John Goldsby's The Jazz Bass Book

[chop_1992]

Thanks, FatAndy. Glad you like it. Did I really write that if you want to play bop, you shouldn't use a Real Book? Oh well, maybe I did. Chuck Sher's Real Books are very accurate, but the best way to learn those tunes is from recordings, or by playing live with other players who have a handle on playing bop. That doesn't mean that you should just bail and not play the tunes at all! They are very good reference books. BUT, none of the "bebop jazz masters" who I profiled in the book used Real Books.

As for the ledger lines . . . that's about half of the range of your bass, if you start with C on the G string and go upwards. Most of your "money notes" will be below that range, but if you go up into nosebleed territory, you find the more soloistic side of the bass. Ledger lines aren't hard after you read them for a few weeks. BTW, on your youtube channel, a lot of that slap stuff you're playing is in ledger-line territory Sounds good!

[FatAndy]

That's my son playing the Fodera in those clips, he's a hellova LOT more able than me on upright, he's often asked to play bass by whichever jazz player/singer is passing through his city. He's a little shy of thumb position too, (though quite capable) I'm thinking/hoping your exercises will break that shyness up a bit.

By the way,......I am criticizing my abilities not your book,...which is fascinating and brilliant.

[chop_1992]

Aaaahh! Now that makes sense -- a father/son bass playing household. Your son sounds very good on the clips.