Frequently Asked Questions About My Bass Lessons

Within 24 hours of receiving your enrollment form and lesson's purchase, I will notify you via e-mail to confirm your registration. You can purchase lessons by simply clicking on the "Purchase Bass Lessons" graphic that is located at the bottom of the right hand column of each page on this web site. Your first lesson will be posted within a few days on a lessons page made specifically for you on this web site. I will then notify you via e-mail with a link to your lesson's page where you can view and download the material at your convenience. Depending on the particular concept being discussed, lesson material may consist of text, exercises in both standard notation and tablature, images, diagrams, audio tracks, MP3 play-alongs, or video clips. You should expect to spend 30 minutes per day practicing the lesson material. You can learn more about the format of my lessons by taking the tour.

Why waste transit time and money on gas while driving to and from private lessons when you can study bass online directly from the comfort of your own home? If you live in a remote area and are unable to attend one-on-one lessons with a private instructor on a regular basis or you maintain a difficult schedule due to work, family, etc., studying bass online through my lessons is the next best alternative. With my lessons, you can learn at your own pace, on your own time, in the privacy of your own home, at a cost that is much cheaper than the price of most one-on-one private bass lessons from a local instructor, and you can easily archive the lesson material for future reference. If you are self-motivated to practice and complete assignments, work well independently, and can dedicate at least 30 minutes per day to practicing the lesson material, you are ready for online learning through my lessons.

First, the most significant difference between my lessons and programs like BerkleeMusic.com is cost. My correspondence lessons are MUCH CHEAPER than any other online music program that you will find anywhere on the internet. Another notable distinction between my correspondence lessons and other online teaching methods such as BerkleeMusic.com is that my lessons are specifically designed to meet the needs and goals of each individual student. These other programs follow a "one-size-fits-all approach." Unlike these other programs, my lessons are all personally tailored to the needs of each individual in the sense that even though all bassists need to have a thorough understanding of certain techniques and concepts, the order and manner in which they should be presented with this material sometimes differs from one bassist to the next. The information that you provide to me by filling out and submitting the enrollment form assists me in assembling a program that will be specially aimed to meet your unique needs and goals. With over 20 years of teaching, experience has proven that no two students are ever at the exact same level. For example, some students have a very thorough understanding of music theory and are very proficient sight readers while others have really good ears. By analyzing the information that you submit to me within the enrollment form, I can better assess your entry level and design a program accordingly. To enroll in most other online programs, you simply pick a course, open an account, pay for it, and begin at a pre-determined level by the instructor of that course without any concern for your own distinct needs. Another very important difference in comparing other online methods of music instruction to mine is that in my lessons we'll study many different subject areas concurrently whereas in the "one-size-fits-all approach" of the other online programs, you will study only one subject, such as theory, at a time unless you pay for multiple courses.

My MusicDojo.com course, "The Jazz Improviser's Toolkit," is designed for those students wishing to gain an overview of just basic jazz improvisation. My correspondence lessons are structured for bassists of all levels from beginner to advanced and all styles of traditional and contemporary music including jazz, classical, fusion, etc. Within my correspondence lessons, we may study jazz improvisation, but we may also study, upon your request, many other subject areas including music theory, sight reading, ear training, bass line construction, right & left hand technique, soloing, slapping, tapping, chordal techniques, harmonics, fingerstyle funk, altered tunings, concepts for solo bass playing, and much more. In other words, the focus of my MusicDojo.com course is only basic jazz improvisation concepts whereas my correspondence lessons are much broader in scope.

You can purchase bass lessons by correspondence by clicking on the "Purchase Bass Lessons" graphic found at the bottom of the Bass Lessons By Correspondence page. This same graphic is also located at the bottom of the right hand column of each page on this web site. You can purchase live video bass lessons by clicking on the "Purchase Bass Lessons" graphic at the bottom of the Live Video Bass Lessons page. Once you click on any of the "Purchase Bass Lessons" graphics, you will be taken to PayPal where you can complete the enrollment process by purchasing lessons. PayPal will send me a notification of payment received via e-mail as soon as you buy lessons which will specify the lesson format you purchased (bass lessons by correspondence or live video bass lessons). PayPal is the preferred method of payment, especially if you are located outside the United States because then we won't have to deal with foreign currencies and exchange rates. You do not need to open a PayPal account in order to pay for lessons. On PayPal's web site, you will have the option to use a credit card without being required to activate a new account. I will also gladly accept checks and money orders. If you'd prefer to not use PayPal or send money in the form of a check or money order through the standard mail, you can also utilize Western Union or MoneyGram. You can purchase lessons by check or money order in United States dollars by mailing your purchase to me at: Cliff Engel, P.O. Box 874, Hays, KS 67601, United States. Please feel free to use whichever payment method works most conveniently for you.

I sell my lessons in blocks of 5 for correspondence lessons and blocks of 2 or 4 for live video lessons for a couple reasons. First, compared to most one-on-one private lessons, my lessons are really cheap. Each lesson I post generally requires at least 1 hour of preparation, and I think you will find that the amount and quality of my lesson material far exceeds what virtually all private bass instructors are going to present you in a single lesson. By purchasing lessons in blocks, you are helping me keep prices low for everyone. Second, if you purchase lessons in one of these blocks rather than buying one at a time, that shows me a level of commitment and dedication to these lessons on your end. I take teaching bass very seriously, and I believe that anyone who is really dedicated to learning about the instrument, its history, and playing should take lessons seriously too.

The requirements which are needed to take my lessons are very minimal. In addition to a bass, practice amp, and instrument cable, you will need to have access to a reliable computer with an internet connection, browser, and e-mail. To listen to the audio clips and MP3 play-alongs or view streaming videos, you will need a media player such as the Windows Media Player or a similar program. To view the notated examples in standard notation and tablature, you will also need the Adobe Reader. Finally, if you would like to schedule a live, one-on-one chat session to discuss your progress, ask questions, etc., you will also need to have the Adobe Flash Player installed on your computer. The Windows Media Player, the Adobe Reader, and the Adobe Flash Player are all free downloads from the Microsoft Windows and Adobe web sites. If you would like to submit notated examples of your work for critique at any point during lessons, you will need a basic notation program such as Finale Notepad, or if you would like to send an audio excerpt to demonstrate your understanding of the lesson material, you will need a free software program like Audacity.

Probably too much! I think almost every former student of mine would agree that these lessons are money well spent. Please read the testimonials page for further information. I have many students that will complete a block of lessons and then take a couple weeks off before continuing with a new group just to fully digest all the lesson material. Sometimes things just come up unexpectedly due to work, etc., and you might not have as much time one week to devote to our lessons. That is perfectly fine. I try to keep the lessons moving at a good pace without overburdening you. Each lesson will include an audio clip in the MP3 format in which I outline how to best practice the notated examples. Each audio clip will vary in length depending on the subject matter that we are working on in that particular lesson. Some lesson material requires more detailed analysis from me whereas other lesson material will be fairly self-explanatory. Generally speaking, with each lesson you can expect to receive an audio clip that lasts 20-30 minutes in length. With each lesson, you will also receive a number of pages full of notated exercises. This too will depend on what we are covering in that lesson. Some lessons will include MP3 play-alongs and video clips when applicable as well.

If you can devote 30 minutes per day to our lessons, you will have no problems with the lesson material. The key to obtaining the maximum results with these lessons is consistent practice on a daily basis. If you have a couple hours per day to practice, you will definitely experience a more dramatic improvement over a shorter span of time. Realistically, the vast majority of people are not able to make this kind of time investment due to work, family, etc. If you can set aside 30 minutes per day for practicing the lesson material, you should do well, and you will see your skillset as a bassist improve significantly within just a few months.

No. One of the greatest advantages of online, web-based learning is that it can take place anytime, anywhere. Without compromising your personal and professional commitments, you can assimilate the lesson material into your schedule. Once a new lesson is posted every Monday, you can view and download that lesson material when it's most convenient for you. The only event you would need to be online at a particular time is for a chat session which we would schedule during a time slot that works best for you.

No. In addition to standard notation, nearly all of the lesson material will also include tablature. There are many benefits and opportunities to be realized by learning how to read music notation, but your learning process shouldn't be halted just because you can't read standard notation. Many of the world's most renowned virtuosos can't read a single note of music notation.

No. I will provide you with all the instructional materials that you will need to complete each lesson unless you would like to submit notated examples, audio excerpts, or video clips for critique to demonstrate your understanding of the lesson material.

There are many great free and inexpensive software programs available that you can use including Audacity, Finale NotePad, and Band In A Box. All you need to record your playing is just a cheap microphone that you can plug into your computer's sound card, or you can also use a basic USB converter that will permit you to plug your bass directly into your computer. Once you have either a microphone or USB converter, there are many free software programs available such as Audacity or the Windows Media Encoder that will allow you to record your performance and e-mail it. If you would like to notate additional exercises, you can utilize Finale NotePad which can be downloaded directly from Finale's web site for $9.95. It's easy to use, and it will allow you do notate examples that you can then e-mail to me. To simulate a band setting to play alongside, you should consider checking out Band In A Box. With Band In A Box, you can enter different chord changes, pick a style and tempo, and then practice improvising bass lines and soloing over chord changes. If you have a basic web cam, that can be used as well to capture a video performance of your playing. Please note that all audio or video files submitted for review must be less than 20 MB in size.

Certainly! Although it is not required that anyone submits recorded passages or notate exercises to demonstrate the assimilation of the lesson material we have covered, it is highly recommend. This allows me to review and critique your playing and offer possible suggestions.

Absolutely not. These lessons are structured for bassists of all ages, playing levels from beginner to advanced, and all styles of traditional and contemporary music. I have taught students from grade school level to age 80.

Yes. As long as you have access to a reliable computer with an internet connection and meet the requirements outlined above, we can conduct lessons anywhere, regardless of your location.

Absolutely! If you would like to schedule a live, one-on-one chat session during our lessons to discuss your progress or ask questions, just send me a couple times that work most conveniently for your schedule, and we can chat via my chat room. You also have the option of scheduling a live chat with me on the phone through my toll-free number (students located within the continental United States only). If your schedule is just too hectic and doesn't provide the time to meet in my chat room or talk on the phone, we can just as easily correspond through e-mail.

No problem at all. Practically everyone's computer crashes at some point in time due to a virus, power surge, or some other reason beyond their control. I save all of our lesson material on my computer, and I can e-mail it to you upon request.

You can contact me 24/7 by e-mail at: InstituteOfBass@Yahoo.com.

I make every effort possible to reply to questions within 24 hours, especially if a question requires an immediate response from me in order to keep you progressing through the lesson material, and e-mail is responded to 7 days a week.

We will continue our correspondence lessons until you feel you have reached your goals or until I feel I can no longer be of help to you after a certain level of development. I have had several students study with me through my correspondence program for many years.

If, at any time for any reason, you are not 100% satisfied with my lessons and wish to discontinue them, I will gladly refund the remaining balance of your lesson's purchase.