Victor Wooten's book "The Music Lesson". Anyone read/ing it??

[Skywalker83]

I got this a couple of days ago, and i absolutley love it (only on Chapter 2). Im sure alot of what is in the book those who have been to any of Victors clinics/camps will have heard directly from him. But, for those of us who haven't been face to face with him this book offers a truly inspiring approach and different way of thinking about music. Although the instrument is centrered around the bass it is a book that ANY player of any instrument can get something from.

This is (i think) a must have book for any player at any level. A book that can be read over and over and can be picked up and used for reference if we're perhaps looking for inspiration, ideas, trying to get through some frustrating part of our learning.

To all those who have just started to learn how to play bass, before you buy another instructional book or dvd, or another book with pages of scales and modes. Get ths book!


So what are the thoughts of anyone else who is reading or has read this book? How has affected your relationshio with your bass(es) and more impirtantly with Music?

[UncleBalsamic]

The book was alright and there's some cool stuff in it but his allegories got very annoying in my opinion and somewhat detracted from the stuff about music. If he were to make a book with stuff about playing I would love it but that's not to say I hate this book. It's fun and there are some things you may not have ever thought about yet are incredibly helpful and beneficial to your playing.

If anyone is thinking of getting this book then I think the first Chapter is on the internet as a free preview.

[slybass3000]

I'm about halfway through and I love it. I especially love the 10 elements of the Music which is the base of his new DVD.

Sly

[Skywalker83]

If he were to make a book with stuff about playing I would love it but that's not to say I hate this book.

The book is about playing. It just has a different approach to it. As Victor says in the introduction to the book, he didnt want to write a book that was like an instrunctional book, because you get lured into the authors way of doing things.

Victor already has books and DVDs about technique and instructional topics. I think for this he wanted to shy away from the conventional methods when writing this and share the ideaologies and methods that helped him become a better musician.

[aproud1]

Originally Posted by UncleBalsamic

The book was alright and there's some cool stuff in it but his allegories got very annoying in my opinion and somewhat detracted from the stuff about music. If he were to make a book with stuff about playing I would love it but that's not to say I hate this book. It's fun and there are some things you may not have ever thought about yet are incredibly helpful and beneficial to your playing.

If anyone is thinking of getting this book then I think the first Chapter is on the internet as a free preview.

+1 on that. Some very useful and interesting info but I lost interest in the story and couldn't keep reading. I did learn some things I never would have thought of but that alone couldn't keep me reading the book. I'm sure it's a great read for most. Maybe I'm just too close minded???

[Corporate Boy]

I am reading it right now. I think it is great. I have encountered a lot of light bulb moments while reading it. Vic has always been great about sharing his technique, but I am not the biggest Wooten fan. I attended one of his early Bass Extreme clinics back in '96 or '97. At the time I tried learning the double thumb technique, what I eventually realized is that if you just study his technique, you end up just being a clone. After that realization I stopped listening to Wooten for a long time. At the time I perceived his playing as very wankerish and it kind of annoyed me. I am 75% of the way through the book and I think it is brilliant. Even though his playing is not my bag, I did respect him as a pioneer in bass. After reading this book, I want to revisit his music catalog. This book sheds light into his thought process. His instructional videos are definitely a quick fix for flashy technique, but his book spins your mind around in an attempt to allow you to see and experience music definitely. I believe this is crucial for helping you establish your own voice on the instrument. Cloning a technique can be focused on too much, while there are other areas of being a well-round musician that are hardly thought about at all. Vic talks about these areas, but also shows that these musical elements can fit into life outside music. He introduces these concepts by witnessing them naturally and usually in a round-about way to make us think. Sometimes broadening our approach to encompass a full spectrum of music can lead to breaking down barriers in our playing. The story on the surface is out there. Nothing is black and white and the actual musical nuggets are few and far between, but if you choose to (sorry couldn't resist) think out side the box while reading it, you will open doors that you didn't know existed. I can see how this book can be annoying to read, especially if you are looking for a book that is strictly music lessons or tells an inspiring story to encourage you to practice more I think you have to be able to approach it with a completely open mind. If you are not in the right mindset, then it will come across as a stupid meaningless book, but I think even if you have that opinion I bet the content of the book will resonate with you in some shape or form and you might not realize that you are experiencing music or even life differently after reading it. I can't say this book is a must read for everyone, but I think if you hit some walls musically and feel like you have exhausted all avenues of musical growth, then this is a perfect read. It is almost the type of book that will find you when the time is right for you to read it.

[phatbass]

I enjoyed it, but I still can't find MY rock, dammit!

[kesslari]

My copy is on loan, again.
There are some really good and really important (IMO) ideas in that book.

That said, for me it was a bit hard to read after a while. But entirely, entirely worth it.

[John Wentzien]

I enjoyed reading it.
I think Vic must have read a little too much Carlos Castanada "Adventures of Don Juan" though.

[DudeistMonk]

I read it and rather enjoyed it...cept for the parts that read like "Victor does LSD" with the talking to deer and stuff like that...went a little too far for my taste.

Overall the book was good though all the playing advice was great and I was glad that he didn't go the dry instructional route with the book.

Check out the DVD its like 5:30 long and it follows the book except you can see and hear real examples and people ask questions ext. I got more out of the DVD than the book.

The rhythm and timing, notes, and phrasing sections alone are worth the 40 bucks....only thing I was disappointing in was the "listening" section which he built up to be this big thing but only talked about for a minute or two and didn't really have any solid tips for.

[DocBop]

Incredible book and have had many others read it even non-musicians who gained a lot from it.

Also check out Free Play, Effortless Mastery, Zen of Guitar, all about letting go and playing. Older book an great Jazz guitarist turned me onto is Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain. It is about drawing, but still same thing letting go and letting creativity flow.

[greenboy]

Originally Posted by Corporate Boy

I am reading it right now. I think it is great. I have encountered a lot of light bulb moments while reading it. Vic has always been great about sharing his technique, but I am not the biggest Wooten fan. I attended one of his early Bass Extreme clinics back in '96 or '97. At the time I tried learning the double thumb technique, what I eventually realized is that if you just study his technique, you end up just being a clone. After that realization I stopped listening to Wooten for a long time. At the time I perceived his playing as very wankerish and it kind of annoyed me. I am 75% of the way through the book and I think it is brilliant. Even though his playing is not my bag, I did respect him as a pioneer in bass. After reading this book, I want to revisit his music catalog. This book sheds light into his thought process. His instructional videos are definitely a quick fix for flashy technique, but his book spins your mind around in an attempt to allow you to see and experience music definitely. I believe this is crucial for helping you establish your own voice on the instrument. Cloning a technique can be focused on too much, while there are other areas of being a well-round musician that are hardly thought about at all. Vic talks about these areas, but also shows that these musical elements can fit into life outside music. He introduces these concepts by witnessing them naturally and usually in a round-about way to make us think. Sometimes broadening our approach to encompass a full spectrum of music can lead to breaking down barriers in our playing. The story on the surface is out there. Nothing is black and white and the actual musical nuggets are few and far between, but if you choose to (sorry couldn't resist) think out side the box while reading it, you will open doors that you didn't know existed. I can see how this book can be annoying to read, especially if you are looking for a book that is strictly music lessons or tells an inspiring story to encourage you to practice more I think you have to be able to approach it with a completely open mind. If you are not in the right mindset, then it will come across as a stupid meaningless book, but I think even if you have that opinion I bet the content of the book will resonate with you in some shape or form and you might not realize that you are experiencing music or even life differently after reading it. I can't say this book is a must read for everyone, but I think if you hit some walls musically and feel like you have exhausted all avenues of musical growth, then this is a perfect read. It is almost the type of book that will find you when the time is right for you to read it.

[Shawman]

my girlfriend bought me this as part of my birthday, i've only read the introduction and i can't wait to get home from work and read more

yeah, reading on my birthday because i'm cool like that

but seriously, can't wait