Ultimate Ear Training for Guitar and Bass [Paperback]

Gary Willis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 1998

This complete method for the practicing musician covers: intervals, rhythms and melodic shapes; inversions, scales, chords, extensions and alterations; fretboard visualization, fingering diagrams; and much more. The CD includes 99 full-demo tracks.

Product Details

• Paperback: 64 pages
• Publisher: Hal Leonard Corporation (December 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0793581567
• ISBN-13: 978-0793581566
• Product Dimensions: 11.9 x 9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #853,457 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Won't help your ear training, June 11, 2006

By 

D. Granja - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Ultimate Ear Training for Guitar and Bass (Paperback)

I can see how instructors would be enthusiastic about this book, but unfortunately it will in no way help the student develop their ear training. Here's the problem. The book and CD basically outlines a METHOD of ear training, it is not ear training itself. For example, for each step of the book there is one and only one example on the CD. It is just that, an example, not a training. So, there is one 14 note "lesson" on intervals and from this you are supposed to magically learn how to identify all the major intervals. I don't think so. However, if you were an instructor then you could use that example as a starting point to develop your own lessons and work with students in recognizing intervals. You could spend a month on variations of that lesson itself since that's the core of ear training. In fact, if you're an instructor you can use the whole book as a blueprint for a year long curriculum from recognizing intervals to recognizing chords.

By the way, the CD itself mostly uses really dull organ patches. The idea may have been to eliminate timbre as a distraction. However, since one of the goals of ear training is to distinguish timbre from tone, this is another example of how this book/CD in itself won't be of much use to students.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must have for serious bass and guitar students!!!!!, October 15, 2002

By 

T. de Jong - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Ultimate Ear Training for Guitar and Bass (Paperback)

As a bassguitar teacher for almost 20 years now I have noticed that most advanced bassplayers have the tendency to play either "thinking" and "seeing". What I mean is: they look at a part and see, let's say, a C minor chord. Immediatly there is an association with the graphic on the neck like in little flashes. Or a complete scale. And they SEE all the options. But these options are often played randomly. So theoretically their lines are right but they sound bizar. It is because their knowledge of these graphics is not connected to the main thing: The Ear!
Gary Willis has written the method that I would have loved to have written. In this method he connects the ear to the knowledge that very often is already there. Finally someone wrote the book in which the basis of good improvisation is explained. Thanks Gary, this is gonna be my bible!

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you put forth the effort, you will see results, February 11, 2007

By 

Micah Stott (Arlington, VA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Ultimate Ear Training for Guitar and Bass (Paperback)

I had a very weak ear when I began using this book even though I had been playing bass and studying theory for nearly 10 years. I finally realized that my ear was not going to magically get any better so I went with one of the most innovative players out there today to see how he would teach ear training. I was a little amused by some of the complaints that I read here. Gary does just about everything he can besides hold your hand and make sure you do these exercises the right way. It only takes a few minutes a day, he wants you to hear the notes before they are played and picture them on the fingerboard. If you actually put forth an effort and listen to what he says and have even an ounce of self-motivation to apply this yourself to other musical applications, I guarantee your ear will improve. My ear was horrible so I had no place to go but up, but since I worked through this book my ear has improved 100% and it is still improving. If you want a realistic method that works, get this book. If you think ear training is going to be easy than no book will work for you. Highly Recommended.