Bass Fitness - by Josquin des Pres

bos_mindwarp · #1 08-08-2005, 05:34 PM

I got this book the other day, bunch of excersizes for your hands and all. It starts of very simple, but it gets gradually more complicated, especially isolation excersizes.

If you need a handbook on something like that, or some tips for warmup, it is recommended.

RevGroove · #2 08-08-2005, 10:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bos_mindwarp

I got this book the other day, bunch of excersizes for your hands and all. It starts of very simple, but it gets gradually more complicated, especially isolation excersizes.

If you need a handbook on something like that, or some tips for warmup, it is recommended.

+1...and I don't use it nearly enough...awesome resource!

**Bryan R. Tyler** · #3 08-08-2005, 11:01 PM

Particularly if you follow the guidelines (playing each pattern up an octave and back playing at 60bpm-180bpm (I go up in 15bpm increments)). It's a really good workout- I really like this book.

JohnBarr · #4 08-09-2005, 08:30 AM

de Pres has another book on sight reading for bass. I can't find a link to it now but you'll probably find it at bassbooks.com
It's the same approach. Can be maddening as water torture but it's good training.

John

Suckbird · #5 08-09-2005, 09:15 AM

hmm, maybe i should buy on these too.

Could you give me some examples of what kind of excercises the book consists of?

JazzBassinSC · #6 08-18-2005, 08:05 PM

Josquin is a great player and teacher. I used to study with him when I lived in San Diego, and that was the first of his books I bought. Also, definitely ck out Muted Grooves if you want to develop your Jaco/Rocco technique....same idea, starts out easy and gets progressively difficult.

Geezerman · #7 08-18-2005, 10:00 PM

I hate the ones where you have to keep one finger on 1 fret....annoying, but i used it today with the metronome

CaptainHueso · #8 08-20-2005, 03:03 AM

I too have the book. I need to start practicing it more. I havent looked past the first couple pages and i've had it for years. I need to practice more.

bos_mindwarp · #9 08-30-2005, 09:11 PM

This book is driving me nuts. When I do excercises for finger independence I can do left hand stuff, but my picking sequence goes out of the window! If I concentrate on fretting, my right hand goes 1-1-2-1-2-1-1-etc (anything random), instead of 1-2-1-2-1-2...

Doing it all on a fretless as a fretless newbie doesn't help, I still have to watch my intonation. To put it simply, I suck!

Well give it few years and Ill be there

RevGroove · #10 08-30-2005, 09:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bos_mindwarp

This book is driving me nuts. When I do excercises for finger independence I can do left hand stuff, but my picking sequence goes out of the window! If I concentrate on fretting, my right hand goes 1-1-2-1-2-1-1-etc (anything random), instead of 1-2-1-2-1-2...

Doing it all on a fretless as a fretless newbie doesn't help, I still have to watch my intonation. To put it simply, I suck!

Well give it few years and Ill be there

I don't think this book is meant to be used with a fretless bass...try "Fretless Bass" by Bunny Brunel and des Pres, it's a great one too!

**Bryan R. Tyler** · #11 08-31-2005, 02:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RevGroove

I don't think this book is meant to be used with a fretless bass...try "Fretless Bass" by Bunny Brunel and des Pres, it's a great one too!

It'd be a great way to get your fretless accuracy up to speed though. If you can do everything in the book on fretted as well as fretless, you're good to go.

I ain't trying it though

bos_mindwarp · #12 08-31-2005, 03:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bryan R. Tyler

It'd be a great way to get your fretless accuracy up to speed though. If you can do everything in the book on fretted as well as fretless, you're good to go.

I ain't trying it though

Yeah, that's what I was thinking, but its tricky

**Bryan R. Tyler** · #13 08-31-2005, 09:24 PM

Here's a question for those that own the book:

In it, it list the speeds you are to play at as 60-180 bpm and it has a quarter note signature. But in the prologue in the beginning, it says to play two notes per metronome beat. I took this to mean two for every quarter note beat, so it would basically be playing 60-180 bpm eight notes.

I had the thought tonight that he may have meant play two notes per metronome whole note, resulting in playing 60-180 bpm in quarter notes, like it appears to be written in above the staffs in the exercises. Is this the way it's supposed to be played?

chimp · #14 09-01-2005, 11:47 AM

Is this book as good as the talk that it gets? Im a pretty serious practiser +6hours a day and i have been looking for a book that would work on my muscle memory would this book be good for me? How thick is it, how many pages?

**Bryan R. Tyler** · #15 09-01-2005, 04:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chimp

Is this book as good as the talk that it gets? Im a pretty serious practiser +6hours a day and i have been looking for a book that would work on my muscle memory would this book be good for me? How thick is it, how many pages?

It's about 65 pages. It's all exercises- basically it goes through every available computation of fingering choices in particular patterns, and has you practice them up and down an octave at speeds from 60-180 bpm.

It's not an exciting book, but it does give you a very strict regimen to practice with that will really work both hands.