Hi Everyone,

I was wondering what your opinion's are on stuff like this that is offered on the internet?http://www.bassguitarsecrets.com/

I know one has to becareful because the internet is like an infomercial...However, I downloaded a free sample of what lessons would be like and I liked them very much.

This guy Alex Sampson (is a teacher and bassis) who also writes a blog that I checked out while downloading a sample of what his lessons would pertain...

PLEASE read carefully (even though it's long) and tell me what you all think...

If I did go for this program, I figure I have nothing to loose as my money is refunable and it's not like I am spending a fortune....

Thanks, Greekbassist

I don't really care much for this type of marketing. The "I'll tell you a secret if you give me some money" spin, drives me up the wall.

Most, if not all bass guitar secrets have at some stage been discussed here at TB. There is centuries worth of experience and knowledge here, and it's all free.

Sorry for the negative feedback on the website.

I'd be worried about anything that says that "it doesnt matter if you've been playing for one day or 15 years"...

"There is no substitute for hard work."

Programs like this fly in the face of that wise adage.
Don't waste your money.

Thanks guys!

I just thought that maybe this guy had discovered something and created a new innovated way for learning bass i.e. learning the fretboard, why scales are chords are really used for (he makes it sound like you don't have to learn it) and so on...

Though from what I did download for free it did seem pretty cool...

One of the downloads teach you how to groove properly with a real drummer...

However, I appreciate all of your advises!!! Thanks again!

I'd be willing to bet that you will discover all the most useful and reliable "bass secrets" right here at TalkBass.

ditto

"Because of how much faith I have that you'll quickly find the course is the deal of the century my guarantee is so absolute that you also have my blessings to KEEP THE ENTIRE COURSE, ALL THE BONUSES, all the custom-designed software, the WHOLE enchilada as a FREE gift, even if you do request a refund."

What's this guy playing at exactly?

It's by the same guy who does that perfect pitch program!



No, not really, but it certainly sounds like it. Really things like this are really exaggerated. As the previous posts say, nothing replaces hard work!

Well, I am finding out that the internet is becoming an INFOMERCIAL :hmm:

In my heart I agree with you all, but I just thought I would just post the website to see what other bassist thought about this bass secret stuff...

I appreciate the advise....And yes there is no subsitution for hard work...

Check out Carol Kaye's method. She has taught and played bass for over 40 yrs. She gets you thinking Chordally. I am working through her DVD course and Rock Funk Bass Tutor. Easy to understand. Check out her website and forum
www.carolkaye.com.

Anytime you see or hear the word "secret" in association with learning music, grab your wallet and run as fast as you can the other way.

THERE ARE NO SECRETS.

There were some nice note choices on a couple of the audio samples, but honestly, the time and feel were really hokey and stiff in places. And some of it was a bit overplayed. As someone who has done a lot of sessions, I feel these lines would not pass muster in the context of recording a song. If you had vocals on top of that, there would be too much going on.

I actually bought this book back when i was first starting bass. And still today its probably one of the better starter books i have found. yeah its a E-book, so thats a downfall, but there is great info there. I meen, its no "The Jazz Theory Book" But its like a Bass for dummies kinda book. Its a good starter kinda thing, and teaches you to groove, and basicly unlocked the fretboard in a way i have yet to find better. He also shows alot of good drum to bass samples, and how to lock tight with the drummer. plus its like 3 books and CDs and a half a$$ed drum machine, but it works.

edit: i should mention its filled with him talking about random nonsense crap most of the books.

So whats he gonna tell ya, "sing the bass line in your head while you listen to the song, remember it, and look for the notes on the fretboard. Once youve found the notes, play them in rhythm, and there you go, you're a killer bass player" .... puh lease...

I actually bought his material and have all of it. It is pretty decent stuff. I also agree that if you wanted to learn all that he taught this forum is a great place to do it. I found it easy because he puts it all in one spot, well put together, and I could just play rather then spend hours asking questions and maybe getting good answers. If you are not willing to spend money and have extra time, then don't buy it. Myself and others highly recommend it.

I also just recently bought the books. I can contest that they are really good for any begginer. I had no knowledge of the bass and about 5 months into playing, with the help of this system, i have a pretty good grasp on theory, as well as technique and what my role as a bassist is. I actually bought the books rather that the e-book. It was a little more expensive, but i found it an invaluable tool in learning and understanding the bass.

I also highly recommend bgs!

I'll stick with the years of knowledge here on talkbass personally.

I'll stick with the years of knowledge here on talkbass personally.

+1

I got pointed in the right direction for my sound, and many other things here(including better technique), and I wasn't a total beginner when I first started reading, but now I feel like I was back then..

How much better if I would have found Talkbass even more into the early phases of my playing.

The search button is your friend, your best friend..:)

ZachAttack - Jul 2006 Posts: 20
mkettner - Jun 2006 Posts: 164
alex027 - Jun 2006 Posts: 6
rootjwb - Jul 2006 Posts: 17

I don't want to be unfair to any of the posters supporting this guys site but do you see any pattern among the 4 posters who had good things to say?
None of them have been registered before June, while to the contrary everyone that didn't get a good vibe from the site has been here longer with half a dozen of us being supporting members.

"How To Play Professional, Full
Sounding Bass Lines For Any Song
You Hear -- Right Off The Top of
Your Head -- Every Time!"

Right. You hear Teentown, then just play it; right off the top of your head.

I've been here longer than that, and I enjoy this program a lot. I took heat for liking it several months ago, also. Look it up, Akami, given your proclivity for research. I had to deal with a bunch of forums members here who blasted the program for no oither reason than they dislike the word "secrets."

If you want to discuss patterns, that's fine. So discuss the pattern of naysayers who critique the program, yet have never even read the books themselves. It's perhaps the most well-defined pattern this entire forum has to display - paranoia. Some may prefer to piece together their development on their own. Others want a program that combines theory, method, finger exercises, and additional studies in a sequential and designed program, augmented with additional resources in this forum. But the best show of all are the folks who most vocally oppose this program, yet don't explain why. So how about it, Akami. Please explain why you dislike the program. You won't change my opinion of or use of it, but you might sound less paranoid. Regards.

I too noticed the registration dates and post counts of all the members who have positive things to say, and I agree, to a point. Maybe it works for you, maybe it doesn't. But the people around here longer probably realize that TB is an incredible, free resource.

tplyons - agreed on the value of TB, apart from sporadic mobs, perceived or real. just tried to join right now, and ran into snags on Paypal. If TB would take money orders instead of enforced paypal channels, I'll be a member soon. for stats - how many newer members have asked about good programs on the web, whether BGS or otherwise? I still see true paranoia, but onward. people have stated their cases and methods for evaluations, as much as we are likely to hear, so onward. still don't see an evaluation from you, but I don't care. we both have better things to do with our time. Me with BGS. You with your notable and respected paths also. regards.

Yeah, I only have 17 posts because I only started playing bass 2.5 months ago. you can't tell me of all the years you played you have never bought a bass book. and only have used tb for your studies.

anyway I love this site. hope to support soon. oh yeah and bought my first 5er from a tber!

tplyons - agreed on the value of TB, apart from sporadic mobs, perceived or real. just tried to join right now, and ran into snags on Paypal. If TB would take money orders instead of enforced paypal channels, I'll be a member soon. for stats - how many newer members have asked about good programs on the web, whether BGS or otherwise? I still see true paranoia, but onward. people have stated their cases and methods for evaluations, as much as we are likely to hear, so onward. still don't see an evaluation from you, but I don't care. we both have better things to do with our time. Me with BGS. You with your notable and respected paths also. regards.I've actually studied many methods, and I'm not doubting all of them and passing them off as lies, they're not.

However, I'm a marketing major, economics minor, and a large part of both of these is statistics. I can't help but notice a strong correlation between post count and who believes in this product. I'm not saying it's a bad method at all, I am saying I'm skeptical and frankly am not at all inspired to drop cash on such a cheesy marketing scheme.

BTW, I believe Paul will take money orders or checks for supporting memberships. Feel free to contact him here: http://www.talkbass.com/forum/sendmessage.php

comments from this point forward withdrawn by writer. the issue was discussed, people stated their cases, I stood and stand by mine, onward we go.

hmmm. how many people were involved with drafting that response? (OK, now i'm getting cynical). But do a stat count on me. BGS is a small percentage. Participation in two threads in 6 months. I have to have more on that posting for tinnitus, hearing protection, bass mods, boutiques, observations on the used bass market, and one very long philosophical thread a few months ago. (that was *fun*) TB offers much to keep me busy and enriched. perhaps too much. just emailed about money order arrangements. otherwise, your claims of statistical credibility remain worthless to me. might sink in one of these rounds. -vI never said anything about percentages of your partcipation having to do with this, nor am I going to debate about some sort of conspiracy.

Nothing against you at all. Go ahead, use it, I never said it was garbage.

comments from this point forward withdrawn by writer. the issue was discussed, people stated their cases, I stood and stand by mine, onward we go.

So any other opinions?

Be interesting to see if we get any positive opinions from long time members.

comments from this point forward withdrawn by writer. the issue was discussed, people stated their cases, I stood and stand by mine, onward we go.

I bought the deal in January 2006 because I wanted to start playing music again after decades away from it. Having never played bass before, I wanted something that would break it down without killing my buzz with dry theory...and, at first it was ok. Then, we got to scales. Basically, it was "memorize this." That's when I put it away and never picked it up again. Look, I know and understand there's a certain amount of memorization needed when it comes to theory...however, telling a student to memorize isn't teaching or instructing. The course failed to put theory into a musical environment. What would it hurt to learn, rather than memorize, scales and patterns musically? Anway, it went from fun to boredom in a hurry...and I turned to Hal Leonard without hesitation. Who knows? I may go back to Bass Secrets at some point when I've memorized all the scales, recognized enough patterns, etc. but until then it sits at the bottom of my drawer. I believe there are better vehicles for beginners.

Hi fellow bass players,

This is my first post in this forum. Being a seasoned guitar player who recently converted to bass I needed some tutoring in the fundamentals of bass playing. I ended up buying this course (bassguitarsecrets), and I've been using it for a few days. First of all the course is not a short-cut to becoming a great player, it's all about laying bricks upon bricks and being persistent. And I find it very methodical and thorough. I have as BadMonk hit the scales part of the course, and it is hard to work through, but I keep making small discoverys alle the time, and that keeps me going. There is really now short-cut to improvising, you need to know about scales, and you need to be able to "spot" the scales all over the neck. About the language on his web page, it put me off in the begining, it seemed too good to be true. But when you read the books, he writes like this all the time, I guess it's his thing. So far I'm happy with the course and it keeps me motivated. But I'm not sure if this is for beginners. You'll have to work at for a while before you can spot any progress. But hey, if you want to be good player you need to practice the stuff you don't like, it's called dicipline.

I bought the deal in January 2006 because I wanted to start playing music again after decades away from it. Having never played bass before, I wanted something that would break it down without killing my buzz with dry theory...and, at first it was ok. Then, we got to scales. Basically, it was "memorize this." That's when I put it away and never picked it up again. Look, I know and understand there's a certain amount of memorization needed when it comes to theory...however, telling a student to memorize isn't teaching or instructing. The course failed to put theory into a musical environment. What would it hurt to learn, rather than memorize, scales and patterns musically? Anway, it went from fun to boredom in a hurry...and I turned to Hal Leonard without hesitation. Who knows? I may go back to Bass Secrets at some point when I've memorized all the scales, recognized enough patterns, etc. but until then it sits at the bottom of my drawer. I believe there are better vehicles for beginners.

Ditto ... as in, I bought the course, and agree it could be very beneficial, dependant on time available to apply, level desired, etc ... I took it one step further than most that have replied though .. after tiring of looking at it sitting on my shelf (like BadMonk), and realizing that I was never going to get back to it, I decided to see if the author was sincere on his money back guarantee ... I dont think he has many sent back ... his return email to my inquiry as to where to send for return ( I purchased the hard copy version), had a bit of a sarcastic flavor (again, my perception) ... I was finally refunded completely for my purchase price, AFTER I sent the course back to some foreign country (Tanzanita??) at my postage expense ... the course was returned complete, and in perfect condition, completely re-sellable ... bottom line, if I wasnt in my mid 50's and playing only in worship situations, and looking for a refresher, no, a 'SECRET' to playing effectively after a 30+ year lay-off, I would have kept it and put my nose to the material, of which there is a LOT of good information ... but, as earlier stated, you better be ready to do the work and have the time available to realize its full potential, that is probably the real "SECRET" ... a bit of a side note, Bass Guitar for Dummies and the Complete Idiots Guide to Bass (and Complete Idiots Guide to Music Theory) were more my cup of tea and what I was looking for to get me back up and running ... just enough theory, scales, etc to make me dangerous ... JM(very old)HO

I've been here awhile and I bought it. I wasn't any more expensive than a lesson and I thought what the heck. I got my money's worth out of it. I didn't stick with it, but I did so long enough to learn a few things I didn't know (as I do all the time at talkbass). I agree that it's great for beginners..he is a little talky ...but it is good material. His marketing is terrible..I have no idea why he does it that way as it obviously hurts his credibility and makes it seem flaky. It isn't..he was prompt in returning emails..I even had my computer stolen and sent me a link to get the materials again. It seems to me that his secret is "the bass is a drum"...he goes into details, but that's the jist of it. Some people won't be able to get past the silly infomercial style of marketing and I don't blame them..but I will still recommend it to a beginner that doesn't have a teacher and is looking for some well laid out fundamental info.

Yeah, I play teen town right off the top of my heeeed....Not quite..had to slow it down on the jam man first and then buy the music and even having done all that I can still only play it at about 120bpm....

There are no "secrets"... :rolleyes:

MM

I bought a book that was compiled of old "Bass Secrets" articles, with the same title. It was compiled by John Stix and it contains the "secrets" of Billy Sheehan (not too enthused), Stu Hamm (much better), Tony Franklin, and Randy Coven. This book actually helped me develop new techniques, artificial harmonics being one that was notable, and I found it helpful.
However, realizing that there are such resources available on the internet somewhat makes me regret having paid money for it. In most cases, I prefer having a book from which I can just read and do what I want to do, and for some reason I always have trouble learning things off the internet. Kind've weird, but I guess if its on sale in a book, it must be written somewhat well, so that might be it.

All that being said, paying money probably isn't worth it for the average person as all of the information is available at some place on the internet, most of it right here on TalkBass.
I'd gladly post any secrets I know, whether it be from the book or personal discovery, for the use of others. I know I like it when I find information easily, so I'd be glad to help another fellow bass player out with these so-called "secrets".
For people to be charging for these "secrets", it's just ridiculous.

I'm a really big Alex Sampson fan. I see that he's a gifted educator, as well as a great player. The man simply gives of himself tiresly.

His material rivals the best out there and his subsequent follow up correspondences & updates, by inbox, inspire me to practice well. (and i'm a self disciplined person)

He's out've Philadelphia, and i'm located 2 hours south of him, and if i knew for certain that he was giving a clinic somewhere, or was going to be in a designated place where i could tell him thank you to his face for his course, i would jump at the chance!

I signed up to his newsletter or whatever and he'll send you 3 or 4 lessons. They had some good information but I had already seen it discussed in detail here.

I'm about to sign-up as a supporting member of TB for this reason instead of spending 50$ on his "get better quick" course.

I don't need to go to the website, especially after the OP says "even though it's long..." and I see that the title includes "secrets". There are NO SECRETS! It's just basic, sometimes boring, fundemental music theory, some real understanding of the way your body works and how to physically manipulate the instrument so you don't hurt yourself, lots of listening, then applying what you learn from the theory to what you hear.

Just do it, as those shoe people say...

jte

Man, I took one look at that site and hit the "back" button on my browser. There's prolly more in the Mel Bay bass method than in that site. Originally, I was signed up for a "one a week" video lesson for that instrument with thin strings. I forget what the site for that was, but it was pretty cool most of the time. When I got into bass I decided to look for something similar. I did sign up for something (I guess) cus about a week ago I got an e-mail for his "new" system or something.

No offense, but the guy is a freaking windbag!

Anytime you see or hear the word "secret" in association with learning music, grab your wallet and run as fast as you can the other way.

Equally true for weight loss, investing, and real estate.

Also see: "magic"

Here's the secret...

If you want to be famous and make fishloads of money, write catchy songs with more hooks than a tacklebox, aiming for somewhere between the 13-39 year old crowd. Don't forget the "look" too!

If you want to be a good bass player, practice a lot.

13-39? more like 10-20!

Hi Everyone,

I was wondering what your opinion's are on stuff like this that is offered on the internet?http://www.bassguitarsecrets.com/

I know one has to becareful because the internet is like an infomercial...However, I downloaded a free sample of what lessons would be like and I liked them very much.

This guy Alex Sampson (is a teacher and bassis) who also writes a blog that I checked out while downloading a sample of what his lessons would pertain...

PLEASE read carefully (even though it's long) and tell me what you all think...

If I did go for this program, I figure I have nothing to loose as my money is refunable and it's not like I am spending a fortune....

Thanks, Greekbassist

He left out the most important and valuable secret there is to bass playing..... or playing any instrument for that matter...
PRACTICE!!!!!!

Close this. I went to the page and then Norton blocked a virus from it :/

Close this. I went to the page and then Norton blocked a virus from it :/
+1. It wasn't a virus per se, but it was spyware telling me I had spyware and I could install a spyware program to remove the spyware that they just put on my machine. Any good bass lesson program would never accept advertising from spyware companies as it would make enough money on its own. Time for Spybot :(

I know the secrets of life, money, music, women and bass playing, but I can't talk about any of them, because they are ummmmm, secrets. Sorry.

Stuff like this, more often than not, is a marketing gimmick and/or scam and is not worth your money. Anything in that program will be readily available elsewhere.

Stuff like this, more often than not, is a marketing gimmick and/or scam and is not worth your money. Anything in that program will be readily available elsewhere.
+1. Prolly in torrent form too.

Bleh, spyware on the site, and watching the vid, his timing sucks. Give your money to a real teacher instead.

He left out the most important and valuable secret there is to bass playing..... or playing any instrument for that matter...
PRACTICE!!!!!!


+ 1000.............. and it's the ONLY "secret".

He left out the most important and valuable secret there is to bass playing..... or playing any instrument for that matter...
PRACTICE!!!!!!

Hi everyone,
I'm a bass player of 17+ years, and I bought Bass Guitar Secrets a couple of years ago. I've since bought his Fretboard Formula and the Bass Chopz Accelerator.

I like these courses. They are a bit rambling, but they are basically the same as any other bass book - taking you through the important stuff step by step, with exercises, anecdotes, thoughts and enthusiasm.

Alex has said he used the name "Bass Guitar Secrets" cos it sounded cool, nothing else. And to say he forgot to mention practice - almost every page has what he calls "woodshed exercises" - ie "go away and practice this".

We all love playing bass - the sound, the feel, the groove, the weight(!) what does it matter how we learn? Why can't we use whatever resources we want? I have all of Dave Overthrow's books and they are also great - I would recommend them and Alex Sampson's stuff equally, but I know some people would prefer one over the other.

Let's just celebrate the fact that we all have a common love, and give the guitarist some groove back.

For god sake, people!!!! It's like a school yard in here sometimes!!!!

Peace and love on 4, 5, 6, or 8 strings (but not 7!!!)

David

Hi everyone,
I'm a bass player of 17+ years, and I bought Bass Guitar Secrets a couple of years ago. I've since bought his Fretboard Formula and the Bass Chopz Accelerator.

I like these courses. They are a bit rambling, but they are basically the same as any other bass book - taking you through the important stuff step by step, with exercises, anecdotes, thoughts and enthusiasm.

Alex has said he used the name "Bass Guitar Secrets" cos it sounded cool, nothing else. And to say he forgot to mention practice - almost every page has what he calls "woodshed exercises" - ie "go away and practice this".

We all love playing bass - the sound, the feel, the groove, the weight(!) what does it matter how we learn? Why can't we use whatever resources we want? I have all of Dave Overthrow's books and they are also great - I would recommend them and Alex Sampson's stuff equally, but I know some people would prefer one over the other.

Let's just celebrate the fact that we all have a common love, and give the guitarist some groove back.

For god sake, people!!!! It's like a school yard in here sometimes!!!!

Peace and love on 4, 5, 6, or 8 strings (but not 7!!!)

David

I also bought Bass Guitar Secrets. I have mixed feelings about Alex's stuff. He is very good at breaking down the fundamentals in simple terms. For instance, he does a great job of teaching modes and how they should be applied, as well as the basic theory of harmonizing the major scale. He really helped me "get it" when it came to keys and how to decipher chord numbers like I, iii, V, vi, etc.

But he can babble a bit, especially in his videos. And his sales pitch is definitely over the top. He constantly talks everything up as "super secret" and "best tip ever" and "instant mastery". That type of stuff. And the sales pitch doesn't stop after you buy his material. The material itself is full of it also, as are his follow-up emails. The truth is, nothing he's teaching is new. It's all theory and fundamentals. He just seems to have a knack for putting things into terms a regular guy (like me) can grasp.

Also, there is speculation he has done some "shady" marketing, even here on TB. Like posing as a student and posting rave reviews about his products, and other types of false advertising elsewhere on the net.

The biggest thing that no-one seems to have mentioned is that if you're a beginner you need a real, dyed in the wool teacher. Doesn't matter how good the source material is, if you've not got someone who can check out your playing and make sure you're not making fundamental mistakes (either in interpretation or physically) then you're just storing up problems that will have to be corrected further down the line.

There are some great books out there that can help - but having a good teacher is an absolute necessity in my opinion.

+1. It wasn't a virus per se, but it was spyware telling me I had spyware and I could install a spyware program to remove the spyware that they just put on my machine. Any good bass lesson program would never accept advertising from spyware companies as it would make enough money on its own. Time for Spybot :(

I got one of those from the freakin' Weather Channel. I think they come in from the syndicated ads - the ones with all the scams on them. You know, like "Housewife loses 35 pounds in 20 days, learn her amazing secret!"

Come to think of it, that would fit in pretty well with those "[instrument] secrets" websites.

For god sake, people!!!! It's like a school yard in here sometimes!!!!"

As a buyer, if you've got a guitar background, it's worth digging his approach, as well as the many gifted teachers and players on TalkBass.

Alex, you're OK in my opinion!

Actually, though you might hate me for it, I found TB when running a search to see if the BGS shite was a scam.

I saw the opinions of the people here and decided I didn't want to risk the cash, but then my tax refund came in and was like five or six times what I expected it to be, so i went ahead and bought the hardcopy version (which was like high-quality self publishing stuff used in like inter-office presentations or something, but terrible for mass publication).

I did learn stuff from this book series. Because of him, I now understand the concept of chord spellings.

BUT

The guy's a windbag. His editting is garbage, his writing style is WAY too informal for a teaching series, and some of his explinations are really hard to figure out due to awkward wording.

I wouldn't mind if he put out some dvds or something though, to go along with his method. I am better at learning through watching than learning through reading.

And his advertising annoys me - plus I have no idea how to log in to his web site to get the extras he offered in the ads.

There are some secrets... like the CAGED system for guitar (and bass too). That was a pretty good secret for many years. And when learning guitar chords, nothing beats Johnny Rector's method. James Jamerson and Ray Brown took some "secrets" with them 'cuz no one has done it since. My "secrets" for bass are all borrowed from others. Not getting complicated with scales is a big one. Just maj7, min7, dom7, dim7 - the vocalist or soloist only need these notes. They're already singing the 11ths and lowered ninths. The chord progression dictates all one needs to play. In fact, the bassist guides the entire ensemble along the progression (the drummer is the true bandleader, then the bassist - the rest can make any noises they want and it will sound good). The most important "secret" of bass is physical skill - getting your tone in the fingers, because a hundred notes will never beat good tone for audience appreciation. Learning to weave arpeggios and inversions into a musical line and exhausting the notes from one position before shifting into the adjacent position. And the best secret is the magic of open strings - as Tommy Tedesco said, the open strings and first four frets are the "money notes" - perhaps all you really need...the rest of the neck says "Look at me! I'm a star!"

...and always play for the dancers!

There are some secrets... like the CAGED system for guitar (and bass too). That was a pretty good secret for many years. And when learning guitar chords, nothing beats Johnny Rector's method. James Jamerson and Ray Brown took some "secrets" with them 'cuz no one has done it since. My "secrets" for bass are all borrowed from others. Not getting complicated with scales is a big one. Just maj7, min7, dom7, dim7 - the vocalist or soloist only need these notes. They're already singing the 11ths and lowered ninths. The chord progression dictates all one needs to play. In fact, the bassist guides the entire ensemble along the progression (the drummer is the true bandleader, then the bassist - the rest can make any noises they want and it will sound good). The most important "secret" of bass is physical skill - getting your tone in the fingers, because a hundred notes will never beat good tone for audience appreciation. Learning to weave arpeggios and inversions into a musical line and exhausting the notes from one position before shifting into the adjacent position. And the best secret is the magic of open strings - as Tommy Tedesco said, the open strings and first four frets are the "money notes" - perhaps all you really need...the rest of the neck says "Look at me! I'm a star!"

+1