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Bass player's must-reads?

J

j3ss3

Jun 22, 2008
120
0
31
Ghent, Belgium,europe
#1
Hi TB,

If you'd have to pick an instructional book, which one would you pick?
I take lessons, and got myself songs, transcriptions etc. aplenty, but would like to improve my understanding of walking (I know patterns, but would love to make it more interesting than just playing root-3-5-chromatic :rollno:(f.e.)) and soloing (be it slap or fingerstyle, whatever), Please note I have a pretty good base of musical theory, but am at a loss about applying my theory to the fretboard... :crying:

Tips? Shoot!
(please)
 
#6
j3ss3 said:
Hi TB, If you'd have to pick an instructional book, which one would you pick?
I take lessons, and got myself songs, transcriptions etc. aplenty, but would like to improve my understanding of walking (I know patterns, but would love to make it more interesting than just playing root-3-5-chromatic :rollno:(f.e.)) and soloing (be it slap or fingerstyle, whatever), Please note I have a pretty good base of musical theory, but am at a loss about applying my theory to the fretboard...
Click to expand...
Walking can be just about anything that moves the progression along. When you read the how to books on walking bass lines they end up giving you 100 + different walking bass lines patterns that could be used. I don't need 100, four or five would be great.

I think that is the key factor of applying our theory to the fretboard. Pick 4 or 5 generic grooves that fit your style of music and apply them to what you play. The groove section of Bass Guitar for Dummies has more than I need, however, had just what I needed. Picking what you need - finding the 4 or 5 out of the 100 is the chore, IMHO.

Out of all the suggestions in all the books I've bought the follow two seem to get the job done:
  1. Look ahead at what chord is coming up. Move the groove along to the next chord by changing the 4th (or last) note in your generic bass line pattern so that it is the 5th of the next chord. That one note change makes the groove want to resolve to the next chord. Got this from Ed's Building Walking Bass Lines.
  2. Look ahead at what chord is coming up. One measure before the chord change -- target the next chord's root, miss it, then walk chromatically to it and land on it by the 4th beat. This is my favorite and the learning curve to pull this off is not all that hard. Got this from being a sponge around other country bassists.
Those two things will walk a bunch of bass lines.

Yes to Ed's Building Walking Bass Lines and Bass Guitar for Dummies has a good section on groove selections. If you are trying to walk think what must I do to this generic groove to make it want to go to the next chord.

Applying theory is recognizing there is a problem and then reaching into our theory "bank" and finding a solution for that problem. If you like you may substitute opportunity for problem.

Have fun.
 
#7
j3ss3 said:
Hi TB,

If you'd have to pick an instructional book, which one would you pick?
I take lessons, and got myself songs, transcriptions etc. aplenty, but would like to improve my understanding of walking (I know patterns, but would love to make it more interesting than just playing root-3-5-chromatic :rollno:(
Click to expand...

I would highly recommend Todd Johnson's "Walking Bass Modules" DVD. Ed Friedland's book is also good.



http://shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_tr...on+dvd+walking+bass&_sacat=See-All-Categories
 
#9
Gary Willis' 101 Bass Tips: Stuff All the Pros Know and Use is in my opinion a must-read for bass players. It was the first bass instruction book I bought, and I learned a lot from it, and not all music theory stuff, either. Lots of practical stuff, like how to set relief and intonation, how to make a homemade strap, things to carry in a gig bag, how to hold a bass, etc. Little things all bass players should know.
 

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