The comprehensive method book for the modern electric bassist including notation and tablature. Today, a good bass player has to be able to play in a wide variety of styles. You have to be able to solo as well as provide a solid groove and the necessary harmonic foundation of a song. This book helps you with more than 150 licks and basic grooves for rock, blues, reggae, funk, jazz, and other styles plus exercises for timing, tapping, slap and other techniques. Learning to play in different positions will help you feel at home on the bass. In addition, a thorough presentation of music theory throughout the text will give you the knowledge you need to branch out into composing, arranging, or producing, or to become a more capable sideman or studio musician. All of the exercises have been recorded on the split-track CD without repeats. Turn the left channel all the way down, and you can practice with just drums, or leave it up to hear the bass part as well. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced player looking to improve, this method book will put you on the path to becoming a better bass player.

Preface

The Instrument

General Comments

Practicing Tips

Timing

Practicing with the CD

Playing Together - The Groove

Bass Posture

Music Notation and Tuning

The Right Hand - Playing the Strings

The Left Hand - Fingering

Overview of Instructional Content

Open Strings

Bass Notation

Note Lengths

Muting

Rest Lengths

Dead Notes

I. Position

Double Bass Fingering

II. Position

Legato and Staccato

Enharmonic Equivalents

Changing Positions

III. Position

The Major Scale - C Major

IV. Position

Intervals

V. Position

Chords

VI. Position

Dotted Notes

Minor Scales

Minor Chords

VII. Position

Tertiary Rhythm - The Triplet

VIII. Position

The Pentatonic Scales

Hammer-On and Pull-Off

IX. Position

Slap Bass

Pop Attack - Popping the String

Slides

X. Position

Playing Chords - Playing Multiple Notes

The Blues Form

The Blues Scale

XI. Position

Odd Meters

The Diatonic Scales (Modes)

XII. Position

Guitar Fingerings

Natural Harmonics

XIII. Position

Concert Guitar-Finger Picking

Bending

XIV. Position

Ornamentations

Tapping

Fretless Bass

Vibrato

Styles

The Blues

Rock n' Roll - Rhythm 'n' Blues

Rock

- Hard Rock - Heavy Metal

- Rock Ballads - Slow Rock

- Country Rock - Folk Rock

Soul - Funk

Jazz

Latin Music

- Bossa Nova

- Samba

- Mambo

- Salsa

Reggae

Equipment Tips

Appendix

Fret and Notation Table

Major and Parallel Minor Scales

Chord Table

Scale Table

Suggested Reading

Suggested Listening

Special Symbols