Instructional Materials:  Instruction Method Books

Ray Brown's Bass Method - Instructional Exercises Book

Manufactured by: Hal Leonard

Ray Brown's Bass Method
Essential Scales, Patterns and Exercises

Legendary, prolific jazz bassist -- and teacher -- Ray Brown reveals his lessons and teaching philosophy in this book. Not really a "beginner's" book, it is a fairly intensive study on finger positions, scales, and chords, using the familiar exercise/etude format. All exercises are notated in standard notation (no tab) and are punctuated with helpful photos of left- and right-hand finger positions and other tips as appropriate.

This 135-page book includes solo exercises and arpeggios; music fundamentals; right- and left-hand positions; scales; chords; exercises in tenths; rhythm patterns with "drops"; diminished chords; runs and variations; blues patterns; extension scales; and much more. The exercises are presented in an easy to understand manner, and provide a full workout up and down the fingerboard.

Also included, a short bio and foreword by Leonard Feather. Lots of personal commentary from Ray Brown accompany many of the lessons.

Mark's Take: In my humble opinion, it's not really a "true" method book. Where I would find it most useful is in combination with other learning materials; the exercises work all the intervals and arpeggios, which will enhance your physical abilities and dexterity - but learning all the exercises by rote won't make you Ray Brown. But, of course, that was never the point. Use this book to improve your mechanics and your interval knowledge, which will help you along on your quest for mastery.

Essential Techniques for Acoustic Bass by Todd Phillips - Two DVD Set

An excellent instructional DVD set for learning to play the Upright Bass; with specific attention paid to tone, timing, and technique, it's an excellent visual means to learning the ropes...

Jazz Upright Bass (DVD) - Featuring Ed Friedland

Ed Friedland is a well-known player and educator, and in this DVD he provides insight and analysis to help you build and strengthen your techniques - as they apply to jazz upright playing...

The Jazz Bass Book; Technique and Tradition - John Goldsby - Book with CD

Goldsby's book documents jazz bass players and their techniques from a historical perspective. This first-of-its-kind work is filled with transcriptions, historical and technical information, discographies and more...

Ron Carter - Building Jazz Bass Lines - Book with CD

One of the greats of Jazz Upright Bass brings us this technique study for creating great jazz bass lines. Includes a play-along CD...

Roth Sihon (Wire) Performance Mute for Upright Bass

This unique mute has a different effect than typical bridge mutes, it mounts on the strings below the bridge. Position changes make subtle changes to the tonal response, as well as the the bridge top position. It's popular with bluegrassers who report that it tweaks their overtones and maybe even results a little more "thump"...

Franz Simandl - 30 Etudes with 4 Accompaniment CDs

The classic upright bass instructional method features these etudes for practice; now available in a "Music Minus One" format for more effective and interesting practice...