The Complete Electric Bass Player, Book 1: The Method [Paperback]

Chuck Rainey (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1992

Book 1: The Method -- Contains many original exercises designed to strengthen the hands and give independent finger control.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Music Sales America (January 1, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0825624258
• ISBN-13: 978-0825624254
• Product Dimensions: 11.9 x 9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #519,264 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a great method book for a serious student, August 30, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Complete Electric Bass Player, Book 1: The Method (Paperback)

This book is a serious, step-by-step approach to electric bass. It has detailed descriptions of the important music-theory concepts and pictures and explanations of proper right and left hand-positions for a beginner. Someone else here said this book was not good for a beginner. I disagree. It is not a good book for a person who wants to play bass lines tomorrow without learning to read music or putting in any serious practice time - that's true - but for a beginner who wants to play the bass as a serious instrument, it's great. If you put in an hour a day and a few hours a day on the weekends on your bass, you can progress quickly with this book. Not only that, but you will understand the theory behind what you are playing, and you will be better at reading music. I have not played an instrument or read music in 18 years (and I've never read music in the bass clef before), but this book has me progressing with both my playing and my theory after only 3 weeks with the instrument. You have to practice to successfully use this book, but you will get everything out of it that you put in!

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars From the Classical Musician's Perspective..., May 14, 2004

By 

J. Christian (Fairfax Station, VA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Complete Electric Bass Player, Book 1: The Method (Paperback)

I found this book to be very well done and a good resouce for the higher level beginner/intermediate player. Many people have written to note Rainey's odd playing style, and I would agree with them - it is probably actually best for the student to skip this section.

It is important to understand that Rainey wrote this method book much like the Arban's book for trumpet players - more exercises than you can fathom and very few bells and whisltes.

If you can take the dry, repetetive (and sometimes downright boring) studies, then there is no question you will be a better bassist.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good book, if your willing to study like a college student, September 13, 2004

By 

J. E. Meyer (Newark, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Complete Electric Bass Player, Book 1: The Method (Paperback)

This is a hard core introduction to all scales and arpegios you can think of, plus a few you couldn't have. If you master each exercise, with your metronome set at least to 80 bpm, you will get a LOT out of this book. It will take a lot of will power to turn from one page of exercises to next. It is more practise than music, most of the time. This is OK, as long as you are serious.

Unfortunately, there is no CD, but you probably wouldn't want to listen to it anyway.

Also, I'm going to go on a limb here, and say ignore the "right hand" technique section. Chuck has a very unorthodox way of plucking the strings.

It's not easy, but if Chuck Rainey says this will make me play better, I'm going to believe him:)