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Matt (Milwaukee, WI, via internet)
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"This book is a great reference guide for anyone who is looking to improve their biomechanics and technique. It is very well written and easy to comprehend. The book reinforces some techniques I know; and showed me things I was not aware of. I've had this book for about six months, and my playing has improved tremendously!! Thanks for writing a great book!"
Thomas Shell
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"I purchased your Essential Bass Technique book a while ago and was very pleased with it. I had been looking for a book like this for sometime as I had been dealing with hand cramps and proper technique nailed it right away."
Dean Drouillard (Racecar), Windsor, Ontario
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| (Illustrations: Martin Tielli) |
Dana B. Teague (Dana B. Goods), California
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"This book is perfect for me. It actually answers the very questions I was asking. Namely, 'What do I do with my hands?' (Looks like it will probably correct some mistakes I've perpetuated over 24 years on the guitar as well) I have a few other bass books coming in the mail, and I'm so glad yours arrived first. It will set me straight from the beginning. Your illustrator is great, too. I find hands to be the most difficult things to draw even now. So I must respect your artist for taking on such a formidable job (all hands) with such success."
Russell Stutler (Tokyo Weekender), Tokyo, Japan
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"It packs a LOT of superb information into 52 pages and I'm impressed with the breadth of background/research you've put into it. (How many popular instrumental techniques have a bibliography like this?). Gives me insight into my playing although I am a guitarist and only an occasional would-be bassist. It's a terrific book with careful attention to subtle but critically important details. I especially crave such instrument-specific pointers on good technique and not just general principals."
Paul Marxhausen, Lincoln, Nebraska
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"I have had the book for a few weeks now and would recommend it to anyone who has or ever will pick up a bass. When (not if) you do another book, please let me know because I plan to buy it."
Norm Melanson, Ottawa, Ontario
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"Thanks for writing the bass technique book. I'm about six months into my self-taught bass-playing career, so your bass book is a real lucky find!"
Linc Pisio, Calgary, Alberta
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"I would like to thank you for writing such an excellent book! I've been looking
for years for a thorough book on developing a fluid bass guitar technique. While
many books exist on more specific subjects (e.g. slapping, harmonics,
"chops-building", etc.), there are very few that comprehensively address the basic
fingerstyle technique. Actually, I had been very frustrated in looking for such a
book because most people, when asked about the subject, would reply, "Aw, it's easy!
Just plunk down your two fingers and play...do what works for you, dude!"Glenn Fajardo, Florida
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"Congratulations. Bass Player magazine rated your book as an (A+), da Bomb, a classic, d'big Kahuna, dashit. I'm thinking now that as a beginner (rookie) bassiteer I got to have your book. Thanks for helping me out Pete. Peace."
Priest Poet
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"Thank you for writing such a great book."
Paul Raphaelson, Brooklyn, NY
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"It's wonderful. Everything I ever learned about technique I learned on my own, which resulted in some pretty weird things in my own playing (using the ring finger as the primary "second playing finger," as opposed to the middle finger, is only one example). My teachers never really harped on my technique, because my ears were so quick they didn't notice how fucked up it was. It took me years to straighten myself out to the point where I am today, which is far from perfection. What I'm saying is, this book is a cool thing for even existing, 'cause it makes sense. A lot of things I had to find out the hard, common-sense way are detailed in this book, especially muting, raking, and trasitions between hand positions. Well done."
Bryan Beller (Mike Keneally & Beer For Dolphins), California
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"It's a very well written book. Peter did a great job!"
Angel Barnard (BMG Music), New York, NY
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"You might think with a title like this you might be getting an exercise book. No,
many pictures and explanations on the physiological aspects of technique is what it
is. Economy of motion, natural movement, thumb, wrist, spacing, left hand technique,
right handed technique and more. Very interesting!"Bass Place (www.bassplace.com)
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"I found Peter's book to be most helpful when I was starting out (and getting strange, contradictory information from my teacher)."
Art Cohen, Boston, Massachussetts
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"Peter Murray and Carol Kaye discussing bass technique on TBL! I'm in heaven! Carol and Peter, keep the discussions going! This stuff on technique should definitely go up on a website somewhere."
Kevin Johnsrude
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"A great book. Everybody go buy one. My favorite thing about it is that it provides the *only* systematic description of string-damping that I've ever read."
Reid Kneeland
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"I've been playing bass for about a year, and I'm glad that I found your book before I fully ingrained bad habits. I understand that a lot of great musicians fail to use the best technique, and I can only imagine how much better some of them could have been if they had learned proper technique."
Rob Geary
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"I think it is a great addition to our available Bass literature."
Mark Egan, New York, NY
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"I think you've got a great one there -- congratulations! I very much appreciate
the way that you justify all your arguments with facts and encourage readers to
analyze their technique on the basis of biomechanics. It's easy to damage your
hands unless you keep re-evaluating your technique. Your book really challenges
the reader to think about those things ... bravo!"Michael Manring, Berkeley, California
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"I'm writing to tell you that I'm really impressed with your efforts in putting together what has been lacking in methodology texts, namely a complete, concise manual on bass guitar technique. Over the many years that I've been (attempting) playing I've relied on various sources of information (e.g. finger nail length from a guitar text by Segovia; the opposable thumb from text by Ron Carter on upright bass; economy of motion from violin books, etc.) to build the foundations of technique which would be transferable to the bass guitar. Your text and the references and the fact that it's all compiled under one cover will certainly facilitate the development of technical proficiency in those willing to take the time and make the effort. In fact even "old dogs" like me have learned some good stuff especially in the short section on "sauce!"
Sol Gunner, Ottawa, Ontario
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"I have had your book for about a year and a half. I used to buy so many bass guitar instructional books that were simply books of scales. Your book is probably the only bass technique manual I have ever seen. I was also impressed at the very inexpensive cost to the customer. What a steal! My technique improved immensely with your book, and I was able to play some intricate passages that I had struggled with for so long. Essential Bass Technique gave clear, common sensical reasoning for the reasoning behind your theories. If you ever come up with a sequel to this book, please let me know. Thanks for giving me your insights, I appreciate them greatly."
Mark Grausam, via Internet
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