2 comments about Teach Yourself VISUALLY Bass Guitar (Teach Yourself Visually).

1. Exceptional book. Extremely easy to follow and is very methodical in explaining all the facet (to include reading the bass clef staff and scales) of learning to play the bass guitar.



2. I bought this book to teach myself the bass guitar. So far so good! The book is very visual, bright coloured pictures to support the theory and practical exercises. This is very helpful in playing the right way!
   
   My only hang up is that I found the book could have been sorted a bit better, in terms of the topics. But this is not a problem since each chapter can be read alone, due to the way it is seperated by topics. This is very uselful for people who may already have some experience, they can skip to areas they need.
   
   Overall the book is excellent and has helped me a lot as a beginner. I can easily recommend it!

5 comments about Bass Grooves: Develop Your Groove and Play Like the Pros in Any Style.

1. This is not a typical book with bunch of licks without explenation. Here everything is explained in detail - how drums (should) work with bass in different styles. Great musical examples although it would be much better if music was split into seperate channels for bass and drums. Great book worth money.



2. After attending Bass at the Beach 2005, I came away knowing how important time and groove is to a bass player. My whole goal was to become a solid groove player once I came back. If you have any questions or difficulties about rhythm or keeping a strong groove than this book is the answer. I have never felt super solid about reading syncopated rhythms even though I have read numerous books and been told countless ways to try and learn them. This book has answered that problem for me. A drum machine is highly recommended as the book dissects the drum parts that should be programmed in to play each bass groove over. This is the first book that I've come across that really explains "feel" from many different angles. I could go on and on about it but the basic gist is that this book has me thinking about rhythm in a whole new way and it is helping my bass playing more than anything else that I've read. This will be my Bass Bible for years to come...Thanks Ed!



3. This book is one of the best books out there for the budding bassist, in my opinion. Ed Friedland, an experienced instructor and seasoned studio bassist, really lays down a solid foundation for understanding the role of the bass and how to fit in with the band.
   Some definate pro's would be Ed's lively writing style and clear descriptions of the examples being played. Instead of pulling random grooves out of nowhere, he really gives solid insights on the music. And the examples are clearly first rate and give good bredth within different genres. He also gives very good ideas simply on becoming comfortable playing the instrument, which I've found is one of the biggest concerns for beginners.
   The book does not go without a few cautionary bits, however. Ed Friedland highly recommends getting a drum machine to jam along with (he even writes out the drum parts). This naturally, is great advice if used, but without a drum machine (or, better yet, a real live drummer!), the book really can't be enjoyed to the same extent. So if you don't have a drum machine and have absolutely no interest in getting one ever, this book might not be the best option. Also, one should note that though this book covers many different genres, it doesn't go into real depth concerning any particular one. So, if, for example you dig motown, heavy metal, or whatever, try getting a book that focuses specifically on that style in addition to this book. Concerning just pure insight and ecclectic examples, this book rocks, but this shouldn't be the only book in your bass library if you are interested in diving deep into a specific genre.



4. This book will give you the basic facts and insight required to build a solid groove. It provides some technical stuff, that's for sure. But the main thing is, you can develop a feeling of the groove in yourself (not your guitar only) and start to understand what it really means "to groove".
   
   However, advanced / pro players trusting their groove may consider alternative books.



5. If you are a soon-to-be-famous rock star with your own group playing just your own music, this book is going to broaden your musical horizon and give you lots of new ideas for your own bass lines. But if you want to be a serious bass player, versatile stylistically and firm in many different musical situations, this book is IT! And if you like to gain some deeper knowlegde and understanding, get Ed Friedland's "The Working Bassist's Tool Kit" as well.

5 comments about Standing in the Shadows of Motown: The Life and Music of Legendary Bassist James Jamerson.

1. My husband is love with this bass gautairist, and love this book and DVD combo.



2. I've always been a fan of Motown but of the singers, now I'm starting to realize I shouldn't give the singers all the credit, it was the producers, songwriters, and musicians who made the artists become hits. If it wasn't for the unique, special Funk Brothers who knows if the Motown artists would have become as successful as they did. It doesn't matter how good of a singer a singer is, if the music ain't right, the singer ain't gonna sound good. Its that something special about the Motown Sound that sparks something in our minds, hearts, and souls, the music complimented the singers excellently. James Jamerson was just a handsome, wonderful, real, interesting, talented person. Its sad he had to get recognition after he passed on. It seems the only way to become a legend is to die first then people appreciate you more, well this book taught me to love and praise people while their alive that's what keeps them going. All James wanted in his last days was recognition and to know he did make a difference in the world of music. This book taught me to appreciate the musicians, songwriters, and producers, the people behind the scenes, who made it possible for the music to become timeless, sometimes we give the singers too much credit.
   
   It was interesting for me to read most of the Funk Brothers didn't even like Rock N Roll or Soul music, they were really jazz fans and wanted to play jazz, so it shows how gifted they were to still play soul music effectively even though it wasn't their cup of tea. Another reason why Motown sound is so appealing and fresh is because the Funk Brothers laced different genres of music into the soul music and tried new things with the music creating the Motown Sound, a sound in its own class.



3. I'm one of those Bass Players who discovered James Jamerson late in my bass playing life. Any young (or old) aspiring bassist should have this book. The 2 cd's that come with it are worth the price alone. Some of the greatest bass players on earth (McCartney, Entwhistele, Pallidino,Bob Babbit,Chuck Rainey..) paying homage to Jamerson and playing some of his famous bass lines. The great thing about it is that when played through headphones you get the bass in one ear and the rest of the mix in the other. I have actually listened to just the bass mix multiple times and marvelled at the Bass Lines. A must for any young Bass Player.
   
   The book has some great stories and pictures and compliments the CD greatly.



4. Very good book if you don't have the DVD. Fills in many details not in the film. A must have for Bass Players.



5. James Jamerson is one of the top bassist of all time and this book will give bassist some insight to his genius. I never learned to read music, but I was born with an exception ear! I remember a long time ago, going for a job in a pit orchestra. The musical director was not all that impressed with my playing on the first day, because I didn't read music and I kind of fumbled through the rehearsal. I went home that night and learned the entire show from a tape. On the next rehearsal, when we started to play the opening number, the conductor stopped in the middle of the song, looked at me and said...."Turn up the bass!" ..this made me very happy, as I always felt a little inferior not being able to read :-)
   
   The book covers Jamerson's story and shows many of his classic bass lines for those of you who do read. It's no walk in the park, but it's time well spent and will take your playing to another level.
   
   The book comes with 2 CDs full of Jamerson's bass lines and many top bassist playing their favorite Jamerson tunes. It's all very interesting for musicians and non musicians alike and well worth the price! I never knew how much this guy influenced my playing until I really sat down and listened to him! What a great talent!

5 comments about Bass Fitness - An Exercising Handbook.

1. I can't guarantee you'll improve your dexterity, accuracy, and speed, but daily practice with this book easily doubled my dexterity and accuracy. If you buy it, you have to use it as part of your ongoing practice routine. When I stopped using it, my technique started to fall off again. It was hard for me at first, especially the exercises later in the book, so I used a pick. I was amazed how fast I improved and was soon doing the exercises fingerstyle. I was trying to see how fast I could go initially, but then realized that much of the benefit from doing the exercises came from doing them accurately, with each note sounding clear and strong. The exercises aren't melodic sounding at all; that can affect your ability to do them if you let it. Josquin des Pres doesn't have a lot of verbal instruction in the book (nor does he in his Slap bass book) which is a shame, because he seems very bright and could offer a lot in the way of hints etc. A must have book for bassists of all styles, especially for those that have hit a plateau and can't seem to move forward.



2. Any musician with any wits about them could come up with these exercises. I used the exercises daily BEFORE I bought the book. The exercises are good, don't get me wrong but it's really not worth the cash.



3. Please keep quiet about this book, now that I have it, no one else needs to know! Okay, yeah, you'll improve a lot in a short time (if you're honest with yourself and practice it), but why bother? I also have other books by Mr. des Pres that have helped, but not as much as this one. This book if followed will only allow you to develop a higher level of dexterity and acuracy. You don't need that! Instead buy something to trick out your axe so you'll look cool without sounding that way. But if you insist on buying this, and practice it consistently, you'll get more gigs, don't say I didn't warn you!



4. This book has helped add a much needed dimension to my practice routine. I have improved my strength, speed, and accuracy by applying the techniques in this book. Some people may think it's superfluous, because most of the exercises are pretty common-sense and many are available elsewhere on the internet free of charge. I knew this when I purchased it, because I wanted a hard-copy volume to reference to. This book does exactly what it says on the tin. If you are teaching yourself to play the electric bass, or if you are in need of some supplementary help to surprise your teacher or band mates, then buy this book. It should be noted, however, that this book will only help you if you practice the exercises for 15 minutes on top of your normal hour-a-day practice schedule. I can't fault this book in any way, because if you follow the directions word-for-word, it will do exactly what it advertises.



5. This is a 4 string bass book but I don't see why you couldn't use it for 6 string guitar - or any other fretted instrument. This book does not contain any songs, scales or music theory. It's just pages of left hand finger exercises. Of course doing them will also exercise your right hand as you pick. This isn't a book that you master from cover to cover before moving onto your next book. Rather it's a book that you can use 15-20 minutes a day every day as a warm up before moving onto the book you use to learn songs or theory from. Unlike song and theory/technique books which don't serve much purpose once you know the material, this book is something you can use every day for years to come.
   
   After just 15 minutes of doing the exercises on the first page I was able to play a middle eastern pattern that I had been struggling with for weeks. If you play with a metronome as the author suggests, much sooner than later you will be physically able to play any song you want. How to read that song, however, is not what this book is about. This book will also help you develop a fluid wrist. The more fluid my left wrist the more solid my tone and the less buzz I get no matter how many frets my fingers are spread across. Between this and the book "Fretboard Roadmaps Bass Guitar" you'll develop great bass skills.
   
   Skills aside, I'm looking forward to trying a book that will help develop the feel of a bass player and get how a bass player fits in and interacts with a band. That's where Ed Friedland's "Bass Grooves: Develop Your Groove and Play Like the Pros in Any Style," comes in. Friedland writes out the drum machine parts for you to program into your drum machine to accompany the bass. Personally I'll just play and record them myself on my kit and then try the bass lesson with the track I will have just recorded. As another reviewer stated, if you have no intention of getting a drum machine (or you don't record your own drum tracks) skip this book. The person the bass player has to interact with the most and the tightest is the drummer. A bass player that can work with any drummer will always be in demand so get these three books and have fun.

5 comments about 101 Bass Tips: Stuff All the Pros Know and Use.

1. I thought this would have tips on playing techniques, tricks in sight reading, or adice from pros. It contains only a handful of useful tips. For the most part it covers string boiling, making straps, setting string, and other maintenance related topics not actual playing.



2. Interesting arcane and off-beat tips, probably already known by the master bassist but helpful reinforcement; or good to know stuff for the beginner starting out on the career. CD attached with some useful examples.



3. this book should be read by not just bass because it's tips roll over to all guitar players. I am taking up bass and have been playing 6sting electric and just loved the book.



4. The 101 tips that modern bass master Gary Willis lays out in this excellent book will help bassists of all levels improve their craft in a variety of ways. Take me for example. I had been obsessing over the lack of mids in my tone, tweaking my preamp and considering introducing an expensive EQ pedal into my effects chain. Then I read Tip 49, and backed off the volume on the neck pickup of my Jazz(tm) bass. Wow! There was the articulation and punch I'd been looking for. I had also been feeling guilty for watching my alma mater's football games on Saturdays ("there goes another three hours that I could have been practicing!"). Then I read Tip 96, and bought a length of 2x4, some rope, and two screw eyelets. Presto - I had the perfect "bass" to focus on the mechanics of right hand slapping with my thumb, isolated with no need to worry about what my left hand was doing, all while watching football. Features a CD-ROM of audio tracks that you play over for some of the Tips.
   
   [...]



5. This is one for the library. Totally recommend getting the Tascam MPB-T1 Mobile Bass Trainer - MP3with a leather case from ValetStand com. Just down load the cd to the Tascam trainer and you can practice anywhere.

5 comments about Bass Tab White Pages.

1. Kind of like a jazz fake book, but for beginning bass players, this book has a fairly wide range of well known rock songs. Each song is tabbed, along with the actual written music, so you can play along with different recorded rock hits, learning to read bass cleff notes and rhythm as you're going along. The selection of songs is kind of peculiar, (Allman Brother's Jessica is in here, but not Melissa), but the book encompasses a pretty wide swathe of styles (Everclear, Dishwalla, Sheryl Crow, and The Temptations each have one song each in here). The transcriptions are really solid. I'd recommend this book to any serious beginning bass player, if you're ever going to be good enough to get work as a musician, you'll need to be versatile. If you're content to play just one kind of narrow genre in a garage band, this book is probably a waste of time, becuase you'll only find one or two songs you'll ever use out of the book.



2. this book is great for anyone with a bass guitar.........it has lots of songs some of which are older but more recent and well known songs too.



3. Sporting a ridiculous number of spot-on transcriptions in a variety of rock genres, this book is an incredible value. It's useful for players both new and old, regardless of skill level: there are songs in here to challenge and entertain every sort of player, and I think every bassist would benefit from owning a copy. Heck, I've been playing for more than 20 years, and even I found plenty of new material to chew on inside this book!



4. As a 62 year old and having never played a guitar in my life I went out and bought a Yamaha bass.I got free lessons on the net from Andrew Pouska at www.studybass.com and bought Bass Guitar for Dummies by Patrick Pfeiffer an equally wonderful teacher .but I wanted to play real songs so bought what I consider one of my best buys Bass tab white pages. It contains a selection of songs to suit everyone.with this book you too could be like me after only three months of owning my own guitar I now play in my own band . GO FOR IT .



5. This is an excellent book. Good accurate tabs for lots of songs. Well priced. I can't imagine anyone having any problems with it.

5 comments about The Art of Solo Fingerpicking : How to Play Alternating-Bass Fingerstyle Guitar Solos (book and CD) (Guitar Books).

1. Many of the other reviews have said it first, but Mark Hanson has created an excellent series of finger picking lesson books.
   
   The Art of Solo Fingerpicking is an intermediate fingerpicking book. If you can only strum a few chords or are new to fingertyle, start off with Mark's The Art of Contemporary Travis Style Picking first and then come back to this one.
   
   The exercises (in both books) are excellent and reinforced by the songs. The exercises are difficult enough to challenge but easy enough so you don't get frustrated. I found myself playing things that I never thought I could play in a very short period of time.
   
   The songs are challenging and excellent. But again, they are not too difficult to frustrate you.
   
   I am an intermediate player and have purchased many lesson books over the years. NONE have taken my guitar or mandolin playing as far as the Mark Hanson finger picking series. I am very critical of my playing. Quite often after a practice session with this book, I find a big smile on my face and say to myself "Did I just play that?"



2. I have been playing for over 30 years, this is easily the best instruction book on fingerstyle guitar. It is also alot of fun to play, the book ends and you cry for more!



3. For me, this book/CD raised the bar for all guitar instruction. I'm actually a pretty decent fingerstyle player now, and it is because of this book. I still have a way to go, and I'm still only a little more than half way through, but this book has taken me SO FAR with my playing. The progression of exercises is very natural; don't move on until you feel comfortable with an exercise, and then come back to it once in a while.
   
   
   
   Proceeding along, you get to the first actual "song", Red White and Blue Rag. I still play this one almost every time I pick up my guitar! The tab itself is the best I have EVER seen, with fingering notation in many places. The CD is a great inspiration, and the slow versions of the tunes are indispensable.
   
   
   
   I found out about this book from a recommendation on the "Unofficial Martin Guitar Forum", with glowing words from a long line of very experienced players. I gambled and bought it, and I'm a much better player no because of it. Seriously, if you want to get better at fingerstyle playing, this is the book.



4. This is a great instructional manual. Full of enjoyable drills and some nice pieces to play. Streets ahead of just about anything I have seen. The CD is a fantastic option. The 80 page book contains pieces in tablature and musical notation and Mark plays each piece through slowly and then at a faster tempo. It's tough going alright, but I am enjoying it. Not exactly for beginners, but for those of us who want something better to do with their thumb (heheh), this is the book to buy. Highly Recommended.



5. This book was quite a challenge. I went through the Art of Contemporary Travis Picking rather quickly (by quickly, I mean several months, so this may not be quick to some) so I figured this "sequel" would go by in a similar fashion but this really ups the ante. As a result, the pieces you will learn are much more satisfying to play and listen to. I highly recommend starting with the aforementioned book because most of the picking patterns and special techniques learned there are taken for granted in this book and may add to the learning curve. Believe me, you don't want to be worrying about performing a hammer-on or slur while maintaining rhythm to a variation on the outside-in travis pattern. You will have enough on your plate! You can start with just this book if you're willing to work harder in the beginning.
   
   I like how Mark makes direct references to specific artists, such as Leo Kottke and John Renbourn, and demonstrates some of their contemporary techniques through examples and songs. Some topics discussed are right and left-hand damping, using the thumb to play melody, playing scales (major and chromatic), using harmonics, alternate tunings, rolls (playing 3 to 5 strings in succession and spacing the picking evenly over a beat) and increasing overall speed via effective hammer-on and pull-off techniques (the essence of how the final piece, Strawberry Curl, is played).
   
   The book is not easy, but very little in life that's worth doing is easy. I spent months on the first 9 to 10 pages, but once things started to click, the rest of the book began to go by faster. Once I gained good, relaxed control and coordination on the first song and the following pages of exercises (especially playing a major scale while playing the alternating bass) I was able to make very steady progress but that was a hurdle to overcome. "Devil's Dream" took me some time because of the need to alternate rapidly between the index and middle fingers in the treble while maintaining the alternating bass. But once that control was there, it remained, and I was able to apply it to other pieces I was working on.
   
   Pay attention to the suggested fingerings and always try all ways if more than one is presented. I can easily wrap my thumb onto the 6th string, so I will tend to do that when it makes the overall fingering easier (much to the dismay of classical guitar teachers everywhere).
   
   After working through this book about halfway, I was able to manage some pieces from Fingerstyle Magazine (an achievement in my eyes!) and going into alternate tunings is no longer a scary concept. Traversing the neck to bizarre chord forms, while still not always easy, becomes easier to deal with and something that you accept as normal at this level of playing.
   
   By the way, when you finish this book, you will have some excellent show-off material in your repertoire. My favorite songs are Flier and Strawberry Curl (in Double Drop-D tuning). I heard Mark perform "Flier" this summer when I attended his annual fingerstyle guitar seminar and I made it one of my goals to play a duet on this song with him next summer (if I am able to go back) during the student recital (maybe even at normal tempo!).

5 comments about The Art of Contemporary Travis Picking: How to Play the Alternating Bass Fingerpicking Style (Bk & CD).

1. The whole series of Mark Hanson books is excellent. I have this one as well as "Beyond Basics Fingerstyle Guitar", "The Art of Solo Fingerpicking", "Hymns & Spirituals For Fingerstyle Guitar". All highly recommended. He has a talent for breaking a piece down into manageable chunks. And his arrangements are accessible to the beginning to intermediate picker while still sounding awesome.
   
   "The Art of Contemporary Travis Picking" rates at the bottom of the list due to the corny vocals on the CD. Perhaps incorrectly seeing this one as a follow on to "Beyond Basics," I was also a bit disappointed with the complexity of the arrangements. Otherwise, it is a decent book for beginning Travis pickers. "The Art of Solo Fingerpicking" is an excellent follow on.



2. Many have already described how good the instruction in this book is. And rightfully so. So I will bring up the one negative which made me regret getting this book.
   
   Apart from 2 or 3 songs such as John Barley, Sloop John B, etc., the songs used for demo are mostly lame ballads and fail to generate much excitement about playing them in me. The best tune is probably the opener, written by Mark Hanson himself. Also, most of these are sing-along types in which the vocal does most of the work instead of letting the guitar stay front and center. It would have been much better to feature mostly instrumentals where the lessons learned can be displayed in full glory.



3. With most guitar books I have the problem that they start real easy and then start spinning out of control. Not so with this book. I never had the feeling that I was lost or that there was to big of a level increase from one exercise to the other. What a great book! Other authors should use this book as an example. This book will teach you the basics of Travis Picking step by step. It is suitable for beginners and advanced players that like to learn the basics of Travis Picking.
   
   -D



4. This is an excellent book to start finger picking. The techniques you learn will go a long way in a short time. My only complaint is that the songs that are used are very cheesy. Maybe some Johnny Cash or Beatles would have been much better. However, the techniques learned are very good and makes the purchase of this book well worth it.



5. This book has easy-to-follow instructions and enjoyable songs to play. I am only 1/3 of the way through this book, and thoroughly enjoying it. It has some familiar and not-so-familiar folk standards, leading the player through basic patterns first, then adding variations, melodies, ornaments and finally culminating in a full fingerstyle selection that will challenge almost any player at any level. However Mark Hanson gives you all the tools you need to get there, in step-by-step detail. The book would be great without the CD, but the added audio instruction is also extremely helpful. I recommend this to anyone interested in fingerpicking and fingerstyle guitar.

5 comments about Bass Guitar for Dummies.

1. This is a great book to get if you're just starting to play, or even if you're more advanced. It goes step by step in very concise, simple lessons. Even if you get stuck or don't understand something the people at Dummies are extremely supportive.
   To give an example, I was stuck in one part of the book or didn't exactly get something, and I e-mailed customer support at Dummies. They must have got in contact with Patrick Pfeiffer (the author of the book) and he actually called me on my cell phone and explained everything to me! It's one of the nicest things anyone has done for me and I was quite blown away by it. So if you think you'll have an interest in playing bass, I would not hesitate to buy this book.



2. This is a great book for finger exercises and getting your hands in shape to play. In addition, I found that the discussions on theory really helped me to understand how bass player created their riffs. The only weak spot is there are not alot of songs to play with, but you can find those everywhere.
   
   I highly recommend this book.



3. BOOK AND CD ARE A GREAT LEARNING TOOL BOTH WERE VERY GOOD.I RECOMEND IT FOR ANYONE JUST STARTING OUT LEARNING BASS GUITAR.



4. I simply love the "For Dummies" book series. So, as a beginner in playing the bass, I had to purchase this book immediately and I found out that it's exactly as I expected: an introduction to the world of bass guitar, written in a funny manner, without the usual boring details that a "normal" guide would provide.



5. I'm a new bass player and this book is great -- I actually sleep with it, hoping to absorb even more through osmosis. I love Patrick's straight-forward approach and sense of humor. While I haven't looked at many other bass guitar books, I like how this one uses music, tabulature and the grid to show what to play. The initial/basic exercises are great for a beginner like myself, and make of lot of sense in the learning process. The CD is helpful, but it keeps playing straight through from one example/track to the next. I might need to change the settings on my computer or CD player, but I think it would be better if it stopped after each track so I could manually play the tracks, one-by-one, and look at the book at the same time to see exactly what is being played. Hopefully, when I become a great bass player, after using this book and practicing a lot, I will be quoted on the cover :) right up there with Adam Clayton.

5 comments about Hal Leonard Bass Method - Complete Edition: Books 1, 2 and 3 Bound Together in One Easy-to-Use Volume!.

1. This a very cool book, I've been playing guitar for a while and now I'm switching over to bass.
   Learned to play bass on my own but I learned some bad habits and believe me bad habits or difficult to unlearn! But I'm trying to unlearn them with this book.
   All by all great book with great basics!



2. Whether this is actually three books in one or just one full-featured book is up to the marketing department to decide. From an objective perspective, the Hal Leonard Bass Method Complete Edition is put together nicely and is capable of taking someone like me from the "complete beginner level" to the "almost intermediate level" as quickly as my practice schedule will allow. This is no small accomplishment for a do-it-yourself manual with three compact discs. Given its amazingly-reasonable price tag, the Hal Leonard Bass Method Complete Edition is a bona fide best buy. Bravo!



3. This book is the best I have seen for someone wanting to learn the Bass. With this book anyone can teach themselves to play and read music. The knowledge contained within the pages AND the CD's you'll be playing in no time at all, GREAT BOOK.



4. This book includes 143 jam-packed pages and two CD's into a great package for the self-taught and beginning-to-intermediate players taking lessons. The book takes a well-rounded approach to bass playing, giving attention to essential scales, triads, ergonomic issues, and several styles. The book also touches on specialized techniques such as hammer ons and pop-and-snap.
   
   Using this method at a slow and studied pace will equip the muscially-inclined bass player to hold their own in most pop-music settings. If you want to be the next Jaco Pastorius, however, the journey only begins here.



5. This is a very good book if you already have the basics of reading music. Gives more emphasis to playing than practicing hand/fingering technics. Not realy for a first time player.