Forum responses wanted: New bass book in the works

[bullfiddle64]

Hi all. I'm looking for your input:


I have been wanting to write a bass book for a long time and I have many ideas. In fact, I have a few too many ideas so I wanted to put it to the forum to see if there were any topics that any of you haven't found in other books or if there was a book that you just wished someone would write. Maybe some of my ideas will line up with yours. I also thought it would be an interesting jumping off point for a book if the topic was chosen by the readers BEFORE it was written.

A brief history about me: I'm a professional acoustic/electric bassist working in the NYC area as well as touring for almost 20 years. I work with many artists in various genres from rock to jazz to classical and beyond. Would love to bring some of that experience to the book as well. You can read more about me and hear some clips at:

Pete Donovan | New York, NY | Jazz / Rock / Experimental | Music, Lyrics, Songs, and Videos | ReverbNation

Would love to hear any and all responses.



Pete Donovan | New York, NY | Jazz / Rock / Experimental | Music, Lyrics, Songs, and Videos | ReverbNation

[MalcolmAmos]

I think in interval numbers of the major scale pattern, i.e. R-3-5-b7. Most books have standard notation and tab shown. Would welcome a third staff of interval numbers much like Ed Friedland incorporated in his book Building Walking Bass Lines.

Course having the chord name also shown would round out the entire process. For example:
http://embedit.in/iZOCOerUSx

I understand that having all could pose a problem. I relate to interval numbers of the major scale pattern and would welcome any book that included that format.

Good luck with your project.

[onlyclave]

What makes your bass book any better or different than the HUNDREDS OF OTHERS ALREADY WRITTEN? What do you have to tell me that Rufus Reid hasn't already? Or Chuck Sher? Or Jamey Aebersold? Or Chuck Rainey? Or Steve Bailey? Or ad nauseum?

Just like when someone comes on here and thinks they want to be a teacher but they need to know what to teach, anyone coming on here thinking they're going to write a book but they need to know what to write about, don't waste your time. I don't care how long you've been playing and how many names you can drop, if you don't have anything interesting to say I don't care. There are a ton of other books out there with the same thing to say.

Come up with a revolutionary idea (that doesn't involve the terms "Secrets", "Studio" or "Pro") in the title and then come back here with an idea.

[fearceol]

Originally Posted by onlyclave

What makes your bass book any better or different than the HUNDREDS OF OTHERS ALREADY WRITTEN? What do you have to tell me that Rufus Reid hasn't already? Or Chuck Sher? Or Jamey Aebersold? Or Chuck Rainey? Or Steve Bailey? Or ad nauseum?

Just like when someone comes on here and thinks they want to be a teacher but they need to know what to teach, anyone coming on here thinking they're going to write a book but they need to know what to write about, don't waste your time. I don't care how long you've been playing and how many names you can drop, if you don't have anything interesting to say I don't care. There are a ton of other books out there with the same thing to say.

Come up with a revolutionary idea (that doesn't involve the terms "Secrets", "Studio" or "Pro") in the title and then come back here with an idea.

While you are entitled to and I respect your opinion Onlyclave, it appears to me that you are always ready to knock things down, and seldom have anything constructive to contribute. You may be right in what you say, in that the information is out there already. So what ??? People are more than able to decide for themselves if this potential book is worth their money. What may not be interesting to you, may be just that to others. Also, the OP is asking for opinions, not because he has no ideas himself, but because some aspects of bass playing may be covered a lot and others not as much. Even if the potential book covers what has gone before, again I say so what ?? No harm done, no animals or humans were sacrificed in the making of this book.


I'm sure you are a very knowledgeable person when it comes to all aspects of music and playing. So for goodness sake please lighten up and contribute something informative and constructive to the forum.

[wmheilma]

Funny you should mention Rufus Reid and Chuck Sher. I have been using these books for years while a whole lot of other books gather dust (except the blank ones I am filling up with my musical ideas). I am sitting next to Rufus' book now. The other two books I totally wore out are Jaco's 'Modern Electric Bass' and Tony Oppenheim's 'Slap It!'

Here is my opinion of what will help make your book really good.

1) Decide what your target audience is going to be. Who is going to use this book? Is it for young metalheads, old rockers, jazz enthusiasts? You'll need to grab an audience unless you expect a bunch of bass teachers to just start selling it for you.
2) Make sure your exercises are musical sounding. (Unlike Chuck Sher.)
3) Encourage improvisation on the idea in the exercise. (Like Chuck Sher)
4) Dont make the first real music after the exercise section impossible to play! (I'm thinking 'Nightcap' by Rufus here which is still hard for me even after 30 years on bass.)
4) I personally hate tab. My $.02 is to leave it out altogether. Make 'em read!
5) I do like to see a picture of the fingerboard to see some geometry for scales and arpeggios. Then a new player can connect the pattern with the notes in the exercise.
6) Include interesting altered tonalities

Have fun with your book project!

[mpdd]

something i learned from my art students that might help you if applied to bass...

don't have that weird bump in difficulty level from twinkle twinkle little star to iron maiden or chili peppers, remember not everybody could pick up a violin at age 4 and put their music teacher to shame (i failed the elementary school test for band, they told me i was tone deaf, which is interesting, because i'm not)

[Intenzity]

Originally Posted by MalcolmAmos

Course having the chord name also shown would round out the entire process. For example:
embedit.in — Bass clef pentatonics

Thanks for the props. That was from a blog post I did earlier this year. Hey, at least one person read it then.

I also relate to intervals, so I can use the patterns in other keys. I try and put it in all the stuff I post if I can.

The books listed below at the Lulu link all have the intervals of each of the chord tones - R,3,5,7 underneath them so you can see the patterns. You can see what I mean by looking at any of the previews.

It has never been easier to self-publish, but as has been pointed out, there is no shortage of method books and approaches out there, not to mention general music texts that are not bass specific and cover theory etc. So its tough to find something to release that isn't just another "this is how I think about it" book, which anyone can do. Very rarely does that kind of book offer any kind of improvement or really valuable concept that just having a handle on basic musicianship wouldn't already address.

And you have to put tab in it pretty much if you want to sell any copies to electric players. I heard from 3 different bassists who wrote books and didn't put tab in, and they all told me that was the biggest request they got and they all eventually re-released or updated their book to include it. So taking the high road will reduce your sales, just the reality of it.

The bar is really high if you do a method book, is it *really* going to be better than something Sher puts out? Or Berklee Press? Or Mel Bay? Or Ron Carter, Marc Johnson, or Jaco, or Victor Wooten or Anthony Vitti, or ...and there are a hundreds of others. Will it fulfill a bass specific niche and offer something that a big publisher wouldn't be able to do or wouldn't think it was worth their time to print and release? Then you might have something.

Take a look up on Lulu and CreateSpace, there are a LOT of self-published music method books up there by musicians (guitar players especially) that cover improv and/or methods. Probably 95% are meh, with nothing but one guys personal view on how he learned what he learned, and it doesn't offer any improvement over what just learning music would get you using anyone of the thousands of books already out there. And yea, if it is another "secret of the pros" kinda thing.....ugh.

Good luck though, it is fun, and even though you will never get rich writing bass books is it satisfying to hold an actual book in your hand you created.

[JTE]

For me, in order for a new bass book to be relevant and useful, it needs to make clear that learning to make music on the bass is learning music, not learning merely where to put your fingers. To that point, reading standard notation is critical. And there are valid ways to not positions and fingerings in standard notation, so beyond the elementary introductions, avoid tablature.

And teach intervals and HEARING what the written music sounds like so that it's not just head knowledge. Teaching folks to hear what a Dmin7 SOUNDS like is a lot more important than telling them to use Dorian mode over a ii chord. And use examples from a lot of different musics. A logical progression of learning theory and then showing examples from "the literature" is critical.

John

[KingRazor]

Originally Posted by fearceol

While you are entitled to and I respect your opinion Onlyclave, it appears to me that you are always ready to knock things down, and seldom have anything constructive to contribute. You may be right in what you say, in that the information is out there already. So what ??? People are more than able to decide for themselves if this potential book is worth their money. What may not be interesting to you, may be just that to others. Also, the OP is asking for opinions, not because he has no ideas himself, but because some aspects of bass playing may be covered a lot and others not as much. Even if the potential book covers what has gone before, again I say so what ?? No harm done, no animals or humans were sacrificed in the making of this book.


I'm sure you are a very knowledgeable person when it comes to all aspects of music and playing. So for goodness sake please lighten up and contribute something informative and constructive to the forum.

I have to agree with onlyclave.

If you don't have something unique to bring to the table, don't bother. I don't mean that in a condescending way, but in order for this book to be successful it simply MUST have something to offer that other books won't.

[KingRazor]

Originally Posted by wmheilma

Funny you should mention Rufus Reid and Chuck Sher. I have been using these books for years while a whole lot of other books gather dust (except the blank ones I am filling up with my musical ideas). I am sitting next to Rufus' book now. The other two books I totally wore out are Jaco's 'Modern Electric Bass' and Tony Oppenheim's 'Slap It!'

Here is my opinion of what will help make your book really good.

1) Decide what your target audience is going to be. Who is going to use this book? Is it for young metalheads, old rockers, jazz enthusiasts? You'll need to grab an audience unless you expect a bunch of bass teachers to just start selling it for you.
2) Make sure your exercises are musical sounding. (Unlike Chuck Sher.)
3) Encourage improvisation on the idea in the exercise. (Like Chuck Sher)
4) Dont make the first real music after the exercise section impossible to play! (I'm thinking 'Nightcap' by Rufus here which is still hard for me even after 30 years on bass.)
4) I personally hate tab. My $.02 is to leave it out altogether. Make 'em read!
5) I do like to see a picture of the fingerboard to see some geometry for scales and arpeggios. Then a new player can connect the pattern with the notes in the exercise.
6) Include interesting altered tonalities

Have fun with your book project!

If it is a book targeted at beginners, I don't think TAB should be completely left out, since people that are just starting out won't be as familiar with their fretboard. Having TAB can help build that familiarity. Just don't teach them to rely on it.

[Tampabass]

As much as I love print (and consider myself a "print" person), do you really want to put out a print product? Why not some kind of online, interactive product, since a)that's where everyone is these days, b)that (interactivity) is what everyone wants, and c)you can really reduce the overhead that way. Also, related to c) - if you do something smart/accessible/entertaining online, you might be able to go completely DIY, put the thing out yourself without waiting on a publisher, and consequently keep all of the profits.

Just my $.02.