Hello,

Just wanted to get some input if anyone thought this book (bass guitar for dummies) is worth the purchase?

I'm a few months old as a player and starting to run out of ideas on how to progress and need a little guidence and thought a book might be useful.

Thanks in advance.

I've looked at it. It's not bad, but I think you can do better.

Check out the
David Overthrow Electric Bass series, published by the National Guitar Workshop.

I think it's excellent.

My wife bought it for me for Christmas. It has an audio CD with it. So far I am impressed. I would recommend it. Lots of info.

I have this book and it is very good. Don't let the name fool you. It's got 300+ pages of useful info. I highly recommend it!

Hello,

Just wanted to get some input if anyone thought this book (bass guitar for dummies) is worth the purchase?

I'm a few months old as a player and starting to run out of ideas on how to progress and need a little guidence and thought a book might be useful.

Thanks in advance.

I reccomend it often ... bought it cheap on Ebay and it was worth every penny, if not several times what I paid for it ... it was written with me in mind ... and that scares me ... dont thnk its a cakewalk, or just for beginners ... I will be going back through it again, after I finish "The Complete Idiots Guide to Playing Bass Guitar" ... paid a lot more for this book, all of the price of one lesson ... cant go wrong with either, if you learn one thing you didnt know, its worth it ... but if you are new, you will not only learn a LOT, a lot will be over your head to grow into ... JOFOF (just an opinion from an old fart)

Here's another very informative book for beginning Bassists.

http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Idiots-Guide-Playing-Guitar/dp/1592573118

Complete Idiots Guide Playing Bass Guitar vs Bass Guitar For Dummies vs David Overthrow Electric Bass series.

Who wins. Heard good things about the dummies and Overthrow books all over Talkbass. For COMPLETE beginners.

Complete Idiots Guide Playing Bass Guitar vs Bass Guitar For Dummies vs David Overthrow Electric Bass series.

Who wins. Heard good things about the dummies and Overthrow books all over Talkbass. For COMPLETE beginners.



Well The Complete Idiot's Guide to Playing Bass Guitar
by David Hodge

was just released a few months ago.(and we all know how long Bass Guitar For Dummies by David Overthrow have been around) I have checked both books out(I have a copy of Hodges book in my house at this moment) and they both would be perfect for any one wanting to learn about the Bass guitar.

"Dummies" has become a brand that people look for and it sells well so the publisher can go after some of the better authors for a given subject. They have a format that works that they ask the authors to follow. They approached me about a book on a software development tool a few years ago so I got a little insight into how they do things. I passed on it because there was no way I could put in the amount of effort they required in the allotted time. Don't let the name fool you; they have high standards.

"Dummies" has become a brand that people look for and it sells well so the publisher can go after some of the better authors for a given subject. They have a format that works that they ask the authors to follow. They approached me about a book on a software development tool a few years ago so I got a little insight into how they do things. I passed on it because there was no way I could put in the amount of effort they required in the allotted time. Don't let the name fool you; they have high standards.

Exactly.

Complete Idiots Guide Playing Bass Guitar vs Bass Guitar For Dummies vs David Overthrow Electric Bass series.

Who wins. Heard good things about the dummies and Overthrow books all over Talkbass. For COMPLETE beginners.

After the first book, the Overthrow series is beyond Beginner. There are 3 books - Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced, and by the end of the series it really does present a very good, concise yet effective tour through bass playing.

I have looked at lots of materials over the years, and many are good, and many have at least Portions that are good, but pound for pound, I really think the Overthrow series is among the best out there. Very complete and very effective.

I have looked at lots of materials over the years, and many are good, and many have at least Portions that are good, but pound for pound, I really think the Overthrow series is among the best out there. Very complete and very effective.


Have you had a chance to check out The Complete Idiots Guide to Playing Bass ?(and no I'm not being sarcastic)

I'm holding off for Bass Guitar for Total Knuckle-dragging Morons.

Have you had a chance to check out Complete Idiots Guide Playing Bass Guitar ?(and no I'm not being sarcastic)

Not yet. :)

as mentioned, I have both ... and have been through Dummies (<--ME) once ... and am 3/4 of way through Idiots (<--- ME AGAIN) ... I have found some flaws in Idiots, such as incorrect note/chords, and some illustrations referred to that are not present, etc ... but it is still very informative ... bottom line ... I would get them both, AND the Overthrow Series (I will put that on my list after Idiots) ... but I would do it in the same order that I did ... Dummies, Idiots, then ?? ... I am not exaggerating how much Dummies helped me ... I am not a beginner, in fact I first played over 35 years ago, but took almost 30 years off after that ... I never took the time to learn anything other than the songs I needed to learn for a touring band back then ... now I am 'Dummying' up and doing it right ... :) ... look at the price of each book as the price of one lesson ... you will have 2 VERY long lessons, with ability to go back over and over at your own pace ...

wow, post a thread - go to sleep - wake up - reap the great advice :)

Thanks a bunch for the great answers, you convinced me and I've just now placed an order for the book.

Greatly appreciated!

I've looked at it. It's not bad, but I think you can do better.

Check out the
David Overthrow Electric Bass series, published by the National Guitar Workshop.

I think it's excellent.

Bass Guitar for Dummies is an excellent reference book. Mr Pfieffer did a great job with it!

I have all of Dave Overthrows (http://www.daveoverthrow.com/) series of books (there are 8 in all at this time, I believe). They are all very good. He has also started releasing DVD's of them recently. I've taken lessons from him off and on over the years. He's a great guy, teacher and an excellent bassist! He definitely gets my recommendation also. :bassist:

You can always request it at your local library - if you want to try before you buy. If they don't have it they can request it from other libraries. The CD is sometimes missing, but not always.

Dave Overthrow all the way.

I've used his books and he's quite good.

quick question purely out of curiousity as I've already ordered and it's on it's way.

how is the book structured? Is it for example in lesson-format or maybe sections like chords-section and scale-section and so on?

I started here with a search for the Dummies book. This is from having seen it in shops and being impressed by the content, as much as my limited knowledge can take into account anyway.

Secondly, I've just read a great interview with the author on another site and this gives a little more insight into the book and its ideas.

http://bassplaying.com/?q=node/47

I'm now going to check out the Overthrow series, as recommended by SBassman and others. It sounds good. If it's now being produced in DVD format, that would be a great help too. Sometimes, rading, or hearing, or even both is not enough, you have to actually see something for it to make sense.

Walnut

I'ma gonna add one more book that really Intrigued me when I was browsing through a local Music store.

http://www.amazon.com/First-Bass-Ultimate-Guide-Fundamentals/dp/087930846X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/104-9182597-2682322?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1174389779&sr=1-1

What do you guys think?
I don't know but there's a quote by Steve Bailey at the back praising the book
http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/087930846X/ref=sib_dp_pt/104-9182597-2682322#reader-link
Read it. (Press the right arrow a few times to view the back page)

Edit: The Dave Overthrow book's contents page seems to have a lot of content covered.

I've been getting quite a lot out of Patrick Pfeiffer's book (Bass Guitar for Dummies). It moves fairly quickly, and tends to read so easy that I keep realizing I can't play what I just sort of coasted past in the last few pages, so I have to keep going back.

The writing is clear and easy to understand, but the message is always the same: Drill, drill, drill. Put in the time. Don't avoid what you're having trouble with. Can't read sheet music? Get a bunch of sheet music and read it until it's so memorized you're not reading it anymore. Then get new sheet music. Don't know all the notes in every chord? Start with majors, then minors, then dominants, then diminished, then augmented. Then do it over and over again. Don't know your scale forms (major scales starting with index, second, and fourth fingers)? Pick a song you know and play it using all three scale forms, everywhere on the neck you can put it. Locked into a key because you rely on any open strings? Figure out how to eliminate opens, then play that piece at every fret as far up the neck as you can.

A book can present this stuff, and make it clear enough so that you know if you're doing what the author intends. And if it's well presented, your practice time is spent more efficiently. But you can't become competent by reading a book.

if you really dont know anything about bass its probablty worth it. it jumps from really basic stuff to musical notation, so if you cant read your sol in some parts. i cant remember if theres tab in it too but i remember feeling like it skipped around alot

A couple of things "Dummies" had which I liked (and which I didn't see mentioned here) are that the music is presented in all formats (not just notes or tablature), and that examples of MANY styles are presented for reference. This was very handy for expanding my musical knowledge and exposure to what different styles are out there.

A couple of things "Dummies" had which I liked (and which I didn't see mentioned here) are that the music is presented in all formats (not just notes or tablature), and that examples of MANY styles are presented for reference. This was very handy for expanding my musical knowledge and exposure to what different styles are out there.

Complete Idiots Guide ... does this as well ... just enough to give me the basic flavor of each, and make me dangerous ... FWIW, I just picked up Complete Idiots Guide to MUSIC THEORY ... just a quick browse through so far, but it too looks like a winner ... on a side note, I just pulled out BGFD for a brush up pass ... it will be interesting to see what I forgot, and how I have progressed from going through it several months back

I bought the book because a few years back a took a few lessons from Patrick Pfiefer. I shopped around here for a teacher for a while, and thought he was the best even though at the time I was looking for a bargain and he was one of the most expensive. I felt I really got my money's worth for the 3 or 4 lessons I took. He also called me from time to time with gig referrels.

Haven't really checked the book out (even though I have it) because it seemed real beginnerish, but knowing what I know of Patrick I don't think it can be anything other than top notch.

Thanks for reminding me I've got it, I might as well read the dang thing now. :)

I borrowed it from the library and I didn't really care for it. I've been playing for 7 or 8 years and the content was too cookie-cutter and basic for me. For a beginner, maybe it's good, I don't know. I didn't care for the riffs that were on the CD.

IMO, if you want a complete bass method for a beginner/intermediate/advanced, check out The Complete Electric Bass Method by David Overthrow. Better riffs, better music theory, better everything. All of course, IMO.

IMO, if you want a complete bass method for a beginner/intermediate/advanced, check out The Complete Electric Bass Method by David Overthrow. Better riffs, better music theory, better everything. All of course, IMO.

Ok, so that's one vote for Dave Overthrow. Anybody else?

the content was too cookie-cutter and basic for me. For a beginner, maybe it's good, I don't know.

I assume, as the title suggests that this is exactly the type of person it is meant for. :confused:

I bought the book because a few years back a took a few lessons from Patrick Pfiefer.

I too have taken a couple lessons from him and he's a GREAT teacher and just an all around awesome guy with an infectious personality(and a classic accent!).

The book is the best for beginners and intermediates in my opinion and although I am playing more 6 string guitar of late I plan on taking another lesson from Pat in NYC soon.

Buy the book!