Need feedback...are these online classes worth it? They look good, but I need to hear the good, the bad, and the ugly on it before I fork over the $$. I have been playing for a long time but never formally trained, I want to get more out of my playing as I have plateaued on my own.

Hi,

I'v just finished the bass performance course and would definitly recommend it. I'v found that you get players with a wide range of playing exerience from 6 months to 20 years on it. The tutors are great and give helpful comments and the lessons are well structured using a cobination of video and audio examples. They teach you some of the basic theory, scales and chords but also show you how to use them in musical situations.

Hope this helps

How much is this course theory oriented (Bass performance 101) ? I'm really looking forward to learn the theory side and application from this course..Not technique vise..I have been playing for 5-6 years and I have really basic theory knowledge which I want to enhance...So I would like to know how much is this course challenging (I don't want it to be too easy for me) and see if its right for me...

Performance course was OK - not much theory. Material was pretty interesting. I did not care for the instructor, Danny Morris. During one of the chats he said " I am an author, bass player, and a musician". When I asked him if he was also a teacher he copped a bit of a tude. Another time I submitted two takes of an assignment. He was bent out of shape, and let me know it, about having to listen to two takes. Lots of little things like this. The guy was just too full of himself.

Hmmm how do you mean not much theory ? Can you write me more in deph info on the theory side of the course..

"By the end of the course, you will be able to:

* apply major, minor, blues, and pentatonic scales and their modes to your bass lines
* play accurately in time
* improve the timbre or sound quality of your playing
* demonstrate enhanced tonality, and know what note to play when
* perform with your own unique style"

Have you learned all of this ?

Your feedback means a lot , thanks for answer

It is a pretty ambitious list - I don't think all of it can be done in 12 weeks. Most of the course was:

- Here's a tune
- Here's an example of how to play it
- Now play it

Some of the tunes were Red Clay, Stir It Up, Mo Better Blues, ... pretty good stuff IMHO. Regarding the list:

* apply major, minor, blues, and pentatonic scales and their modes to your bass lines
> A little of this, not much - I think we had a pentatonic scale exercise

* play accurately in time
> the instructor would comment if you were out of time ....but there are not any exercises etc. on improving time. Also - be aware: If you have some latency with your capture device, which is quite common with some devices, you are pretty much on your own. "I am not a tech guy" etc.

* improve the timbre or sound quality of your playing
> I do not recall this

* demonstrate enhanced tonality, and know what note to play when
> I do not recall this

* perform with your own unique style"
> I do not recall this


Overall a good course - but you are mostly on your own with the material. Most (but not all) of these berkleemusic.com courses are like that.