Product Description

This indispensable handbook helps players of all levels produce better, more creative, and more varied bass lines. Divided into two sections - Playing Your Bass and Knowing Your Bass - it covers everything from tuning, reading music, scales and chords, and advanced techniques to tips on buying and upgrading a budget bass and troubleshooting. Along with a list of suggested listening and reference guide, this book provides an unrivaled digest of bass information that might otherwise take an entire career to amass. It begins with a 'Basics' section that assumes nothing about your ability. 'Scales and Chords' shows you how to add other notes to your bass lines and includes exercises to extend musical knowledge and train your ear. It develops your understanding of the links between chords and scales, helping you to play from a chord chart or to improvise when required. Most of the ideas and techniques can be achieved without reading music at all, although the information is there for those who can. The 'Reading music' section develops an intuitive approach using pattern recognition rather than the usual mechanical (counting) method, and introduces a skill that may eventually become important to your professional career. Advanced techniques includes harmonics and fretless bass.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #15082 in Books
• Published on: 2006-02-24
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Spiral-bound
• 256 pages

About the Author
Adrian Ashton has an enduring passion for all things bass, with some 20 years of playing, teaching and writing about bass guitar to his credit. In 2002 he founded, funded and edited Bass Guitar Magazine, the UK's only independent and dedicated bass guitar title, from where he was able to pick up even more bass information from such great bassists as John Paul Jones, John Entwistle, Marcus Miller, Victor Wooten and many other of the magazine's cover stars and column writers.

Customer Reviews

A terrific book, and it will stay on your music stand.
The first thing I would like to point out is the very practical and hardwearing aspests of the format of this book. Not a paperback as described but a a hard back spiralbound book which comfortably fits on a music stand without having to be weighed down. The book is well illustrated with colour illustrations, with entertaining information on all aspects of the bass guitar - and thats even before coming to an excellent tutorial. The tutorial is well laid out and worth starting from the beginning whatever stage you are at, I appreciated the way the notes on the fretboard were laid out over 3 lage easy to understand diagrams - this is true of the whole book and bang on when it comes to the TABS found in the book - unlike other tutorials you dont need a telescope propped up in front of your music stand to read them. I mention TAB, however the author is a firm believer in reading standard notation and the book is the clearest I have read in its explantion of the how and why? Overall this is great value for money (especially on Amazon) and the care and attention that has gone into it helps, I think, to make the task of learning that bit more enjoyable.

A masterpiece
This is the first review I have ever posted (usually too lazy!). However this book is worthy of mention. It is without doubt the most comprehensive, accessible, interesting and interactive book I have ever read and used. The design, layout and construction are excellent. Three primary sections include - the history of the bass, bass equipment and a tutorial section. Whatever standard you are at, whatever your interest in the bass (or indeed just in music) you will not regret purchasing this book. To any bass beginner it is indispensable.

Bass Handbook - apt title
This starts with a guide to buying a bass and discussions on the
types of strings used, and itsa written clearly and easily.
Also useful things like ohms law are explained (i.e. how to wire up speaker
cabinets without damaging them or the amplifier)

This takes you from beginer level and has tabs and bass clef music
for the tutotials + a CD to play along to.

I really like this book. I bought a bass and a 30 watt amp recently and this book is
teaching me really well.