Chop building exercises

[Lagado]

My jazz vocabulary was very low and I was prioritizing method and theory. In that context, I would have been much better off playing along to records or transcribing than going through a method/scale book. Again, the pragmatist in me.

Anway, to each their own.

I was taught to transcribe the lines, then analyse what was happening harmonically within the chords and the line to see how the tension and the resolutions worked. For that, you need some theory at least.

Many people can play the head for Donna Lee, considerably less understand what is happening harmonically there.

 

[Nephilymbass]

I’m a fan of Janek Gwizdalas books. A lot of the newer ones are more specific focusing on learning certain things like using chords on bass or looping for example but “all the better stuff” is a good all rounder for practicing and building chops imo. Lot of good exercises in that book that all bass players can benefit from. Plus having bass clef, treble clef, and tabs it allows players that might not read bass clef well to jump right into exercises that aren’t monumentally boring. Which is my main issue with a lot of bass guitar books because I’m 38 and I learned to sight read as a trumpet player starting when I was 9 and while I did struggle through several years of reading bass clef, I’m much faster and more comfortable reading and writing in treble clef. Also having tabs it allows players who can’t sight read at all, that don’t want to go back to playing basic stuff like Mary had a little lamb , to jump right into exercises that are more interesting.

 

[Huw Phillips]

Hi, I appreciate your point of view and will give it a go, I agree that it makes more sense to learn things that are practical and of use in other areas, i have been trying lots of different methods and finding success with variety. I bought the bass exercises for dummies, not the bass from dummies and can recommend it my only criticism is the size of the print of the notation and tab, my teacher a Berklee grad was so impressed he bought it for his other students
Cheers h

 

[AlphariusOmegon]

Thanks everyone for the input. Got some ideas and stuff put together(stupid scotts bass lessons being expensive)
Pretty much just going to transpose the guitar book, remove some of the stuff I dont need, and add in some others. Currently also going through the Charlie Parker omnibus and hate myself for it. Thanks again guys, yall are awesome