| So What's 101 Bass Tips About | | | | information to read and absorb in the 70 pages of |
| 101 Bass Tips by fusion bass player Gary Willis is | | | | the book. And of course, the learning will not really |
| subtitled: Stuff All The Pros Know And Use. And that | | | | be solidified until you start actually applying it to the |
| pretty much sums the book up. It is a collection of | | | | bass. |
| tips for the bass player that Gary has collected in his | | | | There are a lot of tips aimed at maintaining your |
| playing career and is passing on. The tips are not | | | | bass. And although these are pretty good, personally |
| really presented in an organized fashion, but that | | | | I just take my bass to the local guitar shop. The tech |
| makes the book great for browsing at random when | | | | there is a great guy and does a great job of |
| you have 5 minutes spare. | | | | maintaining my basses. So it might have been better |
| The tips range from musical tips such as using | | | | to have cut some of these out. |
| substitute scales when soloing, exercises for | | | | The musical tips are the most interesting - and paint |
| dynamics, diminished chord improvisation and ear | | | | an interesting picture of Gary Willis as an enquiring |
| improvisation to technique tips which include right | | | | spirit who searches for truth on the bass as he sees |
| hand dampening and exercises to develop right hand | | | | it, and devises exercises that help him apply that |
| technique, left hand positioning and how to 'barre' | | | | truth. More of those exercises would make for a |
| with fingers when needed, and there are a lot of tips | | | | fascinating book. |
| included on the maintenance of your bass, e.g. how | | | | Summary |
| to adjust your intonation, how to reuse strings, how | | | | 101 Bass Tips is a strange book in the Bass Player's |
| to set your string balance. There's even a tip on how | | | | Library. But firstly Gary Willis is one of our most |
| to make your own strap. | | | | unique voices, buying anything that generates |
| How Is 101 Bass Tips Presented? | | | | royalties for him should be considered a duty by |
| Bass tips is a soft bound book of around 70 pages in | | | | most bass players. And the book is so cheap that |
| length. There is also a CD that comes with the book | | | | you'd only need to find one or two tips that really |
| which has some of the examples played on it, and | | | | connect with you and expand your thinking to make |
| also some of the examples left 'bass less' for YOU to | | | | the purchase good value for your money. |
| play over it. As I said earlier the tips are not really | | | | To find out more about Gary Willis's playing I suggest |
| organized in any fashion | | | | you check out his discography. There is a book of his |
| How Could 101 Bass Tips Be Better? | | | | transcribed solos available, called The gary Willis |
| Firstly as the author is Gary Willis it could have some | | | | Collection. This is out of print at the time of writing |
| sections devoted to how he generates some of his | | | | so you may have to hunt around for a 2nd hand |
| monstrous funk grooves with examples of these | | | | copy on eBay or in the Bass Forums. There is also a |
| grooves AND transcriptions! This book doesn't have | | | | Tribal Tech guitar book out there which has quite a |
| that sadly, but there's still a surprising amount of | | | | lot of Gary's original and distinctive groove lines in it. |