Bass Fitness - An Exercising Handbook

Incredible book, this book is great for any level, using this book will increase speed, dexterity, accuracy and finger memory of the fretting hand. This is a book I would recommend to any Beginning Bass player, and any intermediate or advanced Bass Player who wants to improve in those areas listed above. This book is to Bass Players, what Muscle and Fitness is to Bodybuilders.

This book only does one thing - but it does it very well. If you're looking for riffs, runs or style, it's not here. However, what is here is a collection of exercises that will force your fingers outside of their favorite patterns - a valuable addition to warmups for your practice sessions.

Great book! Recommended to any bass or guitar player.

This is an instructional book that has definitely made me a better player. I use it at least every other practice. I am a beginner(3-months) and it can be used to help all skill levels. Use it in conjuction with a metronome and it your set. After the first day I tried one of the exercises and my forearm was like mush and burning. Goes to show you how much work I need to put in. I am so glad I got this book. I will be the staple of my practice sessions from now on. If your new or looking for some good exercises for your fingers..GET THIS BOOK!!

Great book. It has helped me to loosen up my fretting hand and also get more control over my individual fingers.

VOLUPTUOUS----Gratificatiom of the senses !!!

This book is to playing what aeorbics is to dancing - it's won't help with the artistic expression, but it will sure help to get you into the physical shape that you need to be in to get the job done! Actually, now that I think about it, it did give me a few ideas... Well laid out and comprehensive, it delivers what it say it will - a great workout.

Here is a real Jewel of an Exercise Handbook! If you want to get the Lead Out of your Freting hand... If you want More Control of your Freting hand...If you want More Flexiblity in your Freting hand...If you want to get the Stiffness out of your Freting hand...Then you need to get this BOOK! It is laid out in Ten sections. Each one progressively more difficult and challenging than the last one. For example: Moving across the fingerboard, Alternating direction, Skipping fret, Moving between strings, to name a few. The directions are very straight forward and simple. All one needs to do is follow them and use some self-discipline and do the exercises the way they are laid out in the handbook. There is no use rushing though these exercises to get to the end of the Book...That is not what this handbook is all about! The benifits will come to the one who follows the directions: More Speed, Dexterity, Strength and Finger Independence! You can use the exercses as a warm up before a gig or your practice time. I have been using it for over three weeks now and my Freting hand is doing much better. I have been trying to play this Bass line that I have been having a little trouble with and now, I can play it with ease!! I can feel the difference in my Freting hand and I like it..And so will you!!!

This book is, as the title suggests, an excercise manual, primarily for your left hand. It contains 200 cromatic excercises, using all four of your left hand fingers. The book shows one cycle up and down the strings, while staying in one postition. You are then supposed to continue this pattern up and down the fretboard.

The excercises start out fairly easy, but increase in difficulty rapidly. The author suggests a tempo range from 60 to 180 BPM, but I've found it VERY difficult to go beyond 110 BPM in the more challenging excercises.

These types of excercises are great from improving the physical aspects of your playing. I especially like the excercises with an emphasis on the pinky; this is the weak link in most bassist's chops, and there are some pretty good lines in the book to smooth out those pinky rough spots.

I've had this book for a while, and I semi-frequently look into it when I feel like improving my left hand. Over the last couple of months, I've decided to try to work through the entire book, front to back. I play 1 to 2 excercises per day; this takes about half an hour. I think that this has helped clean up my technique significantly.

My only problem with this book is that it's not really necessary to buy it. It's fairly easy to come up with your own chromatic excercises, and run them up and down the fretboard. The only advantage in buying the book is that it motivates to work through the excercises in sequence. The price of this book is only $7.95; the low price justifies the purchase.

I recommend this book to anyone looking to clean up their technique and strenghten their left hand. My only suggestion is that these excercises should only be a small part of your practice routine, because they aren't musical at all. Music should be the primary focus, not chops. However, this book is very cheap, so it's a good investment (if you're too lazy to come up with your own finger calisthenics). CBass

An excellent reference/instructional book,similar in nature to his "Guitar Fitness" book. Its 200 chromatic excercises are suitable to beginner as well as advanced player. It is written in tab as well as standard notation. It contains excercises of every imaginable type,from four-note chromatic runs to multiple string skipping,but also give space for your own excercises(although it doesn't seem like Des Pres has missed any!) The excercises are good for developing speed, accuracy,dexterity and finger independece. A book that will keep any player busy for a long time!