 | Standing in the Shadows of Motown: The Life and Music of Legendary Bassist James Jamerson by Dr. Licks
Buy new: $25.20 / Used from: $18.94 An invaluable book about James Jamerson with transcriptions of many of his timeless bass parts.
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 | The Essential Jaco Pastorius by Jaco Pastorius
Buy new: $13.59 / Used from: $10.25 One of the better Jaco transcription books out there. Includes accurate transcriptions of intros and solos among the already voluminous collection of great tunes.
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 | Progressive Repertoire for the Double Bass, Vol. 1 (Book & CD) by George Vance
Buy new: $15.95 / Used from: $11.99 I started studying out of this set of six volumes several years ago. Based on the four-finger method developed by Francois Rabbath. Get the most out of these books with a skilled instructor!
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 | Bass Fitness - An Exercising Handbook by Josquin des Pres
Buy new: $9.95 / Used from: $5.37 Get your left hand into shape! The author conveniently lists all the possible permutations of left hand fingerings, utilizing the entire instrument.
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 | A Contemporary Concept of Bowing Technique for the Double Bass by Zimmerman
Buy new: $11.21 / Used from: $8.16 The most comprehensive book on arco technique for the double bass. Again, I can't stress how important it is to have someone show you the correct techniques.
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 | Domenico Dragonetti in England (1794-1846): The Career of a Double Bass Virtuoso by Fiona M. Palmer
Buy new: $175.00 / Used from: $124.48 Holy crap! Is this thing made with virgin Cremona tree fibers or what? Regardless of its price, it is still a good book about one of the first virtuosos of the DB, Dragonetti.
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 | Studio Bass Masters by Keith Rosier
Buy new: $19.95 / Used from: $4.44 Great book with interviews of top session players, engineers and their gear. Includes a funny foreword by Don Was. Also illustrates the Nashville Number System.
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 | J.S. Bach for Electric Bass: Three Duets and Five Solo Pieces Arranged for Bass Guitar by J.S. Bach
Buy new: $7.95 / Used from: $4.27 Want to play Bach on the bass? Includes: Two-Part Invention #4 in D Minor, Two-Part Invention #1 in C Major, Sinfonia from Partita 2 in C Major for Solo Harpsichord and five more selections
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 | Mel Bay J. S. Bach for Bass by Josquin des Pres
Buy new: $12.21 / Used from: $7.98 Josquin des Pres' take on Bach for EB. Includes: Prelude #1 in C Major; Suites nos. 1, 2 & 3; Partitas nos. 1, 2 & 3; Sonatas nos. 1 & 3.
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 | Jaco: The Extraordinary and Tragic Life of Jaco Pastorius by Bill Milkowski
Buy new: $13.57 / Used from: $5.55 The good and the bad in the life of Jaco Pastorius.
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 | The Gary Willis Collection by Gary Willis
Gary is the man! A great collection of Gary Willis solos. Saves you the trouble of transcribing them!
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 | Fingerboard Harmony for Bass by Gary Willis
Buy new: $13.46 / Used from: $8.70 Did I mention that Gary is great? This book lays things out in a sensible, digestible way. Learn how to create more interesting walking lines, among other things.
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 | New Method for the Double Bass/Book 1 (English and Japanese Text) (English and Japanese Edition) by F. Simandl
Buy new: $23.95 / Used from: $21.97 The standard DB method for many years. Another book that is exponentially more useful with the aide of an instructor. As always, go slowly!
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 | How the Fender Bass Changed the World by ROBERTS
Buy new: $18.45 / Used from: $12.78 Jim Roberts' book on how the Fender bass changed the world. Good reading.
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 | Evolving Bassist by Rufus Reid
Buy new: $19.77 / Used from: $17.82 The first "jazz bass" book I studied from. They just released a new version that includes a DVD.
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 | Brave New Bass: Interviews and Lessons with the Innovators, Trendsetters and Visionaries by Chris Jisi
Buy new: $22.45 / Used from: $8.99 One of the first bass books I ever bought. The section about Anthony Jackson alone is worth the price of admission.
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 | The Funkmasters-the Great James Brown Rhythm Sections by Allan Slutsky
Buy new: $19.77 / Used from: $15.37 Great book lending deep insight into JB's classic rhythm sections. Includes transcriptions of the guitar, bass AND drum parts!
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 | Funkifying the Clave: Afro-Cuban Grooves for Bass and Drums (with CD) (Manhattan Music Publications) by Goine (Lincoln Goines; Robby Ameen)
Buy new: $19.77 / Used from: $26.78 I had no idea what the difference was between "son" and "rhumba" clave until I got their video. The book looks a bit dated but the information contained within is challenging and exciting.
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 | Jimmy Haslip's Medodic Bass Library by Jimmy Haslip
Buy new: $19.95 / Used from: $9.49 A classic and underrated book by bass wizard, Jimmy Haslip.
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 | Bass Heroes by Tom Mulhern
Buy new: $17.56 / Used from: $4.73 Another one of my first bass books. Essential reading for any Anthony Jackson fan.
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 | Bass Book, The (Hardcover) by Bacon/Moorhouse
Buy new: $22.95 / Used from: $1.11 Another classic.
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 | The Bass Grimoire- Complete by Adam Kadmon
Buy new: $17.91 / Used from: $5.99 There's nothing quite like it. It has everything written out for you to see.
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| Beyond the Bass Clef by Tony Levin
Buy used from: $29.18 Great book by Tony Levin that includes stories of his touring with Peter Gabriel and King Crimson as well as his infamous, "In The Beginning There Was Bass" piece.
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 | Modern Recording Techniques, Fifth Edition by David Miles Huber
Buy used from: $0.64 The definitive book on recording and engineering. Knowing how to properly mic your instruments and/or voice and understanding acoustics are just a few of the skills you'll learn with this book.
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