Mel Bay You Can Teach Yourself Electric Bass (You Can Teach Yourself) [Paperback]

Mike Hiland (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1990

This method is loaded with information. In the author's words, "The electric bass is in a very exciting developmental period. No longer does it just provide 'low-end support.' Now entire songs are built around the bass line." This method is both easy to understand and thorough! It provides the theory and technique needed to play contemporary bass, and it covers such modern effects as slap & pop and right-hand hammering techniques. While note reading is taught, tablature is also presented.

Product Details

• Paperback: 120 pages
• Publisher: Mel Bay Publications (April 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0871667762
• ISBN-13: 978-0871667762
• Product Dimensions: 11.6 x 8.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,046,925 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars this book ain't got soul, August 9, 2003

By 

Daveda J. Campbell "tcmanifesto" (Friendswood, TX United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mel Bay You Can Teach Yourself Electric Bass (You Can Teach Yourself) (Paperback)

This was the book I purchased leaving the music store after getting my first bass. I sat at home and learned how to read the notes in the first position, mastered tablature reading and even learned the C Major Scale in the first position. But the only problem was that the book gave zero application possiblities for any of the things I took my time to learn. It was a good thing that I immediately enrolled in private bass lessons or I probably would've gotten frustrated with this four-string beast and quit the instrument. I really don't recommend this book to anyone. It has a few slap lines to learn and could improve your music reading abilities, but other than that it is useless.

Check out on of the following...
The Evolving Bassist-Rufus Reid
The Jazz Bass Book-John Goldsby
The berklee bass practice method

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars It would be better to get the version with a cassette or CD, November 13, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Mel Bay You Can Teach Yourself Electric Bass (You Can Teach Yourself) (Paperback)

In theory, this book also is available for purchase with a cassette or a CD. The paperback book alone really is not very helpful for a bass novice. Being able to hear the music would be more helpful. However, right now, no one seems to have the book for sale with the CD or with the cassette. Good luck!

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Survey Book, Easy to Use, Needs a CD, January 17, 2007

By 

Mr-Rojo - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mel Bay You Can Teach Yourself Electric Bass (You Can Teach Yourself) (Paperback)

I've been playing bass for 1 1/2 years now and have been an adequate guitar player for 25 years. This was the first bass book I opened and used (I own about 10 now). I would _not_ use this book without a teacher since it has little to no explaination. However, I find myself continually coming back to it because it has such a nice survey of skills with easy-to-recognize-from-the-radio bass patterns from blues/funk/rock. For example, I needed to review basic walking bass last week and 20 basic blues/rockandroll walks with variations were there for me to work on but only enough to keep me busy for a week or two at my current level of playing. This is a good book for learning to read tab and learning _basic_ notation for bass. Another strength is an emphasis on using the entire fretboard through the practice of major and minor modes. The funk section is great but only if you are already very familiar with the genre. A CD would greatly improve this section.