Customer Reviews

Mel Bay's Complete Book of Bass Essentials for 4 & 5 String Bass

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Regardless of how much experience one actually have in playing a bass guitar, there are basically two types of people who might pick up this book: (1) those with a music theory background and (2) those without a music theory background. This book contains very few explanations or instructions. Instead it takes the reader through all the scales and modes along with a few patterns for each. The author also includes excellent diagrams of the fretboard that maps the fingering for each scale or mode as well as some examples of different styles of improvisation. If you have a good theory background and want to learn to play bass, this book will be an excellent tool. If you are weak in music theory, it would be best to pick up a music theory book in addition to this one in order to fully reap the benefits. If you are both an experienced bass player and musician, this book is a handy reference.

The diagrams are certainly nice and probably a good reference for the moderately experienced bass player. I tried to use this book when I first picked up the bass and found it to be very lacking in explanation. It jumps right into all of the modes and how to play them on the fretboard (the nice diagrams), but there is little to tell you in the first 2/3 of the book how it all ties together. The practice charts are pretty good as well, but overall not the best book for a beginner.