Bass Guitar
As a bass player you will often lay down the foundation of the music. Whether it’s groove music, swing, or modern creative, as a bass player you need to be able to adjust to different settings. Both comping and improvising will be part of your artistic development. During the lessons you will focus on developing skills like timing, sound, harmony, technique, and composition. With your teachers you will be covering various styles, jazz in a broad sense and groove music being the most important ones. The lessons will also include a lot of singing, listening to records and transcribing bass-lines and solo’s.
Teachers
Stef Joosten
Freedom in music is something that fascinates bass player Stef Joosten. It is the essential element that attracted him to improvised music. There’s nothing more exciting, fresh, and organic than new music taking shape and developing in the spur of the moment. Stef graduated Cum Laude at the Conservatory of Amsterdam. He shared the stage with various top notch artists such as Jeroen van Vliet, Harmen Fraanje, Ivo Neame, Tristan Refrow, Koen Smits, Kika Sprangers, Anna Serierse, Prashant Samlal and Mete Erker.
Guus Bakker
Guus Bakker obtained a master degree in both bass guitar and double bass. He is very active as a sought-after freelance bassist who is credited for the wide range of styles he masters in both jazz, and pop music. Guus has worked with a great variety of artists and groups such as Eric Vloeimans, Rembrandt Frerichs, Wouter Hamel, Rotterdam Jazz Orchestra, Robin Verheyen, Tutu Puoane, Ben van den Dungen & Jarmo Hoogendijk, Gare du Nord, Michiel Borstlap, and Wende Snijders.
Candidates that live in the Netherlands, Belgium or western Germany will do a live audition. Candidates from other countries will do an online audition. In the audition, you will be assessed on your ability to demonstrate rhythmical, melodic and harmonic insights. To assess your level of ability, you have to prepare three pieces. These pieces should represent different styles (e.g. jazz, latin, pop, et cetera), but at least one piece must be a jazzstandard, in which we hear you play accompaniment (walking bass) and an improvised solo.
Video audition:
Record a video containing three songs. We strongly prefer that you play with a band. If this is impossible you can record yourself playing along (with iRealPro e.g.). Make sure that you and your hands are clearly visible at all times and that the bass is clearly present in the balance. Your videos function as a first round. If you pass the first round you will be invited for a second round in the form of an e-meeting in which we can ask you to do additional assignments, like side reading, in order for us to make a well informed decision about your application.
Live audition:
You are asked to present yourself and play your repertoire with other musicians. This can be your own band, or if this is not possible, the school will provide accompaniment. Please indicate this on the application form. There is no opportunity for rehearsal. Be sure to bring proper sheet music for your band members.