• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

What’s your favorite bass guitar method book?

Alexis Duntov

Alexis Duntov

Feb 16, 2013
1,442
1,967
Brooklyn, NY
#1
I’m not a beginner but when I was I used something that was fine but I don’t remember it. I’m mostly an upright player these days but I’m going on a vacation and bringing a Fender. I’m going to bring “Standing In The Shadows of Motown” because that isht is hard to read. Also bringing “Jazz Bass On Top” by Andy Mckee which is a great resource for playing jazz heads on bass, even if its fingerings are for double bass. But it got me thinking about what are currently considered the authoritative books for electric bass. What are your favorites? Ones that you return to, ones that you use to teach if you teach. Thanks.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Clark Dark and Bassist59
#2
0961470100.jpg

The Improvisor's Bass Method by Chuck Sher | Sher Music Co.
 
  • Like
Reactions: MaurizioTorchio, MutronIII, Bassist59 and 1 other person
#4
Drucifer said:
View attachment 3935623
The Improvisor's Bass Method by Chuck Sher | Sher Music Co.
Click to expand...


THIS!! I agree with Drucifer! = Sher's Improve Bass Method is absolutely all you need! LOVE it! and have read through quite a few quite a few books and series.
This is the best as an overall guide for learning the fretboard and scales.
If there are specific techniques one wants to learn there are really good books for those, but Sher's is really a GREAT overall comprehensive beginner book! 2¢
 
  • Like
Reactions: Drucifer
#9
AF833379-DAF9-40D1-B7D0-ADDB899DC044.jpeg


I am a big fan of this book. It’s for beginners. It’s ancient. No teacher needed. It contains little songs that can be played unaccompanied on the electric bass and still sound good. You’ll be able to do a bit of music reading from standard notation by the time you’re done.

I could envision taking this on a vacation or extended business trip to keep the chops up and keep it interesting. I’ve played through the entire book, every song, arpeggio, and exercise several times. An attainable worthy goal would be going through the whole thing over a long weekend. I think most players on this forum could do that easily.

Oh, yeah, it contains a CD and a DVD. The CD is from the ‘60s or ‘70s, the DVD is from around 2005 and features bassist Dino Minoxolos. Keep in mind, the book is for beginners, but I love going back to it every few years.
 
Last edited:
#11
Currently really liking Janek Gwizdala's "All the Good Stuff." I will definitely delve into more of his books once I finish processing this one. It's not for the faint of heart. It definitely helps to have a pretty solid theory background to absorb it completely.

I also like to periodically come back to John Patitucci's "60 Melodic Etudes for Acoustic and Electric Bass." I find that book helps when my individual ideas become stale and I'm looking for inspiration. Also an amazingly good book to practice your sight reading with. I attribute this book to helping me get quickly accustomed to playing a 6 (although its not written for a 6) string bass. Just the range of the writing really lends itself to developing good positioning and fret board comprehension.

Both authors just tackle stuff very differently (and certainly better) than I'm naturally wired to.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ErikP.Bass, Spin Doctor and Alexis Duntov
#12
Thumb n Fingers said:
Currently really liking Janek Gwizdala's "All the Good Stuff." I will definitely delve into more of his books once I finish processing this one. It's not for the faint of heart. It definitely helps to have a pretty solid theory background to absorb it completely.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I like Janek's approach. I've almost finished going through "All the Good Stuff" once and will restart it again. I also have his pentatonic book, which is really good too. It has me thinking about pentatonics in a different way, as does most of his material.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Thumb n Fingers and ErikP.Bass
#14
Spin Doctor said:
Yeah, I like Janek's approach. I've almost finished going through "All the Good Stuff" once and will restart it again. I also have his pentatonic book, which is really good too. It has me thinking about pentatonics in a different way, as does most of his material.
Click to expand...

@Spin Doctor -- Yeah, Janek has a way of making you think of things in an inside out fashion. I'm not sure how to really put it into words, but there's a lot of Aha! moments going through his exercises. And I live for those Aha! moments -- it's when you know you just learned something useful that you may have never figured out on your own.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Spin Doctor

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back