Progressive Bass Licks features over 190 licks which use most modern music styles and techniques used by the world’s best bass players. Before using this book and cassette it is important to have some practical experience playing the bass guitar (see Progressive Bass Guitar by Gary Turner and Brenton White or Heavy Metal Method for Bass by Stephan Richter).
The emphasis in this volume is to provide a vast variety of music styles to enable you to fit in with any music performing or recording situation. It is not necessary to work through every page before proceeding to the next, as it depends on what area you want to improve your skills.
The licks in these books are particularly useful as reinforcements of:
- Technical aspects of playing bass.
- A source of ideas for your own licks and solos.
- Practical exercises.
- A source of teaching material.
It is important that after a while you begin to play these licks with some variations of your own. Combine the study of these licks with constant playing and listening. All bass players use the same basics, but development of style is determined by how these basics are used.
Both music and TAB notation are used. For music readers most of the licks have accidentals (sharps, flats) placed in front of the note to be played. In some cases a key signature is used. For more information on key signatures, reading music and tab notation see Progressive Bass Guitar.
Chord symbols are used to give an indication of what a guitarist or keyboarder would play and how the bass line relates to chords.
The technique to use is mentioned above each lick, e.g., use of hammer-on, etc. If nothing is specified use your right hand fingers to play the lick. To make reading easier and to find the notes faster on the fretboard, tablature is used. Also fingering numbers are used to help you find the easiest way of playing a lick.
Due to the speed, phrasing and range of some bass licks they are quite often very hard to read from written music. For this reason it is essential to have the recording that contains all the examples in this book. The book tells you where to locate your fingers and what technique to use, and the recording lets you hear how the lick should sound.
Good luck and have fun.
Stephan Richter
5lephan Richter obtained his degree in Classical Music (Cello major) at the Zurich Conservatorium of Music in Switzerland. He further studied in New York on Electric Bass with Rick Laird and Tony Oppenheim. He currently works as a session musician and teacher. Stephan is author of Progressive Slap Technique for Bass, Tapping Technique for Bass. Heavy Metal Method and Heavy Metal Techniques for Bass, Heavy Metal Licks Volume I and 2 and Bass Licks.
