In need of a comprehensive book on jazz bass

The Jazz Theory Book
by Mark Levine

The Evolving Bassist
by Rufus Reid

Oh and a good teacher. Much of this stuff will make a whole lot more sense if there is someone to ask questions of.

 

What fingers said.

And you definitely have to get The Jazz Bass Book by John Goldsby. More about it here.

 

Golden advice. Total +1 from me.

 

What do folks think of Chuck Sher's The Improviser's Bass Method?

Me, I found it very useful. There isn't quite enough on technique, but as far as making up lines and expanding on melodic ideas, it's pretty cool. Plus, you get some fun transcriptions in the appendix: Ray Brown, Richard Davis, Jimmy Garrison, etc.

 

Mark Levine's books...

 

I like it. I use it extensively with my students.

However

I would never recommend it to a person without a teacher. It is a great book with great concepts but unless you are already pretty knowledgable, I think it can get confusing.

 

I have both Goldsby's book and Levine's book (and took a workshop with him a while back). Both are nice, but so far, the teacher has been most useful. I hardly ever touch the books.

I'd rather dump all my resources into finding the best teacher I can lay my hands on, even if it meant driving 3 hours to take a lesson But then again, I'm weird. I take one 2-hr lesson about every 3 months and go home and shed on the giant homework assignment til I'm ready for the next one.

 

There is a DVD out there for The Evolving Bassist.

And just to add

"Bottom Line" by Todd Coleman.

 

Marc Johnson?

great book!!!

Some of the stuff is pretty hard but Marc Johnson is one of the most lyrical soloists on bass. Give a very methodical insight into some of his outstanding ideas.

I also really like 'Melodic Solo in Thumb Position' by Michael Moore. Both of these books do a great job of trying to make bassists less root based soloists.

 

It is good that you are aware that you are playing roots, but remember, a root is just a note.

If a root is what you HEAR, then a root is what you should play. If you are playing roots because you hand knows where they are, then I respectfully must recommend that you stop, breathe, and play less notes.

Let 2 or 4 or 6 bars go by before you play the first note of your solo. Literally wait for a line to come to you and then try to play it on the bass. If you can't play exactly what you hear, don't worry about it. You will, in time. Just use the idea in your head as your reson to play whatever it is that you end up playing. Practice playing what you hear by putting yourself in the right mindset or waiting and thinking before you play. It will come.

But don't dis roots just bedcause they're roots.

 

tzadik. I agree with everything you said. I think that the problem that plagues many bass players is that our role changes when we become soloists.

I'll never forget the first lesson I took with a great bass player in Chicago, Eric Hochberg. First thing we did was play a few standards. I think one was 'All The Things'. When we were finished he looked at me and said... "that was great but you solo like a bass player". His point was that what I played was harmonically correct but lacked melody and lyricisim.

Those books I mentioned really helped me. Both offer very good explanations about the concepts behind the ideas.

 

Phew. Good thing you're not a sax player cuz that could've been taken as an insult.

 

What tzadik said. But also check out this and that.

 

Is the jazz theory book written in notation? Im thinking about buying it but I need to know if I should learn to read music first.

 

You'll need to read and preferably be able to find your way around a keyboard as well.

cheers

Paul