The elusive "Double Action "

[Soulsaver]

It can often help beginners to keep time with the foot or even feet. This comes very naturally to many but if it doesn't try playing a steady 4/4 march eg its a long way to tippary on the treble only keeping tome with the foot. . The bass should follow the feet i.e. foot down = bass, foot up = chord. The foot then acts as a built in metronome to which the bass is played.

3/4 is similar in that its foot down = bass and foot up = chord chord. You can do foot down followed by foot up up or foot down followed by a longer period i.e. 2 beatsworth of foot up. Daisy Bell (daisy daisy) is a good tune to try as the first 4 bars require have just 3 notes which fit perfectly with um pa pa or foot down up up!

It can also help to learn to dance in order to facilitate the timing of the foot to the music!

george

All the stuff I've seen is oom pah oom pah = 1,2,3,4 or tap tap tap tap; Or 1,2,3 or tap tap tap for a waltz. Foot up for 'and' as in 1,2 and 3?

 

[george garside]

It is useful to get the hang of um pa etc early on as apart from its function in many tunes it helps to get both hands doing something different.

As far as getting the hang of basic harmony on the bass it can be useful to 2 3 &4 3 adjacent major chord buttons . eg if playing in C rest fingers lightly on major chord buttons FCG. Then play through a tune SLOWLY in C, keeping the C maj chord playing until it doesn't sound right - then hold the treble note whislt trying G or F . When ,say, G doesn't sound right try going back to C - if not right try F.

In time it becomes intuitive as to which of the 3 chords will harmonise and you have mastered the '3 chord trick ' which is a useful starting point. You can then do um pa using the same diagonal rows or just play chords whichever fits in best with the particular part of a particular tune

george

 

[landro]

Personally I feel that any foot tapping, timing, or anything else should be left alone until the student masters the basic oom pa pa in the key of C with the left hand while playing a simple 3/4 (waltz) melody on the right hand . I can`t see the value of having a student jump ahead in any area whatsoever until he demonstrates his ability to coordinate and use both hands even if it is only a simple children`s melody. That very accomplishment is very important to him since it feeds his desire to learn more .

 

[george garside]

I agree in principle with Landro and in particular about not moving ahead too quickly . To quote the old saying ''Don't try to run before you can walk''!

However I am a little puzzled by the comment about the basic um pa coming before timing' as to me being able to play a very basic um pa on the bass whilst playing a simple tune, or even part of one, on the treble is an inherent part of 'timing'

george

 

[landro]

I agree in principle with Landro and in particular about not moving ahead too quickly . To quote the old saying ''Don't try to run before you can walk''!

However I am a little puzzled by the comment about the basic um pa coming before timing' as to me being able to play a very basic um pa on the bass whilst playing a simple tune, or even part of one, on the treble is an inherent part of 'timing'

george

Agreed George ! Playing a simple tune while doing a basic oom pa pa has to be inherently timed. I just thought having the student tap his feet or use a metronome (as mentioned earlier in the thread) would only add to the confusion at the very beginning stage of learning coordination and timing. Of course those things would be introduced at some point soon after though.
My emphasis on teaching would be to get that student playing recognizable tunes as quickly as possible to nuture the desire to learn more.