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The IIB Online Bass Courses Requirements
The requirements which are needed to take any of the courses on the IIB 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 audio clips such as MP3 play-alongs or view streaming videos, you will need the Windows Media Player or a similar playback program. For viewing the notated examples in standard notation and tablature, you will also need the Adobe Reader. Both the Windows Media Player and the Adobe Reader can be downloaded for free by clicking the links provided below.
You should expect to spend approximately 3-4 hours per week practicing the lesson material from each course that you enroll. More or less practice time may be needed based on your experience level before enrolling in a course. If you can devote a minimum of 30 minutes per day to practicing the material in each course, you should have no problem at all with completing the coursework. An hour of practicing per day would be ideal, but 30 minutes of organized time should be sufficient to cover the material in a thorough fashion.
Nearly every exercise included in the IIB curriculum has been notated using both standard music notation and tablature so the ability to read standard notation is not required to enroll in any of the IIB's courses.
Before starting any of the IIB's courses, these minimum hardware and software requirements are recommended to achieve optimal results.
Computer & Printer:
Desktop or laptop PC with Windows 7, Vista, or XP
Mac OS X
Pentium IV or compatible 1.0 GHz CPU
512 MB RAM
Sound card
500 MB of hard drive space for course downloads
Printer
Browser:
Microsoft Internet Explorer 9 for PC (recommended)
Firefox 9 for PC or Mac
Safari 5 for PC or Mac
Internet Connection:
DSL or cable modem
Free Software:
Additional Hardware & Software:
Although not required, additional hardware including a microphone or a 1/4"-to-USB cable along with software programs such as Audacity, Finale NotePad, and Band-In-A-Box can also be used to enhance your learning experience in and out of the classroom.
To record audio excerpts, all you need is a 1/4"-to-USB cable that will permit you to plug your bass directly into your computer. A free software program such as Audacity can be employed to record your performance and e-mail it to the instructor. 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.
Audacity is a FREE, easy-to-use audio editor and recorder for Windows and Mac OS X operating systems. It will allow you to import the MP3 play-alongs that are featured throughout the IIB courses, record a bass part over the play-along to demonstrate your understanding of the course material, and then export your performance in the MP3 format which you can then e-mail to the course instructor.
If you would like to submit notated examples of your work for critique at any point during a course, you will need a basic notation program such as Finale Notepad which can be downloaded for FREE from Finale's web site. It's easy to use, and it will permit you do notate examples that you can then e-mail to the instructor. Since the instructor uses Finale to create all of the standard music notation and tablature in the IIB courses, the passages that you notate in NotePad can be e-mailed to the instructor for review.
Band-In-A-Box is an excellent program to utilize for simulating a band environment to play alongside. 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.
You should expect to spend approximately 3-4 hours per week practicing the lesson material from each course that you enroll. More or less practice time may be needed based on your experience level before enrolling in a course. If you can devote a minimum of 30 minutes per day to practicing the material in each course, you should have no problem at all with completing the coursework. An hour of practicing per day would be ideal, but 30 minutes of organized time should be sufficient to cover the material in a thorough fashion.
Nearly every exercise included in the IIB curriculum has been notated using both standard music notation and tablature so the ability to read standard notation is not required to enroll in any of the IIB's courses.
Before starting any of the IIB's courses, these minimum hardware and software requirements are recommended to achieve optimal results.
Computer & Printer:
Desktop or laptop PC with Windows 7, Vista, or XP
Mac OS X
Pentium IV or compatible 1.0 GHz CPU
512 MB RAM
Sound card
500 MB of hard drive space for course downloads
Printer
Browser:
Microsoft Internet Explorer 9 for PC (recommended)
Firefox 9 for PC or Mac
Safari 5 for PC or Mac
Internet Connection:
DSL or cable modem
Free Software:
Additional Hardware & Software:
Although not required, additional hardware including a microphone or a 1/4"-to-USB cable along with software programs such as Audacity, Finale NotePad, and Band-In-A-Box can also be used to enhance your learning experience in and out of the classroom.
To record audio excerpts, all you need is a 1/4"-to-USB cable that will permit you to plug your bass directly into your computer. A free software program such as Audacity can be employed to record your performance and e-mail it to the instructor. 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.
Audacity is a FREE, easy-to-use audio editor and recorder for Windows and Mac OS X operating systems. It will allow you to import the MP3 play-alongs that are featured throughout the IIB courses, record a bass part over the play-along to demonstrate your understanding of the course material, and then export your performance in the MP3 format which you can then e-mail to the course instructor.
If you would like to submit notated examples of your work for critique at any point during a course, you will need a basic notation program such as Finale Notepad which can be downloaded for FREE from Finale's web site. It's easy to use, and it will permit you do notate examples that you can then e-mail to the instructor. Since the instructor uses Finale to create all of the standard music notation and tablature in the IIB courses, the passages that you notate in NotePad can be e-mailed to the instructor for review.
Band-In-A-Box is an excellent program to utilize for simulating a band environment to play alongside. 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.
