Jazz bass lesson from one of the greats

 In this day it is sort of hard to get pass Youtube when it comes to finding good instructional value, so I couldn't skip the opportunity to share this one. This is a whole clinic on the Blueprint For the Working Jazz Bassist, delivered by nobody else but the legendary Ron Carter!

Even if you don't know who Mr. Carter is, but have any interest in jazz whatsoever, you owe it to yourself to watch this one. 

Ron Carter Bass Clinic from Berklee on Vimeo.

Todd Johnson - one stop shop!

 First of all, yeah, a long hiatus... Moved to another country, and for a family man it entails loads of stuff to take care of. So, eventually managed to get back to the blog. To somehow compensate, I decided to cover a lot of topics at once, and fortunately it could be done through a single resource!

Todd Johnson is one of those players who don't get nearly as much recognition as they should for their work. If you haven't heard and seen him at it before, there is no other choice but to be amazed once you do.

As phenomenal as he is as a player, though, his real greatness (IMHO) lies in his instructional approach.  Regardless of the subject taught, Johnson has really honed a truly excellent method of presentation, which he describes himself as "bite sized" chunks of information that are consumed one bite at the time. Now, many other instructors claim the same, but too often you end up with a pile of pieces that may indeed be easily digestible, but fail to come together as a coherent "full course meal". And a buffet offering is not always the the best way to have the best experience. Learning music is no different in this regard. 

From that point, Todd Johnson is a master chef. Each course is prepared by using best ingredients and following a proven recipe. First of all, he knows what gamut of skills players need in order to have the ability of being a well rounded musician, ready to tackle any challenges that may be presented to them. Whether it is solid technique, building effective bass lines, executing meaningful solos, or performing specific tunes, you can rely on his instructional plan to get you going. And his menu won't hurt your wallet either. I know from experience, so let me review a few of those offers. 

Now, each of the programs is a standalone piece that builds from the ground up, so take the following order as my personal choice, specifically this is the chronological order of my purchasing them. Besides, there is some overlap, too, in the sense that certain programs will by nature work on more than one aspect of your playing ability. You could and should choose in line with your own needs. 

So, my first exposure to Johnson's educational output was Technique Builders. It has nothing to do with tapping, slapping or other fancy/flashy tricks. Instead, it is a thorough and gradual approach to building (or for those with some time on the instrument already - cleaning) a really good, functional physical command of the electric bass. In practice, it means the roles of the left and right hands in sound production (fingering; plucking), smoot movement on the instrument (finger independence and coordination; string crossing and skipping), sound control (muting) etc. To be specific, in my case it was of tremendous help in adapting my playing to a 5-string bass when I first undertook it, and made me adopt a different right hand technique, i.e. floating thumb method. Most importantly though, this video was my introduction to Johnson's teaching style, which I loved, thus nudging me to investigate his other products. 

Next in line was Walking Bass Line Module System, because I was curious to see how he deconstructs and presents this topic. Non only did he not disappoint, but finally made me see the light at the end of the tunnel, i.e. perceive the undertaking of learning this style of playing as something doable. As a result, it boosted my motivation and joy of both practicing and performing in jazz bands. Even if you only stay with the first volume of the series (chord tones and approaches), you will be able to come up with good sounding lines and play with confidence. Including two remaining volumes (scalar lines and other stylistic devices) will definitely move you toward a more professional territory. This is definitely my "safety net" foundation.

Naturally, after excellent experience with the previous titles, I was eager try my hands at Johnson's Improvisation Module Method. Again, it features all the great features that I came to expect - detailed analysis, clear explanations, logical progression of instruction, supported by the enjoyable backing tracks. The lessons follow a similar approach as in the case of walking bass lines, in that they start with chord tones, then adding scalar passing and chromatic approach tones. Two things came as a great revelation and confidence booster here: understanding that you can get a lot of mileage from just a couple of notes when played with rhythmic interest (phrasing); this is a great ear training, too! The author calls his manner of teaching the "Karate Kid method", which may sound weird at first, but it is actually a fitting description once you get to it...and if you saw the original movies, of course. 

Having taught you the ABC's and "grammar" of soloing, Johnson also shows you how to integrate the expressive means of the masters though his add-on module Major ii-V-I Vocabulary. Now, if you have the main modules under your fingers and in your ears, you are well equipped already, but tis module is a great way to figure out how to use and apply all those favorite cool sounding licks that we all have.

Finally, although it is advertised as more of a beginner/early intermediate material, the Bass Fundamentals Method: The Cycle is definitely a welcome addition to any bass player's vault of instructional material. Namely, I see it as an excellent compound workout, since following the program will give you a good coverage of technique, fretboard command, fundamental theory and ear training. Even if you are an experienced player, the systematic manner of practicing, as presented here, will probably take you out of the comfort zone, thus helping one's personal growth as a performer. The three different fingerings are presented for each type of scale and arpeggio shown, and then each is practiced in a consistent manner, thus helping diligent students to overcome obstacles and building confidence. I keep reiterating the confidence part, but it is the best way to enjoy one's music endeavors.

Some of the above programs are available as either a video/book combo or individual downloads and prints. As much as I love books, there is really no practical reason to get them (except maybe for collector's value), because Johnson accompanies all the videos with comprehensive PDF files, charts, transcriptions and explanations, along with audio backing tracks. In other words, the full package. 

Besides those standalone, comprehensive programs, Johnson also offers a number of short, individual lessons on a selection of jazz standards, in a series titled Playin' Through the Real Book. Each tune is worked through three dimensions - bass line, solo, chordal accompaniment. As such, they are a great, and VERY affordable way of learning these pieces. Possibly most interesting feature of these is the chordal accompaniment. Namely, while Todd Johnson is widely acknowledged as possibly the authority on playing the bass as a solo instrument, especially the chord melody style, his instructional package (Fishin' For Grips) abut it has long been unavailable. Therefore these lessons may be a good way to dig into that aspect of bass playing, should you be so inclined. 

In the end, I cannot emphasize enough how pleasant and encouraging Johnson's video personality is, which serves to further reinforce the phenomenal content of his instructional materials. No wonder then that he is one of the favorite masterclass instructors within the Scott's Bass Lessons portal and community, and a long time collaborator of the late Jim Stinnett. Honestly, if I were pressed to choose a single bass instructor to work with for the rest of my life, that would be a horribly difficult decision to make, but Todd Johnson would without any doubt be in the narrowest selection.

Pick your side

 Actually, when it comes to sound production on the bass, by far the grand majority of players are on the plucking side, i.e. using fingerstyle, as opposed to using a pick (plectrum) to put the strings into motion. Of course, the two approach are not mutually exclusive, and there have been phenomenal players featuring either of those. I tend to choose based on what sounds better in a given piece of music, all the more so since some styles of music are better suited for one or the other.. That said, the great Bobby Vega, one of the premiere proponents of the pick, says that "you can make the pick sound like fingers, but not the other way around". 

Here is another excellent representative of the picking camp - Cody Wright - explaining the WHYs and HOWs of his approach. I find is particularly interesting because he is known for this ferocious funk playing, which is a style typically associated with fingerstyle or slap, but not so much with pick,

Hope this inspires you to look for and experiment with new sonic expressions on bass.

South style

 So far we haven't discussed any specific styles/genres of music as applied to bass, but this is as good time as any to change that. I mean, getting a firm grip on the fundamental aspects of the craft, in terms of good sound production mechanics (i.e. instrumental technique), music principles (theory) and how they relate to the instrument (fretboard command) are of course necessary, but ultimately - we do want to use all of those while making music with a band, right? 

Some styles are considered better as a platform for the overall academic study (jazz), but even within that world, there seems to be a special joy in performing a convincing rendition of some Latin-tinged standard. That said, the term "Latin" is not exactly narrow in meaning, being essentially a geographic reference. In other words, the sheer number of Latin styles can be a rather deep rabbit hole if you decide to go down that avenue. Still, it no reason to be reluctant...

As with any other filed of study, a proper introduction can establish a good foundation to build upon as the time goes by. Well, here is a quite nice lesson presented by Dewayne Pate, a long time professional bassist, best known for his work with Robben Ford.

Dewayne Pate - "Latin Bass Techniques" from Jesse Block on Vimeo.

In some of the future posts I will review some more educational materials on Latin bass, but hopefully this was enough to spark some interest in this great branch of music. 

Get 'em!

 Remember how in the previous post I mentioned that those highly recommended programs are occasionally discounted? Well, here you go!

Alien guidance

OK, I admit it - I often use instruction from people and sources dedicated to other instruments, including (gulp!) guitar. As the matter of fact, on of the most influential instructors whose material and direct guidance I have had the pleasure to experience over the past few years is Dana Rasch. For those who have heard of the legendary, but now defunct, Grove School of Music it will be easy to understand the quality of teaching involved, when you have in mind that Rasch used to be the head of the guitar program there, and the author of the cult-status instructional package titled Beyond Chops. 

Well, that package was published 35+ years ago and is still a benchmark, but the author chose not to rest on his laurels, and decided to further expand and improve his teaching approach. Over the years, he developed several programs that deal with various aspects of musicianship as it applies to guitar, but I would say that his flagship series is Visual Guide Tones, which is also the title of his website. And  guess what? It works great on bass! 

Essentially, the author uses the highly graphic nature of the instrument to help players in seeing how numerous music principles and concepts are manifested on it. In this particular program, Rasch uses five shapes of all the scales that form harmonic sources in modern music and than maps them over the fingerboard, while using the methods of string pairs, string sets, melodic contour, U-turns, sequences etc. to work on several dimensions of instrumental proficiency at the same time. You will develop technical command, left and right hand coordination, fretboard familiarity, ear-hand coordination while working on it, so it is completely appropriate that another user called it the "unified method".

Over the course of 11 (eleven) levels, Rach takes you on a thorough, step-by-step practical study that starts with pentatonic, goes through major, follows by melodic minor scales, and a whole bunch of other topics along the way. Each level consists of minimum 2 DVDs worth of video (download/stream) - one is a lesson and the other practice video(s) - as well as mp3 backing tracks and PDF notes where applicable. All in all, the instruction is very clear, as the author does a lot of talking when explaining the material, and he doesn't cut any shortcuts. And yet, if you have any questions, he is quite accessible via email and actually responds to your inquiries. 

Now, the first three levels deal with pentatonic scales, and just going through this part of the program helped me immensely in developing the above mentioned elements of musicianship. The first level stays in one key/tonality, the second has you shift between two, and the third - between three. With that in mind, if you understand the material in Level 1, it is possible to skip either 2 or 3 on your way up, depending on your previous level, although I still recommend taking each step, for the benefit of other insights and advice shared along the way. 

When it comes to direct application of the material from the course, very early I was able to put it to great use in coming up with bass fills and runs very spontaneously and with ease, even in the sections of fingerboard that had previously been "behind the horizon" for me. This is how I worked on the material a few years ago.

 Therefore, it should not come as a surprise that I also reached for his other programs in search of developing other areas of musicianship, in particular his Chord Melody and Composition series, as they really offer excellent way to work on one's understanding of harmony and related concepts (voice leading, arranging, transposition etc.) in a deep and systematic manner. Depending on your interests and priorities, you may want to check out his other stuff, too. Speaking of which, over the past couple of years, Rasch had discount/sales around Black Friday period, so it might be a good idea to check the store at that time. 

Remember how I mentioned that Dana Rasch was very accessible? Well, after asking for permission to use the pictures, we agreed that if any of the readers of this blog contacts me with some proof of purchase from his website, I will send you the PDF document I had made a few years back, that makes it easer to map the material on the first Visual Guide Tones levels on the neck of the bass, for 4-string and extended range instruments! 

Theory in practice

 Bass players are an interesting lot when it comes to having wider and deeper knowledge of overall music, in its wider theoretical implications and practical applications. Of course, there is a continuum, but it often looks as if there are two (those who also act as the lead singer are excluded) categories that gravitate toward the opposite ends:

1. those listening only to drums and acting as the proverbial dummy of the band;

2. those who are actually the most educated/knowledgeable members, thus often acting as the main composer/arranger (John Paul Jones anyone?) or music directors of the band. 

I have very often seen or heard bass players looking to "outgrow" the first category, and therefore asking for the good books or other resources of music theory for bass. And there, to me, lies the problem - there is no such thing as the music theory for bass...or any other specific instrument. Music is music, and while different instruments may have different roles within ensembles of various sizes, they should all be able to speak the same language, in order to communicate effectively. Seeking the instruction that applies to bass is cutting yourself short of al the benefits that can be reaped with an unhindered approach as willingness to step out of your immediate comfort zone by learning music in a more universal manner. 

Hm, OK, how do we alleviate this problem? Well, by engaging in a well organized and comprehensive study of music. Now, a lot of self-taught musicians will cringe at the mention of the term theory, and think of it as something utterly boring and probably the bad voodoo that will rob them of their creativity and "soul" in playing. Although possible, depending on the instructor and the student, neither is necessarily true. I have already discussed some resources that deal with most immediate aspects of theory in a practical way for our instrument, and there are others in printed format that will be reviewed in the future posts, but today I would like to point the readers to an exceptionally well done online presentation. 

While I definitely prefer the book format as the means of "packaging" knowledge, sometimes there are simply better ways to efficiently convey information. As a great example of this, Clive Cockburn has made a website that offers a tremendous way to learn music in all its practical aspects in a very effective and practical fashion. 

The Contemporary Music Course is exactly that - not a bunch of tips and tidbits thrown together in random order, but rather a true step-by-step teaching of elements that will help you understand things you have been doing already on your instrument, as well as show you how to take your craft as a musician (see, I didn't say bassist) to a much higher level. 

How does he achieve this? Cockburn uses the video format to present his lessons, just long enough in duration to say what needs to be said, so you don't nod off, and then provides assignments in additional PDF materials to help you put what you have learned to practice. I especially like the fact that he integrates ear training with theoretical foundations, hence providing a deeper understanding of the curriculum.

Speaking of curriculum, it starts with two levels of fundamental elements, titled Language of Music, then proceeds through another two levels of Chords and Harmony, adds the treatment of rhythm through the lens of actual band practice in the Kit Drummer. After that, the course goes into that music director/arranger territory mentioned earlier via the chapters on Rhythm Section and Horns, Orchestral Harmony, Two Part Harmony & Counterpoint (gold for those looking to play more melodic bass lines!), Arranging Notes. To crown the course, the author gives special treatment to making/recording a Rock Session Project, including the writing of the song, preparing a lead sheet, rehearsing it etc. 

And now comes the cherry on the cake! While the annual membership for the entire course normally cost around $99, Cockburn is currently offering it for free (no login required), while the Covid pandemic is still at large. 

There...no excuse to skip this excellent offer!

Isolated bass...lost opportunity?

 Besides music, and bass in particular, my other (the first, as the matter of fact) is martial arts, and I have noted a strange disparity of how instructors in both fields have tackled the problem of staying put in our homes, without access to our regular "working avenues" of training and gigging. Namely, the number of martial art coaches and instructors who have offered either individual or group sessions via Zoom or similar live streaming outlets has been staggering. With music professionals, not really. Maybe it is because in case of musicians online teaching through live sessions has been a rather normal thing for quite some time, even before the pandemic outburst. 

However, my impressions is that the top echelon of performing professionals has missed a good opportunity here. See, the Berklee bas department did do a few events of the panel-discussion kind, but in all honest, those weren't much educational in terms of specific material or approaches to practicing. The thing is, hosting an online conference with a similar attitude as doing a clinic can be beneficial in several ways. 

To begin with, there are a lot of people out there who would love to have lessons from the top-level "so and so" musicians, but as the potential clients they are either intimidated or thinking there is no way those payers would even consider giving lessons. Conducting a free or affordable online clinic is  great way to show that they are accessible as instructors, and also to demonstrate their teaching chops. Here is a good example of how it can be done - Phil Mann did a series of lessons through Facebook live streams, and later put them on his Youtube channel With Bass in Mind. 

Adam Nitti is another monster player who has recently started doing similar sessions, with his excellent clinic on ear training. Choosing to do it via Zoom had the advantage of attendees being able to react immediately and establish good rapport, with feedback from both sides. On the other hand, just like the previous gentleman, Nitti is a veteran music educator in parallel with his recording and performing career, so he understands the need to keep in touch with his audience. 

As he matter of fact, even the rare cats that are actually already fully scheduled with their private lessons have understood the value of such public events. Anthony Wellington of the Bassology fame. The man who does 10+ private sessions on a daily basis still offers these opportunities for the potential clients who cannot get in queue or pay his regular fees. That helps spread the word and make sure he will never run out of work. 

And also...well, that's about it. I don't know what it is that makes the bass professionals shun those avenues of work, and that's a shame. I was hoping to be able and see some of them teach in this format, but it wasn't meant to be. 

Or maybe I am wrong and uninformed about such events taking place, in which case - please correct me!

Youtube gems - Everythingbass

I was thinking of having another post with a list of favorite resources within a certain medium, but since Youtube is such a vast and dynamic one, it seemed like a better idea to focus on one feature at a time. So, here we go…

Today’s installment is dedicated to the relative newcomer, meaning the channel has only been around for a few months, but Dale Titus has certainly been around the block quite a few times, including the mention on this blog. He earned his instructor stripes as a teacher at BIT and the author of a number of articles in Bass Player, so no wonder that Everything Bass is a very nice collection of videos on several topics in bass, neatly presented in “episodes”, so you can follow a particular subject of choice more easily, if you would like to focus on that aspect of your playing/practice. There are series on technical domains (slap, tapping), overall musicianship (fretboard familiarization, guided improvisation sessions), various professional tips etc.

What especially appeals to me in Titus’s approach is the balanced treatment of a topic at hand – he is neither stingy nor overwhelming. The videos are organized so that the main idea and the purpose are clearly explained, and then demonstrated through a couple of exercises and their variations. That way, the viewers aren’t left in dilemma about the meaning of what they saw, nor are they lost in trying to figure out what is the really important part of the smorgasbord of material unleashed on them. In other words, Titus inclines towards the depth of instruction, over the breadth, but the scope is attained through the continuation of the series of videos on whatever the subject is.

As the matter of fact, balanced is probably the single word that best describes the overall impression of this Youtube channel. As a video educator Titus is neither annoyingly imposing, nor monotonously pale; the exercises are challenging enough to take some dedication, and realistically attainable, so you are not discouraged…

Finally, if you have questions or something to say in the comments section, Dale actually reads them and is quick to respond. All in all, what we see here is the instructor who genuinely cares about offering the kind of contents to truly benefit his audience.

 

Starting strong...part 2

Continuing the topic of recommended avenues of study for beginning players. For the free resources check the previous post.

PAID RESOURCES

Books have been the main avenue of instrumental instruction methods for more than a century, and with the support of sound files on either CD or online, they still have some advantages over more modern technologies. Namely, I am not alone in liking the ability to have a non-electronic resource at hand, especially for highlighting the text, writing in my comments or notes, reading on the commute without worrying about batteries etc. Here are my top two picks:

Hal Leonard Bass Method is by now pretty much recognized as THE study resource for the modern electric bass beginners. Its author Ed Friedland is a renowned educator and overall bass authority. Just search the ‘Net for “bass whisperer” to see what I mean. It is available either as three separate volumes or a complete edition book (recommended), and covers all the bases needed to become a competent player. The feature that stands out is that the command of the instrument and learning the theory are integrated with reading standard notation in a flawless manner. That way you get to be able to handle yourself in music situation both with and without printed music before you. This book is so outstanding that it has its own long thread on the TalkBass forums, which is the biggest bass community in the virtual world.

Bass Guitar for Dummies is a later date publication, compared to the previous one, but it has garnered excellent reputation. If I may add, rather deservedly so. Namely, the book has already gone through several editions (hence different covers you may find) with appropriate upgrades along the way. The author, Patrick Pfeiffer, does an excellent job of getting beginner player up to speed as quick and efficiently as possible. For that reason, he relies on tablature in his examples, which may not prepare you to dive into the sea of written music out there, but it will get you ready to join a band quicker than many others. Besides the music competencies, he discusses numerous important issues that relate to such goal – choosing and maintaining the instrument, amp, accessories, bass players and rhythm section to know and study etc. What we have here is a great book and the only contender for the position held by the previous one.

Video lesson were the craze of later 1980’s and through 1990’s. The thing is, they don’t require as much time to put together as the books do, so it enabled busy professionals, i.e. name players, to give their contribution to bass education. Another thing is, many of those failed at making any worthwhile impact. The limited duration of such projects certainly played a role, but so did the fact that many of great players are not so great instructors and lack any clear idea of what to teach or how to coherently present their thoughts on the topic they took. On top of that, they were pretty pricey, $30 to $60 for a VHS or DVD that was 30-80 minutes in duration.

Fortunately, the beginner programs are somewhat more specific in terms of what needs to be shown, so there were several good ones. Many of those are still available today, still on DVD or as a streaming/download video.

Teach Me Bass Guitar stands out among other products in this category, thus the decision to review it first. Its author Roy Vogt is both a seasoned professional player and an experienced educator, who decided to make an actual step-by-step video course. Since it couldn’t have been done within the frame of a single DVD, his program stretches of 10 (yes, ten!) discs that methodically cover approximately the first two years of instruction for a beginner player. The learning experience is really pleasant, with animated fretboard used in place of tablature in the video, written instruction on the screen accompanying oral instruction etc. Also included is the PDF book to help with the referencing and overview, but it doesn’t stop there. Vogt really goes the extra step – instead of offering customary practicing sound files as mp3 backing tracks, he assembled an actual band and recorded them on video, playing live in a club, so when you practice with them it is as close as it gets to being on a bandstand in your own room! Naturally, such a product comes at a price that is higher than most other beginner programs, but you can now download it or stream individual levels or even lessons on his website. All in all, this program set the bar so high that it is unlikely to be surpassed any time soon.

If you’d still prefer a more concise introduction to the instrument, here is a selection of really good ones that you can pick from. Each one lays a good foundation, so go for the title that is most readily available for you, without the need to seek the others.

Beaver Felton – Bass Bassics, a two volume video produced in the ‘90s, so the visual appearance is reflective of the fact, but this is probably may favorite among these;

Billy Sheehan – Basic Bass, the newest of the lot, showing a star player do an excellent job of teaching what matters from experience.

Dale Titus – Ultimate Beginner Series Bass Basics, another two volume set produced 25+ years ago, but done so well that it is as good today as it was back then, possibly in the friendliest atmosphere here.

Online courses/portals mentioned here are chosen for their very affordable membership fee AND the quality of material. Both will serve you well beyond the beginning phase, too.

Norm Stockton’s Art of Groove lives up to its name. You will find courses neatly laid out as orderly lessons and focusing on deeply understanding the main role that bass players perform in their bands. The material is presented either in text/diagram/notation/tabs format or in video, and besides the specific courses written for the site (20-week beginner course, basic rock course, 60-week flagship course etc.) the members also have access to the set of instructional Grooving for Heaven videos that Norm did back in the day, along with a lot of bonus material. At under $10 per month, joining it is a no-brainer.

Damian Erskine’s website Bass Education is a very recent offering, and jumped quickly to the top of my favorite resource. First of all, Damian is a monster player with excellent professional record (google him if you haven’t heard), but a brilliant instructor, too. The material on the site is presented in video format, supported by PDF documents and playalong tracks where necessary. The lessons are organized either by topics (technique, bass lines, theory…) or as courses, which themselves are offered either as modules (fundamentals, walking bass, rhythm, chords, slap) or as learning paths (pocket player, jazz bassist, jam confidently, soloing proficiency, freelance pro, sight reading). On top of that, Erskine conducts a monthly live Q&A session and runs a forum for the members to interact even more…whew! What more can you ask for? The price? Incredibly enough, he offers all that for a symbolic membership fee of $7 per month or $75 annually! Yes, you read that correctly. I sincerely believe that for a serious player, regardless of their level, it should be a criminal offense to skip on this opportunity.

NOTE: The aforementioned resources are not mutually exclusive, but in order to get the most benefit from the approaches presented in this post and previous one, pick one of them that sounds like your cup of tea and focus on following the path of instruction offered there; then use BassBuzz or TalkingBass as an additional source of possibly more entertaining and diverse information. 

Have a good time practicing!

Starting strong...part 1

Being a beginner at any given skill building activity is both challenging and exciting, learning to play an instrument is no different. However, with instruments that have been around for centuries and are full-fledged members in symphonic orchestras, performing long-standing pieces of classical music cannon etc, solid teaching and learning methodologies have been developed long ago, with music schools and similar options. But when you wish to play the instrument that has been around for less than 70 years and happens to be used mostly in popular music styles, beginners are not so fortunate when it comes to having a clear path of instruction available.

Most electric bass players, just like electric guitarists and drummers, are largely self-taught, especially if they never get into playing jazz. While only 20 or so years ago the main problem a beginner was facing could have been the lack of information on the subject, nowadays it is quite the opposite – with the spread of Internet it is the overwhelming amount of information that might keep the budding bassist lost and confused. Therefore, the mission of this post is to streamline the process of choosing instructional sources, so you can focus on practicing, instead of hunting for the right lessons. In absence of direct one on one instruction, here are my recommendations for several types of instruction – online courses, books, Youtube channels, and DVD/video lessons.

Having the beginner players in mind, I went for two broad categories: free and paid; but in the latter case I still had price as one of the important criteria.

FREE RESOURCES

Youtube is a major factor in all things tutorial, plus it is the go-to platform for all generations nowadays, hence starting our review with it. For the purposes of this article, I have selected two channels:

Music College TV

Music College TV offers a really nice playlist of excellent videos, presented in an orderly fashion, so it very easy to follow. Pretty much it serves as your lesson plan that starts with fundamentals of tuning and proper playing technique, covers all the necessary theory of scales and modes, and goes into playing over chord progression and developing funk bass lines. The main advantage of this channel is its clear progression that eliminates any guesswork regarding what to practice and in which order. Just supplement it with learning your favorite songs on your own, and there should be plenty of progress before you.

BassBuzz

BassBuzz takes a different slant on the subject.  The videos on this channel are not meant to be seen in any particular order, because that is to be found on their paid website with specific courses. Nonetheless, there is a lot of other important information that the beginners may not even know they need, and that used to be obtained through occasional advice of more experienced musicians along your development path. Considerations about tone, selecting adequate instruments and other gear, and even more importantly avoiding some of it, common mistakes, well or not so well known bassists to know… Just check their own playlists as suggested by the channel.

Online portals that are especially worth your time and attention are again – two:

StudyBass has been around for quite some time and happens to be a favorite resource to many players for a good reason. The lesson page is clear and organized by levels of instructions, each being subdivided into blocks. The content is presented as the combination of text, diagrams and occasional videos. All the important topics are there, technique, getting to know your fretboard, as well as the ever important matter of organizing your practice. A special plus is the early introduction of notation reading. The author of the course strives to put up a distraction free website, without annoying adds, and succeeds brilliantly.

                                       

TalkingBass may be better suited for those who prefer visual approach, i.e. video tutorials. The main portion of the free site consists of the videos that author has on Youtube, but they are organized into categories, so the users have easier time navigating it. You can join the website for free and get access to additional content in the Practice Room section, including drum beats to work with and advice on how to set up your practice. A special advantage of this portal is that the author teaches riffs and basslines from popular songs to incorporate some of the techniques and concepts shown in the lessons, so the experience is that more enjoyable for the learners.

Obviously, the categories such as books and DVDs are not exactly readily available for free, but here is the one that has been out of print for a considerable time now, and actually replaced by the publisher with a newer edition from a different author, to be reviewed below. I still like this version of the Hal Leonard method, because it is comprehensive, methodical and well-done overall.

Dan Dean Electric Bass Vol ... by Paulo Jorge on Scribd

Hopefully, the information presented here can direct you toward some good study right away, so you get to be better sooner.

Book heavyweights

Today I am presenting my Top 3 instructional book to learn (more about) bass. There are my favorite go-to resources and I still use them regularly, even after quite a few years. Since it is difficult to rank them (my affinities typically sway one way or another from time to time), let's review them alphabetically, based on authors' last names.

Joel Di Bartolo - Serious Electric Bass

This book was put out in 1997 by Alfred Publishing, to receive rave reviews from such bass heavy hitters as Nathan East, Will Lee, Tony Levin, John Patitucci and Victor Wooten - and quite deservedly so. What we have at hand here is a very thorough and comprehensive approach to understanding and playing music on the electric bass. Michael Manring wrote rather matter-of-factly in his foreword: "I wouldn't recommend planning on blazing through this book in a few weeks [...] Plan on keeping [it] around for many years to refer and re-refer to as your understanding of and fluency in these patterns develops."

That is exactly how I treat my copy!

So, what did Mr. Di Bartolo put in it? Well, at over 270 pages, it is a hefty volume with a lot of material. The beginning is pretty unique, as the first chapter deals with essentials of instrument maintenance and set up, including the string changing, bridge intonations, truss rod adjustments, cleaning the electronics etc. Too many players see even the basic set up as some sort of high magic that is best left to professional luthiers, thus often tolerating unnecessary inconveniences on their instruments or spending time without it while it is being serviced. 

Next, he embarks on a detailed study of the 1st or open position on the instrument, where the proverbial "money notes" are located. It is done by introducing the reader to the notions of chromatic scale and music intervals, and the exercises in those are used to also address the technical development of the fretting hand. 

Following the basic lessons presented thus far, Di Bartolo begins the treatment of the major harmony via the all-encompassing analysis of major scales and its modes and diatonic intervals, as well as chords/arpeggios. His breakdown of major scale in tetrachord shapes has really taken my understanding of the fingerboard to an entirely new level. This segment and the chapter on two-octave shapes and patterns supports the methodical development of positional shifting, parallel with various rhythmic studies. 

Upon the completion of major scale exploration and its harmonic implications, the author applies the same method with harmonic minor, melodic minor and symmetric scale tonal systems, while continually developing and reinforcing one's understanding of rhythmic subdivisions. To accomplish this, he uses fretboard diagrams and standard notation in dozens upon dozens of musical exercises and examples offered. That way, on your way through the book, you are working on all the fundamental ingredients of music (rhythm, melody, harmony) simultaneous with technical facility on the instrument. 

There is a lot of material in the book, so it will take a lot of diligent work to digest it all. Di Bartolo does offer useful advice and encouragement in the section aptly titled The Last Chapter. It gives the reader a view of the bigger picture, i.e. providing context for the required effort, thus hopefully boosting one's motivation to keep working. 

Tony Grey - Tony Grey Bass Academy

As the latest offering of these three (2013, Wise Publications), this book actually comes supported with a DVD that is over 90 minutes long. The video material is used to further illustrate any of the topics that the author found in need of such approach. From the outset, there is one feature that sets this book apart from all the others I have ever seen - in the lower corner of each of its almost 270 pages (yes, just like the previous one!) you will find a listening recommendation, i.e. the name of a bass player and one of his best works/albums. Although subtitled as The Ultimate Jazz Bass Guitar Method, these recommendations feature both upright and electric, traditional and modern exponents of the low frequencies.

Grey opens his work with words of advice regarding creativity and music practice, with emphasis on how to organize a practice schedule. In my opinion, this HOW to practice portion is just as important as WHAT to practice, so this introductory chapter is spot on. As a second part of the opening segment, the reader is introduced to a set of daily purely technical studies/drills meant do develop the stamina and motor facility in both hands, aimed at easier execution of the material in the reminder of the book.

For the main part of the package, we see a similar approach to Di Bartolo's - major, melodic minor and harmonic minor harmonic principles covered in that order. The treatment also uses some of the same tools (intervals, diatonic arpeggios, modes). There are, nonetheless, some marked differences, too. Namely, the author pays special attention to fingering aspect of each of the exercises, and in line with the subtitle on the cover, exercises focused on the development of soloing ability, or linear solo concepts, as he calls them. Such goal demands more study of harmonic devices like extensions and approach tones, so Grey deals with those, and does so very nicely. 

After the aforementioned harmonic domains, there is a chapter dedicated to the Advanced Harmony, which deals with the notions of chord functions, progressions, secondary dominants, substitutions etc. 

The final chapter of Tony Grey Bass Academy covers a systematic presentation of how to play walking bass lines. To my knowledge, this is the only book that is not dedicated entirely to this playing style, which still goes so deeply into it. 

In the end, Grey once again reinforces the importance of well organized practice schedule by giving a suggested format of a practice diary. 

Chuck Sher - The Improviser's Bass Method

This is probably the first book to have taken a truly serious approach to advancing music education specifically for modern bass. It is certainly the oldest in this selection (179, Sher Music), and at "only" 218 pages, it is also the "thinnest" one :-)  More importantly, though, Sher organized his method in a notably different fashion than in the previous two cases.

With that difference in mind, the author uses the foreword to give suggestions on how to use the book, and in particular for the early stage players. Since none of these methods is actually meant for the beginner students/players, this is a good way to avoid frustration among them. 

So, unlike the above books, Sher dedicates  a separate chapter to each of the individual topics that ought to be fused into a skilled command of the instrument in various styles of improvised music. The method identifies twelve such areas: physical aspects of playing; basic theory; scale studies; chord studies; rhythm studies; interval; studies; creating bass lines; chord voicings; analyzing tunes; chord extensions; soloing; developing musicianship.

Quite a broad spectrum, eh? Well, how do you take it in? Obviously, some of those subjects naturally go hand in hand and can be taken together, in the same exercise (I will have a separate post about that manner of practice), while some can also be done away from the instrument. Here is how I have been using the book for years (I was introduced to it by my bass teacher back in 1998 or so)...

First, I need to identify what I need to work on (pay attention - there is difference between need and want) for the next period of 2-8 weeks. Typically it will mean focusing on 4 or 5 of these topics AT MOST! Then, I will simply take one or two exercise from corresponding chapters and work on them during a practice session. Depending on the time available during the day, I may even split the work into two sessions and do them on alternating days. Naturally, there is more detail to it, but this is the crux, especially with a method of this kind. 

I also happen to think that this kind of resource is very convenient for instructors, since it is easy to find ideas or exercise to us with individual students (or even in a class setting), once you have identified their needs and level. 

The Improviser's Bass Method also features two appendices. The first shows a couple dozen traditional Latin bass lines with typical chord progressions, so it may be used as a crash course intro to this style, if you need to take a gig on a short notice. The second is a selection of transcribed bass lines and solos by renowned players, ranging from Ray Brown, Ron Carter and Paul Chambers, to James Jamerson, Jaco Pastorius and Marcus Miller. 

Verdict?

Well, there is none, really. Like I mentioned at the beginning, it is impossible to chose one to the exclusion of others. I got those books as they were available to me: Improviser's Bass method first, Serious Electric Bass second; and Tony Grey Bass Academy the last. If possible get them all...but I'll try being a bit more helpful.

Your choice might depend on various factors. If looking for a sequentially ordered progression, go with Di Bartolo or Grey. The former takes precedence if you are more toward early stages of practicing, the latter if having the video explanations makes a difference. 

Want examples of how pros do it? Sher takes care. Systematic focus on soloing of walking bass? Grey leads the way. Need to know your gear, too? Joel hits the goal. 

Availability and price could be decisive, of course...

The bottom line is - all three belong to a serious student's or instructor's library, and you won't go wrong with any of them. 

Critical criteria

What constitutes a good instructional product in my mind? To a degree, it depends on the subject being taught, of course. There are, however, come common criteria that I hope a book or video course would meet. 

First, the instructor has to be able to communicate and demonstrate his lessons in a coherent and understandable manner. Everything else hinges on this one. One of my greatest regrets is seeing promising material in terms of contents, being ruined by plain bad writing or incoherent and unintelligible mumbling. Now, don't get me wrong - I don't insist on Shakespearean penmanship and absolute grammatical or orthographic precision in a book, nor Harvard Law School rhetoric level on video; but what you read or watch needs to make enough sense that it doesn't leave you scratching your head and having no idea what you need to do with the material, how to approach it and why. 

That said, author's personal writing style or spoken accent and prosody don't mean much, as long as they are able to teach in a flowing and engaging fashion.  Naturally, some authors are more comfortable in one of these two formats, and that is perfectly fine. I like both, with some preference for books over videos. 

Second, the product should be presented systematically, following the progression that makes sense. Again, depending on the chosen topic and learner's prior level, there may be some flexibility here, but like any other story, if things are just thrown out randomly it only frustrates those trying to learn something from the material. That is why I ended up seriously disliking some of the "instructional" videos done by big name players back in the 1980's and 1990's - they were nothing but a bunch of loosely collected licks and lines that would fit well with the large majority of flashy Youtube demo clips of this age...with the notable difference of the former being rather costly back then. 

Third, there should be enough practice material for the students to develop solid understanding of the offered concepts and principles, and ideally with enough stimulating ideas for them to come up with their own examples and exercises around the same subject. 

Closely related to the previous one, the lessons ought to have balanced breadth/depth ratio. What does it mean? Essentially, if the product tries to squeeze too many topics in in a single package, it will inevitably lead to many of them, if not all, being just taken glance at, i.e. lacking any substantial understanding. We have all seen the products titled "Ultimate Complete Encyclopedia of Styles" with 500 unrelated two- or four-bar lines, yet with zero explanation about how those lines were built or what are acceptable variations in their music idioms. Unless you are going to use it for sight reading practice, such books are pretty much useless. It is better to have separate volumes on different topics, but treated with adequate commitment to detail and underlying principles. 

Finally, there is the matter of value for the money. This aspect, too, can be subjective as it is affected by one's previous musical background, experience and affinities. Nonetheless, there are quite a few instructional items out there, which have unacceptable amount of filler material. I understand that it may often be the demand of the publisher to have a certain amount of pages or minutes...still, for the same price, I much prefer to have a book with examples done in just a couple of keys, but with larger number of examples, than one with fewer examples transposed to every key. On video, I'd rather see and hear the author show/perform different variation or options of exercises then yet another rendition of their greatest hits, even if done live, just for the package at hand. Or, have a shorter package for a lower price.