Berklee Practice Method: Bass - Get Your Band Together [Paperback]

Rich Appleman (Author), John Repucci (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2001

Make your band better, or prepare yourself to join one! This sensational series lets you improve your intuitive sense of timing and improvisation, develop your technique and reading ability, and master your role in the groove. Play along with a Berklee faculty band on the accompanying CD, then play with your own band!

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

The first-ever method that teaches you how to play in a rock band. Improve your improvisation, timing, technique, and reading ability, and master your role in the groove. Become the great bass player that everyone wants to have in their band.

Lessons throughout this book guide you through playing basic grooves, walking bass lines, and other standard bass techniques. Daily practice routines are designed for practicing by yourself or with other musicians. The accompanying CD features outstanding Berklee players and covers a variety of styles including rock, funk, jazz, blues, swing, and bossa nova.

Topics include:
- learning by ear
- theory and technique
- rhythmic interpretation
- improvisation
- comping
- reading
- song form
- interpreting lead sheets

This series coordinates methods for many different instruments, and all are based on the same tunes, in the same keys. If you know a guitarist, drummer, keyboardist, vocalist, horn player, etc., have them pick up the Berklee Practice Method for their own instrument, and jam together!

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Berklee Press Publications (January 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0634006509
• ISBN-13: 978-0634006500
• Product Dimensions: 12 x 9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #314,779 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great book, but needs a teacher, September 11, 2008

By 

Clinton Neville (Honolulu, HI) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Berklee Practice Method: Bass - Get Your Band Together (Paperback)

This book/cd combo has really been great. I ordered it for a student of mine about a month ago and we've been working through it. It has really motivated him to start concentrating on reading notes and rhythms instead of just looking up tabs.

I wouldn't recommend it for an absolute beginner, and even for some lower level intermediates it might be a stretch to try without a teacher, but overall this book has been great at keeping our lessons structured and progressive and the CD has really enhanced my student's practice time a lot.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book!, October 23, 2005

By 

J. Vega - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Berklee Practice Method: Bass - Get Your Band Together (Paperback)

I picked this book up about a year and a half ago. I am a guitar player, but I wanted to learn the basics of the bass. Since I play different sytles, this book really fit the bill. I really got the jist of the syles covered in a hurry. The tunes are fun to play as well.

16 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Save your money..., October 3, 2005

By 

David K. Studenick (Phoenix, AZ USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Berklee Practice Method: Bass - Get Your Band Together (Paperback)

I was very underwhelmed by this book. Not a good "teach yourself to play bass" book at all. Might be better if supplemented with an instructor. Did an O.K. job of covering various musical genres hence the 2 stars. But not much information on how to apply the basics learned in each chapter to a wider variety of music. Overall there are better books out there and you don't have to look too far.