Book Review- BASS: Edutes, Riffs, Songs & Exercises (4 String) by Nate Navarro
When a bass player sees another bass player doing something cool, something that seems impossible or just grooves so damn hard, one thought booms through their mind- “Man, I want to know how to do that!” And putting together a bass line or solo that inspires that feeling in others is a special feeling (or so I, as a root note rider, assume).
What I do know, both as a professional teacher and as an author, is there’s a gulf both deep and wide between being able to do something cool and being able to explain what you’re doing and how someone else could do it. To rewrite a popular cliché, those who can, do. Those who can do, and can also deconstruct with purpose and patience, teach. Nate Navarro has already proved his bona fides with his hugely popular YouTube channel, amassing a following of over 240k subscribers, not to mention his Patreon where he supplies a variety of bass stems and bass-less tracks to practice with, and a massive list of people he has played with including (most importantly and impressively to me) on Devin Townsend’s masterpiece Empath.
What could be left?
A book, of course! Enter BASS: Etudes, Riffs, Songs & Exercises by Nate Navarro.
Crystal clear pictures aid understanding and clarify fingerings
Before you throw Frank Zappa’s “writing about music is like dancing about architecture” at me, this is not a book about music. Rather it’s an even deeper breakdown of Nathan’s techniques, skills, and the exercises that got him to where he is today. Each lesson also includes a QR code which links to a video lesson on the same topic so the reader has access to multiple versions of the same material. After all, reading about a technique and watching someone do it work together to build the fullest possible picture for the learner. Plus, Frank wasn’t entirely wrong. *NOTE- I am writing about the paperback version of BASS, there is also an ebook version and rather than QR codes, that includes links. I have the 4-string version, there is also a 5-string version.*
The book is broken down into two big sections- Beginner and Moderate to Advanced, and each section is then broken down into subsections- Lessons, Riffs & Etudes, Exercises, and Additional Online Learning Material. In addition, the Moderate to Advanced section has a Songs section. Each subsection includes a written lesson and detailed tab/notation to use and follow. When needed, there are also crystal clear images so the reader can see exactly what the hands are supposed to be doing. I found this to be as helpful as the videos. Maybe it’s because I’m an Old who learned to learn from books before YouTube was a thing, or maybe it’s just because I prefer to have a book that I don’t have to pause and works when the wifi goes out, or it’s because I’m also the kind of player that prints tab out rather than try to use my computer or phone, but having the option of having all of this information written down and in one place appeals to me and makes this book extremely valuable.
The book covers multiple techniques including slap, three and four finger picking, sweep picking, tapping, double thumb, and all the other things Nate showed off in his “40 Techniques in One Bass Solo” video. It also has detailed definitions for important theory and music terms that we pretend we don’t need to know but boy oh boy is it easier to build a house when you can say, “Hand me the #3 Robertson head non-slip screwdriver” rather than “Gimme the…you know…the thing. With the pointy end. For to do the putting together stuff.”
What did Julius Caesar say to his music teacher? Etude, Brute?
Oh, and so you don’t have to ask or google it, an etude is a short musical composition, typically for one instrument, designed as an exercise to improve the technique or demonstrate the skill of the player. I thought it was what my guitar player cops when the drummer and I are trying to work out the important part of a song.
BASS: Etudes, Riffs, Songs & Exercises is an excellent and valuable addition to your bass library, and belongs next to Alex Webster’s Extreme Metal Bass, all those Hal Leonard books gathering dust, Vic’s The Music Lesson, and Music Theory for the Bass Player by Ariane Cap. I have barely scratched the surface of everything the book has to offer and can’t wait to bang my head against my music stand when stupid fingers just do the thing already gah! But in a good way that makes me a better player and a smarter one.
Find BASS in paperback here, and ebook here. Follow Nate on YouTube here. Support him on Patreon here. Tell him Doug sent you. It won’t get you a discount or anything, but it might confuse him for a minute. And he’s gonna do it to you, so fair is fair.
Doug Robertson is the editor of The Bass Blog, the blog component of The Bass Channel, your one stop YouTube channel for all things bass. His number one is a Mexican Geddy Lee Signature Jazz and his boomer is a BEAD tuned T-Bird. Find books by Doug here. If you’re interested in contributing to The Bass Blog please reach out to Doug at doug@thebasschannel.net. We would love to hear from you.
