This book is similar to Friedland's Walking Bass Lines book, but I think it's actually a bit more clearly written. Also, the majority of beginner bassists are probably more interested in rock than jazz anyway. This book will teach you how to construct a working bass line over a set of chord changes. I like also that there's music notation provided as well. This is a really good book for anybody starting off playing bass and I highly recommend it.
Fantastic introductory method to building basslines and basic theory
I went through the beginning of this book, and skimmed a little through some later parts of it, and I can already see that Ed's approach is different. Its more scale-based than what I've seen elsewhere, but this is done in a very illuminating way. Ed shows musical notation for the exercises, and then underneath, instead of tablature, shows the scale degree for each note, to really cement in the learner's head what note from the scale is being played. By doing this, we're not necessarily focusing on the note names, but on the note's place in the scale, which to me makes a lot of sense. I think that this might also help build interval knowledge because it very clearly calls out the note's place in the scale, and thus its relationship to the root. Ingenious!
He also has some other labels, such as "chr" for chromatic, so that readers understand when a note comes from outside of the scale. This is used for approach notes, and probably for other types as well. I'm not very far in yet though, so I can't comment on what other note types are called out. (Although right now, I can't think of any other type than scale and chromatic.)
I really like this method, as it makes me think about the function of the note, in relation to the scale or chord, as well as letting me really see when notes from outside are used to supplement scalar or chordal tones.
Thus far, I'm only on one of the initial exercises. Its basically a root-fifth-octave exercise that drills one of the "box" positions into muscle memory. He has the reader go through the exercise up to the 10th fret, but I've been practicing it up to the 12th, out of habit. Its basically R-5-8, shift up a fret, 8-5-R, shift up a fret, R-5-8, shift up a fret, 8-5-R, repeat. Once you get to the top, you do the same exercise in reverse, so R-5-8, shift down a fret, 8-5-R, shift down a fret, R-5-8, shift down a fret, 8-5-R, repeat.
I like that the exercise moves up and down the neck in a musical fashion, using chord tones. In a way, its similar to the 1-2-3-4, 4-3-2-1 exercise that many people learn when first learning bass. The main difference is that it focuses on the chord tones and doesn't use all of the fingers and strings in each position. Doing both of these is probably a good warm-up/exercise for someone at my stage of learning.
Ed says that once this is done with the root on the E string, do it again on the A string, which is probably a good idea. I'm going to run this on one of the 6-strings and really tire myself out a bit, as this will force me to play it 4X instead of 2X (B string, E string, A and then D string).
Also, as you practice it, its hard not to create small licks or patterns with those notes, which I think its directly-related to the notes being chordal. Sneaky, but effective. 😉 I also love that, since its written in scale degrees, its easier to then practice the same exercise using different fingerings based on other patterns for the major scale. I'll get into those after I do them though, because right now, although the concept is clear in my head, I've not actually done it.
The heavy jazz influence in this book but may be a turn-off to the beginner or rock-oriented types like me. But the techniques and methods in the book are useful for any style of music. This is the 5th or 6th book from Ed Friedland that I have used for learning and I haven't come across a dud yet, this book is certainly no exception. I would recommend it to anyone willing to try something outside their comfort zone.
Jesse
Verified Purchase
★★★★★
Improving improvisation
Great book and great for reference would recommend this book to ...
The bass has been compared to the human voice which is why some of us really dig the sounds this instrument provides in its various formats. Learn with this educational book.
I've bought a lot of bass instructional material over the past 20 years and the stuff by Ed Friedland is the best available. I've gotten rid of almost everything I've purchased except for the stuff by Ed.
Unlike many backing track CDs (and I have quite a few), these guys play with a lot of heart and the band is cooking on all tracks. Just about every style of blues, and some styles that I thought I didn't care for that much, are played so well here with infectious fun (like some of the rhumbas) that I couldn't resist. Just a gas to play over!!! There are 40 different cuts with an average time of about a minute and 40 seconds each, in various keys, although A, G and E are more than others. Guitar, harmonica, sax or piano soloists should all love playing over these tracks. Great tight band with a rollicking live feel, and excellent sound quality. As good as it gets for blues backup.
