Music theory for bass book recommendations

[Imaginos]

I've returned to bass playing after almost a 4-year hiatus. This time I'm motivated to actually learn my instrument and have been playing almost daily. My only problem currently is that my practice routine is a bit unorganized: I'm slogging through Ed Friedland's Building Walking Bass Lines, repeating the exercises there until I can play them smoothly and then playing along to some funky songs I love.

The thing is, I'd need a good theory book that would combine theory and practice. The ones I've found have been too beginner oriented so that they don't really go deep enough for me. Others are just scale manuals that list the scales and modes but don't explain their possible uses.

My goal is to be able to get in the groove when somebody shows me what chords to play. Friedland's book is awesome but I'd really like to know more about the theoretical aspect of why something sounds great and something doesn't. Currently I can mostly find the notes needed for chord arpeggiation but don't know how to move on smoothly from one chord to another. My playing sounds uninspired and jumpy.

So, any good theory books you'd recommend?

[Eminentbass]

I've got Ed's Bass Improvisation book. It contains a lot of theoretical info plus explanations around each exercise. It focuses a bit on phrasing and so on as well. Even if you're looking for material that's not just centred around soloing, it might be worth investigating.

[Imaginos]

Originally Posted by Eminentbass

I've got Ed's Bass Improvisation book. It contains a lot of theoretical info plus explanations around each exercise. It focuses a bit on phrasing and so on as well. Even if you're looking for material that's not just centred around soloing, it might be worth investigating.

Definitely will look into this. I love Friedland's comprehensive and reader friendly style in his books.

[BluesWalker]

Chuck Sher's book "The Improvisor's Bass Method" is also pretty good.

[raymondl3]

Check out Gary Willis' book on fingerboard harmony. Warning: It is a study!

[Imaginos]

Originally Posted by raymondl3

Check out Gary Willis' book on fingerboard harmony. Warning: It is a study!

I was actually going through this book until I swapped to Friedland. Willis seems to know his stuff but the way he approaches the subject is a bit dull in my opinion - he really doesn't emphasize creative exercises. I'm also finding Friedland's way of slowly building up and complicating things a lot more enjoyable than Willis's "memorize this finger pattern for Cm7, memorize finger pattern for F7, add passing notes, memorize finger pattern for Am7" and so fort. I'm having fun with Friedland while Willis felt like a mechanical chore.

But to each to his/her own.

Originally Posted by BluesWalker

Chuck Sher's book "The Improvisor's Bass Method" is also pretty good.

This seems something I was looking for. Got to check if I can find this in my local library before buying though.

[MalcolmAmos]

Looking forward to receiving Ed Friedland's Building Walking Bass Lines and then discussing the book with the forum.

I have found that most books teach, for example; how to run the pentatonic scale and leave the how to use it in a song on the table. Looks like Ed's book may accomplish both.

My suggestion on theory, is to keep doing what you are doing on the bass, i.e. don't change your practice / playing schedule AND read theory on the side. After reading the theory ask yourself how can I use that in what I play?

Running a pentatonic scale is not music, it is a good warm up exercise and our fingers need to know how to do it, but just knowing that does little to help us make melody. Now theory will tell you if you use that specific pentatonic over a specific chord you will have access to three chord tones and two safe passing notes for your melody -- and theory tells us that's a pretty good way to harmonize a melodic phrase for that chord. Which notes and in what order -- that's what gets left on the table most of the time. Hopefully the book will have specific examples. However, unless you practice those examples and know why you are doing them (what theory is involved here) not much will happen.

IMHO

[BluesWalker]

Ed's books are excellent. He has a great way of combining theory and teaching how to play music instead of scales. I also have found Chuck Rainey's books to be good for self-learning. Others such as Bunny Brunnel, Gary Willis, Rufus Reid, etc don't seem to be able to connect theory with music in their teaching though they are killer players.