You will make progress as fast as your ability and commitment will permit. As soon as you can benefit from playing in groups with other students like yourself, you will be encouraged to do so. From time to time, these groups play in public at Basschool recitals, where you can get a taste of real-world performance.

In addition, Rich Kowalewski has supplemented the currently available instruction materials for bass by publishing his own books to fill gaps of what students need but can’t obtain.

Even if your involvement with bass guitar has been limited, crossing over to the upright should be easy. Both instruments are tuned the same, read the same clef and have a similar musical timbre. With a slight adjustment in fingering and physical stance, you will be on your way to becoming the double bassist of your dreams.

But a word of caution: Be sure to consult with the Basschool before acquiring your instrument. We can give you experienced advice on where to get one that will deliver proper value while meeting your playing needs. It is always disheartening to have new students bring in a newly purchased bass, only to find that it has problems that must be repaired right off the bat.

While there is nothing wrong with buying an instrument from a private owner, we would also like to help you avoid problems you can run into when doing that.

When your instrument does need repair, we will send you to the place that does A+ quality work instead of the C+ jobs we see far too often.

Roger Noonan is bassist with the Teen Angels band.

Jeff Whittle plays bass with the progressive rock group Tiles, a band that’s been in existence since 1993.

Every student who comes to Basschool has a different story to tell about their music background, or their lack of one. In your first lesson you will discuss your musical goals, and a plan of study will be tailored around your unique needs and desires. If followed with commitment, this plan of study will allow you to make the maximum progress you are capable of making in a minimum of time.

Obviously, if your inability to read music is your biggest roadblock to progress, yes, that will be the focus of lessons.

First, learning how to really play your instrument is a combination of a number of things. It includes understanding the basics of music, being able to read music, learning music theory, developing technique, mastering rhythm patterns and controlling sound production. Once you can apply all that to produce different styles, you have the beginnings of being able to play something that is musical.

Because developing your own chops will take you much further as a player than copying the music of someone who may not be anywhere near the charts in six months, the emphasis will always be on your own musical development.

A lesson is a half hour in length. You take one a week. If you think you won’t learn much in that short a time, you are guaranteed a learning challenge from every lesson.

In other words, you will go home with plenty to practice and master.

That question is best answered by asking another one: How long did it take you to learn to read and write? First you learned letters before you could make words. After you knew many words, you could begin to make sentences, and so on. It didn’t happen overnight.

Because good reading in the 6th grade is so different from the reading skills you need in college, no one but you can decide how far you want to go with your bass lessons.

There is also a tremendous difference in human abilities. You probably remember that for some students reading words was as easy as falling off a log, while for others, it was a frustrating struggle. Without trying it out, you will never know how far you could have gone.