Well, I've collected the study materials...

[LetItGrowTone]

Over time, because, you know, this forum tends to sell us stuff, I've collected lesson series/books from several great sources. And since I'm sick of equipment threads, and you're probably sick of me too, and since I have the free time, I intend to start studying (heretofore I've been using only what I borrowed from my guitar past). I'll be very lucky if I can handle only one of these programs. I'm thinking I'll start all of them and hopefully one will become a favorite, quickly.

I could share my findings here, but you already have a lot of threads of opinions about these materials.

Is there anything you'd like to hear from an illiterate old person getting started?

 

[Bass]

Please let us know which material you choose to dig into and why.

I have at least a dozen books and at times it's hard to decide which to choose next.

 

[ceetee]

Beyond 40 and I've been using guitar and bass as noise sources so far. Kinda illiterate but learning my first song at really slow tempo and sliced it up in its components. I have no other clue about where to start. I've been collecting learning material but the vast amount of available material is overwhelming. I'll be hopefully taking some in person lessons after the holidays (there aren't many teachers available in my neck of the woods) mainly focusing on posture and fingering and I would like to go ahead self teaching due to lack of available time during 'office hours'. Thus I second @Bass request and I wouldn't mind another thread about your personal approach.

 

[ajkula66]

Is there anything you'd like to hear from an illiterate old person getting started?

I'm always interested in finding out what worked well for someone, and why.

Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[2cooltoolz]

I'm an Ed Friedland disciple, but then what do I know??

Search Results Hal Leonard Online

 

[LetItGrowTone]

...but then what do I know??

Well, the tort in your avatar would befit a person of good taste, for those who like that kind of thing, but, sorry Charlie, Star-Kist doesn't want people with good taste...

 

[Whousedtoplay]

Well, the tort in your avatar would befit a person of good taste, for those who like that kind of thing, but, sorry Charlie, Star-Kist doesn't want people with good taste...

Are you demonstrating examples of trolling?

 

[GwenOnBass]

Over time, because, you know, this forum tends to sell us stuff, I've collected lesson series/books from several great sources. And since I'm sick of equipment threads, and you're probably sick of me too, and since I have the free time, I intend to start studying (heretofore I've been using only what I borrowed from my guitar past). I'll be very lucky if I can handle only one of these programs. I'm thinking I'll start all of them and hopefully one will become a favorite, quickly.

I could share my findings here, but you already have a lot of threads of opinions about these materials.

Is there anything you'd like to hear from an illiterate old person getting started?

What works for me is Ari Cap's Music Theory for the Bass Player cohort. It's tailor-made for those of us (like me!) with a stack o' music books never finished. It's a 20 week course (40 weeks total for the entire Music Theory for the Bass Player course — the cohort is 20 lesson units total).

When a new unit opens, everyone has a week to review all the lessons and make a written commit to submit a video of their lesson work in a week. Every student has an accountability coach. I'm one of Ari's volunteer coaches!

The winter cohort begins in early January, and sign-ups end on Monday (30 December)

Disclaimer: I am a student of, volunteer cohort coach for, and affiliate of Ari Cap. This is an affiliate link:

xDRAFT x 2025 New Years Cohort Add-on

The Music for the Bass Player online course with added support and accountability.

righton.arisbassblog.com

What I see, as a coach, is students who complete their 20 weeks show significant progress. That goes equally for beginner and advanced students. I'm a believer, having finished the cohort several times myself.

 

[LetItGrowTone]

Are you demonstrating examples of trolling?

It was a friendly little joke. It alludes to a very old commercial. I guess some of you whippersnappers might not recognize it.
Sorry to befoul the thread.
(I just wanted to use that "be-" archaism again before it's too late.)

 

[LetItGrowTone]

What works for me is Ari Cap's Music Theory for the Bass Player cohort. It's tailor-made for those of us (like me!) with a stack o' music books never finished. It's a 20 week course (40 weeks total for the entire Music Theory for the Bass Player course — the cohort is 20 lesson units total).

When a new unit opens, everyone has a week to review all the lessons and make a written commit to submit a video of their lesson work in a week. Every student has an accountability coach. I'm one of Ari's volunteer coaches!

The winter cohort begins in early January, and sign-ups end on Monday (30 December)

Disclaimer: I am a student of, volunteer cohort coach for, and affiliate of Ari Cap. This is an affiliate link:

xDRAFT x 2025 New Years Cohort Add-on

The Music for the Bass Player online course with added support and accountability.

righton.arisbassblog.com

What I see, as a coach, is students who complete their 20 weeks show significant progress. That goes equally for beginner and advanced students. I'm a believer, having finished the cohort several times myself.

I really wasn't aiming to buy anything else, but thanks to you - temptress - I bought the two books (Music Theory, and Pattern System).
I'm too chicken to do the cohort thing though, this time. Thanks.

 

[GwenOnBass]

I really wasn't aiming to buy anything else, but thanks to you - temptress - I bought the two books (Music Theory, and Pattern System).
I'm too chicken to do the cohort thing though, this time. Thanks.

Both books come with all the videos for the cover price! Scan the whatchamacallit in the book, and they're yours.

I get graded "at work":

 

[LetItGrowTone]

1)
My bookmark to this forum goes straight to New Posts, and my new posts are filtered (see the dropdown on the right side) to "Show only: Watched", and I'm not watching any subfora, so all I see are replies to threads I set to Watch in the past, and I think I don't need any more.

I now get very few new post notifications.

I'm now free to be one of those who tell serious-minded new people that they should study and practice instead of agonizing over equipment choices, because I already made my choices. So I hope you finish making any such choices quickly and easily, and become a real bass player and not a dilettante; in that regard, just "do as I say and not as I do" and you'll be alright, Grasshopper.

I'm not even watching "General Instruction" or "Technique" because these teachers I collected should be telling me everything, and I would hope to be a "disciple" as @2cooltoolz expressed it (sorry my reply to you seemed rude. I was trying to be funny. Yes, I'll keep my day job).

2)
Here are the programs I've collected (not in any order):
Cap
Hubbard
Mann (via Scott's Bass Lessons. Cap is there too.)
Smith (Talkingbass)
Berlin
Friedland (via Hal Leonard Online, and books)
Di Bartolo Serious Electric Bass book.

I shall not buy any more.
All of them are probably great.
The prices varied a lot.
So one thing I could do is try to tell you which ones are the greatest and also most cost effective. But better not wait for me.

Ok, see you later if and only if I make any progress.

 

[mambo4]

I learned reading "last" , after technique and theory. So I have no use for books on "the basics"
My book collection tends toward the specific: deep dives into styles and players
Standing in the Shadows of Motown of course (tho I lent it out years ago and have not re acquired)
Soul fingers (Duck dunn)
The True Cuban Bass
The Latin Bass book
Ultimate Bass Grooves (by Jon Liebman)
The Bass Bible (by Paul Westwood)

So I'd be curious which material contains solid information on specific styles

But, lately I am distracted by fingerpicking acoustic guitar

 

[GwenOnBass]

There's not a single piece of new gear I need or want. Suits me, as that GAS money goes to lessons.

The book I probably spent most time with before Music Theory for the Bass Player is Paul Farnan's Bass Fretboard Basics. Paul taught at Musicians Institute when I was there in 81-2, and Paul was a good friend.

... and saw to a career and life (as required by circumstance). The StingRay I bought in 1979 was there, ready for me, when I retired. It is in need of attention, and I decide it's time for something completely different: a 2018 Chowny CHB-1 semi-hollowbody. It is with this bass that I go through two MTftBP cohorts

... and reward myself with a Nordstrand "cat" bass that I buy on impulse on Christmas Day, 2020. Send the StingRay to Santa's Workshop not long after. Now I have three basses with three different voices. And see no need for more.

The Cat bass is really the only bass I play. I pick up the other two, just to make sure they're in tune, and go back to the Nordy. I can't imagine buying another bass, really. I teach (in person) with the Nordy Cat, too.

All that new bass and new amp coin rolls into live lessons I take with Ari.

Here's the 'Ray for thread eye candy. I'll never let it go!

 

[dave_p]

I would pay attention to Jeff Berlin. He's a polarizing figure. Mostly because people don't like to be wrong. Don't bury yourself with too many books. Each is a study on its own and not necessarily meant to be breezed through. Everything worth doing is worth doing slow. Spend time with your 7th chords. A lot of time with them. In all keys and all inversions. Forward and backward. Pick a jazz standard to do this. You can spend months doing this, running 7th chords through standards. Even if you never intend to play jazz. Magic things start to happen.

 

[Bodhammer]

I have everything above plus some others. My bass and equipment are perfect, actually exquisite! I just need the perfect thing besides practice to be perfect. Any other suggestions?

 

[GwenOnBass]

I would pay attention to Jeff Berlin. He's a polarizing figure. Mostly because people don't like to be wrong. Don't bury yourself with too many books. Each is a study on its own and not necessarily meant to be breezed through. Everything worth doing is worth doing slow. Spend time with your 7th chords. A lot of time with them. In all keys and all inversions. Forward and backward. Pick a jazz standard to do this. You can spend months doing this, running 7th chords through standards. Even if you never intend to play jazz. Magic things start to happen.

Jeff Berlin was one of my teachers from 81-82, and I am one who holds him in high regard. Also have two of his courses here, both printed and Staples print shop bound. There is so much there! I could easily spend years with it. I've never found an exercise I couldn't make harder lol

It's also material I put up, like so many other books purchased with every good intention. What I found works best for me is the accountability of Ari's cohort. The winter cohort starts again in a couple weeks. There's that to hold my attention, as well as the live classes I take as a student. What I will likely do (as a volunteer cohort coach) is take the cohort again as a shadow participant. I pick one lesson the students are working on, and add it to my own daily practice.

 

[LetItGrowTone]

I posted a positive review of Berlin, Package 1 - Beginner to Intermediate Reading, three years ago. With regard to his affect (which some people are obsessed with), I said:

"The video for each lesson begins with a perfectly clear and succinct intro, of less than one minute, to what is in that lesson and maybe the purpose of the lesson. Here's something I want to tell you: if you're one of those who are bothered by too much talking in lesson videos, this guy is your guy. There is also no unnecessary forced friendly tone or even unnecessary smiling. I think he's perfect.
After that brief intro, he plays the several études (studies) in each lesson (text pops up on the video to tell you which one, as he moves from one to the next), and that's it. It ends with a subtle expression of satisfaction. No chit-chat whatsoever.

This course is sort of severely idealized. For example, to read these dots from the page and make music it is not necessary to know the name of the note you're playing. In *this* course, don't need to know, so it's stripped out. Other things could be learned in other courses either later or concurrently. Ask yourself whether or not you accept this philosophy."

I do respect his approach for exactly the reasons I wrote then. But for the purposes of *this* thread I'm not saying who's my favorite yet.
The above was the best part, but the whole review is here.

The post in that thread previous to mine is a great review of Package 6 - Walking Bass Lines.

***
"Serious Electric Bass" by Joel Di Bartolo looks like a great reference book, probably for just after one learns to read. But Chapter 9, "The Five-Position System", might be a nice supplement to the way Hubbard starts his system, which teaches the whole fingerboard all at once, with 5 overlapping patterns. I will set this book aside for now.

Now down to six names (not in order):
Cap
Hubbard
Mann (via Scott's Bass Lessons. Cap is there too.)
Smith (Talkingbass)
Berlin
Friedland (via Hal Leonard Online, and books)
And @Bodhammer, who advises me to practice. Thank you.

 

[GwenOnBass]

I posted a positive review of Berlin, Package 1 - Beginner to Intermediate Reading, three years ago. With regard to his affect (which some people are obsessed with), I said:

"The video for each lesson begins with a perfectly clear and succinct intro, of less than one minute, to what is in that lesson and maybe the purpose of the lesson. Here's something I want to tell you: if you're one of those who are bothered by too much talking in lesson videos, this guy is your guy. There is also no unnecessary forced friendly tone or even unnecessary smiling. I think he's perfect.
After that brief intro, he plays the several études (studies) in each lesson (text pops up on the video to tell you which one, as he moves from one to the next), and that's it. It ends with a subtle expression of satisfaction. No chit-chat whatsoever.

This course is sort of severely idealized. For example, to read these dots from the page and make music it is not necessary to know the name of the note you're playing. In *this* course, don't need to know, so it's stripped out. Other things could be learned in other courses either later or concurrently. Ask yourself whether or not you accept this philosophy."

I do respect his approach for exactly the reasons I wrote then. But for the purposes of *this* thread I'm not saying who's my favorite yet.
The above was the best part, but the whole review is here.

The post in that thread previous to mine is a great review

Ed Friedland is taking on students now, online and local (Tuscon).

Ari Cap has a private FB group called Ari's Bass Group. Membership is open to bassists and the bass-curious

 

[LetItGrowTone]

I think Ed Friedland is the king of this mountain.

The others are excellent too. Since I'm not an expert on teaching bass, or learning bass, I won't try to rank them further. There could be hidden wisdom in doing things and ordering things one way or another.