I'm fairly new to teaching private lessons and so far I've had pretty good response. I have mostly guitar students which I have a method book I start all my students to get them reading notation and all that good stuff. I'm getting ready to do the same with my bass students but all the method books I've seen so far don't really do it for me. I want something that will teach them to read and also work in some elements of theory as it goes.

I'm studying bass with a guy and he has compiled his own over the years. He also has a sight-reading book by David Motto which is pretty good. I may start using it, once my bass guys are reading a little better. My question is, what books do you use? If any.

Ed Friedland edited the Hal Leonard book. 3 part series. Great books, as are all his others. Highly recommended.

They are at the bottom of this page:

http://www.edfriedland.com/books.htm

I teach beginners with books for the basics, and then go into different styles, such as slapping from one, then walking styles from another.

I also make them do exersises in John Shuan's Note Speller 1 and 2. Even the treble cleft because I teach them to recognize both for this one reason: when using legers lines above the bass stave, all notes on lines are also on lines on the treble cleft and same with spaces (pretty easy to see). So if they know both they can recognize the high leger lines quicker and easier.

I like "Position Studies for Electric Bass", which is a Mel Bay book written by Roger Filiberto. It is a great book for getting the student beyond frets 1-5 and up into 5th and 7th position.

Tim

My bass teacher has been using the F. Simandil book (big orange beast). It's been working great as far as technique/classical styles go, but be sure to teach the student any more contemporary styles/tunes they want to learn, so as not to bore the hell out of them :p

Ed Friedland edited the Hal Leonard book. 3 part series. Great books, as are all his others. Highly recommended.

They are at the bottom of this page:

http://www.edfriedland.com/books.htm

+1 on these books as well as Ed's other books once the student is underway on the Hal Leonard books.

The only thing I find with some students is that that the Leonard books use nothing but original compositions and they complain that nothing is familiar. I personally find that a bonus as they then have to learn the song as written and can't fall back on any recognition crutch, but in this case I supplement the material with transcriptions of popular songs - the various bass magazines are great for these.

The one I'm really having success with right now is The Improviser's Bass Method by Chuck Sher. It covers a LOT of ground, no tab (personal preference of mine), and actively encourages students to create their own ideas based off the exercises/lessons, which is always a good assignment.

I've been looking very hard for about a year and a half for a great book to teach out of and this is the best I've come across so far.

+1 on these books as well as Ed's other books once the student is underway on the Hal Leonard books.

The only thing I find with some students is that that the Leonard books use nothing but original compositions and they complain that nothing is familiar. I personally find that a bonus as they then have to learn the song as written and can't fall back on any recognition crutch, but in this case I supplement the material with transcriptions of popular songs - the various bass magazines are great for these.

Thanks for the kudos! I hope this won't be considered spam, as I didn't write these particular books.... Hal Leonard has a series of Easy Pop Bass Lines books that have "real" songs with "real" bass lines in them. They also have a lot of different play-along type book/cds.