This enjoyable and challenging exercise routine will prepare you for the rigors of contemporary bass playing and sharpen your technique. The strategy focuses on warm-ups and stretching, exercises for strength, agility and stamina, and specific techniques such as hammer-ons and pull-offs. Jam-packed with tried-and-true "bassrobic" exercises from the National Guitar Workshop curriculum, this book will build your technique, no matter what style of music you play.

Ten of the most prominent bass guitarists since the inception of electric bass present the bass as a solo instrument and demonstrate their techniques. Artists include: Nathan East, Larry Graham, James Jamerson, Abe Laboriel, Byron Miller, Chuck Rainey, Freddie Washington, Neil Stubenhaus and Verdine White.

The Ultimate Beginners Series gets aspiring musicians started immediately with classic rock and blues riffs, chord patterns and more. Now, for the first time ever, the UBS Bass Basics, Rock Bass and Blues Bass are combined in one complete book and DVD set. Follow along with 4 hours of DVD instruction and 3 hours of audio tracks, with the help of on-screen graphics and printed diagrams.

Bass Day 97: Highlights contains performances, instructional material and post-clinic comments from all six Bass Day clinicians. Also includes exclusive footage of Tony Levin playing the Chapman Stick, Steve Bailey and Victor Wooten and Bill Dickens; bonus lesson on tapping, harmonics and double stops and more.

Michael Manring kicks things off with a set of fascinating solo pieces on four different instruments in various tunings. Francis Rocco Prestia, accompanied by members of Tower of Power, performs a burning set of their funk classics. Also inclued are stellar performances from Victor Wooten, John Patitucci, Andy Gonzalez, Oteil Burbridge and much more!

Steve and Victor demonstrate how the bass guitar can supply bass lines, piano and guitar-style comping figures, lead solos, and percussion parts, in styles ranging from bebop to new age to heavy metal. Each piece highlights different aspects of their amazing techniques, like Steve's three-finger technique or his awe-inspiring command of harmonics and chord voicings, or Victor's incredible funk grooves, and thumb and two-handed tapping techniques. Special features include a bonus performance by Billy Sheehan.

Also see "Bass Extremes" book/CD.

Mark Schatz teaches basic patterns and scales, fingerings, passing notes, chord progressions, arpeggios, chromatic scales and other important subjects, applying them to several classic bluegrass songs. 75 minutes.

"The Bass Guitar
of Jack Casady"
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This DVD lesson is a treasury of the ideas and techniques of one of the most legendary bassists of rock. Jack Casady analyzes his bass parts for classic tunes from the Hot Tuna repertoire and discusses the musical concepts that make up his unique style. 80-MIN. Includes music plus tab. Intermediate level.

Nathan East takes you into the studio and behind the scenes to learn and see first-hand what it takes to be a professional musician. The Business of Bass covers the demands and rewards of making music for a living, both in live performance and studio sessions. Bonus tracks include: interactive Q and A, professionals' workshop with Harvey Mason and Nathan East, rare concert performances by Fourplay, featuring Nathan East, Bob James, Harvey Mason and Larry Carlton.

In this DVD, Nathan breaks down his unique style of playing, demonstrating how he builds his impeccable chops, creates solos and grooves, plays walking bass lines, and interacts with a rhythm section. The DVD includes an in-depth interview with Nathan in which he speaks candidly about his personal triumphs, covering topics such as getting started in the music business, breaking into studio playing, and even revealing his favorite superstar to tour with.

Electric Bass Technique Builders is a logical, organized, and concise method in which Todd teaches how to control the shape, attach, decay and articulation of the notes you play. Featuring standard notation and TAB for all exercises on topics such as supportive fingering, string skipping, shifting ghost notes, and more, this is an opportunity to learn from a true artist and master of the electric bass!

Veteran bassist Todd Phillips breaks down technique and musicianship for the acoustic bass from the ground up. He gives detailed instruction in the mechanics of playing, bass setup, how to develop strength and stamina, and how to become fully familiar with the fingerboard. Unique on-screen diagrams and close-up camera work make scales, chords and bass lines easily apparent. Excellent for total beginners, and for more experienced players who want to build their existing skills.

Bass Player magazine calls Flea a trend setter and thrash-funk icon ... whose thumb has been infectiously influential on many young bassists. This innovative funk purveyor of the Red Hot Chili Peppers presents an introspective and live performance improvisation with Peppers drummer Chad Smith in this DVD hosted by River Phoenix. Flea discusses the theories, philosophies, styles, sounds and techniques he uses when performing in the style he's famous for: slapping, plucking, thumping and popping, bringing together rock, funk, punk, jazz and latin like never before.

Funk bass giant Larry Graham shows you an hour of intensive bass work. This jaw-dropping DVD features exclusive reunion performances with the legendary group Sly and The Family Stone's original drummer Greg Errico, and Graham Central Station's original keyboard player Robert (Butch) Sam. They play several songs, analyzing performances and techniques while looking back and discussing their activities in the '60s and '70s. With his lifetime musical partners, Larry's funk spirit explodes on this DVD.

This DVD is packed with valuable instruction, such as hand and finger warm-ups, open-note arpeggios, harmonic scales and chords, false and pinched harmonics, sliding harmonics, popping two notes together, metronome practicing, raking and flamenco techniques, plus exciting solo performances of Stu's compositions Sexually Active, Terminal Beach, Count Zero, and Lone Star. Also included is his now-famous rendition of The Star Spangled Banner!

Stuart Hamm is one of the world's greatest bass guitar talents, and this DVD covers an incredibly wide array of styles and techniques. You'll get into left-hand stretching exercises, major and minor arpeggios, playing chords, slapping and popping, funk, hammer-on slaps, triplets, right-hand flamenco strums, two-handed polyphonic tapping, contrapuntal playing, percussive tapping, playing a melody with the right hand while the left hand plays a bass pattern, classical techniques and styles, and Bach's Prelude in C.

This groundbreaking series of interactive DVDs are much more than just ordinary lessons. Quizzes after each lesson test your skill and comprehension and provide feedback and supplemental material, just like a real one-on-one lesson with a pro. It's everything you need to start playing fast! The bass DVD covers: bass anatomy and tuning • notes and basic theory • pizzicato and funk techniques • major, minor and pentatonic scales • blues and rock patterns. 1 hour, 7 minutes.

In this DVD, Dave gets viewers started with warm-ups, stretching, and arpeggio fingering exercises. He lets loose with some of his hip funk lines using hammer-ons, slapped, popped, and ghost notes and a complete lesson of modes. Bonus features include a lesson from Victor Wooten and a performance by Jaco Pastorius and John Scofield.

Also see: "Dave LaRue: On the Record" (Book)

This lesson concentrates on creating bass lines for any musical style. The author helps players strengthen their hands and build chops through scales and modes in every position on the fingerboard. Using a step-by-step analysis of chord tones and how they can articulate a chord progression, David introduces exotic scales, ear training exercises, and dynamic soloing. 75-min. Includes music + tab. early intermediate leve

This lesson concentrates on creating bass lines for any musical style. The author helps players strengthen their hands and build chops through scales and modes in every position on the fingerboard. Using a step-by-step analysis of chord tones and how they can articulate a chord progression, David introduces exotic scales, ear training exercises, and dynamic soloing. 75-min. Includes music + tab. early intermediate leve

This new DVD combines both the Electric Bass and Electric Bass 2 videos in DVD format. Electric Bass is a complete guide to grooving with a drummer in 15 styles, including funk, samba, reggae, jazz, shuffle, baiao, Latin and rock. In Electric Bass 2, John takes the mystery out of the six-string bass. Special features include performances of John's compositions and a live clip with the Chick Corea Elektric Band.

In this hour-long DVD, John performs Coltrane's "Giant Steps" and five of his original compositions on both acoustic bass and 6-string electric bass. Experience John's masterful technique in solo, duo, trio, and quartet settings. Following the performance, John hosts a candid question and answer session with the audience on all topics from his own personal bass setup to composing. Special features include DVD-ROM content with the complete video formatted for computer and iPod, a preview of John Patitucci Electric Bass, and a preview of Billy Sheehan: Bass Day '97.

Francis Rocco Prestia has earned a place among the all-time great bass stylists. Here, accompanied by Tower of Power members David Garibaldi and Jeff Tamelier along with original member Lenny Pickett, he performs a burning set of seven TOP classics, including Oakland Stroke, Soul Vaccination, Squib Cakes, and What Is Hip? plus tunes from his acclaimed solo album. He also talks about creating a groove, his early days with TOP, and more. Also included is a 30-minute lesson with Rocco.

Billy Sheehan has rewritten the book on virtuoso rock bass. On this instructional DVD from Bass Day '97, Billy intertwines stunning solo performances with answers to audience-selected questions about tapping, neck bending, scalloped frets, dual-output basses, 4-finger plucking, covering several parts at once, string gauges, "playing" the pickups, distortion, compression, and much more.

IMHO features a tour of Billy's home and studio and gives you a private look into his technique, licks, historic instruments, special influences, personal philosophy and other facets that make up his legendary style. This all-new DVD is your chance to get up close and personal with one of the most celebrated bassists of all time.

Bass Institute of Technology instructor Alexis Sklarevski starts with the fundamentals of slap technique and gradually incorporates complex damping and choking, funk patterns and vamps, machine-gun triplets, percussive right-hand tapping, flamenco-style strumming, double-stop riffs, scales, phrasing and much more. Absolutely the most complete and effective DVD ever produced on the slap style of bass playing.

In this in-depth interview, Chris reveals some of his earliest aspirations in music to his prolific contributions as the bass player with Yes. Chris demonstrates his unique style in songs performed on the 90125 World Tour, after the release of Yes' double-platinum album, Owner of a Lonely Heart. Live performances include Changes, where he plays a potent 8-string bass; plus I've Seen All Good People, Roundabout, I'm Running and Cinema. Chris gives us a close look at the styles and technique he uses with a unique collection of basses.

Learn the basic rudiments that make up Doug's unique sound and style. Everything from his personal warm-ups and right-hand variations to his famous Flamenco Slap and false harmonics. You will also learn how to construct bass lines for almost any style of music and he concentrates on hip-hop, rock, funk and jazz. The lesson also includes a section on using effects and making your bass sound like other instruments such as guitar, keyboard, drums and even DJ scratching sounds!

In this nearly 5-hour, 2-disc set, legendary bassist Victor Wooten redefines the essential elements of music and demonstrates how to apply them in fresh, creative, musically relevant ways. Chapters and content include: notes, grooving, articulation/duration, dynamics, rhythm/tempo, tone, phrasing, space/rest, listening and more. Victor's open approach will provide effective improvement to any player's musical skills. Also featured in Groove Workshop are several solo performances by Victor, as well as duets with bassist and educator Anthony Wellington.

Accompanied by guitar and drums, Victor presents a set that stretches from the serious thunder-funk of U Ain't Got No Groove to classic performances of Amazing Grace and Norwegian Wood. Oteil Burbridge joins him for the finale. Victor also discusses his thoughts about music as a language, the tradition of the electric bass, inspiration and practicing, and provides a brilliant 30-minute private lesson on technique.

Special DVD Features: an additional 60-minute interview in which Victor discusses the techniques he is working on now: influences and a beautiful unaccompanied solo by Victor.

In this DVD, Victor breaks down each of the techniques he employs to create his incredible style. Victor covers slapping, tapping, grooving and improvising in detail. Segments include live performances with a band; interviews dealing with technique, influences, and motivation; and a segment on equipment.

Carter and Victor discuss their approaches to music and isolate the bass and drums parts for each, covering topics such as playing in odd times, styles, musicianship, turnarounds and more. It's a fascinating process to watch the chemistry between players of this caliber. Special DVD Features: a new 50-minute master class by Victor discussing his Bass Camp, muting, economy of motion, finding your own voice, plus his brilliant solo from Bass Day 2001!