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Sight Reading For Bass is a beginner to intermediate level course that explores all aspects of reading and writing music notation for bassists. The ability to not only read but also write music notation is essential for any bass player who prepares music to be performed by other musicians. Following a clear analytical approach that begins by connecting the notes on the fingerboard to the notes on the staff, you will be presented with the standard guidelines of music notation, common note and rest values, articulation markings, and intervals before moving onto more advanced rhythm studies. You will learn how to decipher key signatures, time signatures, and chord symbols as well as navigate lead sheets and chord charts. Utilizing a collection of complete transcriptions featuring classic and contemporary bass lines in rock, blues, jazz, motown, latin & funk styles, you will become a proficient reader of standard notation through real musical application. Alternate versions of selected exercises also include tablature to help verify your work and track your progress. From learning to recognize basic notes and elemental rhythms to understanding sophisticated signs, symbols, and terms, this course will help establish the foundation you need to more effectively communicate with other musicians in all your future musical endeavors. Whether your principle goal is to become a professional session bassist, a member of a college jazz ensemble, bass chair of a symphony orchestra, perform in a school musical, play in church, jam with some friends in your garage, or to simply increase the productivity of your practice sessions, improving your sight reading ability will only expand your opportunities as a working bassist. Musicians of all playing levels who are required to read or notate music in bass clef will benefit from this comprehensive course. ... Enroll Today!

Each month, the IIB gives its viewers the opportunity to participate in various monthly giveaways. To become eligible to win products including basses, amplifiers, speaker cabinets, combo amps, effects, strings, instrument cables, pickups, gig bags, straps, gift certificates, DVD's, CD's, books, lessons, t-shirts, and more. ... ENTER TO WIN TODAY!

ProSteels are D'Addario's brightest and most magnetic bass strings. A specialized alloy delivers harmonically rich, brilliant high-end coupled with deep, tight lows that work in tandem to create the coveted "piano-like" tone steel players crave. Great for both articulate fingering or aggressive picking, ProSteels give you that little extra edge and punch you need to cut through the mix.

Suggested Retail Price - $32.99

The Planet Waves Gold-Plated 1/4" Angled - Straight Instrument Cable has near-perfect frequency response, double-insulated/double-shield coverage, and the lowest triboelectric (handling noise) of any cables on the market. The plug is soldered, covered with an internal copper shield tube, and then over-molded, first with a rigid PVC to encapsulate the solder joints, and then with a flexible polymer for unprecedented strain relief. This virtually indestructible construction is so tough, so durable, that Planet Waves Gold-Plated Instrument Cable carries a limited lifetime warranty.

Suggested Retail Price - $29.99

Tired of those shoulder and back aches after a long session with your heavy guitar or bass? The Planet Waves Padded Comfort Strap helps relieve the discomfort of playing a heavy instrument by distributing the instrument's weight across a wider area. This 3" wide, heavy-duty tubular strap is equipped with an internal pad that is designed for weightier instruments.

Suggested Retail Price - $29.99

The International Institute of Bassists is a bass-centric web site aimed specifically toward the art of contemporary bass playing and the study of the bass tradition. Since its founding in 1997 by bassist Cliff Engel, the IIB has established a long-time presence on the internet and grown into one of the largest and most popular interactive bass-related web sites found online.

In September, 1999, the IIB delivered its first monthly newsletter to less than 100 subscribers. Today, the IIB's newsletter reaches over 25,000 thousand bass aficionados worldwide each month. As a newsletter subscriber, you have the opportunity to win products such as basses, amplifiers, speaker cabinets, combo amps, effects, strings, instrument cables, pickups, gig bags, straps, gift certificates, DVD's, CD's, books, lessons, t-shirts, and more!

In order to fight spam, we require a double opt-in sign up process to make sure you really want to receive our mailings. After you submit your e-mail address using the newsletter sign up box found in the left column of each page on the IIB, you will receive an e-mail confirmation. To activate your subscription, just follow the instructions in the e-mail. Once your subscription has been completed, you will start receiving our newsletters once to twice per month. The IIB takes your privacy very seriously and will never share, sell, or divulge your e-mail address or other personally identifiable information to other organizations or third parties.

Bass Lessons - You will have access to a huge database of lesson material that has been written on subjects such as Classical & Jazz Music Theory, Sight Reading, Ear Training, Bass Line Construction, Right & Left Hand Technique, Soloing, Jazz Improvisation, Slapping, Tapping, Chordal Techniques, Harmonics, Fingerstyle Funk, Altered Tunings, and Concepts For Solo Bass Playing. All of the lessons are available as downloadable PDF files.

There are over 175 individual lessons and over 100 MP3 play-alongs currently available for download within the IIB Subscriber's Area. Click the graphic below to download a sample lesson.

The IIB Giveaways - Each month, the IIB gives its viewers the opportunity to participate in various monthly giveaways. To become eligible to win products including basses, amplifiers, speaker cabinets, combo amps, effects, strings, instrument cables, pickups, gig bags, straps, gift certificates, DVD's, CD's, books, lessons, t-shirts, and more. ... Read More.

The IIB MP3 Bass Samplers Volumes 1 & 2 - You'll receive access to the IIB MP3 Bass Samplers which feature 22 selected tracks that have been recorded by many of today's premier bass artists including Michael Manring, Marcus Miller, Stuart Hamm, Gary Willis, Ray Riendeau, Adam Nitti, Norm Stockton, Todd Johnson, Jeff Schmidt, Yves Carbonne, Tom Kennedy, Gerald Veasley, Chris Tarry, Chuck Bianchi, David Hughes, and many more. 2 HOURS OF MUSIC! ... Read More.

The lifetime subscription is a simple one-time fee that will allow you to receive all the benefits of the IIB Subscriber's Area including an extensive collection of exclusive lesson material featuring over 175 individual lessons which cover a broad range of subjects, the IIB Monthly Giveaways, and the IIB MP3 Bass Samplers Vol. 1 & 2 for years to come.

To become a lifetime subscriber, simply fill out and submit the form below. Include your desired Username & Password, click on the "Subscribe" button, and then you will be redirected to PayPal where you can complete the subscription. All fields are required to process your subscription. Please allow us a few hours to setup and activate your subscription after submitting your payment. As soon as your IIB Subscriber's Area account has been activated, you will receive an e-mail notification that will confirm your subscription. If you would prefer to become a subscriber of the IIB by using a personal check or money order, please read the instructions below. Your subscription is greatly appreciated!

Check/Money Order - You can use a check or money order to purchase a lifetime subscription to the IIB. Please make your subscription of $49.95 payable to "The IIB" in United States dollars, and submit it to the address below. Be sure to include your e-mail address along with your desired Username and Password so that we may setup your account.

If you have any questions regarding your subscription or need to retrieve your Username/Password, please e-mail: InstituteOfBass@Yahoo.com.

Playin' Through The Real Book is the latest educational series produced by Todd Johnson. In this video series, Johnson breaks down classic compositions from the jazz repertoire that every jazz musician needs to know. Whether you are a beginner with no formal jazz training or a seasoned professional looking to add new vocabulary to your playing, this series will provide you with all the tools you need to understand and perform jazz music. In each of these 10-20 minute videos, Johnson improvises bass lines, solos, and chords for each song. He plays all of the examples at various tempos and provides explanations of what he is playing. This video series is available by download directly from Johnson's web site. Along with each video, you receive a complete transcription of the material and an MP3 play-along track. Featured songs include "All The Things You Are," "Autumn Leaves," "Bb Blues," "Blue Bossa," "C Minor Blues," "Solar," "Stella By Starlight," and "Summertime."

In the third and final installment of his popular Walking Bass Line Module System instructional series, Todd Johnson expands upon the fundamental components of triad and scale modules that he presented in the preceeding volumes. Johnson demonstrates how to improvise walking bass lines using rhythmic articulations. He also discusses modal bass line construction, two-beat playing, building bass lines on the E and A strings, playing in 3, transcribing, and more. This volume, available exclusively as a downloadable file directly from Johnson's web site, also comes with all of the exercises notated in PDF format.

Featuring the tapping techniques of bass masters such as Michael Manring, Victor Wooten, Marcus Miller, and Stu Hamm, Tapestry by Grant Stinnett contains dozens of examples spanning levels from beginner to advanced. Topics covered in this method include instrument setup, hammer-ons, pull-offs, and chordal tapping. In addition to many exercises, real musical application of the techniques is demonstrated by Stinnett on the accompanying DVD. 56 Pages.

Issued by Bassline Publishing, Sonorous Bass Transcriptions features complete transcriptions for every track on the debut recording of solo bassist Zander Zon. Also contained in this book are detailed performance notes for each composition and an interview with Zon which provides suggestions on getting started with playing in altered tunings on piccolo bass. Transcriptions include "Epic Love," "Circle Of Melodies," "I, Resolute," "Accelerate," "She Danced," "Tribal Chant," "Hope," "Looking Glass," "Meditation In E," and "Sencilla." 104 Pages.

A companion, rather than a sequel, to her best-selling 2010 release Chamber Music Society which reached the top spot on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Chart, Radio Music Society captures Esperanza Spalding's most diverse and ambitious performance as a leader to date. Featuring Spalding, the first jazz musician to ever receive the Grammy Award for "Best New Artist," on both acoustic upright and electric bass guitar, a complete track listing includes "Radio Song," "Cinnamon Tree," "Crowned & Kissed," "Land Of The Free," "Black Gold," "I Can't Help It," "Hold On Me," "Vague Suspicions," "Endangered Species," "Let Her," "City Of Roses," and "Smile Like That."

Giorni a Venezia is the third solo bass project from Craig Schoedler and his first since 2003. Using only his Warwick 6-string bass guitar, Schoedler performs unaccompanied on six tracks including "Conosci la strada per San Marco? (Do you know the way to San Marco?)," "Giorni a Venezia (Venetian Days)," "Navi di passaggio (Passing Ships)," "Gelato con due palle (Gelato with two scoops)," "Stern della gondola (Stern of the Gondola)," and "Acqua sotto il ponte (Water under the Bridge)."

With music by Michael Manring, Ray Riendeau, Jonni Lightfoot, Alex Bershadsky, Scott Harlan, Zander Zon, Chuck Bianchi, and Mike Dimin, Holiday Rumblings is the first collection of its kind to feature endorsing artists of Zon Guitars performing arrangements of traditional holiday music on solo bass guitar. A complete listing of tracks includes "We Three Kings" (Ray Riendeau), "Angels We Have Heard On High" (Michael Manring), "Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairies" (Alex Bershadsky), "Silent Night" (Zander Zon), "The Holly And The Ivy" (Chuck Bianchi), "O' Come All Ye Faithful" (Scott Harlan), "Greensleeves" (Jonni Lightfoot), "Gloucestershire Wassail" (Mike Dimin), "Suite No. 1 In G Major" (Michael Manring), "In The Bleak Midwinter" (Chuck Bianchi), "Ma'oz Tzur" (Alex Bershadsky), "O' Holy Night" (Zander Zon), and "Carol Of The Bells" (Jonni Lightfoot).

XYZ Factor is a three-song EP from bassist Joseph Patrick Moore which fuses together elements of contemporary jazz with electronica and is inspired by the creative sounds of artists such as BT, Moby, Imogen Heap, Owl City, and Tiesto. Tracks consist of "Yield," "Xanadu," and "Zig Zag Zoom."

New York, NY - 02/27/2012

Aguilar Amplification is pleased to announce the release of the AG 4P-60 P-Bass pickup. As a direct replacement for Fender Precision and other P-style basses, the AG 4P-60 pickup brings the big, round tone of the early 60's to today's instruments.

The AG 4P-60 pickup is modeled after the pickup from Aguilar President, Dave Boonshoft's personal 1964 Precision bass. This highly awaited pickup has been garnering praise from esteemed bass builders and legendary bassists alike as it has just the right amount of mid-range "nose" to cut through a loud rock band and give all the deep support one would expect from a great 60's P-bass pickup.

Wound in Aguilar's NYC factory, the AG 4P-60 pickup uses all the period correct parts, including Heavy Formvar wire and Alnico V magnets.

The AG 4P-60 pickup is available now and carries a street price of $109.00.

Aguilar Amplification manufactures high quality bass pickups in NYC. Our goal is to make pickups that sound great and satisfy the most discerning bassists.

Aguilar pickups are used by many famous bass players including Justin Meldal-Johnsen (NIN, Beck, and many others), Anthony Wellington (Victor Wooten), Matt Taylor (Motion City Soundtrack), and Matt Novesky (Blue October). For more information, please visit: AguilarAmp.com.

02/13/2012

Back by popular demand, Lee Ritenour launches the 3rd Annual Yamaha 6 String Theory Guitar Competition on Jan. 21, 2012, in partnership with Yamaha, Berklee College of Music, Crown of the Continent Guitar Foundation and the National Guitar Workshop. 2012 marks the expansion of the competition to include the Inaugural Lee Ritenour & Dave Grusin Rhythm Section Competition. Oscar award winning and 2012 Grammy nominated, Dave Grusin, is head of the Advisory Board for the Rhythm Section competition. Adding 3 new instruments to the competition: Piano, Bass and Drums, the contest grows to reach thousands of aspiring and upcoming new musicians from around the world. The contest kicks off January 21, 2012 and ends May 1, 2012.

The competition is the inspiration of legendary Grammy award winning guitarist/composer and producer, Lee Ritenour, who debuted the International competition in 2010 with the release of his all-star guitar CD, 6 String Theory. The CD has been named Guitar International's "Best Album of the Year," Jazziz' "Publisher's Album of the Year" – and culminated in Ritenour receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award from Guitar Player Magazine. The CD features 20 world-class guitarists including George Benson, BB King, Slash, Vince Gill, Robert Cray, and the winner of the 2010 competition Shon Boublil. Lee Ritenour's 2012 album, tentatively titled Rhythm Sessions will feature a 'who's who' of all-star rhythm players, as well as a track with the winners of the 2012 rhythm section competition.

The contest continued to flourish in 2011 garnering hundreds of applicants from over 45 countries and giving 36 semifinalists the opportunity to compete and study at the world-renowned National Guitar Workshop. The 6 finalists attended the esteemed Crown of the Continents Guitar Workshop and Festival where the Final Competition took place. Our 2011 winner, David Browne Murray, is a talented acoustic guitarist from Ireland. With the success of the previous two competitions, it was a natural progression to expand the contest to include piano, bass and drums as well as guitar.

Guitar Entries will be accepted in the genres of Rock, Blues, Jazz/Fusion, Acoustic, Classical/Flamenco or Country. Rhythm Section Entries will be accepted in the genres of Jazz, Fusion, Rock, Blues or Contemporary. Competitors are required to send an online video submission at SixStringTheory.com.

Prizes for the Guitar Competition include Berklee College of Music Scholarships, professional recording and mentoring opportunities, a weeklong stay at the four-star Flathead Lake Lodge in Bigfork, MT for a party of two ($8,000 value), a potential Concord Records recording contract, 36 National Guitar Workshop scholarships, 6 Crown of the Continent Scholarships, Cash, Yamaha Guitars & endorsements as well as other prizes from Monster, D'Addario Strings, and others. There is a special cash prize of $2,500 awarded to the Classical Guitar Finalist (courtesy of sponsor James Stroud), as well as $500 cash prize to each of the 6 Guitar Finalists. Rhythm Section prizes include Berklee College of Music Scholarships, Yamaha instruments; professional mentoring; an opportunity to record on Lee Ritenour's forthcoming album with Concord Music Group scheduled for release May 2012; an opportunity to perform at the esteemed Crown of the Continent Guitar Workshop and Festival in Montana Aug. 26 - Sept. 2, 2012 and other prizes from Monster. Total value of 4 prize packages over $600,000.

To register and for complete contest rules, regulations, and prizes, visit: SixStringTheory.com.

02/07/2012

Rotosound is proud to launch its new, patented string cleaner for bass guitarists. This unique tool has a revolutionary 360 degree cleaning process that revitalises your strings, helping to maintain that crisp new sound.

Cleaning strings has never been so easy. Simply open the Rotosound String Cleaner, slide it underneath the strings, close and secure it and slide it back and forth. It only takes a few seconds and cleans all the strings and the fretboard at the same time.

The microfibres of the pads in the Rotosound String Cleaner get into all the nooks and crannies of the strings and removes dead skin, dirt, oil, and other debris and contaminates on them. There is no need to use any solutions or chemicals that could cause your fingerboard to dry out or ruin the finish of your guitar. The microfibre pads are easy to maintain, simply wash them in warm water with a little liquid soap making the Rotosound String Cleaner very environmentally friendly.

Regular use each time you play your guitar will ensure your strings last three or four times longer, keep your strings neat, tidy and shiny and preserve the tone. It certainly beats buying a new set of strings every few weeks.

The Rotosound Bass String Cleaner is suitable for four and five string basses. Is it small enough to keep in your bass guitar case, ready to use after every play to ensure optimum performance.

The Rotosound Bass String Cleaner is the no hassle, no mess way to clean your bass strings, small investment with a big return.

To find our more about the Rotosound String Cleaners, visit: Rotosound.com.

Orange County, CA - 02/01/2012

Gruv Gear, Orange County California-based designer and manufacturer of innovative music products and accessories, launched the first-of-its-kind ergonomic double strap – aptly named the DuoStrap – at the recent NAMM international music products show. Its release had been long anticipated by players worldwide, and already garnered a roster of major musicians on board in its first launch weekend, including legendary guitarists and bassists.

"I initially built my first double shoulder strap around 6 or 7 years ago after getting home from a long tour," shared Damian Erskine, a touring and session bassist who came up with the original concept for the DuoStrap. "We played 4-6 nights a week and most shows were about 4 hours long. I was also using a new 6-string bass that was heavier than I was accustomed to, and I noticed that my fingers were going numb because of the pressure my old strap was putting on my neck (in addition to my back and shoulders getting sore each night). After a few weeks of buying straps, strips of leather, foam & rivets and trying every possible configuration I could think of, I came upon a double shoulder strap concept that not only distributed the weight evenly across both shoulders, but it actually made my instrument more maneuverable and more comfortable to play!"

Jay Baldemor, President of Gruv Gear, notes, "We met Damian about 4 years ago and he became one of our very first Artist Endorsers, right when we were just introducing our first line of products. I had noticed his double strap on one of his YouTube videos some few months after, and being that ergonomics was one of our company's primary focuses, I knew this was something we could develop together and help more musicians achieve pain-free playing. We put our heads together, filed for a patent, and got to work!"

What makes the DuoStrap unique from the few other past attempts to make an ergonomic strap is its intentional approach to help keep the player's position natural. Most of the other double straps that have come and gone usually forced the user to an awkward position, making the instrument even more of a chore to play. The DuoStrap actually encourages a proper playing position, not having the guitar too low or too abrupt an angle, but allowing the player's hands and wrists to rest naturally in a comfortable posture.

The DuoStrap also boasts wider 3.5" strap surfaces where it touches the shoulders, which also aid in distributing the weight. Multiple adjustment points for both the first and second straps allow the player to fine-tune the DuoStrap to the setting that fits their body well, while this "Signature" model strap's soft garment leather ensures the most supple materials keep a gentle touch on guitar surfaces.

Damian adds, "My problem was how to make my strap but in a way that is endlessly adjustable and work with any body type, allow them to have the guitar exactly where and how they want it, and still be comfortable. This is where Gruv Gear really shone! I was already using their V-Cart and was very impressed with both the styling and (more importantly) build quality of everything they did. They took my double strap concept and knocked it out of the park! I couldn't be more proud and excited to have my name on this product. I've used it for years now and I can't go back to any other strap."

Legendary bass player Mike McKinney, who has played in several tours and recordings with Michael Jackson and wrote the famous bass line for "Billie Jean" shares, "After over 30 years of playing in venues from clubs to auditoriums to arenas, I've always felt awkward having my bass sit on one shoulder with one strap. I discovered the DuoStrap from Gruv Gear and fell in love with it – This strap revolutionizes the way you hold the bass and takes the pressure off one shoulder. It's really much more comfortable to stand and there's not much pressure any more. It's much better playing to people when you're comfortable!"

For more information, please visit: GruvGear.com.

Italy - 02/01/2012

Markbass unveiled its new products for 2012 at a press conference at the NAMM show in Anaheim, California on January 19th. Included are three new heads and four new effect pedals. Here's an overview:

Big Bang – a 500W microhead, 4.7 lbs, with a solid-state preamp and a cutting-edge new design of digital power amp that delivers the warmth of analog; aux in, headphone out with level control, and footswitch-controlled mute and EQ filters.

TTE 800 – an 800W version of the popular TTE 500 Randy Jackson signature head, with tube preamp, tube compressor, tube-driven colour (VLE) contour and Tube Technology Emulator power amp. Rich, tubey, vintage tone with less weight, less expense, and more reliability!

MoMark Black 500 / MoMark Black 800 – a sleek black tube preamp head with a choice of either 500W (analog) or 800W (digital) power amps, four-band EQ with two bands of semi-parametric mids, mute switch, VLE and VPF filters and a natural-sounding bi-band limiter.

MB7 Booster – 7-band graphic EQ and clean boost of up to +20 dB; runs on 9V or 12V or 9V battery; true bypass.

MB7 Distorsore – distortion with 7-band EQ for customizing your distorted tone. Runs on 9V or 12V or 9V battery; true bypass.

MB Mini Boost – slim-design clean boost pedal (up to +20 dB) with VPF (low and high boost, mid cut), true bypass; runs on 9V or 12V, fits on any pedalboard!

MB Mini Dist – in the same compact design, a distortion pedal with two tone controls for a wide variety of sounds. True bypass, runs on 9V or 12V.

For more information, please visit: Markbass.it.

New York, NY - 12/26/2011

In this corner, weighing in at only 3 lbs., the new "Light Heavyweight" – the Tone Hammer 350! Sporting the legendary "Aguilar Sound" in a tiny package, the Tone Hammer 350 is a TKO (Tonal Knockout)!

Following on the heels of the massively successful Tone Hammer 500 amplifier, the Tone Hammer 350 retains the big sound of its predecessor within an even smaller footprint. Giving the Tone Hammer 350 its flexible tone-shaping capabilities is Aguilar's Tone Hammer preamp, the same preamp used in the Tone Hammer D.I./preamp pedal, which has become a favorite of bass players all over the world. The Tone Hammer 350 features bass, treble and fully sweepable midrange controls. The Drive control utilizes Aguilar's proprietary AGS circuit which adds subtle distortion and midrange punch to the sound.

Assembled in Aguilar's New York City factory, the Tone Hammer 350 will be released in March 2012 and carry a street price of $499.00.

Aguilar Amplification is a manufacturer of high quality bass amplifiers, speaker cabinets and accessories located in NYC. Many of the world's greatest musicians have chosen to use Aguilar. Our list of endorsers includes George Porter Jr. (The Meters), Tully Kennedy (Jason Aldean), Bill Dickens (Leo Nocentelli), Joe Karnes (Fitz and the Tantrums), Chris Chaney (Jane's Addiction) and Ron Johnson (Warren Haynes).

For more information, please visit: AguilarAmp.com.