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Double Bass Latin bass book?

EddiePlaysBass

EddiePlaysBass

Feb 26, 2009
2,225
3,285
Belgium
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#1
A quick question for you lot: do any of you happen to know anything about this artist or book (or both)?

http://www.shermusic.com/new/1883217113.shtml

I decided that, having run through my "Lost Art Of Country Bass" book on electric upright (an NS WAV4 with horrible stock strings) it'd be a hoot to get a book on latin bass so I can practice my upright skills some more.

Two disclaimers:
1) I realize there's no tab in the book, which is alright - I am teaching myself how to sight-read by means of Invalid Link Removed which was given to me when I bought a 6-string bass (which I subsequently sold);
2) I'm not dead serious about playing latin bass in any type of ensemble or band.

I am mainly an electric bass guitar player but I love playing the upright, and I want / need something to focus on. Since I am working on walking jazz lines on the bass guitar, I want something different for the upright. Like I said, the country book was real fun so I am looking for another fun (and challenging) book. And whatever I take away from it will inevitably bleed into my electric playing, too, so that's a win-win right there!
 
#2
EddiePlaysBass said:
A quick question for you lot: do any of you happen to know anything about this artist or book (or both)?

http://www.shermusic.com/new/1883217113.shtml

I decided that, having run through my "Lost Art Of Country Bass" book on electric upright (an NS WAV4 with horrible stock strings) it'd be a hoot to get a book on latin bass so I can practice my upright skills some more.

Two disclaimers:
1) I realize there's no tab in the book, which is alright - I am teaching myself how to sight-read by means of Invalid Link Removed which was given to me when I bought a 6-string bass (which I subsequently sold);
2) I'm not dead serious about playing latin bass in any type of ensemble or band.

I am mainly an electric bass guitar player but I love playing the upright, and I want / need something to focus on. Since I am working on walking jazz lines on the bass guitar, I want something different for the upright. Like I said, the country book was real fun so I am looking for another fun (and challenging) book. And whatever I take away from it will inevitably bleed into my electric playing, too, so that's a win-win right there!
Click to expand...
I've talked with Oscar and seen him play a couple of times. He's a great bassist and is phenomenally knowledgeable about the various Latin styles (we're not just talking Afro-Cuban) and I think you'd be hard pressed to find a better book on Latin bass than that one. I've actually been thinking lately that I need to pick up a copy myself.
 
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#3
That's the book that my university professor used for private lessons with the jazz band bassists (and himself)
He recommended it as the best he'd seen and to get one. It was great fun:) Loads of variations and really a good
one for sight reading sheet music and of course rhythms.
 
#5
Just a quickie, here: I picked up the book yesterday and had a quick look at it. Seeing as how I am NOT a sight reader it was a bit daunting :) But I know the basics and I figured the best way to learn is to get cracking at it!

So today I started on the first exercise (a basic tumbao). Since I am doing this on (electric) upright (an NS WAV 4) which I have not played since April, it is double challenge. But my oh my, did I have fun! This promises to be an interesting venture!
 
#6
I have this book for some years. It is really good, but over the last twenty years I learned most of it on my own after a workshop with players of a good salsa group and listening to salsa and latin oriented jazz like from Chick Corea and Michel Camilo.

The book is only about Afro-Cuban styles, not Brazilian ones.
The later real world examples have been played on bass guitar, too many notes for double bass or EUB, but you can always strip it down to the rhythmically more important notes.

There is a lot of anticipation in the bass, playing the new root before the rest of the band on beat 4. Needs some time to feel good playing this way, but afterwards you won't go back playing on the beat. Might get you in trouble if the other players cannot adjust to your playing, but then they should learn how to deal with the real thing. (I have often enough trouble playing Brazilian style music on jazz jam sessions, but it sounds really good if I find the right musicians for that.)
Definitely more tricky than country styles and since there is a lot of modulation going on, standard music notation is the best way to write it down.
 
#8
Can't believe it has been this long... I dug out the book again today, cos my gf mentioned Latin music. Realized I never got past exercise #2...

Anyway, I am a better bass player now than 3 years ago and my motivation is different, so getting back into this book now. Curious how far I can take it this time! At any rate, it should be farther :D
 

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