Bass: Jazz Bass for the
Non-Bassist: Upright & Electric
(Beginner Level)
ONLINE
September 20–December 12, 2021
Learn the building blocks of improvising on the double bass or bass guitar in a jazz style. Develop walking bass lines and improvised solos from chord charts and discover methods for instructing young bassists in a jazz ensemble setting.
How the course works:
The course is done completely on your own time, there are no scheduled meetings. There are six units, about one per week during the summer term, and about one every two weeks during the fall and spring. Students will watch the instructor's videos and read the content, then make videos of themselves demonstrating the skills. The instructor will watch your videos and provide feedback, which students can then apply to your next assignments.
Students who do not have much experience playing bass (or string instruments in general) may want to start with Intro to Upright and Electric Bass. If you are unsure which course is best for you, please send a short video of yourself playing something to dbistrow@vandercook.edu.
This course will include:
• Playing accompanimental bass lines in swing, straight-eighth notes and ballad styles
• Fingerboard/fretboard layout and fingerings
• Basic harmonic structures of relevant chord/scale relationships
• Navigating common jazz chord progressions
• Concepts in improvisation
• Learning six standard jazz tunes
• Concepts in jazz education
Students can choose either upright or electric bass to take this course. No previous jazz or improvisation experience necessary.
Instructor: Doug Bistrow
Doug Bistrow received his degree from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY, where he majored in string bass performance and jazz & contemporary media. Giving over 150 concerts per year, he has performed with Itzhak Perlman,the Silk Road Ensemble, Edgar Meyer, Howard Levy, The Metropolitan Jazz Octet, Time For Three, Johnny Osborne, Ky-Mani Marley, Corey Chisel, Keith & Tex, and many others. Bistrow is a member of the Chicago Philharmonic, the Metropolis Symphony, and the Rockford Symphony Orchestra. He is on the faculty at Vandercook College of Music and the Merit School of Music, where he teaches double bass, jazz studies, music history and music theory. He also owns and operates Audio Bistro Recording Studio in Chicago's Logan Square.
Jazz Bass for the
Non-Bassist:
Upright & Electric
(Beginner Level)
Course Code 6211
Instructor
Doug Bistrow
dbistrow@vandercook.edu
3 Graduate Credits
Tuition
$1,065, due in full with registration
Chat Sessions
None required
Prerequisites
None
Required Text(s)
None
Software/Hardware
Mac, PC or Chromebook with access to the internet.
A decent pair of headphones or speakers will be required (laptop speakers/earbuds will not be sufficient).
MECA Online
is powered by Schoology
Schoology is a learning management system that allows you to interact directly with your instructors, fellow students, and members of the greater VanderCook community.
Fall 2021 MECA courses officially begin on Monday, Sept. 20. Soon after you register, be on the lookout for an email from Schoology with log-in instructions. Once you receive credentials, visit online.vandercook.edu to login. On the morning of Sept. 20, you'll have access to your classroom and course material.
Some courses have specific online chat meeting times (please see course descriptions), while others have a flexible meeting schedule. You can expect all courses to meet together in a live online chat. If a live meeting time doesn’t work, you can work with your instructor to make other arrangements.
Online grades will be reported by mid-January. If you need a transcript, please visit the online transcript request page. For faster turnaround time, please submit the transcript request to the registrar prior to the end of your course(s).
More information about Schoology can be found at www.schoology.com.