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VonMailand Trajkovic Last updated: November 22, 2021
Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned bass player, there are some amazing books out there that can help you in a significant way.
Bass books are a great resource for learning. Professional instruction aside, there's nothing like a book to read and practice at your own pace. This article is meant to be a helpful guide for those looking for some of the best bass books out there.
Here are 10 of the best bass books out there:
Content
- 1. Music theory for Ariane Cap's bassist
- 2. Bass Method - Complete Edition by Hal Leonard
- 3. Bass For Dummies by Patrick Pfeiffer
- 4. Rufus Reid's Evolving Bassist
- 5. Bassgrooves de Ed Friedland
- 6. Metodo Heavy Metal Bass by Stephan Richter
- 7. Slap It - Funk Studies for Electric Bass by Tony Oppenheim
- 8. Standing in the Shadow of Motown, by Dr. Lame
- 9. Percussive Slap Bass by Chris Matheos
- 10. Jon Liebman's Blues Bass
- Are the inferior books good?
- How do I choose the right bass book for me?
- Using Electric Guitar Books vs. Electric Guitar Video Tutorials
- Are bassbooks also useful for advanced bassists?
- verdict
1. Music theory for Ariane Cap's bassist
intermediate level
This book is a complete, ready-to-use guide for anyone who wants to get grounded in rhythm, solo or with a band. This tab gives you access to a workbook.
You'll start with intervals as the building blocks of music and learn chords, harmony basics, scales, and scale modes. Get access to many different exercises designed to help you get better.
This book also provides many music examples to help you progress better in the future. It also includes scale charts with fun proofs and even photo demonstrations that show why a relaxed posture and streamlined fingering are essential for good tone, timing, and cutting.
2. Bass Method - Complete Edition by Hal Leonard
beginner level
A well-received and well-reviewed book aimed at beginners, it can also help veteran bassists build their foundation.
This book is for anyone who is just starting to play the electric bass. It is a good book to teach bass to students of all ages. Additionally, this book edition contains audio samples and volumes of books one, two, and three.
You start by learning to read music and slowly introduce new methods and theories over time. Combine new ideas with exercises and soundtracks to get the most out of these books.
3. Bass For Dummies by Patrick Pfeiffer
Level: beginner or advanced
This book provides easy-to-understand references with many useful tips that some may miss in conventional learning.
This book is ideal for experienced players who want to improve their skills. It is also ideal for beginners. It serves as a guide, giving the reader enough information on music theory to quickly move on to all the book has to offer. Other great information includes step-by-step instructions, the latest in up-to-date accessories, technology, and more.
With this book you will learn to position and hold the bass to read notes and understand scales, chords and octaves to play fills and solos. You get new coverage of double stops, slaps, fretless techniques, and detuning. Also get updates on illustrations, graphics, resources, and new music exercises. Audio clips with examples from the book and a bonus CD are also included.
4. Rufus Reid's Evolving Bassist
Level: Intermediate or Advanced
This book is a great help for more experienced bassists. Providing essential information that takes your game from the basics to demonstrating real skills.
This book contains original compositions such as new studies, duets, and more. It's a guide to classical technique as well as a wonderful, all-inclusive reference book for the bassist. This is a method book for students struggling to find or pay for a regular teacher. It will also serve as a lifetime reference as you and your game improve over time.
5. Bassgrooves de Ed Friedland
Level: Intermediate or Advanced
A thoroughly informative book to help you strengthen your musical core and maintain discipline.
With this invaluable guide, bassists will be more in tune with their groove and groove. This book contains various lessons accompanied by a metronome, rhythm applications and different styles of music. The book also features classic rhythms and styles including R&B, blues, jazz, Afro-Caribbean, and other traditions.
6. Metodo Heavy Metal Bass by Stephan Richter
Level: beginner or advanced
A basic bass method covering several examples of useful progressive flow tips to learn more about bass.
An easy-to-follow, comprehensive guide, this book introduces you to the vital skills needed to play metal. The book contains over 120 examples designed to speed up your progress.
Many of these examples include riffs, scales, fingerstyle, hammers, arpeggios, picking, rhythms, syncopation, and special effects. The ability to read sheet music is also not necessary for this book.
7. Slap It - Funk Studies for Electric Bass by Tony Oppenheim
Level: Intermediate or Advanced
A deeper dive into slaps, string pops, and other interesting elements of bass playing for experienced players.
25 years ago it hit! is one of the most important guides for electric bassists. This book is the reissue of its 25th anniversary and contains 99 copies recorded in tablature and CD.
This book teaches the beautiful art of slapping, with other topics such as string strikes, hammer blows, dead notes, treble notes, and more.
8. Standing in the Shadow of Motown, by Dr. Lame
intermediate level
A book about a legendary bassist, packed with valuable information that is sure to be useful to any bassist of any caliber.
This book is primarily a biography of an established Motown bassist named James Jamerson. This book offers a glimpse into his life through various interviews, concerts, and even rare photos.
Some audio is also included, so people can slow down and play the audio without changing set loop points, changing pitch, panning left or right, or changing key.
9. Percussive Slap Bass by Chris Matheos
Level: Intermediate or Advanced
Extremely knowledgeable guide taking you through various techniques and lots of helpful information aimed at progression.
This reference guide shows how to synchronize the percussion with the drums and bass. It also shows how the percussion mixes with the bass with the drummer. This book also includes some of the best tips on control, claps, triplets, and other helpful tips like the flamenco thumb method.
Tablature and notation are clearly explained with instructions on various mute signals and left-hand slaps. As a result, this technique creates fuller-sounding rhythms, creating a more valuable playing style for your rhythm section.
10. Jon Liebman's Blues Bass
Level: Intermediate or Advanced
A highly regarded guide to discovering and learning everything about playing the blues bass.
Considered the best source for learning to play bass blues, it covers a wide variety of styles. These include Delta Blues, New Orleans Blues, Texas Blues, Chicago Blues, West Coast Blues, Jazz Blues, Boogie-Woogie Blues, etc.
Other musical techniques from many popular music genres and an audio supplement are also included. The audio supplement is 80 pages with 74 full band tracks. Also, the other musical techniques include the following: 12 Bar Blues, 8 Bar Blues, 24 Bar Blues, Minor Blues, Tags and Twists, 12/8 Feel, Swing, Shuffle, Jazz, Pop, Slow Blues, Funk Blues, R&B.
Are the inferior books good?
In a way, the books below are a good resource. They allow bassists to go through certain techniques or scales at their own pace and can provide a lot of information that a bassist might not think of at first.
They offer a great way to improve your bass playing. Bass players will always tell you to learn the basics. The books below are a great way to learn these basics.
How do I choose the right bass book for me?
The first thing to focus on is figuring out what level of bass mastery you have. Identifying your precise knowledge of the subject will help you decide which book to choose.
If you already know what bass is and have been playing bass for a long time, then the best bass book for you would be one that teaches you something new or helps you improve your current skills.
If you don't know much about the bass other than knowing how to play a few bass songs or bass riffs, or if you don't know how to play the bass yet, then your best bet is to choose a book bass suitable for beginners.
Using Electric Guitar Books vs. Electric Guitar Video Tutorials
As with any product, there are always pros and cons. This sentiment also applies when it comes to the best product available. It's just that with the best product, you might have one or two minor downsides. The answer still varies.
Most bass tutorials show you different exercises but don't teach you how to play them. And with lower books, some give a lot of information, but the information is very spread out in many different sections and sections.
So the answer here might be to try both options and see what works best for you.
Are bassbooks also useful for advanced bassists?
The following books can be useful no matter who you are and what level you are at. Bass books serve as a resource and reference for bassists and can teach better ways of doing things or inspire bassists to learn new things.
Some books will even help you master different bass techniques, some will help you with your solos while others will teach you the best bass riffs. Bass eBooks can help you learn much more efficiently than traditional learning, without the stress of having someone looking over your shoulder.
verdict
If you are a bassist and want to improve your technique and knowledge, there are some great books for you. Of course, this list of some of the best bass books certainly can't be definitive, but it certainly is a solid pick to pick your way through.