5 Best Books For Learning Bass Guitar

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Are you thinking about learning bass guitar? Want to teach yourself bass with the use of a bass guitar lesson book?

Whether you’re taking bass guitar lessons with an experienced instructor or you simply want to teach yourself at home, it can be incredibly helpful to have a bass guitar lesson book on hand to help you in your journey. Fortunately, there are plenty of options to choose from if you want to start learning how to play bass guitar.

Below we’ll list the 5 best bass guitar books for learning the instrument.

Best Bass Guitar Lesson Books – Quick View

ImageModelPrice
Hal Leonard Bass Method: Complete EditionCheck Price on Amazon
Bass Guitar For Dummies, 3rd EditionCheck Price on Amazon
The Complete Electric Bass Player, Book 1: The MethodCheck Price on Amazon
Music Theory For The Bass PlayerCheck Price on Amazon
First 50 Songs You Should Play On BassCheck Price on Amazon

Methods for Learning Bass Guitar

If you’re thinking about learning the bass guitar, remember that there’s more than one way to do it. To get great at the bass, you’ll probably want to use a combination of methods together.

Here are some of the ways that you might want to consider learning the skills needed to play the bass guitar.

Bass Lesson Books

As you would guess from the title of this article, buying a bass lesson book and teaching yourself to play is one of the top options for learning the bass guitar.

There are many great lesson books that will take you from zero to hero. A great book will help you build your skills and knowledge step by step from the ground up.

Online Videos and Resources

Another way to learn the bass guitar is to make use of lesson videos and other online resources.

YouTube is full of free videos that will teach you bass skills, but there are other great places to look for bass lessons as well. Sites such as StudyBass.com and Artistworks.com are just a couple of many that allow you to learn bass at your own pace.

Bass Lessons

If you want to get great at the bass quickly and don’t think you have the discipline to learn on your own, then you might want to get some private bass lessons. Doing so will allow you to learn in a hands-on way and your instructor will walk you through everything that you need to do to be a successful bass player.

Keep in mind, however, that many bass instructors will provide study materials or will use a bass guitar lesson book when teaching you how to play. If you think you can teach yourself, you can bypass the private lessons and simply buy a lesson book instead.

Top Bass Method Books – REVIEWS

If you’re ready to find the best books for learning bass guitar, read on. Here are our top 5 choices.

1. Hal Leonard Bass Method: Complete Edition

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Hal Leonard Bass Method For Learning Bass

Perhaps one of the best books for budding bass guitarists is the Hal Leonard Bass Method: Complete Edition by Ed Friedland.

As is to be expected from a respected company such as Hal Leonard, this instructional book serves to tell beginners everything they need to know to get started on the instrument. This is actually three books in one and, as such, offers a complete understanding of the bass guitar.

While it will take a beginner bass player a while to get through the entire volume, once they do, they’ll be well on their way to being a pro. If you can only buy one bass guitar lesson book, this one is the one to go with and will be sure to keep you occupied for quite a while.

2. Bass Guitar For Dummies, 3rd Edition

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Bass Guitar For Dummies - Bass Lesson Book

If the instructional book above doesn’t quite suit your fancy, Bass Guitar for Dummies by Patrick Pfeiffer is another excellent option and is one of the best books for learning the bass.

Many people love the way that the “For Dummies” books are laid out and they do a great job of helping readers understand hard concepts in simple and fun ways. While the Hal Leonard Bass Method is a great book for getting a complete understanding of playing the bass, Bass Guitar for Dummies might be even a bit more complete since it tells you quite a bit about how to take care of your instrument and also gives a deeper understanding of the history of the bass.

While beginners will love this book, even intermediate and advanced players will likely find a lot to enjoy as well and will learn quite a bit from reading this hefty instructional book.

3. The Complete Electric Bass Player, Book 1: The Method

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Electric Bass Player - Instructional Book For Learning Bass Guitar

The Complete Electric Bass Player is another great option for beginners to the bass guitar. It’s great for players who want to get a strong headstart on the instrument.

This book is specifically meant for electric bass players and gives players a full understanding of how the instrument is played. The book teaches players just about everything they need to know to get started including how to take care of the instrument, play major and minor scales, and improve dexterity and musicianship.

The book is chock-full of exercises and etudes that can help players get a handle on the instrument and practice their way to proficiency. This is a pretty great book for beginners but can be a challenge at times, meaning that players who use this method will get off to a great start and will improve their skills quite a bit as they work their way through it.

4. Music Theory For The Bass Player

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Music Theory For the Bass Player

If you want to develop a complete understanding of the bass guitar while also simultaneously learning the fundamentals of music itself, then Music Theory for the Bass Player by Ariane Cap is a great choice.

Learning music theory from the very beginning is often a great idea that can help you progress faster on the instrument and more fully understand the role that bass has in music.

Learning music theory can be particularly helpful if you think that you’ll switch from the bass to another instrument later on. It’s also a great option if you simply want to have a fuller understanding of what you’re doing on the bass guitar rather than just learning how to play the notes.

5. First 50 Songs You Should Play On Bass

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First 50 Songs You Should Learn On Bass

If the idea of running through bass scales endlessly doesn’t appeal to you, then this book is for you. The First 50 Songs You Should Play On Bass is a great book that will give bass players a deeper understanding of the instrument by playing along with their favorite songs.

There is a variety of songs in the book of varying skill levels, and by playing along with them, budding bassists can have fun while also getting a better feel for the instrument.

While bassists may get some value out of this book all on its own, however, it’s likely best to pair this with one of the more comprehensive bass guitar methods listed above. This will help you to get the most value out of it and will allow you to have a lot of fun while also building a strong foundation.

Nevertheless, this is one of the best books for learning bass guitar. It’s a great book to buy as a beginning bass player, and even attempting to jam along with the harder songs will offer a lot of value to bassists starting their journey.

Finding the Right Lesson Book for Your Needs

If you want to get proficient at the bass guitar as quickly as possible, it’s a good idea to invest in a lesson book or two. Be sure that you consider buying one of these lesson books above if you want to make your bass guitar education both fun and effective.

Looking for a great beginner bass guitar as well? Check out this list of great bass guitars for newbies now.