Bass Guitar For Dummies

by Patrick Pfeiffer

Way more than just the bass-ics

Whatever you're playing—funk, soul, rock, blues, country—the bass is the heart of the band. Bassists provide a crucial part of driving force and funky framework that other members of any and work off. From John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin, to "The Pixies’' Kim Deal, to James Brown's favored bassist, Jimmy Nolan, bass players have made big names for themselves and commanded respect throughout music history.

In Bass Guitar For Dummies, Patrick Pfeiffer—who coached U2's Adam Clayton, among others—is your friendly guide to laying down the low end. Starting from the beginning with what bass and accessories to buy, the book shows you everything from how to hold and position your instrument to how to read music and understand chords. You'll develop your skills step-by-step until you’re confident playing your own solos and fills.

Sharpen skills with instructional audio and video Discipline your play with exercises Understand chords, scales, and octaves Care for your instrument Whether you're new to the bass or already well into the groove, Bass Guitar For Dummies gives you the thorough balance of theory and practice that distinguishes the titanic Hall of Famer from the just so-so.

P.S. If you think this book seems familiar, you're probably right. The Dummies team updated the cover and design to give the book a fresh feel, but the content is the same as the previous release of Bass Guitar For Dummies (9781118748800). The book you see here shouldn't be considered a new or updated product. But if you're in the mood to learn something new, check out some of our other books. We're always writing about new topics!

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, Reference, Amazon, Unfinished

382 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 1, 2003

Reviews

[Zachary Tanner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spent a few weeks working through these exercises. Surprisingly insightful! Would recommend for the intermediate student with predilections for an encyclopedic approach to music theory. Four stars for the book and the fifth for the gnarly CD that came with the edition from my library. Phat content.

[Francis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I normally read 'Dummies' book to get a kind of over all outline on a given subject as they tend to scratch the surface but not get into a great deal of depth. This book really surprised my both its overall content and its depth. I would have no problem highly recommending this book to either a beginning or an intermediate bass player. Good stuff!

[Hilary "Fox" · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sort of read, sort of skimmed. I was hooping that this book would go deeper into the history of bass guitar, but it really only touched upon it in a few asides. Understandable, really, but alas. This means I need to find a more comprehensive text.

The exercises were good, and the information was helpful. Predictably, this book was more for people looking to play the guitar than for any research purposes. Which wasn't what I was looking for. This is more my fault (and trying to be lazy) than the fault of the book.

Oh, and here's looking at you, Adam Clayton. You're awesome for helping out with this text.

[Ding Ong · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am going to be subjective on this one, I found this book apt in terms of the width and depth covered. It doesn't go too deep into music theory, which is adequate for me as I was looking for a book to consolidate my existing knowledge and fill in my gaps. It mostly introduces and break down major styles used in music today, providing the scores and tabs for the readers to explore.

The video resource provided in the book was also immensely helpful, it was much easier to listen than trying to sight read given my current level.

[Iris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an indispensable reference and not really for dummies. An absolute beginner like myself won't get far at all without in-person lessons or at least Fender Play. The audio/video extras are good, but this book is most helpful for intermediate players learning how to improvise grooves and fills in many musical styles.

[Justin Sturgis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Invaluable for bassists and musicians!

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had not played bass in the last 6 years, although I am not a dummy at all in terms of bass playing I bought this to get back in the job. Although the author covers a whole variety of themes it simply is too brief on music notation/reading and harmony. Sometimes the explanations are too brief as well.

Edit: raised the rating to 4 stars, after reading it again when I need the necessary info this book is rather effective.

[AquaMoon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Highly informative and well-written. The author definitely knows his chops. I learned a lot on the first read and will likely end up re-reading parts of this book. I'm sure there are things I missed.

[Jeff Bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent! helped my bass playing progress quite a bit.

[Beatles1964 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad but hate the format of 'Dummies' books.

[Gilles Desrosiers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good beginner's guide. I looked at many bass guides and liked this one the best.

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Helpful in some ways, but no replacement for individual lessons.