Bassist Mark Michell of Houston-based instrumental band Scale the Summit will release a bass instructional book titled "Guide to Right-Hand Technique for Bass", on January 29, 2013 via the band's official web store. The book is currently available at the store for pre-ordering linked below.
This instructional guide focuses around all of the various “plucking-hand” techniques and includes 16 chapters (143 pages), over 120 unique exercises, photos, descriptive “how-to” captions, and a variety of diverse exercises targeting essentially every skill level. A full-gloss front cover and spiral-bounding for easier reading also included.
Topics covered include: Plucking Styles, Correct Form & Position, Muting, Floating-Thumb Technique, Stretching, Warm-Up Routines, Alternate Plucking, Three-Finger Plucking, Plucking Speed & Clarity, Finger Independence, Raking, Muted Notes & Grooves, Scales & Modes, Arpeggios, String-Skipping, Octaves, Double-Stops, Chords, Slapping & Popping, Double-Popping, Harmonics, Tapping, Sweeping, and more. All exercises are written for 4-string basses, but can be applied and adjusted for basses with additional strings.
Excerpt from book:
“My vision for this instructional book is to simply shed light and share my knowledge regarding plucking-hand technique, which is sometimes an afterthought to many players. I find many players focus so much on what the left hand is doing as it determines the musical qualities of your playing, but many forget about the hand that produces the sound. Without proper sound, your music simply cannot be heard! Many players are content with learning to produce a sound with the plucking hand, and will then stop there and look no further. This usually results in negligence over time to the proper development of the plucking hand, and can become an obstacle in your playing many years later. Whether you are a player looking to correct or brush up on your plucking-hand technique, or someone who has experience playing other stringed instruments and are now looking to pick up the bass guitar for the first time, this book will adequately provide you with the tools and approaches needed to get started.”
For ordering and sample pages/photos, visit:
http://www.scalethesummitstore.com
