Alfred Publishes “The New Basics – Rock Bass”

by Corey Brown Monday, September 3rd, 2012

Alfred Music Publishing has introduced The New Basics – Rock Bass, a new method book, designed for beginner bassists. The premise, according to the publisher, is that playing bass isn’t about studying, it is about playing, and it should be fun.

This line from the company’s release is worth mentioning too, just because it is hilarious:

“If you’re looking to rock out, do you want to spend hours trying to figure out how to read music, and then plunk away at The Old Gray Mare?”

The New Basics – Rock Bass is a 48-page book, broken down into six major sections:

Getting Started focuses on everything from the components that make up an electric bass, holding the bass, tuning, basic reading and techniques and tab.

Start Making Music breaks down the fretboard, string by string, and dives into more notation.

Warm-Up Exercises dives even deeper into the fretboard, including the upper register, and offers up “The Spider” exercise.

Theory for Bass Players focuses on all the basics, including major scales, finger patterns, key signatures, triads, arpeggios, chords and more.

Building Bass Lines includes examples of lines built with roots and 5ths and arpeggios and includes sections on diatonic and chromatic passing tones.

The final chapter, Bits ‘n’ Pieces gets into the 12-bar blues, funk bass, slap and pop techniques and wraps it up with a “Putting it All Together” section.

The book also includes a fingerboard chart for electric bass, and audio files for reference and to play along.