The well-stocked electric bass school
Thomas Grossmann has written his "E-Bass ABC to Z" for beginners, intermediates and advanced players.
If I had a small, cramped neighborhood store to set up, I would ask Thomas Grossmann. After his successful double bass school, the double bass and electric bass player Double Bass ABC, has now written a book for electric bass. And this book has the same quality as a good neighborhood store. You can find everything there - except perhaps bass strings. And Grossmann's book also has everything - even bass strings!
E-Bass ABC to Z offers seven advanced lessons on around 100 pages. This is followed by a further 50 pages of in-depth electric bass know-how. The twelve chapters are a kind of reference to the lessons, with basic topics such as tuning, tablature and note lengths. In addition, there are many basic considerations and suggestions on topics such as picking hands and techniques, muffling and fingerings. Techniques such as slap, harmonics and chord playing are also covered.
Thanks to the focus on the fingerboard markings, you can get started immediately with music. With the solidly produced play-alongs for each music example, even the simplest exercises are fun. This makes playing fun even before you turn to the "classic" lesson structure with empty strings and positions from low to high. There are further practice suggestions for each lesson.
Overall, there is a high level of practical relevance. This is also reflected in the large amount of additional information and explanations. At first glance, they make the booklet seem somewhat overloaded. However, they are particularly valuable in music lessons, as additions and suggestions for your own considerations. I would therefore recommend the book primarily in this setting. Beginners who tackle the book without a teacher will need quite a bit of bite. Either way, at the end you will be rewarded with a solid basic knowledge of the instrument and common playing techniques.
Advanced players can use the E-Bass ABC to Z Thanks to the practical tips and the wide-ranging topics, this book can also help you to catch up on missing knowledge. But the great strength of this book is its breadth, not its depth.
Thomas Grossmann: E-Bass ABC to Z. For beginners, intermediates and advanced players EH 11788, audio files for download, Fr. 34.50, Hug-Musikverlage, Zurich 2019
