Instructional Books

[Cpt_Llama]

Can any one recommend some good books for developing skills and/or for beginners

[camerondye]

What skills do you want to work on?...
slapping, finger playing, theory, tapping,

[Boplicity]

A good very basic book for beginners in bass guitar is:

"You Can Teach Yourself to Play Electric Bass"

It sells for about ten bucks and starts out with the most fundamental of lessons...learning the names of the parts of a bass guitar, it also teaches sight reading, and typical basic points of playing a bass.

If you feel you are a little more advanced than that, another good book is:

"Building Bass Lines" with CD by Chuck Archard, Alfred Publishing, 95 pages, $19.95

This uses both standard notation and tab and is chock full of valuable information.

Both of these books and others are available at:

http:www.bassbooks.com

I bought mine in music stores, though. They are commonly available, also in book stores like Barnes and Noble.

jo

[Cpt_Llama]

I am a new-ish bass player

I can play some simple lines

I can read music in treble clef (play trumpet in school) and a little in bass

I know a little theory, just major scales and a little bit of intervals

[Boplicity]

In that case I reccommend the Archard book, "Building Bass Lines" because it does assume some knowledge.

jo

[Boplicity]

A more comprehensive book that starts simple, but builds in a systematic way is:

"Mel Bay's Complete Jazz Bass Book." by Earl Gately, 134 pages, $18.95.

This book is just filled with valuable information. Don't let the "Jazz Bass" scare you. If you work your way through this book, you will be a better player no matter what style you play.

JO

[Cpt_Llama]

how much knowledge is assumed?

[Cpt_Llama]

thanks, I'll pick those up soon!

[Cpt_Llama]

I couldn't find either locally so i got the berklee bass method/practice book (not the instant bass one but the other one about geting to gether with you band or something simalar)

[Boplicity]

I'm not familiar with the Berklee bass book, but if you have any questions when you read it, come here to TalkBass to ask for help.

JO

[Newman]

I really like "the bass player book"
It's put out by bass player magazine and starts simple and goes through almost everything. Different styles, reading music, some small lessons on slap and harmonics, understanding your equipment, and even some small biographys on a few of the greats.