Open up your mind, and make playing bass a no-brainer! This all-in-one book takes a no-nonsense approach to learning bass. Start with basics, like holding your bass, then move on to advanced techniques, playing in a band, and learning about the music business. You'll play licks in the styles of legendary bassists like John Paul Jones, Jaco Pastorius, Flea, and Billy Sheehan. No-Brainer: Play Bass includes a DVD that will help you learn visually and features over 100 minutes of MP3 audio so you can play along. "...packed with cute, clever, and comprehensive tips for exercising both brain and body." - Bass Player magazine. ". . . loaded with good information. . . . there is a lot more here than just licks and tunes. I found a sample contract, true stories about bands, scales and a Basic Chord Dictionary - this book has something for even the most seasoned player!" ----Raul Amador, Bass Musician Magazine Learn More

How low can you go? The 5-string bass stretches the limits of normal bass playing to give you notes that are needed for many styles of contemporary music---including gospel, Latin, funk, metal, and pop. This book teaches you how to incorporate the 5th string into all these styles and more. You'll learn how the 5th string can open up new fingering possibilities and allow you to play a wider range of pitches economically---without moving your left hand up and down the neck. Opening your mind to these new possibilities is just a start; the bottom line of playing 5-string is playing notes you can really feel! All examples are notated in both standard music notation and TAB, and the online audio included with the book allows you to hear the examples and play along. Learn More

Steve Bailey is a consummate musician and bassist. In Rock Bass, he presents one of the most comprehensive bass technique books available. The exercises provided have both studio and live-playing applications, and cover such topics as hand dexterity, bass-line construction, double-stops, and chords. Try the "Finger Buster" and "Hazard" exercises for a real workout, and put it all to use in each "Lick of the Week." This book will help any bassist develop the necessary technique to produce quality recordings, as well as the technical prowess to rock out at any live show. Learn More

Learn to serve up funk-a-licious grooves and extract the vibrant percussive sounds hidden in the electric bass. Renowned expert, David Overthrow teaches everything you need to know to get started playing hot slap & pop bass lines. Following a clear and logical progression, each essential technique is covered individually, from hammer-ons and pull-offs to double pops and double stops. Your skills build gradually so learning is easy! Over 100 licks and grooves are provided, plus a special library of bass lines for additional fun. The recording demonstrates all the music featured in the book. A great book for any serious bass player, from beginner to advanced. Learn More

Detailed transcriptions of the exercises and solos from John's video. John covers the major, minor, dominant and diminished chord families, plays and analyzes the scales and arpeggios that are built off of each chord and discusses the importance of ear-training. Includes pull-out charts of John's popular tunes. Learn More

The Ultimate Beginner Series® has helped thousands of aspiring musicians take their first steps towards experiencing the fun of playing music. By combining volumes 1 and 2 on a single DVD, we now offer the greatest and most convenient learning package for the low price of $24.95! A savings of almost 25%. Learn More

Learn to play bass and open up a brand new world of musical knowledge with this exciting method from Alfred Music. Beginners of all ages can start their journey to a lifetime of musical enjoyment. Beginning with the fundamentals, you will learn about buying a bass guitar, tuning and holding it, fingering and picking styles, and getting acquainted with standard musical notation and tablature. You will then move right along to playing different notes, scales, and bass lines, lesson by lesson, all while continuing to increase your knowledge of reading and understanding standard musical notation and TAB. You will learn to play in an array of musical styles, including rock, Heavy Metal, Blues, country, and jazz. Near the end of the book you will be introduced to the concept of playing from chord sheets, which will assist you in coloring your and others' musical creations with your own unique, rockin' style. Upon completion of this book, you will be able to play from popular bass TAB folios and be ready to play in a band. The book features the following resources for reference during and after your lessons: * TAB licks and bass lines * Bass fingerboard chart * Complete chord chart * Photos showing hand positions and more The accompanying video features educator Jared Meeker teaching every lesson and performing all the songs. The online media also includes TNT 2 software that lets you customize audio tracks for practice. Use it to slow down tracks, isolate and loop parts, and change tempos and keys.Be your own teacher, and let Alfred Music be your resource every step of the way. Learn More

This fun and friendly step-by-step introduction to bass is written with the adult learner in mind. It is both a great self-teaching book and a great method for use with an instructor. Beginning Bass for Adults covers how to play scales, bass lines, and songs with easy-to-read examples in standard music notation and TAB. Blues, rock, reggae, and funk styles are covered, plus exciting techniques like slap & pop. In addition, detailed photographs and diagrams help simplify the learning process. A CD demonstrating all the examples in the book is included. Learn More

What do YOU want to PLAY today? The PLAY series has nailed down what today's musician really wants: lessons you can use anytime, anywhere. They're flat-out more convenient than private lessons, and just as valuable. The high-quality video of expert instructors will help players of all skill levels, from beginners and "weekend warriors" to advanced students and pros. Whether you're into rock, jazz, blues, folk, country, or a little bit of everything, the PLAY series has all the resources you need at the click of a button. Learn More