BERKLEE PRACTICE METHOD: BASS. GET YOUR BAND TOGETHER. CD TABLATURE
Berklee Practice Method: Bass
Series: Berklee Methods
Publisher: Berklee Press Publications
Format: Softcover with CD - TAB
Author: John Repucci
Author: Rich Appleman
Make your band better, or prepare yourself to join one! This sensational series lets you improve your intuitive sense of timing and improvisation, develop your technique and reading ability, and master your role in the groove. Play along with a Berklee faculty band on the accompanying CD, then play with your own band!
Inventory #HL 50449427
ISBN: 9780634006500
UPC: 073999494273
Width: 9.0"
Length: 12.0"
176 pages
Foreword
Berklee College of Music has been training musicians for over fifty years. Our graduates go onto successful careers in the music business, and many have found their way to the very top of the industry, producing hit records, receiving the highest awards, and sharing their music with millions of people.
An important reason why Berklee is so successful is that our curriculum stresses the practical application of musical principles. Our students spend a lot of time playing together in bands. When you play with other musicians, you learn things that are impossible to learn in any other way. Teachers are invaluable, practicing by yourself is critical, but performing in a band is the most valuable experience of all. That's what is so special about this series: it gives you the theory you need, but also prepares you to play in a band.
The goal of the Berklee Practice Method is to present some of Berklee's teaching strategies in book and audio form. The chairs of each of our instrumental departments-guitar, bass, keyboard, percussion, woodwind, brass, string, and voice-have gotten together and discussed the best ways to teach you how to play in a band.
They teamed with some of our best faculty and produced a set of books with play-along audio tracks that uniquely prepares its readers to play with other musicians.
Students who want to study at Berklee come from a variety of backgrounds. Some have great technique, but have never improvised. Some have incredible ears, but need more work on their reading skills. Some have a very creative, intuitive sense of music, but their technical skills aren't strong enough, yet, to articulate their ideas.
The Berklee Practice Method teaches many of these different aspects of musicianship. It is the material that
our faculty wishes all Berklee freshmen could master before arriving on our doorstep.
When you work through this book, don't just read it. You've got to play through every example, along with the recording. Better yet, play them with your own band.
Playing music with other people is how you will learn the most. This series will help you master the skills you need to become a creative, expressive, and supportive musician that anyone would want to have in their band.
Gary Burton
Executive Vice President,
Berklee College of Music
Preface
Thank you for choosing the Berklee Practice Method for bass. This book/CD package, developed by the faculty of Berklee College of Music, is part of the Berklee Practice Method series-the instrumental method that teaches how to play in a band.
The recording included with this method provides an instant band you can play along with, featuring great players from Berklee's performance faculty. Each tune has exercises and practice tracks that will help prepare you to play it. Rock, blues, and funk are just some of the styles you will perform.
The lessons in this book will guide you through developing reading skills and playing basic grooves, walking bass lines, and other standard bass techniques. This book is for bass players who are just beginning lessons with their teacher, though players learning on their own will also find it invaluable. You should have some knowledge of fingering on the low part of the neck and a sense for how to play the bass notes. These are reviewed in the "Basics" chapter.
Most importantly, you will learn the skills you need to play bass in a band. Play along with the recording, and play with your friends. This series coordinates methods for many different instruments, and all are based on the same tunes, in the same keys. If you know a drummer, guitarist, hom player, etc., have them pick up the Berklee Practice Method for their own instruments, and then you can jam together.
Work hard, make music, have fun!
Rich Appleman
Chair of the Bass Department
Berklee College of Music
John Repucci
Assistant Chair of the Bass Department
Berklee College of Music
This series coordinates methods for many different
instruments, and all are based on the same tunes, in the same
keys. !fyou know a guitarist, drummer, keyboardist, vocalist,
horn player, etc., have them pick up the Berklee Practice
method for their own instrument, and jam together!
Lessons throughout this book guide you through playing basic
grooves, walking bass lines, and other standard bass
techniques. Daily practice routines are designed for practicing
by yourself or with other musicians. The accompanying CD
features outstanding Berklee players and covers a variety of
styles including rock, funk, jazz, blues, swing, and bossa nova.
Get Your Band Together
This is the first-ever method that teaches you how to play in a
rock band. learn what all the great musicians seem to know
intuitively-how to listen, interact and respond, improvise, and
become part of the groove. The book and play-along CDwill help
improve your timing, technique, and reading ability. Become the
great player that everyone wants to have in their band.
Topics include:
• learning by ear
• theory and technique
• rhythmic interpretation
• improvisation
• comping
• reading
• song form
• interpreting lead sheets
"THE BEST WAY TO LAUNCH YOUR PLAYING TO THE NEXT LEVEL IS BY PERFORMING REAL TUNES WITH SEASONED MUSICIANS. THIS BOOK/CD COMBO PROVIDES THAT KIND OF EXPERIENCE FOR ASPIRING BASSISTS, ALONG WITH A TREASURY OF MUSIC-THEORY KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICAL INSIGHTS."
RICHARD JOHNSTON, EDITOR, BASS PlAYER MAGAZINE
"By FAR THE MOST INFORMATIVE BOOK I'VE EVER SEEN. GREAT FOR BASSISTS OF BEGINNER OR ADVANCED STAGES. FROM TUNING AND HOLDING THE BASS, TO TRANSPOSING AND IMPROVISING BASS LINES, IT COVERS EVERYTHING. THE WAY THAT THE DIFFERENT BASS
STYLES ARE THOROUGHLY BROKEN DOWN ALONG WITH DIFFERENT PRACTICE TIPS IS FANTASTIC. " CHRISTIAN McBRIDE
"AN EFFECTIVE WAY FOR YOU TO READ CHARTS AND PLAY ALONG WITH OTHER MUSICIANS IN A REAL-TIME PLAYING ENVIRONMENT. THE BOOK WIll KEEP YOUR NOSE IN THE MUSIC AND THE CD WIll KEEP YOUR EARS OPEN TO THE GOINGS-ON OF THE OTHER MUSICIANS WHO ARE PLAYING. HAVE FUN, PRACTICE REGULARLY, ANO ENJOY THIS FINE BOOK."
JEFF BERLIN
"TRUE TO THE TRADITION OF BERKLEE COLLEGE OF MUSIC TO THOROUGHLY TRAIN STUDENTS TO BE PROFESSIONAL MUSICIANS, THIS METHOD IS A GREAT WORKOUT. AN EXCELLENT PRACTICE BOOK COVERING MANY STYLES, WHICH WIll HELP YOU LEAR THE NECESSITIES OF WORKING IN THE RHYTHM SECTION CREATIVELY. "
CAROL KAYE, BASS RECORDING LEGEND, PIONEER IN AUTHORING TUTORS FOR THE ELECTRIC BASS, EDUCATOR AT THE HENRY MANCINI INSTITUTE-UCLA
"THE PRACTICE METHOD RULES! IT's A GREAT WAY TO LEARN RIFFS, LATCH ONTO SOME BASIC SONG STRUCTURES, AND SEE HOW TUNES ARE PUT TOGETHER. THIS LETS YOU FOCUS ON PLAYING IN A BAND, AND ON CREATING YOUR OWN INTERPRETATIONS IN ANY STYLE. "
JOE STUMP, SHRED GUITAR MASTER, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, BERKLEE COLLEGE OF MUSIC
Berklee Practice Method is also available for:
• drum set • alto sax
• guitar • tenor sax
• Keyboard • trombone
• voice • trumpet
• Vibraphone ·violin
"TEACHERS ARE INVALUABLE, PRACTICING BY YOURSELF IS CRITICAL, BUT PERFORMING IN A BAND IS THE MOST VALUABLE EXPERIENCE OF ALL. THAT's WHAT IS SO SPECIAL ABOUT IS SERIES: IT GIVES YOU THE THEORY YOU NEED, BUT ALSO PREPARES YOU TO PLAY IN A BAND.
THIS SERIES WILL HElP YOU MASTER THE SKILLS YOU NEED TO BECOME A CREATIVE, EXPRESSIVE, AND SUPPORTIVE MUSICIAN THAT ANYONE WOULD WANT TO HAVE IN THEIR BAND."
GARY BURTON, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, BERKLEE COLLEGE OF MUSIC
Berklee Press, a publishing activity of Berklee College of Music, is a not-for-profit educational publisher. Available proceeds from the sales of our products are contributed to the scholarship funds of the college.
Cover design: mooremoscowitz
Berklee Press
Contents
CD Tracks
Foreword
Preface
Basics .
Chapter I. Playing Rock ("Sweet") .
Lesson 1. Technique/Theory .
Lesson 2. Learning the Groove .
Lesson 3. Improvisation .
Lesson 4. Reading .
Daily Practice Routine .
Chapter II. Playing Blues ("Do It Now") .
Lesson 5. TechniquelTheory .
Lesson 6. Learning the Groove .
Lesson 7. Improvisation .
Lesson 8. Reading .
Daily Practice Routine .
Chapter III. Playing Blues Swing ("I Just Wanna Be With You") .
Lesson 9. Technique/Theory .
Lesson 10. Learning the Groove .
Lesson 11. Improvisation .
Lesson 12. Reading .
Daily Practice Routine .
Chapter IV. Playing Funk ("Leave Me Alone") .
Lesson 13. TechniquelTheory .
Lesson 14. Learning the Groove .
Lesson 15. Improvisation .
Lesson 16. Reading .
Daily Practice Routine .
Chapter V. Playing Light Funk ("Affordable") .
Lesson 17. Technique/Theory .
Lesson 18. Learning the Groove
Lesson 19. Improvisation .
Lesson 20. Reading .
Daily Practice Routine .
Chapter VI. Playing Hard Rock ("Don't Look Down") .
Lesson 21. Technique/Theory .
Lesson 22. Learning the Groove .
Lesson 23. Improvisation .
Lesson 24. Reading .
Daily Practice Routine .
Chapter VII. Playing Bossa Nova ("Take Your Time") .
Lesson 25. Technique/Theory .
Lesson 26. Learning the Groove .
Lesson 27. Improvisation .
Lesson 28. Reading .
Daily Practice Routine .
Chapter VIII. Playing Stop Time ("Stop It") .
Lesson 29. Technique/Theory .
Lesson 30. Learning the Groove .
Lesson 31. Improvisation .
Lesson 32. Reading .
Daily Practice Routine .
Final Remarks .