variety of styles will all be discussed. One lecture hour plus one lab hour per week for one quarter.
Fretboard Improvisation 1
Concentrates on the study of modes and modal playing, major II-V-I’s and building a melodic vocabulary through the analysis of solos by Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins and Cannonball Adderly. One lecture hour plus one lab hour per week for one quarter.
Fretboard Improvisation 2
A continuation of Fretboard Improvisation 1 including a concentrated study of minor tonality, soloing over static dominant chords and continued development of a melodic vocabulary through the analysis of solos. One lecture hour plus one lab hour per week for one quarter.
Reading 1
Introduces the novice reader to the basic elements of music reading in bass clef, including rhythmic subdivisions, pitch identification, position playing on all four strings and scale forms. You perform in solo and ensemble settings. One lecture hour plus one lab hour per week for one quarter.
Reading 2
A continuation of Reading 1. Introduces the bassist to more advanced elements of music reading including triplet subdivisions, flat-key pitch identification, ties, dynamic markings, chord symbols and basic chart reading. One lecture hour plus one lab hour per week for one quarter.
Reading 3
You will work on 2 octave scales and in all keys and modes. You will also play a variety of melodic etudes in a variety of scales and modes designed to further their reading skills and improve their knowledge and understanding of note placement on the neck. One lecture hour plus one lab hour per week for one quarter.
Reading 4
You will continue to work on scales and etudes to advance their note reading skills. A variety of charts in different styles will also be introduced to further the students chart reading skills. One lecture hour plus one lab hour per week for one quarter.
Reading 5
You will work on advanced reading skills, including reading upper register bass lines and treble clef while playing a series of duets for the bass. Listening skills will also be improved by interacting with the other bass player while playing the duets. One lecture hour plus one lab hour per week for one quarter.
Reading 6
Students will continue their study of bass duets to further their note reading and listening skills. Students will also be given advanced charts in a variety of musical styles to improve their chart reading skills. One lecture hour plus one lab hour per week for one quarter.
Rhythm Section Workshop 1
An introduction to ensemble performance that focuses on listening and dynamics, awareness of song form, basic chart reading as well as practical performing techniques such as giving and following cues, instrument setup, sound, and stage presence. You perform each week to develop and apply these fundamental technical approaches in a variety of popular styles while gaining live experience. Two lecture-ensemble hours per week for one quarter.
Rhythm Section Workshop 2
A continuation of Rhythm Section Workshop 1 with a concentration on learning practical performing techniques in a variety of grooves and styles including shuffles, sixteenth-note grooves, ballads and walking bass lines. Two lecture-ensemble hours per week for one quarter.
Rhythm Section Workshop 3
Emphasizes the fundamental rhythm section textures of various popular styles and the skills necessary for playing them. Concentration on handling variations in typical song form, improving chart-reading skills and taking a leadership role within the group. Two lecture-ensemble hours per week for one quarter.
Rhythm Section Workshop 4
A continuation of Rhythm Section Workshop 3 with concentration on performing ballads, half-time-feel grooves, double-time-feel grooves, bass intros and changing meters. Two lecture-ensemble hours per week for one quarter.
Bass Studio Recording 1
Focuses on the development of the bassist as a studio musician in the digital recording environment. You create, perform and record bass lines for prerecorded curriculum-related tracks under the direction of a bass instructor/producer. As a final project, you compile a CD of their recorded performances to use as a demo of your playing abilities. One private recording session hour per week for one quarter.
Bass Studio Recording 2
Continuation of Bass Recording 1. One private recording session hour per week for one quarter.
MUSICIANSHIP
Harmony and Theory 1-4
Six credit units required (one and one-half per quarter). See General Requirements for course description.
Ear Training 1-6
Nine credit units required (one and one-half per quarter). See General Requirements for course description.
Electives:
20th Century Jazz Bass I
Blues Bass
R&B/Funk Bass
Classical Metal Basslines
Contemporary Metal Basslines
Jaco Pastorius Basslines
Walking Basslines
Bass and Drum Workshop
James Brown Rhythm Section
Afro-Cuban Bass
Brazilian Bass
Slap Bass
Odd Meter Basslines
Modern Rock Bass: Players 1
Advanced Bass RSW1
Advanced Bass RSW2
Pick Technique: Beatles Basslines
Motown Bass 1
Motown Bass 2
Contemporary Improvisation
Modal Improvisation
Upright Bass Workshop
Led Zeppelin Basslines
Rhonda Smith Bass Clinic at MI
Shavo Odadjian Bass Clinic at MI
Musicians Institute at Bass Player Live 2012
Ampeg Bass Day At MI Feat. Stanley Clarke and Dino Monoxelos
Andrew Gouche Bass Clinic at MI
Jae Deal Bass Clinic at Musicians Institute
Greg Weiss Clinic at MI
Robert "Bubby" Lewis at Musicians Institute
MI Presents a Hotzone Bass Clinic at NAMM 2012 Feat. Stuart Hamm, Billy Sheehan, and Jeff Berlin
Musicians Institute at Bass Player Live 2011
Stuart Hamm - Department head of the Bass Program at MI
Darryl Jones hosts Bass Clinic at Musicians Institute
Matt McJunkins
Dave Keif - Bass - "Creating Fills Within a Groove"
Jimmy Haslip speaks about Musicians Institute
Stanley Clarke - Bassist, Recording Artist, Film Composer.
