Full Description
This book is perfect for beginning bass guitarists and those who want to fine-tune their skills. Spanning all musical genres, the bass guitar is the sixth most popular musical instrument among U.S. musicians, according to Just Plain Folks demographics. This book helps readers with everything from playing notes and chords to experimenting with plucking and slap-and-pop techniques. Readers can download companion MP3 files from the Web and hear exactly how things should sound. Ryan Williams (Indianapolis, IN) received his master's degree in music technology from the Indiana University School of Music, where he worked in developing digital sound for educational Web sites. A private bass teacher, he has recorded and performed live with a diverse group of artists. Richard Hammond (Brooklyn, NY), technical editor, is a professional bass player. He has recorded and toured with Erasure, House of Red, Dar Williams, and Anjelique Kidjo, among others.
Contents
Chapter 1. An Introduction to Bass Guitar. What the Bass Guitar Does. Get Started. Your Milestones. Chapter 2. Parts of Your Bass Guitar. Parts of the Bass Guitar. The Head. The Body. The Neck. Fretted and Fretless Basses. The Bridge. Bass Guitar Strings. Four Strings or More? Right--handed versus Left--handed Basses. Passive and Active Pickups. Control Your Bass Guitar. Chapter 3. Holding Your Bass Guitar. The Guitar Strap. Sitting or Standing? Your Fretting Hand. Fingerstyle. Playing with a Pick. Using Your Thumb. Chapter 4. Tuning Your Bass Guitar. Open--String Notes. Relative Tuning. Electronic Tuning. Chapter 5. Basic Fretboard Fingering. Proper Finger Placement Shift Up. Shift Down. Shift Across Strings. Stay Close to the Fingerboard. Chapter 6. Plucking and Picking. Alternate Fingering . Downpicking. Alternate Picking. Pluck with Your Thumb. Mute Your Strings. Chapter 7. Play Your First Scales. Basic Music Notation. Notes on the Fretboard. Basic Tablature. The C Major Scale. The G Major Scale. The F Major Scale. Chapter 8. Playing with Chords. What Makes a Chord? Major Chords and Scales. Minor Scales and Chords. Seventh Chords. Arpeggios. Chapter 9. Common Chord Progressions. Chord Symbols. Charts. I--IV--V Progressions. I--VI--IV--V Progressions. More Chord Progressions. Cahpter 10. Basic Rhythms. The Metronome. Quarter Notes. Eighth Notes. Sixteenth Notes. Apply Rhythms to Songs. Walking Bass. Blues Shuffle. Rock. R&B. Reggae. Country. Chapter 11. Slapping and Popping. Slapping Technique. Popping Technique. Some Basic Slap Patterns. Chapter 12. Getting Your Tone. How Should You Play? Playing in a Band. Dialing It In on Active and Passive Bass Guitars. Chapter 13. Buying a Bass Guitar and Amplifier. What to Look for in Your Bass Guitar. What to Look for in Your Amplifier. What Else You'll Need. Effects. Chapter 14. Care for Your Gear. Before You Play. After You Play. Change the Strings. Intonation. String Height. Plug It In and Unplug It. Chapter 15. Some Last Words. Where Do You Go from Here? Learn Songs by Ear. Reading Music and Music Theory. Appendix: Some Especially Noteworthy Bassists. Index.
