Starter Pack

“Every beginner wants a clear, step-by-step path to learning!

Some people buy a bass guitar with no real intention of progressing past the absolute
basics. Which is fine. But many other players approach learning the instrument with
more ambition. You might have that desire to take it to the next level and play with
others in a band.

The starter course, Beginner Bass Guitar, is the perfect introduction to the absolute
basics of playing and the sequel, Bassic Fundamentals, is the flagship program
designed to provide a complete and solid foundation in every area of bass playing.
The courses transition smoothly from one to the next and combine perfectly to
provide a long term path to learning and practice.

It makes perfect sense to provide both Beginner Bass Guitar and Bassic Fundamentals
as a Starter Pack bundle. A complete introduction to bass playing – at a DISCOUNT
PRICE!”

Mark J Smith (Creator of Talkingbass)

“Nine months after picking up the instrument and 6 months after starting the course, I
went to an audition. I got the gig and played my first bass gig three months later!”

Mark Mahoney – USA

“I play in church most weeks and wouldn’t have got anywhere near the level I’m at
without these lessons.”

Rob P. – Australia

“Mark’s approach to teaching is a good fit with what I am looking for. The lessons
are extremely clear and concise.”

Iris – Ireland

“I bought a bass and started searching for an online course. I just want an adequate
understanding of the instrument and so far it’s been great!”

Richard Schaeffer - USA

 Beginner Bass Guitar
Course Breakdown

Lesson #1: Absolute Basics

This lesson covers the absolute basics of playing the bass guitar. You’ll learn how to
hold the bass, attach a strap, connect to an amp, tune the strings, play some notes and
much more.

Lesson #2: Getting Started With Fingerpicking

In this lesson you’ll learn how to pluck the strings with the fingers, anchor that thumb
and we’ll also delve a little into the basics of choking and muting.

Lesson #3: Notes

In this lesson we look at some notes on the E and A strings. We also look at some flats
and sharps and how they relate to basic natural notes.

Lesson #4: Introduction To Rhythm

Here we look at the basics of rhythm. You’ll learn how to count and subdivide beats
and also how to develop your internal clock.

Lesson #5: The Fretting Hand

Let’s look at a little technique! You’ll learn how to use all the fingers of the fretting
hand while playing notes across the fretboard.

Lesson #6: Two Finger Picking

In this lesson we’ll look at bringing the middle finger into play so we can gain a little
more dexterity and fluidity in our basslines.

Lesson #7: Using A Plectrum

In this lesson we’ll look at using a pick/plectrum in our basslines and the unique tone it
can provide.

Lesson #8: The Next Step

In this final lesson we look the role of the bass in a band, how to play through a chord
chart, play with a drummer, read tablature and we also look at how you can proceed
with your playing development beyond this course.
 Bassic Fundamentals
Course Breakdown

Module 1: The Core Foundation

Lesson 1-1 Course Introduction

In this lesson we look at the course ahead and the kind of topics we’ll be covering

Lesson 1-2 Practice Tips & Warmups

Here we look at how to create a simple practice routine and work through some basic
warmup exercises both on and away from the instrument

Lesson 1-3 Tuning

In this lesson we look at several different ways of tuning the bass: Tuning to an open
string; Tuning with harmonics; Using an electronic tuner.

Lesson 1-4 Strings

In this lesson we look at the different types of bass string and what to look out for
when buying a new pack

Lesson 1-5 Changing Strings

In this lesson Mark takes you step by step through the process of changing a string on
the bass and also gives some tips on some of the problems you might encounter

Lesson 1-6 Notes Of The Fretboard

In this lesson you will learn a basic set of notes across all four strings using the fret
markers as our guide.

Lesson 1-7 Major Scale & Key Signatures

Here we look at a Major Scale and how it relates to a musical key. We also look at how
to move a scale around the neck and transpose it to different keys

Lesson 1-8 Intervals

Intervals are the building blocks of music. In this lesson you’ll learn all the Intervals in a
major scale.

Lesson 1-9 Minor Scales and Keys

Here we have a look at the Natural Minor scale and the difference between Major and
Minor Keys
Lesson 1-10 Major and Minor Arpeggios
In this lesson you’ll learn what an arpeggio is and how they relate to chords. Then
you’ll learn the basic fingerings for the Major and Minor Triad Arpeggios.

Lesson 1-11 Chord Charts and Symbols

In this lesson we’ll look at how you can learn or write a bassline for a song by
following a written chord chart. You’ll learn how to read all the different chord
symbols and how to follow them as you move, bar by bar, through the progression

Lesson 1-12 Drums & Drumbeats

In this bumper sized lesson you’ll learn about all drums and drumbeats. You’ll learn
about all the different drums on a drumkit, how they sound and how they are used in
creating drumbeats. Then you’ll learn how to lock in with the drums and develop your
rhythmic accuracy

Lesson 1-13 Riffs

Riffs make up a large percentage of the basslines that we learn. Here you’ll learn what
a riff is and a few simple examples to get you started

Lesson 1-14 Applying Music Theory

Music Theory can often seem like a waste of time or something unrelated to bass
playing. Scales, arpeggios and intervals are the most basic principles in music theory
so let’s look at how we can apply these concepts into our everyday bass playing and
practice

Lesson 1-15 Chords By Number

Learning songs can often be a long, frustrating process. But by learning the chords
within a key by number you can cut that time down to a minimum and begin
understanding the basics of harmony as a bonus.

Lesson 1-16 Seventh Chords

In this lesson we’ll expand on our look at arpeggios by working through some
seventh chords
Module 2: Technique

Lesson 2-1 Fretting Hand Basics

In this lesson we look at the basics of fretting hand technique such as stretches, thumb
position, pivoting and flat finger vs curled fingers

Lesson 2-2 Finger Assignment

In this lesson we look at alternatives to the one finger per fret system and how best to
assign the fretting hand fingers in a bassline

Lesson 2-3 Avoiding Typewriter Fingers

In this lesson we’ll look at how to develop a clean technique using minimal
movement in the fretting hand

Lesson 2-4 Note Control

In this lesson we look to gain a little more control over our note duration by holding a
note for its full length

Lesson 2-5 The Moveable Anchor

This lesson looks at the right hand thumb and how we can use it for muting the lower
strings while moving across the fretboard

Lesson 2-6 Alternate Picking

In this lesson we look a little closer at our fingerpicking technique and how to keep a
consistently alternating movement between the two fingers

Lesson 2-7 Home Position

Here we look at a good way of keeping a clean and quiet technique by using a flat
fingered, muted ‘home’ position

Lesson 2-8 Joint Barring

In this lesson we look at a simple fretting hand technique for cleanly and efficiently
moving from one string to the next by using the hinge motion of the first knuckle

Lesson 2-9 Raking

Here we look at a more fluid way of moving across the strings in the picking hand by
using the ‘raking’ technique

Lesson 2-10 Hammer Ons & Pulloffs

Here we look at the basics of the Hammer On and Pull Off techniques that are used a
lot to add fluidity to bass lines

Lesson 2-11 Slides

This lesson covers the basics of the slide technique. This is an incredibly common
technique that is much harder to perform cleanly than it might seem on first sight
Lesson 2-12 Ghost Notes
On first appearance, ghost notes may seem like a pointless dull thud. But when
combined with regular fretted notes they can bring your basslines to life and open a
whole new funky style of playing

Lesson 2-13 Harmonics

In this lesson we’ll expand on our earlier foray into tuning with harmonics and look a
little closer at some of the other harmonics available on the fretboard

Lesson 2-14 An Introduction To Slapping

Every bass player wants to learn how to slap! In this lesson we’ll look at the basics of
the slap technique and show how you can integrate it into your playing style
Module 3: Tone & Setup Guide

Lesson 3-1 Tone#1 – Physical Approach

This lesson looks at all the different tones we can get from a bass guitar simply through
the use of different techniques and hand positions

Lesson 3-2 Tone#2 – Pickups

This lesson looks at pickups. How they work, the different types and how they sound

Lesson 3-3 Tone#3 – Tone Controls

This lesson looks at the basics of tone and sound frequencies before demonstrating
how the tone controls of a bass or amplifier can be used shape the tone through
manipulation of these frequencies

Lesson 3-4 Tone#4 – EQ

This lesson expands on our look at bass tone and frequencies by looking at the use of
graphic or parametric EQ in fine tuning the sound

Lesson 3-5 Effects#1 – Gain & Dynamics

Let’s embark on a journey into bass pedals by looking at some gain effects such as
overdrive, distortion and compression

Lesson 3-6 Effects#2 – Tone Effects

This lesson we look at some tone based effects like the wah wah, envelope filter,
octave and bass synth.

Lesson 3-7 Effects#3 – Modulation & Ambience

This lesson we’ll work through some modulation based effects such as the chorus,
delay and reverb pedals.

Lesson 3-8 Effects#4 – Pedalboard Setup

In this lesson we look at how to set up a pedal board and connect all the pedals
together

Lesson 3-9 Bass Setup Basics

In this lesson we look at how to perform a basic setup of the bass. We’ll adjust the
truss rod and relief of the neck, the intonation and the string height

Lesson 3-10 Bass & Amp Buying Guide

This lesson we’ll look at what to look out for when buying a new bass, amplifier and
speakers
Module 4: The Next Step

Lesson 4-1 Spelling Drills

Learning by fretboard pattern is a popular way of getting to grips with the bass when
starting out but it pays to also learn the note names of many common patterns such as
scales. This lesson shows you a great way of learning all the note patterns out there
through the use of Spelling Drills

Lesson 4-2 Metronome Practice Tips

In this lesson we’ll look at developing your rhythmic accuracy with a set of
metronome exercises

Lesson 4-3 Reading Music #1 – Pitch

The next three lessons all provide a basic introduction to the skill of reading music. This
first lesson is devoted to working separately on pitch reading

Lesson 4-4 Reading Music #2 – Rhythm

In this second lesson on reading music we look at the basics of rhythm in isolation

Lesson 4-5 Reading Music #3 – Combined

In this final lesson on the basics of reading we combine our pitch and rhythm in order
to read some simple sheet music

Lesson 4-6 Learning Songs

The skill of learning songs is very underrated and many people just take it for granted.
In this lesson you’ll learn a system for learning songs in a very ordered way that
should work for learning a single song or even a complete setlist

Lesson 4-7 Playing In A Band

In this lesson we look at the skills and mindset required for playing in a band. Mark
provides some tips from his experience of playing in many different band settings as a
sideman and as a bandleader

Lesson 4-8 The R.A.I.S.E Approach

In this final lesson we look at how you can take the next step in your playing and
develop a practice routine that can take you to a professional level
 Talkingbass Starter Pack
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the Starter Pack courses?
Beginner Bass Guitar is a progressive, eight lesson, step-by-step guide to getting
started on the bass guitar.
The Bassic Fundamentals Course is designed to provide a complete core foundation
of bass guitar skills and musical knowledge. The course is split into four modules, each
one covering a different general topic and set of goals.

What level of player is the Starter Pack aimed at?

The Starter Pack is aimed at absolute beginners and players who have only been
playing a while but possibly need a little more guidance in the foundational aspects of
the instrument. The two courses provide enough material for at least your first years of
playing.

How Long Are The Lessons?

The lesson vary in length but the complete course is over 12 hours in length.

How is the course presented? Do I Download Anything?

The course is hosted on the Talkingbass website so there are no video files to
download.
There is a Dropbox folder for each module containing a Course Workbook and any
relevant practice tracks.

Is There A Time Limit On Taking The Course?

No. You can take as long as want. There are no time limits

Do I Have Lifetime Access To The Course?

If you purchase the course then yes, you have lifetime access to the course and its
material. If you are an All Access Pass member, then you obviously only have access
for the duration of your subscription.