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“No Brainer Play Bass” is an entry-level instructional aid just loaded with good information. (I am not too flattered by the suggestion that you don’t need a brain to play our beloved instrument but I will look past this detail). An impressive team of authors collaborated on this tome including Chuck Archard, Dan Bennett, L.C. Harnsberger, Paul Lidel, David Overthrow, and Ron Manus.
The content gets you started with the very basics (parts of the bass, how to hold your bass, reading music, etc.) and are designed to guide you all the way up to being a Pro. There is a lot of information in this nice fat book so I will leave it to you to explore it all. The DVD (with over 125 minutes of MP3 audio) is always a welcome bonus when learning as I find I need to hear and see to really grasp the material.
Finally, there is a lot more here than just licks and tunes. I found a sample contract, true stories about bands, scales and a Basic Chord Dictionary. That said, even though we start with the basic stuff, this book has something for even the most seasoned player!
Raul Amador has written 199 articles in BMM.
Raul Amador serves as the Executive Editor of Bass Musician Magazine and is the Co-founder of V.I.E., LLC, publisher of virtual magazines. This dentist-by-day, Raul picked up the bass several years ago after a long hiatus from music. Born in Boulder, CO, Raul began playing guitar at a young age. By the time he moved to Texas at the age of 10, he was ready for his first gig with a local, junior rock band. After their first performance (and reviews), it was decided that he would study classical guitar instead. In 1970, his father took a teaching position in Puerto Rico and Raul moved with his family to the Caribbean. It was here that he began playing the cuatro and guitar with the Tuna de Cayey, a traditional Spanish group that has been together since 1964. During his 9 years as a member, he recorded over 11 albums and toured all over Puerto Rico as well as New York and the Dominican Republic. Tuna de Cayey is still actively recording and touring. Today, Raul is jamming with local groups in Portland and Vancouver and is hitting the music scene as Executive Editor with Bass Musician Magazine. He thrives in being part of a world-class team set on developing a virtual environment for professionals working in the field as musicians, clinicians and bass industry support as well as inspiring players just getting started.
