Sources and Recommendations

I have made a page for bass players and students of some hand picked bass materials that I like.
To make it convenient you can click on an image or a link to go straight to a respected e-commerce site to place an order for the individual item (Amazon, Musicians Friend etc.)

Know of something that should be on this page? Send me an email.

Listening:

One of the best resources I have found for downloading music is a subscription service called eMusic.
For $10/month you can download 40 tracks (25¢ a track!) and you start with 50 free for trying the service!

Books

Here is the book I use most with beginnger bassists and players who are learning to read. Order one now from Amazon.com - List price $22.95

Buy it with my AJQ CD and get free shipping on both. . . . hint. . . hint

 

It's Finally Legal!
The Real Book 6th edition by Hal Leonard Publishing

Available in the following Keys: Concert, E-flat, B-flat, Bass clef 

Concert:

B-flat:

E-flat

Bass Clef:

Recordings

Go to: Learning the Bass | General Bass | Musical Instruments and Gear | Jazz

All of my students know that it is essential to develop a great library of recordings to learn from

Essential Jazz Records (a very short and subjective list)

• Everybody's first jazz record should be . . . Kind of Blue by Miles Davis
• If you want it all . . . Chronicle: The Complete Prestige recordings of Miles Davis Don't be put off by the cost, this incredible 8-CD set gives you so much of the essential Miles. It makes a great gift and is a superb source for learning tunes that are still being played regularly
• Getz/Gilberto brought the Bossa Nova craze to America. It features numerous tunes you NEED to know
• Ella and Lous - need I say more?
• Sunday at the Village Vanguard by the Bill Evans Trio is the album that catapulted bassist Scott Lefaro into well deserved hero status in his mid-twenties
• The Birth of the Cool - the classic Miles recording that brought us the "Cool Jazz" sound
• Billie Holiday - Greatest Hits. Everybody needs Billie in their collection
• Ellington at Newport 1956. A fun way to get introduced to the great Ellington Band
• Giant Steps - John Coltrane's essential recording
• the Clifford Brown/Max Roach group is yet another must-have!
• I love the new Keith Jarrett trio record Whisper Not. Well worth the cost of a double CD!!!!
• Prime Directive by one of my favorite bass players Dave Holland and a superb band playing on the cutting edge of jazz with all kinds of mixed meters and unusual song forms - really great
• Chick Corea, Now He Sings, Now He Sobs. This great 1968 trio date with Bassist Miroslav Vitous is a real classic of adventuresome trio playing

Great Transcribing Recordings - a place to start with bass transcriptions

• We Get Requests, The Oscar Peterson Trio featuring Ray Brown
• At the Pershing - But Not for Me, Ahmad Jamal featuring Israel Crosby
• The Best of the Songbooks by Ella Fitzgerald - what better way to learn essential Jazz Standards
• as mentioned above. . . Chronicle: The Complete Prestige recordings of Miles Davis a superb source for learning tunes that are still being played regularly
• Paul Chambers, Bass on Top has some superb solos to transcribe
• Mingus Ah Um Bassist Charles Mingus (originally from LA) at his best!
• Want to get to know Oscar Pettiford? Another One is a great place to start.
• Ray Brown and Duke Ellington come together to pay tribute to Bass pioneer Jimmy Blanton on This One's for Blanton
• The classic original virtuoso electric bass album Jaco Pastorius. When the recording session was finished, producer Bobby Colomby said to Jaco "Listen . . .I hear the sound of bass cases closing all over the world". He was right
• Yes indeed - some amazing electric bass playing on Victor Wooten's Yin-Yang
• Everybody needs some Charlie Haden in their collection. I like Beyond the Missouri Sky (Short Stories) with Pat Metheney. Calm, subtle and elegant, Charlie play melodically like no one else

Classical Bass

• An introspective but astonishing performance of the Bach Solo Cello Suites on the Bass - check out this Edgar Meyer recording of the Suites

Professional

Every musician needs business cards! Here is a way to get free cards made every time your phone number changes!

Other Resources

Rent Music DVDs for Free! Netflix allows you a month-long FREE trial of their web-based DVD rental service. They have numerous music and concert movies that are worth seeing Click the button to check it out or click here for a little more info. How many music movies can you watch in a month?

Books About Learning the Bass and Music Methods

Go To: General Bass | Recordings | Musical Instruments and Gear | Jazz

The Classic Method Book, full of essential technical exercises
Ray Brown's Bass Method: Essential Scales Patterns and Exercises

Kenny Werner's Book, Effortless Mastry, is becoming widely
considered to be one of the great books on overcoming the
obstacles -musical and psychological -of becoming a truly great musician

Here is a book I like to use to develop Improvisation Skills The Goal Note Method
It is by Shelly Berg, Chairman of the Jazz Studies Department at USC

All my students who are interested in Jazz need a good theory book. There are many out there, but the one I currently use is Jazz Theory and Practice, by Lawn & Helmer

A great book about Afro-Cuban Bass Grooves

Jerry Coker's classic book Patterns for Jazz is now available in Bass Clef.
a good workout for developing vocabulary, getting to know the neck and developing technique.

Standing in the Shadows of Motown,
The Life and Music of Legendary Bassist James Jamerson

One of my favorite books! it tells the story of the guy who played
ALL of the great Motown bass lines. There are tons of bass lines
transcribed and all are played on 2 CDs by world class bassists.
It's a great introduction to this essential style and a fabulous workout
to play along. Also makes a great sight reading book!

The Charlie Parker Omnibook is available in Bass Clef. 60 Bird Solos transcribed!! I use it all of the time for sight reading practice. Its challenging, but the range is well suited for bass

Look Out Flea Fans, it's The Red Hot Chili Peppers: A Step-By-Step Breakdown of Flea's Bass Style

Studio Bass Masters

An insightful book about becoming a Studio Bass Player. Studio greats discuss the profession and the skills you need. The CD demonstrates essential styles etc.

Want to know more about the music business? get All You Need To Know About The Music Business

Fun Books About the Bass

Go To: Learning the Bass | Recordings | Musical Instruments and Gear | Jazz

The Bass Book A Complete Illustrated guide to the Electric Bass

Bass Heros: Styles, Stories & Secrets of 30 Great Bass Players
From the pages of Guitar Player Magazine

Instruments and gear

Go To: Learning the Bass | General Bass | Recordings | Jazz

Here are some general recommendations for bass equipment. If you don't see what you need below click here to do a general search at Musicians Friend - A highly respected source for music equipment

String Basses, Strings and accessories can be found at Lemur Music on the web and in San Juan Capistrano

I love my Music Man Sterling Bass

Music Man Sterling 4 String Bass

a high-end metronome with multiple beat patterns

Boss DB-66 Dr. Beat Metronome

or a simple metronome that goes click and gives you a tuning note

Qwik Time QT-7 Quartz Metronome

Speaking of tuning notes - you might want a tuner . . .
will tune the low-B on your 5-string Bass!

Boss CT-6 Guitar/Bass Tuner

Many of my electric bass students have small practice amps
and are ready for something that they can use in rehearsals and
will stand up to some abuse. I highly recommend getting slightly
MORE amp than you were thinking of - You will want to upgrade
in no time if you don't. Check out the SWR combo amps the one
pictured below won Bass Player Magazine Editors Awards for both
Best Built and Top Tone!

SWR Workingman's 15 Bass Combo

Amps, Cables stands etc. are all available here

* Fun Toys!!!!! *

Get cool bass sounds with an Octave foot switch

MXR M-88 Bass Octave Pedal

Jazz

Go To: Learning the Bass | General Bass | Recordings | Musical Instruments and Gear

Bass Line: The Stories and Photographs of Milt Hinton
This Beautiful book by Jazz Bass Master Milt Hinton is a great coffee-table book.
Highly recommended for all Jazz Fans

I am currently reading Central Avenue Sounds: Jazz in Los Angeles a history of Jazz
in Los Angeles through the words of some of the great musicians who were there at
the time. Thouroughly engaging and close to home. Many of the musicians interviewed
or mentioned are still making music in LA!

Ken Burns' new film series "Jazz" is now available on
VHS, DVD and there are several cd colletions available.
Ideal for all jazz lovers and especially for those new to jazz

Ken Burns 'Jazz'

Jazz: An Illustrated History

This is the fabulous companion book to the
Ken Burns Jazz Documentary.