Product Description

Shake the earth with deep, sonorous vibrations. Be the force that relentlessly drives the music. Rumble like the ominous thunder of an approaching storm. For you, it′s not enough just to be heard; you need to be felt, too. You need to play bass guitar.

Imagine your favorite music without bass. It doesn′t work, does it? The bass is the heartbeat of the music, the foundation of the groove, and the glue that holds together all the different instruments. You can feel the vibrations of the low notes – sometimes subtle and caressing, sometimes literally earthshaking – as they propel the song. The bass is the heart. So leave center stage to the other musicians – you have more important work to do. The limelight may be cool, but bassists rule!

You can find everything you need to dominate the bass in Bass Guitar For Dummies – whether you′re a beginner picking up a bass for the first time or an experienced player looking for way to improve. And you won′t drown in complicated music theory, either; this easy–to–understand reference gives you just enough music theory to get you on your way.

Bass Guitar For Dummies includes the following topics and more:

• Exploring the anatomy of a bass guitar
• Getting started: Holding your bass, positioning your hands, and striking notes
• Reading bass notation and understanding chords, scales, and octaves
• Creating a groove and playing solos and fills
• Examining different bass–playing styles, from rock and funk to blues and reggae
• Caring for your bass: Cleaning, changing strings, and so on
• Buying your own bass and accessories
• Top Ten lists on bassists you should know about

Bass Guitar For Dummies also comes with a CD that includes audio clips of all the examples in the book.

So put away the air bass guitar and get yourself the real thing. With the help of Bass Guitar For Dummies, you′ll be groovin′ in your own band in no time!

Note: CD–ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3849 in Books
• Published on: 2003-07-29
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 360 pages

From the Back Cover
"Patrick’s teaching method showed me how to connect the bits of technique I’d collected into a playing style."
—Adam Clayton, Bass Player, U2

Play rock, blues, jazz, country, new wave, and Latin

Get ready to rock and roll on the bass — even if you can’t read music!

Want to play bass? This instrumental guide shows you how, with expert advice in everything from choosing your bass to playing basic scales to improvising lead solos. You’ll discover how to tune your bass and keep it in great shape, as well as left– and right–hand techniques, timing tips, and in–depth examples in various musical styles.

All this on the audio CD

• Author demonstrates the rhythms so you can hear how it’s done
• Exercises help you master grooves and reproduce the sound
• Hear sample rhythms played with a real drummer
• Put your fretting skills to the test

About the Author
Patrick Pfeiffer has been a professional bassist for more than 25 years. He played with Paul Griffin from Steely Dan and also taught Adam Clayton of U2.

Customer Reviews

Brilliant book - must buy for all bassists!
This is an amazing book. It covers everything to do with bass: all the scales, chords, different styles of playing the bass, how to make your own bass solo, and much much more. If you want to know anything to do with electric bass, this book is sure to have it! It includes a section on maintenance for your bass, which explains everything from changing the strings to cleaning every part of your bass. It includes its own cd aswell to help you in your learning, and to know you are doing everything correct. This book is a really, really valuable asset to any bassist, whether you're a beginner (like me) or an advanced player looking to extend your bass skills.

The only Bass book you will ever need!
If you are looking for one bass guitar book with all you need to know in it I urge you to buy this book. I have read and purchased many other teach yourself bass guitar books but none of these books were as easy to follow and pick up as Bass Guitar for Dummies. The author has used his 25yrs of playing experience combined with very simple, easy to follow diagrams to create a system of learning that will get part-time players playing their favourite Chili's bass lines in no time or if you are looking to become the next Jaco Pastorius or Stanley Clarke then this book shows you EVERYTHING you could possibly need to know! This book rates 11 out of 10 every time!

This isn't a 'how to play bass guitar' sort of book, but it's one hell of a reference!
I've been playing bass for a few years now, but I bought this book to see whether there were any hinters I could glean from it, as like many bassists, I'm self-taught. I must say that it makes for a fantastic reference, which will suit both the beginner and pro alike, as the range of topics covered is vast. I recommend it to any bassist.