5 comments about The Working Bassist's Tool Kit: The Art and Craft of Successful Bass Playing.

1. This book and CD cover all the bases to bring you around the bases and back to home plate!

   The chapters cover Core Skills (Timing, Charts & Ears), Gig Survival (getting thru tunes you don't know, attire, Jazz survival, etc.) Specialized skills (5 String fundamentals, doublin, Thumb technique, and Chords). Some of the material are re-prints of BassPlayer mangazine articles by Ed Friedland, but this book really covers all the bases.

   What I like the most about this book is it re-inforces all the things my many teachers over the years have covered. Ear training - identifying chords and interval by ear. This is an invaluable skill! Also, the book covers fully typical chord progressions that you will invariably play. There's a very extensive recommended song list for the gigging bass player to know. Awesome!

   This book is in no way esoteric. It is a straight forward, hands on book. The book covers virtually all styles of music you'll encounter on a gig.

   I feel this book needs to be in every budding bass players wood shedding cabinet!

   I bought it here on Amazon.com at a great price.

   Peace!




2. Ed Friedland's book is truly deceptive. Packed into just over 100 pages and a single CD is enough information and advice to land a paying gig as a bass player. That a lifetime's pursuit could be so distilled without losing breadth is a testament to Friedland's writing. The musical examples are a testament to his fine low hand.

   One weak point is the book's first chapter, Keeping Time. Friedland makes it clear that this skill, undergirding the other players with a clear time patttern, is essential to obtaining work as a gigging bassist. He fails, however, to include on the accompanying CD, examples of bass playing along with complicated metronome exercises in this first chapter.

   Otherwise the book's punch is powerful. Friedland has given all bass players a challenging course to study and practice. His path will lead bassists to self improvement if not professional success.




3. This book is a jewelbox full of great technical and practical tips. From gig and career planning, to basic and advanced technique, to hints for buying a new bass, this is a comprehensive overveiw on bass playing.



4. I have started playing bass after many years as a guitarist. I find Ed's book very useful with a lot of fun and intelligent exercises which helps develop your skills as a bass player. It is the best bass book I have seen yet.



5. Nicely done! I'm thinking about becoming a working bassist (after having been a working pianist for many years.)
   This book has been quite helpful in that regard. Two thumbs up!

1 comments about Bass Player Presents the Fretless Bass (Bass Player Presents).

1. While I may be a bit biased towards the fretless bass - this book is certainly very well done. Chris Jisi, from Bass Player, has assembled some of the most influential fretless players on the planet, to talk about technique, music, style, and technical aspects of fretless bass. The book is well organized, with some great information about music available, as well as who's playing what.
   
   The book is rounded out by some great luthiers and builders discussing care & feeding of a proper fretless.
   
   I also love the center section with some full page, and full color, Bass Player Magazine covers of great fretless players that have graced their pages. That's a very nice bonus.
   
   If you are at all interested in fretless bass - this book is a keeper!
   
   Wes Watson
   FretlessBassist.com

2 comments about Ron Carter - Building Jazz Bass Lines (Bass Builders).

1. If your aim is learning the basics of blues ,it the right book. However, I guess that it should include more Jazz tunes and excercises and not only the same progression in different keys.
   It's very clear and well explained. Suitable for beginners.



2. Is a nice book for beginners, gives examples of blues in most major keys, some examples in minior keys. The play along CD is helpful for practicing playing a fretless bass in tune.

2 comments about Bass Logic - A Comprehensive Method For Learning Bass.

1. This is simply the best bass method available. It is also one of the most comprehensive. Bass Logic covers everything from theory and technique to practical applications in different styles. Most players use their fingers for right hand techniques, but I liked the fact that it also showed picking techniques as well. (Actually, the thumping and popping was the most fun part for me.) Arpeggios, scales, intervals and even chords and progressions are discussed at length. I finally learned the neck. After reading the book I got the video which helped a lot because I like to see things demonstrated. Watching the ideas in the book put in action was the best educational experience I've had, and I've got a lot of bass methods. I've been working in the book and video for a few months now, and I haven't found anything that wasn't useful on some level. I'm starting to make that leap from "theory to practice" and it is making a HUGE difference in my playing. I wish I could give it more stars. I also wish I'd gotten it sooner.



2. This book is great, because it explains the mechanics of what is being taught. For anyone starting out like myself, this book is a great compliment to "Bass for dummies." When I say mechanics, it goes beyond simply making you push the "I believe" button of learning, it provides explanations.

5 comments about Ultimate Beginner Bass Basics (The Ultimate Beginner Series).

1. This book probably was written for absolute beginners. The book is only 40 pages long and spends 15 of its pages on background information on how to read notes, tabs, and on how to hold and pick a bass guitar. If you're a guitar player, you probably know most of this already. The rest of the book is a play along to the CD with no explanation why a particular note was chosen to start and to end on. So you can't really create your own bass line for different songs even after you complete the lessons. It's a short book so you can go through the material in few days. If you had no exposure to music in the past, this book will start you off and help you become familier with the instrument. If you are looking to learn more, perhaps books on bass by Berklee school of music is a better deal.



2. This book is a super quick and easy learning tool. It is easy to read and allows for you to study/learn at your own pace.



3. Had to go to near the back of the book to start. For totally untrained players.



4. Got this for my wife who's just learning to play bass. She's been moving along. She's not familiar with guitar, so this book is neccesary. Only downside is that it didn't come with a CD to play along with.



5. If you are looking for a good book on bass and are just starting out, DO NOT get this book. It's very short and does not have a lot of information in it to get by on. The "Bass Guitar for Dummies" book is way better and much more informative.

5 comments about The Fender Bass: An Illustrated History.

1. This publication is a quite interesting if incomplete update on the scant literature already available on this revolutionary instrument.It is beautifully produced- contrast it with,say, Blasquiz' work on the same topic. The photography is superb, the text a little thin.A book to browse through, but a detailed history, no.This is a book that on the 50th anniversary of the introduction of the Precision Bass pays homage to the American heritage of Leo Fender's innovations, and to be fair, is welcome.
   However, large chunks of this essential history are missing;
   apart from the history of the two giants of Fender's bass line, the Precision and Jazz basses, there is little or no mention of other basses made by the company- the Coronado, Mustang and Bullet models barely rate a mention.
   Perhaps a more glaring omission is the deliberate absence of reference to Fender's 'offshore'production (Japan, Korea, Mexico and latterly China and Indonesia)under 'Fender' and 'Squier by Fender' badges. The FMI corporation readily admits that for a time preceding the establishment of the Coronado plant,Japanese output kept the company afloat. Europe,too, is a huge market for Squier instruments- these instruments, of undoubted quality, contribute significantly to the FMIC balance sheet.
   Example: the book mentions the production of an 'American' '75 reissue Jazz Bass without a mention of the excellent Japanese-made version of the same bass, made under license by Fender Japan that preceded it. Regarding quality, my own early-80s Squier Precision and Jazz basses which bear a Fender logo are better instruments in every way than USA models from the same era -real dogs - that I had owned but got rid of. Blasquiz' book was a start- Molinaro and Black have certainly taken the story a stage further- but a now global company needs to have its history comprehensively chronicled.The proliferation of Fender-badged basses produced in several countries including the USA now available everywhere demonstrates that FMIC is now indeed a global company. All in all, an incomplete history.
   However, both authors are to be commended for taking this story a stage further.



2. True, not EVERYTHING is in this book, but close enough. There are other books that cover the "players" of Fender basses, this book doesn't center on that. Lot's of great photos and info.
   It IS my Fender Bible.
   I'm gonna get a spare!



3. This is an excellent book for both collectors and players. Many facets of the Fender Bass are covered along with interesting little trivia items. The pictures are absolutely first class. The book seems to cover all models of the Fender Bass with one glaring omission. NOTHING about the Coronado Bass (Fender's only hollow body bass). HIGHLY recommended!



4. What can I say about this book? Frankly, after playing Fender basses exclusively for almost 30 years, I thought that I knew everything about every style of Fender bass ever made. WRONG! This book not only is a great coffee-table "picture book," it also goes into the roots of why and how particular changes and/or upgrades were made over the years.
   
   This was truly a fun and educational eye-opener for me. I just can't put this book away! I say Fender forever!!



5. This is a good resource for Fender bass collectors or those interested in starting a vintage instrument collection. There are plenty of photos and information to help research the date of a Fender bass, or just to look at and wish you had one. It was also interesting to see the ads used throughout the years and the colors/options available.

4 comments about Bass Guitar: Total Scales Techniques And Applications (Book & CD).

1. "Bass Guitar: Total Scales Techniques and Applications (2005, paperback with CD, 160 pp., $24.95) by Mark John Sternal is a complete resource for bassists. At the heart of the book are thirty scales, including major and minor scales as well as Hungarian, Japanese, And other versions. Playing techniques described include double-picking, hammer ons, string bending, string skipping, and harmonics. Every exercise is written in both standard notation and guitar tablature, and a note chart shows adaptations for four-, five-, and six-string instruments."
   D. Wagener, Assistant Editor, Teaching Music Magazine



2. I'm just beginning bass, but I'm already a musician so I've got a little insight into the process of learning a musical instrument. I play horns, so I have to learn guitar techniqe and reading bass clef to learn to play the bass. This book, by itself, really won't help you much, there's really no substitute for getting a professional music instructor and taking lessons. Now, in addition to lessons, this book is a somewhat useful reference, but here are some gripes: 1) it's a think paperback, the way it's bound, it won't stay open to a particular page on a music stand unless you pretty much destroy the back, then you have a bunch of loose pages. 2) The stress here is on basic techniques, not reading music. The techniques are useful, but the book isn't particularly good at helping a novice learn to read bass clef notation and play the notes on the bass guitar.



3. "Bass Guitar: Total Scales Techniques and Applications - "Total" is the key word in this improved version of MJS Publications' best-selling bass book. Bass Guitar: Total Scales, Techniques & Applications ($25 list and street) includes new sections on slapping and popping, pickstyle, and fingerstyle. That's in addition to lessons covering every position on the fingerboard, in every key, and different ways to use them."



4. This book does cover a lot of material, but I did not find it to be the mesiah of bass instruction books. A lot of the material is gone through rather quickly and it really seems to be an adaption from his quitar book. I definately would not recomend to a beginner.

3 comments about Easy Pop Bass Lines: Play the Bass Lines of 20 Pop and Rock Songs.

1. I would've rated this higher, had it not been for the cheesy (midi?) sax that plays lead on a lot of the tracks. The transcriptions are good, especially if you play along with the real recordings. But the accompanying cd was disappointing. I think this is an unfortunate addition to the "Hal Leonard Bass Method".



2. The book does a nice job of presenting classic song bass lines in a progressive manner. As a teacher I also appreciate the lack of tab which forces students to read the notes and not just the numbers.



3. This was my first play-along CD bass book. I like the idea of reading the actual music rather than tabs. The selections show a good variety of music styles to keep the beginning bass player interested. The arrangements match the skill levels for a beginner along with some challenges. The CD quality is good, with some midi arrangments, but they get the job done. This is good enough for practice. Bottom line is out of 20 songs, most are a lot of fun to play along with, and I would recommend as a must-have for any beginning bassist.

2 comments about BASS GUITAR BK/CD/DVD: FOR BEGINNER TO ADVANCED STUDENTS (Progressive).

1. This is one of the better bass instruction books I have found and I have looked at or bought a good many of them. I use other books, but I always come back to Progressive Bass Guitar. It really helps the student learn the fretboard. It also teaches a variety of blues/rock riffs that can make someone sound good in a short time. It also touches on transposing skills, finger patterns and music theory. I pretty good buy for the price. I showed it to my bass teacher, who thought it would be good to develop your chops. Most of his students study jazz and have a tendency to play most types of music in a jazz style. Since the book is slanted more towards early rock/pop, he plans on recommending it to some of them to expand their styles of playing. The only negative comment is that the riffs on the CD are lumped together with four-five riffs per track. That makes it hard to reach a specific riff, but that is really a minor complaint. Other than that, I can't recommend Progressive Bass Guitar enough!



2. CD has the songs without the voices so you can clearly hear and play along. Get buy!!!

1 comments about Mel Bay presents Essential Music Theory for Electric Bass.

1. I'm a drummer, beginner bass player and somewhat experienced in music theory via paino lessons in college. This book is hands-down the best instructional book on electric bass I've seen - buy it and you won't be sorry!