Deliberate Practice For Bass Guitar 2.0: How To Practice For Constant And Consistent Improvement (How To Play Bass - Practice Books)

Quick background on myself and honest statement to substantiate this review. I first picked up the bass at 16, took a few lessons at a music store and felt the teacher wasn't going to really teach me much, other than follow the pages in a Hal Leonard book. I began to "jam" with some friends and learned to play songs by ear. I was in several bands for many years. During which time I loosely studied theory on my own, as well as muddle my way through getting a song out from a book reading the notes and timing (As well as listening to the song and playing along with the album) I later took formal lessons from an established bass player (He was the bass player from the Schubert Theater in Chicago) Then life got in the way with my IT career and I stopped playing/practicing on a steady basis. I point this out as I have approached learning and playing the bass from several angles. I wanted to get back into playing and advancing my playing (I am now 63) I have picked up many books and courses on how to play bass, music theory, exercises, practice songs, Techniques, etc. Though I still have not been able to fully immerse myself in practice and learning, I have been collecting these items for use as I can, if nothing else when I retire. All that being said, I haven't completely gone through this book yet. But, I have skimmed it thoroughly and I found many times I was finding it difficult to skip to another section, as what I was reading was extremely interesting. I had to force myself to continue skimming as I was limited on time and wanted to get a good feel for the book. Having done so, I find this book to be one of the most useful books I have experienced when it comes to how to actually practice. It explains how we relate to music, how to apply that knowledge and information and an actual method to practice to improve. It provides explanations you don't find in many of the best books I have read They might make a particular topic easier to learn. by providing a more interesting approach to the topic,but they still do not provide a method and path to follow to actually practice and apply the topics/techniques. This is a concise guide to practicing to improve, with each practice session. How not to get caught in a rut or remain stagnant in your growth. How to practice with intent, improvement and growth, It points out to truly learn what you are working on, while understanding how much to put into new the topic/technique while keeping up with what you have already learned and accomplished. I am simplifying this from a skim of the material, but it should stress how impressive the material was from a quick overview. I look forward to really digging into this book. (And I am pretty sure I will be picking up his other material, as I am already impressed with what I've read from this) I recommend this book for anyone learning to play bass, or any other instrument or topic. His recommendation to read the book many times is highly valuable in and of itself. Learning anything that is fairly complicated and involved, does require not only repetition in practice, but also in reviewing the material to truly understand it. The IT field requires this type of method to learn concepts and how to apply them. One cannot read a technical manual like a novel.You read it over and over until it's completely understood. Playing an instrument has many more aspects to it then just the brain portion, as it is also requires a physical dexterity development that is required to accomplish playing what's in your head or to simply jam from muscle memory. It's more of a sport in that respect. Frustrations can set in from many different angles. So having the right frame of mind and a valid method to follow that provides noticeable and measurable advancement, can help one get past any frustration they encounter. Early on I ran into a musician getting his gear out of his vehicle for a gig later that evening, I was carrying my bass coming form the music store I first took lessons from. He asked to see my bass, I was somewhat embarrassed as it was a cheap no name bass I got from a pawn shop. The neck was more reminiscent of a bow (as in bow and arrow) than a bass neck. Yet, he played a little on it, made no comment on the quality of the instrument, but rather gave me a piece of advice that stuck with me to this day, He told me "You might get frustrated at times when learning to play. If you do, put it down and walk a way for a bit until you get composed, then get back to it. The payoff in the end will be more than worth it". He was so right. I was lucky to play with many very good musicians, with whom I always felt like I was at the bottom of the talent pool in the band. But they tolerated me, I got better from playing with them and I had a love of music and curiosity to learn more. Though I admit I was often stuck in a mode of how to apply various things I learned. This book will help anyone be able to reduce those frustrations, feel a sense of accomplishment and realize improvement with a healthy desire to work to get better and continue to grow, All of which will make it so much more fun. No matter how much you practice and learn, there is nothing like playing with others in a band or at the very least with some accompaniment (His recommendation of, and tips for, Band in a Box are also right on the mark). This was much more than I had planned on writing in this review, I hope it didn't sound more self-serving than a review of the book I was simply justifying my opinion of the book with my limited skimming of it. If you want to learn to play or already play and want to get better, get this book. It may not be the end all, but it will get you on the right path sooner than anything else I've encountered. This is the start, not the end. You will use what you learn from this book, in all your other studies moving forward, and you will definitely be moving forward if you follow it's teachings. I thank Paul for writing this book and look forward to really applying it and checking out his other books.

While the price point of this book initially seemed quite steep, the number of positive reviews swayed me and I'm sure glad it did! I have felt like I have been plateaued on the bass for about a year now and haven't been able to find a method for practice that works for me, and keeps me consistent. This book breaks down those concepts in a way that is informative for any musician, and then gives good examples specifically for bass guitar. In fact, the overall concepts outlined in this book would apply to any musician, or anyone with any goals really, and so I plan to take some of these recommendations to the worship team in church at our next team meeting! All in all, this was an excellent read and I will be buying more books from this series!

There's no magic bullet that will make you a better bass player. There's no magic to this practice method, either. Guess what--you have to follow the instructions and put in the work to get the value from it. This is not a bass- or even music-specific methodology; the author is transparent about adapting organizational methods from other sources (and what those sources are), and he's up-front about how this is his least musical workbook. If you're not interested in a) taking time to think about your bass goals, and b) writing that stuff down, and c) doing that every week, this may not be the book for you. HOWEVER, if you are diligent about using his suggestions for planning and reviewing long-term and short-term practice cycles (down to individual practice days) you will see progress over time, and it will keep you motivated and progressing.

I've been wanting to improve my bass playing with a more deliberate and methodical way to play my bass. Paul Wolfe's How to Play Bass serious, in particular Deliberate Practice for Bass Guitar 2.0, has given me insights into developing my own practice regimen. He also provides books for mastering the fretboard, creating walking bass lines, etc. that have helped me focus on areas that I need to develop as a musician and bass and saxophone player.I like the approach Paul has taken with putting all this together. His books give plenty of insights into practicing and improving technique and musicality on the bass. Paul's approach is not pedantic. It is in line with contemporary pedagogy that allows the student to develop their own practice methodologies.I highly recommend Paul's books to anyone who wants to to discover how to play bass, or any instrument for that matter.

I’ve been playing bass guitar for many, many years. For most of those years, I think I played very well. Well enough to support myself. However, this book has shown me that when you break out of your comfort zone and critically examine your own strengths and weaknesses, so much more is possible. So much more to strive for and accomplish. It shows how to measure progress and make your goals attainable. My playing, my attitude, my motivation has all been revived thanks to this book and Paul’s work. Ver well done!

The videos that are for the book are online only.

A good instruction book that break things down step by step. Don't buy second hand for only the new book would give extra material.

Reading through this will give you a great way to structure your practices toward progress. I like the idea of "Learning Zones" and staying in those, not just practicing scales and things you can do well 90% of the time. Worth the purchase.

This book doesn’t teach you how to play, it teaches you how to practice which in turn almost guarantees that you’ll be able to learn how to play.Based on modern neuroscientific principles. 👍

Very useful

Consejos practicos

For myself, this is without a doubt, the most beneficial book that I have read in my road to learning bass! Yet, there are no bass techniques (well, barely any) mentioned in the book. Instead, this is a book on how to approach learning bass. Educational and psychological principles, rather than the musical principles.In a simple, approachable and engaging manner, Paul presents a set of principles, based on scientifically backed psychological and educational principles, in a way that you can apply them to your own bass playing practice.Applying these principles to your own bass playing, will help you get the most benefit out of every minute of your precious practice time.Btw, not just for bass. These same principles could be applied to learning any musical instrument and many other skills.I like Paul's analytical and critical approach. I will be buying a lot more of his books.

Ce livre est un merveilleux guide pour les bassistes de tous niveaux, pour les aider à s'entraîner de manière efficace et ciblée. Bien présenté et expliqué simplement, mettez-le sur votre liste de "must have" si vous voulez sérieusement améliorer votre jeu.