Creating Walking Bass Exercises for Beginning Electric Bass Players through Holistic Learning

Abstract

This research is experimental research. The objective of this research was to design and study the efficiency of walking bass exercises for beginning electric bass players through holistic learning. The research population was seventeen electric bass players from Chiang Mai, Thailand who were between the ages of fifteen and thirty-six, who were interested in beginning the study of walking bass on the electric bass, and who had not studied in a Bachelor of Music program. Of these seventeen, nine were selected because they received a score of sixty percent or less on a pre-research test. Research tools consisted of: 1, walking bass exercises divide up seven periods; 2, a teaching plan, amount seven teaching plans; 3, a teacher’s manual; and 4, the tests during course, amount three sets and one set after course. The data was analyzed and evaluated using percentages. The result of using these walking bass exercises for beginning electric bass players through holistic learning was 85.73/70.10. This was not in accord with the proposed hypothesis. The achievement results can be divided into two parts: 1, the average of weekly performance tests, which was as predicted, probably because the teacher got along well with the students and created a good environment for music learning; and 2, the average of post-test scores, which was less than predicted by the proposed hypothesis, probably because the students individually had different levels of musical skill and, also, because of the content of the exercises. Some students were are not able to remember all of the materials covered in the allotted time. It seems that it is important for students to regularly review their learning materials, as it is difficult to memorize everything in a short time.