Bass guitar books help beginners to learn the bass at their own pace. These music books teach beginners the fundamentals of the instrument, such as finger placement on the fretboard and how to read music.
Some music books are designed for specific musical genres, such as jazz or funk. For instance, John Goldsby’s “The Jazz Bass Book: Technique and Tradition” is a great option for aspiring jazz bassists.
Hal Leonard Bass Method
Bass guitar is an essential part of many music genres. It provides the low end foundation that gives music its energy and drive. There are a variety of ways to learn bass guitar, including online resources and traditional books. Learning from a book can be more structured than learning from video lessons and may provide a better sense of accomplishment. Additionally, books often come with accompanying audio and video materials that can make the learning process more interactive.
When choosing a bass guitar book, it’s important to find one that is well-written and has clear explanations of the material. It should also be organized in a way that makes it easy for the reader to follow. A good method book will teach the basics of playing bass, such as how to hold and position the instrument, basic chords and scales and reading tablature. The book will also cover a variety of styles, from rock to jazz, and will help the reader develop their musical vocabulary.
The Hal Leonard Bass Method is a comprehensive instructional bass guitar book that is designed for anyone who is new to electric bass. The book is based on years of teaching bass students of all ages and also reflects some of the best bass teaching ideas from around the world. It covers a wide range of musical styles and will help the beginner bass player build both right- and left-hand independence. The book also includes an audio component that can be accessed online for demonstration and practice.
This comprehensive instructional guide to the bass guitar will help you play songs from your favorite artists quickly and easily. It teaches you how to read and play bass guitar notation, fretboard knowledge, chords in first through third position, bass line patterns, rhythms through eighth notes, fingerstyle and pick playing techniques, and more. It also features over 100 great songs, riffs and examples, engaging “Test Your Understanding” questions in each chapter, and concise practice guides.
Building Walking Bass Lines
A walking bass line is an essential skill for any bass player who wants to be able to do more than just play root notes in a chord progression. A good walking bass line can actually help you comp the chords and give a more musical feel to the whole bass part. It also gives the listener a sense of movement when changing chords. This is particularly important these days as club and restaurant owners are cutting back on entertainment budgets. This may mean that you’ll be playing with a smaller group or even solo. Being able to walk a bass line and still comp the chords will allow you to work in these situations and give the band that added depth it needs.
To build a walking bass line, you need to understand how to construct a chromatic approach note and how to move between the roots and fifths of a chord. The most common way to do this is to use the root notes of the chord and then move up to a passing tone that works with the chord you’re comping over. This step is called scalar movement and it helps your bass lines sound smooth and coherent. You can also use chromatic passing tones to create tension and resolution between chords.
The Building Walking Bass Lines book shows you how to do this and much more by going both broader and granualar (dividing 32 bar progressions into 8 bar increments, making the tempos much more manageable). Most walking bass line books that you’ll find online offer “hacks” and formulas that end up teaching you uninteresting repetitive patterns that don’t really let you develop your own style. This book shows you how to do it, not just in walking bass but in all forms of improvisational bass playing.
Music Theory for the Bass Player
Music theory might seem intimidating at first, especially to new bass players, but it’s an essential part of the learning process. It will allow bassists to not only learn where notes are on the fretboard, but will also let them understand how different chords are constructed, what they mean and how they relate to scales. It will also let them play in more keys — a big win for those who want to be able to rip through rock tunes and blues classics alike.
The best way to approach music theory is with a logical and structured plan. This means starting with the basics, then moving on to more complex concepts. For example, learning the names of all of the notes on the fretboard is a good place to start, and then working your way up from there. You can also divide the fretboard into sections such as the first five frets and then all of the notes above that, allowing you to tackle each area more quickly.
For more advanced bassists, it’s a good idea to work on intervals. Intervals are the distances between each note on the neck, and they are essential to understanding how to construct chords. The knowledge of intervals will allow bassists to move beyond simply playing what is written in a tab, but will help them make the musical choices that will add a bit more spice to their lines.
This book is a must-have for any bass player, whether they are just beginning to take on the subject or looking to improve their understanding of music theory. It will help bassists to become more well-grounded groovers, informed bandmates and all-around better musicians. This book comes with a handy wall chart and also a set of 89 videos that are available online, demonstrating the techniques, exercises and concepts that are described in the text.
The R&B and Soul Guitar Book
It’s hard to listen to contemporary music without hearing some facet of Neo-Soul technique – the blend of classic soul, jazz and funk that’s so popular today. This path will help you develop the skills you need to play soul and R&B with confidence, whether you are an aspiring rock and pop bass player who wants to learn more chord progressions and experiment with tempo, or a bassist interested in learning to incorporate jazz chord voicings and legato fills into their style.
The first chapter examines basic rhythmic concepts and devices that are key to playing soul and R&B, and also explains how different intervals can be used to create a unique sonic atmosphere. Other chapters focus on examining different R&B chord voicings, including suspended chords (also known as 7th chords) and altered dominant chords that add tension and depth to a song.
This path also includes a number of practical techniques that can be applied to your playing, such as palm muting and percussive strumming. These techniques will help you play with more groove, and give your music a more authentic feel.
For advanced players, there’s even a section that covers the guitar licks and runs associated with this genre. These licks are challenging and require the use of many different techniques, such as double stops, triplets, hybrid picking and slides. This collection of licks will push your harmonic, melodic and technical control, and allow you to add an impressive, emotive dimension to your R&B and soul bass lines.
The James Jamerson Bass Book
James Jamerson is probably one of the most famous bass players of all time. He played bass on many Motown hits from the 1960s and 70s and is considered the creator of that unique sound. He was part of the original group of studio musicians called the Funk Brothers who worked for Motown founder Berry Gordy and is responsible for making those classic songs that we still love today. Jamerson brought a jazz/blues background and intuitiveness to the instrument that helped create his own style and he single-handedly revolutionized bass playing.
The book begins with a brief biography of Jamerson and then moves into some of his signature bass lines. It is interesting to note that he never played the same bass line twice – each song had its own unique phrasing. He was also a master of using “ghost notes” which were softly played rhythmic stepping stones between more pronounced tones/beats. His unique style and approach to the bass has been an influence on nearly all bass players that followed him.
As a bass player it is important to try and learn as much as possible about the styles and techniques of the great bass players from history. This is a great way to improve your own bass playing and develop your own style and creativity. Learning from the best is a sure fire way to get better at any instrument.
This book is filled with interesting information and a lot of challenges to work through for any bass player. It is definitely worth a read! I have been a bass player for over 35 years and this book has transformed the way that I think about the instrument.