....it has been recommended to me by Jeff Berlin, and I'm doing exercises from it at the moment. However, it is out of print (1968 was when it was printed), and the equivalent bass version (Chord Studies for Electric Bass, by Joe Viola and Rich Appleman) is covered in annoying fingering markings and what not.

I'd love a copy of the original. Anyone have one they'd sell, or know where I could get one?

Pete

Go buy a copy of Chord Studies for Electric Bass and ignore the chapter in C. Everything else is written without fingerings except in the instance when the exercise was intended to be played from first position.

I don't know what you expect to get from that book other than a reading workout in ledger lines. Charlie Parker Omnibook in Bass Clef has no fingerings and is actually musical. A lot of the same information is in that book.

Thanks for that. I'll put in an order tonight.

I'll probably end up with the Charlie Parker omnibook too at some point.

As to the point of the book - Jeff Berlin is using it for me as reading as well as how it uses 'approach notes' to each of the chord tones in each of the studies. He says the book is 'pure jazz' - which is good enough for me.

I've done most of C (major, minor, minor 7, minor 7b5, dominant 7) in our lessons. I've simply read some things, but most he's had me do in all 12 keys after I've practiced them for a bit (including the more difficult 64-note etudes at the end of each chord type chapter). I've noticed an improvement in my ear, reading, and I'm starting to incorporate a lot more 'approach notes' to the chordal tone approaches I've picked up from Jeff, so I think the book is having its intended effect....

Pete

Are you having lessons with Jeff in Florida (I think that's where his players school is).

What is he like as a teacher? I always loved his columns in Bass Player - he got a lot of flak from guys, mainly because to follow his approach and suggestions you have to work really hard and there's a lot of guys out there who want a magic bullet/red pill....

Be interested in your experiences.

It's interesting studying with Jeff. I'm learning a lot. I'll post about my experiences at the Players School here soon, but for now you'll have to have a look at a thread I wrote about a year and a bit ago when I went to the PSOM for the first time. It's here - http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=374716.

Pete

"I don't know what you expect to get from that book other than a reading workout in ledger lines."

I didn't know either, for years this book languished on my shelf except for the once every few months stab-at-it, until I got guidance from some teachers (players) who emphasized the importance of chord tones, rather than scales, in jazz improvisation. Then I realized that this book is a great way to practice and internalize chord tones and the surrounding chromatic and neighbor tones that embellish the CTs. The chord tones have gravity, and the other notes have certain behaviors in that gravity and the exercises in this book help internalize some of these "behaviors." Absolutely great stuff.

Also, consider the sources--Jeff Berlin champions this book, and the creator of the etudes, Joe Viola--well, here's a VERY abbreviated list of his list of students: Branford Marsalis, George Garzone, Michael Brecker, Charlie Mariano, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Quincy Jones, Jerry Bergonzi, Antonio Hart, Herb Pomeroy, Billy Pierce, Joe Lovano, Donald Harrison...

On that basis alone, I should have humbled up and practiced this stuff like I do now, even if I didn't know why, but no regrets--everything starts from now.

Quite simply, I agree with JDubbleyoo. But it sometimes takes a teacher to point the way to what you need, as opposed to what you want, to practice....

Finally received my copy of Chord Studies for Electric Bass from Amazon. Jeff and I looked it over; it's the same apart from the extra fingering markings in C major and the different font they use for the script of the book.

Excellent.

Peter,
Did you guys use the Real books at the school? If so, was it the "New Real Book" or the old faves? Thanks.

There are copies of the Real Book Vol 1 (Bass Clef) 6th ed and the corresponding treble clef version. No copies of the New Real Book lying about. I'm not sure it matters terribly much, as often other changes will be suggested by Jeff or the other teachers for real book tunes anyway.

Thanks Peter. I had the Chord Studies book years ago in college and gave it to a friend who was in the bass section with me. I ordered it today. And while diggin around the Amazon site, I found this:

http://www.amazon.com/Charles-Mingus-More-Than-Play-Along/dp/0634001566/ref=sr_11_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1236967180&sr=11-1

I could'nt resist.:)