Double Bass Piano method for bass player

[mtto]

“Voicings for Jazz Keyboard” by Frank Mantooth is a great resource. While I took piano lessons as a kid, and class piano as an undergraduate, plus using piano daily as a composer, I never felt comfortable “thinking” like a jazz piano player. The Mantooth book did that for me.

 

[damonsmith]

I would add a note of caution: Is your bass playing really calling out for extensive piano skills? Is your time management such that you can do your bass practice as well as working on a whole new instrument? I feel like it is often a distraction that bassists feel might be easier or some kind of work around - it isn't. Knowing more about harmony is never a bad thing, but, I think it takes years and years to get down arco melodies of tunes, arco arpeggios, and beautiful, in tune, in time, swinging walking lines of roots, fives, leading tones and chromatics.
The more you learn about harmony the more you will understand how nice a root only line is!
So, my recommendation for a jazz bassist book remains Simandl book 1.
If you are full time student or musician, or retired it might make sense.
If it is really calling to you like a second instrument or a serious hobby, I think that is great. As some kind of "silver bullet" for jazz bass playing I would recommend heavier bass practice instead.

 

[IamGroot]

I would add a note of caution: Is your bass playing really calling out for extensive piano skills? Is your time management such that you can do your bass practice as well as working on a whole new instrument? I feel like it is often a distraction that bassists feel might be easier or some kind of work around - it isn't. Knowing more about harmony is never a bad thing, but, I think it takes years and years to get down arco melodies of tunes, arco arpeggios, and beautiful, in tune, in time, swinging walking lines of roots, fives, leading tones and chromatics.
The more you learn about harmony the more you will understand how nice a root only line is great!
So, my recommendation for a jazz bassist book remains Simandl book 1.
If you are full time student or musician, or retired it might make sense.
If it is really calling to you like a second instrument or a serious hobby, I think that is great. A some kind of "silver bullet" for jazz playing I would recommend heavier bass practice, instead.

Good points. Time resource management is a real issue. I figure allow for 7 hrs a week minimum on piano plus an hr/ week instructor time to get something meaningful. I pretty much quit playing bass this semester except for class to focus on piano and voice. As I am mostly BG instead of DB, my skills didnt decay significantly.

Playing piano had a carryover effect on improving my overall musicianship - sight reading, ear, rhytmic precision, etc.

 

[damonsmith]

I've just NEVER met a bass player where I thought that was the next logical step. We have ALL met musicians with piano skills we thought were useful. And of course Mingus plays piano is a great album.