Any of those books will be great. Books are great for visual learners, I have to see it and hear it before it sinks in. What helped me the most was to listen to the CD's or DVD's that come with the books and narrow the 50 or 60 riffs that are on the CD to just 5 or 6 and let those be my arsenal. You really do not need more 5 or 6 riffs to get started. IMHO.
Decide on a riff that will work with this specific song -(decide on the baseline to use for this song) let's assume a Root - 5 will work. Root is the name of the chord used in the song so.... when the song is using the C chord you play a C-5. When the song moves to an F chord you play an F-5. Etc. I'll get into what 5 is below.
What you now need is to know your fretboard. The bass fretboard is a snap to learn. For example the chord in the song is a C. You are going to be playing roots or root somethings right at first so... where can you find a C note?
Yep learn where the notes are on the 3rd and 4th string. There is a C on the 3rd string 3rd fret. There is also one on the 4th string 8th fret. Which to use? Up to you.
Say your riff will be a Root - 5. C is the root but where is the 5? Well the 5 is the fifth note in the C scale which just happens to be a G. Where is there a G note close by?
Up a string and over two frets. Up a string and over two frets will get you the 5th of any note on your fretboard.
Say the next chord you have in the song is an F. Where is an F note. How about the one right over the C. Next chord used in the song is the G - where is a close by G. Right below the C. Yep if you started with the C on the 4th string you do not have an F under it as there is
not a string there, however you started on the C that is on the 3rd string 8th fret you have the C F and G right there waiting for you. How simple is that!
Where is the R-5 for the F chord? You know where F is where is it's 5th?
Up a string and over two.
Where is the 2nd? Same string and up two frets.
Where is the 3rd? Up a string and back one fret.
Where is the 4th? Up a string, i.e. right above where you were.
Where is the 5th? Yep, up a string and over two.
Where is the 6th? Up two strings and back one or right over the 3rd.
Where is the 7th? Up two strings and over one.
Where is the 8th, or octave? Up two and over two.
Put that to memory and try these riffs.
R
R-5
R-3-5-3
R-3-5-7
R-R-3-3-5-5-6-5
Those 5 riffs will let you play a bunch of bass.
Some stuff that will come in handy:
http://www.guitarhangout.com/wp-cont...itar-notes.jpg
Find the C F & G notes.
How about G C & D notes.
How about D G & A notes.
http://www.studybass.com/ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUK5p...eature=related
Use four root notes per measure, when that is easy add the 5th. When that gets easy try a R-3-5-3 or a R-R-5-5. Notice all the jam tracks listed on the right side of the screen.
Your biggest hurdle will be hearing the chord changes which you have to hear to move your riff through the song. To help with hearing the chord changes listen to a bunch of blues - because the blues chord progression is predictable and will help you hear the change.
Have fun.
It will get you off to a good start. Comes with a cd too.
