After I finished my basic LinkedIn profile, I worked on a small composition in Online Sequencer.
~20 minutes
I’m not sure, but I’m having fun with it so far. I’m going for a mellower vibe with a piano and drum section, and I’m trying to apply what I’ve learned about good rhythm sections and having it support what’s happening in the melody, instead of just being flashy.
6/13
I continued working on my composition.
~20 minutes
I had a bass line in it yesterday, but I got rid of it because it was feeling off. I might put a new one in, but I’ll have to think about it. I do like how the rhythm is going especially–it’s pretty groovy.
6/14
Continued working on my composition.
10 minutes
I added these little rhythmic claves yesterday, which were on the onbeat. I switched them over to the offbeat, and I think it sounds more interesting musically. I also added a grand piano to act as bass notes. I think it’s going pretty well!
6/15
N/A
I spent the class working on my LinkedIn recommendation, so I didn’t have time to work on anything.
6/16
I finished my composition!
~20 minutes
This was my third-or-so try making an original piece, and I’m a lot happier with it this time around. Enough that I’m gonna stick it here at the bottom. I don’t think it’s a showstopper, but I had fun experimenting with rhythm and chords.
Not really. I was pretty much just messing around because I wasn’t sure what else to do. I guess I tried applying some of the things I learned about chord progressions from Hooktheory, like tying root notes together.
Not really with this, either. It just kind of makes me wish I had a keyboard, because they look easier to mess around with for coming up with tunes.
6/6
I read some of the “Modern Band Method” book on drums.
~30 minutes
Not sure, since I still don’t play drums, but I did learn that in staff notation, the “notes” with bars that go down represent parts of a drum kit that’s played specifically with your foot. It’s not very important, but the more you know.
I’d say I’m already pretty good at understanding staff notation + sheet music, but there’s always something to learn.
6/7
I tried practicing the first 2 measures of “Distant Early Warning” on bass.
~14 minutes
It’s a fun bass line, but it feels pretty out of my league… I would probably have an easier time playing it on my bass at home. I did a bit of tweaking to what the Songsterr tabs said to make it easier for me to play.
6/8
I practiced the same thing for a bit.
I skimmed through “Modern Band Method”‘s drum book, and then watched “What is the ‘Offbeat’?” by Andi Rohde.
~12 minutes
~20 minutes
Not really. It was a “just for fun” thing.
Yes. I’ve heard the term “offbeat” and other variations a few times, but I wasn’t really sure what it meant. I tried going though MBM to see if it was mentioned anywhere, but found nothing, so I looked on YouTube for something.
Yes. It was very informative and thorough for what I was looking for. It also went over triplets, which is something I previously struggled to comprehend. Though, it makes me curious on how triplets manifest in something like a quarter or sixteenth note.
Most of the information was stuff I had general knowledge of, but it was explained with better detail why a rhythm is generally structured the way it is, which was nice.
I also made a little beat in Online Sequencer that was stuck in my head (inspired by PaRappa the Rapper, haha).
5/31
I continued watching “How to Write Drum Parts (for non drummers)”.
~20 minutes
I learned some interesting things about anticipation and matching the dynamics between a rhythm and melody section. I also heard some pretty neat ideas for rhythm, like having the snare keep the steady beat while the kick accentuates.
Not really. I didn’t get far enough in to actually learn much, besides “There Are No Rules”.
5/18
I continued watching the video from yesterday.
~18 minutes
I think so? There was a stronger emphasis placed on the importance of variation in a melody over just repetition, which I think I could work on with my own tunes.
5/19
I finished that composition that I’d been working on last week.
~30 minutes
Maybe. I primarily fiddled with the baseline, since I enjoy doing those, and gave the whole thing an ending. I’m not sure it’s that good, but I kind of like it.
Most of the video had him going through a song composition, which was pretty cool to watch. I’m not sure how much I learned from it, per se, but I got a bit of inspiration from seeing the process.
5/10
I practiced more with “Modern Band Method”.
~20 minutes
Yes. It’s the first time I’ve tried playing via staff notation, and I think it went well.
5/11
I tried making a little composition in Online Sequencer.
~20 minutes
I think so. I started off with a percussion beat that had been in my head this morning, and worked from there with a tune that just came off the top of my head. I don’t think it’s groundbreaking or anything, but it was pretty invigorating to actually get a musical idea, haha.
5/12
I spent a little bit working on the composition from yesterday.
~8 minutes
Not much. I only tweaked the percussion slightly during a re-listen.
I spent the period reading some of the first chapter of Hooktheory II.
~25 minutes
Yes. I gained a better understanding of scale structures, and learned about seventh chords.
5/2
I continued reading Hooktheory II.
~17 minutes
I think so. I learned a bit more about seventh chords, both major and minor, and the different qualities to each.
5/3
I worked on a composition for Sergio.
25 minutes
Actually, yeah. I’m pretty happy with how it came out (although I’m not sure how well it fits what he wanted…) and I especially had fun playing with the bass line.
5/4
I continued and finished reading Hooktheory II.
32 minutes
Yes. I learned about inversions in seventh chords, and how they can be used to connect the bass notes of different chords.
5/5
I spent a little while tinkering with GarageBand’s pedals.
The pedals were interesting, but none of them really suited the song for my SMART goal. They’re fun to play with, but they sort of seem geared more towards guitars than basses.
Yes! While there were some things in the video I knew already, I learned a lot more about how scales are organized, and how key signatures work.
My goal this week was to learn more about general music theory.
Work Tasks
Date
Task Description
Time Spent
Was this a Best Practice?
4/24
I practiced playing the bass intro to “Red Barchetta”.
I spent the rest of the period reading Hooktheory I.
12 minutes
30 minutes
Practicing the tune was mostly for fun, so I suppose it was a good practice. Hooktheory I has more useful information about music theory, with examples used from specific songs, so I do feel I’m benefitting from reading it.
4/25
I practiced the same tune from yesterday.
I spent the rest of the time reading Hooktheory I; specifically, chapters about chord structure and progressions.
5 minutes
28 minutes
Yes. I learned about different chord combinations, stability and instability, and resolution in chord progressions.
4/26
I spent the period reading the “Modern Band Method” book on keyboards.
17 minutes
Kind of? I’m interested in playing keyboard, so reading this book felt helpful for understanding the basics; but since I’m not actively playing keys, I don’t feel that knowledge is being applied well.
4/27
I continued reading and finished Hooktheory I.
I spent the rest of the period continuing to read the “Modern Band Method” book on keyboards.
22 minutes
12 minutes
I think so. Hooktheory I taught me some useful things about the theory behind different chords and progressions, so I feel a bit less blind in that department of music theory.
4/28
I spent the period trying to come up with an original composition in Hookpad, following the pitch from that kid in Game Design.
By May 5, I will learn the pre-chorus of the song Seaskape by Toru Minegishi on bass, by following Seaskape (bass cover) and these TABS for my April SMART Goal. It’s a fast-paced song, so I’m hoping it will help me to play more efficiently, with smoother fretboard movements. I will work on this goal during the first 10 minutes of class, and at home with my own bass.
PRE-PRODUCTION – INQUIRY
Leader(s) in the Field / Exemplary Work(s)
Geddy Lee is the bassist for the band Rush and one of my favorite bassists in general. He’s an incredibly talented musician, with a distinctive playing style that first inspired me to pick up the instrument, along with his ability to proficiently play rhythmic bass lines while juggling lead vocals and synthesizer work.
Training Source(s)
SMART Goal Schedule
From March 14th to 16th, I worked on playing the song with tab reference until I had it committed to memory. From then I worked on my technique, practicing quicker fret movements at a starting BPM of 50, and working my way up to faster speeds. On April 12th, I began practicing contextual interference, by playing without looking at the fretboard at a BPM of 86.
PRODUCTION
SMART Goal Starting Point Evidence
(4/11/23)
SMART Goal Ending Point Evidence
(5/11/23)
POST-PRODUCTION – REFLECTION
21st Century Skills
Ways of Thinking (Creativity, Innovation, Critical Thinking, Problem Solving)
The original tabs I notated for this song proved to be pretty difficult for me to play due to my small hands. I had to change them around a bit to ease the strain and get the corresponding frets closer together. I also had to work to minimize the amount of excess noise during my playing, like using my non-plucking fingers to keep certain strings still.
Ways of Working (Communication & Collaboration)
I worked mostly by myself, so I didn’t do a lot of collaboration. Communicating was difficult, as I’ve always had difficulty asking for help, but this session I tried to push myself to do so more often. I think it’s helped me to do so in a lower-stakes environment like School of Rock.
Tools for Working (Info & Media Literacy)
While my Musescore reference for my song was in staff notation, I primarily referenced a tabs translation of it (“E4” for G#, “D2” for E, etc.) instead of playing from the sheet music. For whatever I end up playing next, I’d like to practice referencing staff notation more often.
Ways of Living in the World (Life & Career)
Practicing for as long as I have has helped me to practice a sense of perseverance. I often grew frustrated when I made too many mistakes, or when I wasn’t playing fast enough, and many times I thought there was no hope for me to get it right. But since I kept at it and took my time, I could see how I progressed and became more proficient in playing.
Self-Evaluation of Final Version
While I’m happy with the speed I was able to play it, I feel that it’s a bit sloppy. I didn’t do a great job minimizing the excess sound, so you can hear the other strings being prodded. It’s a bit hard to avoid when playing as fast as I was, but I’m sure there are measures I could have taken. Besides that, I’m pretty satisfied with it; I didn’t think I’d be able to play it that fast by this point.
Write your daily summary last, at the end of the day here… Only one to two sentences. DELETE ALL OF MR. LE DUC’s INSTRUCTIONS DETAILED ABOVE AFTER COMPLETING THEM
Step 3:Try making a bassline to a chord progression or melody line.
Not super imaginative, but I’m not really a rocket scientist of composition… or a composer. Either way, it was fun to tinker with it. I was hoping to make use of the chromatic notes, but none of them really sounded right with the melody.
Choice 1:Explore Carol Kaye and James Jamerson’s Profiles in Excellent. These are two bass players are credited with creating some of the best bass lines! Then go for a walk and think of the funky work they created.
After playing with Quizlet, go for a walk and think about bass lines. Think of songs that have great basslines. When you are back from your walk, you might want to research more about the notes that make those basslines stand out?
Screenshot from Quizlet Bass Composition Techniques
Something about higher notes on bass sounds really pleasing to me. Not sure what it is; I think it helps it to stand out more. I used to have trouble listening for it in songs, so higher notes always stuck out to me. Plus, bass just has a really nice sound in general.
STUDIO
Play around with playing the low E string (6th string on the top of the neck) on your guitar. Create a simple three note-ish bassline. Get funky with it. Try different plucking tempos to great the groove. You can even try playing Smoke on the Water
Screenshot from Kidsguitarzone.com
What did you compose? Write a reflection on what you did. DELETE ALL OF MR. LE DUC’s INSTRUCTIONS DETAILED ABOVE AFTER COMPLETING THEM
CONTROL ROOM
Record the bass line you developed in the studio.
How did the recording go? Write a short reflection. DELETE ALL OF MR. LE DUC’s INSTRUCTIONS DETAILED ABOVE AFTER COMPLETING THEM
WHAT I LEARNED and PROBLEMS I SOLVED
Tell your daily story here! Highlight what you learned and enjoyed most and at least one problem you solved. Problem-solving is one of the most important skills you need in life. Employers want to know HOW you get stuff done as much as WHAT you got done. DELETE ALL OF MR. LE DUC’s INSTRUCTIONS DETAILED ABOVE AFTER COMPLETING THEM
DAILY ACTIVITY EVALUATION
Give feedback on the class Content and Process
Participation will be part of your leadership project due at the end of the course
