SUMMER 2021
All online Summer MECA
courses begin on June 7
and conclude on August 1,
except as noted.
Registration for
all online courses
closes at 12:00 noon CST
on May 28, 2021.
Questions?
Visit our MECA FAQs page.
Add, drop, change or withdraw
using the Add/Drop Form.
For all other MECA-related
questions, contact us at
meca@vandercook.edu
or 312.788.1139.
Bass for the Non-Bassist:
Upright & Electric
(Beginner Level)
ONLINE
June 7–August 1, 2021
Master the functional concepts on upright and/or electric bass that can immediately help the bassist in your ensemble reach their potential. Learn correct techniques for the right and left hands; practical approaches for developing bass lines in rock, jazz and Latin music styles; how to apply scale and arpeggio knowledge to improvise using chord charts that do not include a written-out note-for-note bass line; common fingering patterns for major and minor scales; arpeggios; and bass lines for the blues and common progressions such as ii-V7-I. You’ll leave this course feeling prepared to teach all levels of bass as well as compose and perform bass lines encountered in many genres. Only one type of bass is needed in order to take this course.
Outcomes:
-
Demonstrate basic techniques on the double bass and/or electric bass (bass guitar)
-
Understand fingerboard layout and how to find proper fingerings
-
Play with good tone
-
Read and improvise on a jazz chord chart
-
Master self control and personal goal -setting
-
Learn level-appropriate repertoire
-
Perform at a level that will allow demonstration for students and colleagues
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.
Bass for the Non-Bassist:
Upright & Electric
(Beginner Level)
Course Code 7581
Instructor
Doug Bistrow
dbistrow@vandercook.edu
3 Graduate Credits
Tuition
$1,065, due in full with registration
Chat Sessions
None
Prerequisites
None
Required Text(s)
The Evolving Bassist
by Rufus Reid
(Alfred Music)
New Method for String Bass,
Vol. 1 by Franz Simandl
(Carl Fischer)
Students are responsible for purchasing all required texts and materials. VanderCook will not provide any course materials nor have any available for purchase.
Software/Hardware Requirements
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.
Summer 2021 MECA courses officially begin on Monday, June 7. 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 June 7, 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-June. 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.