Teaching jazz double bass in the 21st century

Tony Overwater

My initial plan was to do research and catalogue the available existing method books for Jazz bass education. But during the process I realized that matters were more complex than I had foreseen. Jazz (bass) methods were often based on classical music methods but Jazz education demands a different skillset and approach. I reexamined the fundamental building blocks necessary to successfully teach Jazz double bass. For this I designed a graphic theoretical framework that helped me analyze the existing methods. With this information I built a data base and webpage that offers analytical information about the available methods. Methods not limited to the traditional books but also on line learning programs and other methodical teaching material. Furthermore I examined the influence of the technological developments that the computer, smartphones, tablets and the internet have to offer. Teaching Jazz in the 21st century has proven to be much more of a modulair approach than the traditional linear approach.

Comprehensive Bass Method

Author	: Hein van de Geyn
Year	: 2007
Format	: Book
Level	: beginners, intermediate, advanced


Highlights:
Very thorough overview of all aspects of Jazz bass playing
Well-structured and thought out exercises on all possible technical aspects of bass playing
Includes chapters on the learning process and learning skills
It offers nice philosophical insights from the author

Comments:
It covers so many topics that it might be overwhelming
Little attention to the historical context of bass playing

In 2007 Hein van de Geyn, a Dutch bass player and educator, published his ‘Comprehensive Bass Method’. This is by far the most elaborate method in book form. Although, he doesn’t consider it a method as such.1 Van de Geyn looks at it as a way to practice the physical side of Jazz bass playing. But his book offers much more than that. As you can see in the diagram, it covers a wide array of topics and it is the most complete method book so far. This is both an advantage and a disadvantage. The mere size of the book (and the sequel with even more written out exercises and other musical examples) is so impressive that it overwhelms the student with exercises, ideas, advice and theory. As a source it works very well. You can find exercises and advice for almost all thinkable topics.

It is remarkably that there is relatively little to no attention to the historical context and no examples of other bass players from Jazz history. The book is very elaborate in many ways but at the same time it represents a very personal perspective of the author with many examples of his own playing.