The Complete Electric Bass Method: Beginning Blues Bass: Bass Guitar Book & DVD

Overthrow writes from the perspective of someone who plays blues regularly across multiple styles, so the grooves and bass lines feel authentic rather than textbook. The progression from straight feels to swing feels, organized by blues subgenres, gives students a clear roadmap for understanding how the bass anchors different rhythm contexts. The combination of foundational material (scales and chords) with immediately playable bass lines means students spend less time on abstractions and more time making music.

The groove-centered approach means you're playing music almost immediately rather than grinding through exercises. Each style (rock blues, jazz blues, funk blues) has its own feel and pocket, and the book guides you through these distinct rhythmic worlds while keeping the bass lines accessible enough that you can actually nail them in a practice session.

Beginning bassists ready to move beyond basic note reading and into the world of blues idioms, whether they're working through a general method book or studying bass independently. This book works equally well as a companion to other starter methods or as a focused deep dive into blues styles for someone who has already learned fundamentals. It's designed for players who want to understand how to build grooves and create their own bass lines, not just read and repeat.

• Start with the straight feel grooves before tackling swing; the rhythmic precision you develop will transfer directly to the swing material later.
• Use the DVD demonstrations to absorb the pocket and feel of each groove style, not just the mechanics. Hearing how a rock blues groove differs from a jazz blues groove is as important as knowing where your fingers go.
• Generate variations on the provided bass lines by altering one or two notes rather than starting from scratch. This builds both your understanding of what makes a groove work and your confidence in creating original lines.
• Practice grooves at slower tempos with a metronome until the feel becomes second nature, then gradually increase speed. Blues bass relies on pocket and timing more than technical speed.

Use this book to supplement beginning band or ensemble bass players who want exposure to blues idioms beyond standard classical or concert band settings. It also serves as an excellent resource for a jazz ensemble or blues combo rehearsal, where you can pull specific grooves and bass lines that match the ensemble's style and tempo. If you're teaching a small group or private bass student who gravitates toward blues or contemporary music, this gives you a structured, comprehensive resource that won't require you to transcribe grooves by ear.

• Reading and executing straight and swing eighth-note feels at various tempos
• Understanding blues chord progressions and their relationship to bass line construction
• Creating original bass lines using scales and chord tones within a blues context
• Playing grooves across rock blues, jazz blues, and funk blues styles with appropriate feel and pocket
• Building bass vocabulary through study of model lines and variations