Author: Janice Tucker Rhoda
CF Cat No: ABC25X (replaced ABC25)
ISBN: 978-0825852558


BUY with MP3/PDF (Johnson String)
BUY with MP3/PDF (Carl Fischer)
BUY (Amazon)

LISTEN:
Rock ‘N’ Roll Bass by Janice Tucker Rhoda
Joy To The World by Lowell Mason after George Frideric Handel
More MP3 Samples

Janice Tucker Rhoda's phenomenally successful series, The ABCs of Bass, owes much of its success to the wonderful original material and to the sensitive arrangements of classical, folk, fiddle, rock 'n' roll, jazz and other popular melodies.

*Book with MP3/PDF download beginning February 2018:
The ABCs of Bass for the Absolute Beginner to Intermediate Student, Book 1 covers 1st, 2nd, 3rd and Half Positions. This best-selling instruction book along with download is the perfect start for an Absolute Beginner to Intermediate Student of any age on the Bass. The many melodies plus short warm-up exercises and study pieces advance students technically in an easy and enjoyable way.

Simple duets, scales, a note-reading worksheet, glossary, and practice chart are also included along with many graphics to show left-hand finger placement. The download consists of three components: 49 performance pieces of bass with piano accompaniments, 49 piano accompaniment tracks by themselves for play-along, and a printable pdf file of the piano accompaniments.

The ABCs of Bass books will help prepare you to play duets, trios or quartets, and in your local community orchestra’s bass section. Add The ABCs of String Orchestra - Bass Part for additional reinforcement.

Bass Guitar players learn Double Bass easily with ABCs of Bass books, and find being able to play both instruments very satisfying.

PLEASE NOTE beginning February 2018: The ABCs of Bass Easy Piano Accompaniment for Book 1 can be downloaded. After purchasing ABCs of Bass for the Absolute Beginner to Intermediate Student, Book 1 (Book & MP3/PDF) you will see the "Download Code" on the inside of the front cover.

**In past printings of ABCs of Bass Book 1, a CD insert was attached to the inside of the back cover. You may have purchased that edition prior to February 2018. The special MP3 CD insert consists of three components: 49 performance pieces of bass with piano accompaniments, 49 piano accompaniment tracks by themselves for play-along, and a printable pdf file of the piano accompaniments. This CD insert consists of MP3s. MP3s & Printable PDF Directions - How to Convert MP3 files to Audio CD

NANCY KIDD, Double Bass Teacher and Performer, Bassist in Rhode Island Philharmonic, former Principal Bassist Thayer Symphony, Fitchburg, Massachusetts, USA
"Janice Tucker Rhoda's ABCs of Bass books are an outstanding way to start beginning bass players of all ages. It's fun, familiar tunes, mixed with helpful exercises, keep students progressing quickly while also keeping their interest. It is especially helpful for young beginners, as there is no other series out there that is both effective and engaging for them. I highly recommend the ABCs of Bass books."

GIL KATZ, Bass player and founder of NONA -- Cello and Bass Duo, Sarasota, Florida, USA
"The great aspect of these ABCs of Bass books is the balance between technique and melodic content. The choices of melodies are exactly what all students need at an early stage -- coherent melodies that they can recognize. This helps them navigate between what they hear, see and feel which eventually makes not only the fingerboard feel less abstract but the entire process of making music."

COLLEEN RUDDY, Double Bass Teacher and Performer, Principal Solo Bassist of The Hollywood Soloists, Former Principal Bassist of Alcyon Chamber Ensemble and Chamber Orchestra Kremlin, Los Angeles, California, USA
"I love the ABCs of Bass books. They are a great supplement for teaching young bass students. They are the best thing out there!"

TOM NOTHNAGLE, Master Teacher of Double Bass, All styles Guitar, Bass Guitar, Mandolin, Banjo, Ukulele, Iowa City, Iowa, USA"
The ABCs of Bass books are easy to work with for both my young and middle aged Double Bass students."

DAN SWAIM, Professor Emeritis of Double Bass, Arizona State University and Chair of Suzuki Association of the Americas Bass Committee, Chandler, Arizona, USA
"The ABCs of Bass presents a wealth of information that is consistent with the pedagogy of the leading bass teachers worldwide! Students will love it because of the high quality of the music. There are well over 40 appealing folk songs, classical pieces and excellent original teaching pieces by Janice Tucker Rhoda in each volume. Information for both the left and right hands is thoughtfully presented. For example, the introduction of the slurred staccato and the slurred portato before teaching the smooth slur is a great idea! After studying Books 1 and 2, students will be able to play various two octave scales with many of the basic bowing skills."

Dr. DAVID BALLAM, Double Bass Professor at Auburn University - Goodwin Hall, former Teaching Assistant to Professor Zhang at University of Texas - Butler School of Music, former Double Bass Teacher for the University of Texas String Project, former Bassist with the Austin Symphony Orchestra and Austin Lyric Opera. Founding member of Austin period-instrument group, Ensemble Settecento. Presented clinics at the 2011 International Society of Bassists Convention in San Francisco on the topic of studio teaching. Private Studio in Auburn, ALABAMA, USA
"My youngest students enjoy using The ABCs of Bass. I'm very pleased with the repertoire choices."

"ABC’s of Bass for the Developing Student (2004) by Janice Tucker Rhoda is the second book in the ABC’s series for Bass. In this easily accessible method book, Ms. Rhoda continues her approach with introducing additional notes in ½ & III position before moving on to introduce the notes in intermediate positions such as II & II 1/2 positions. Shifting is an absolute necessity on the double bass and this method provides effective and well-sequenced lessons. A majority of the latter-half of this book is devoted to expanding the use of IV through VI positions, primarily on the G-string.

Teachers will appreciate the inclusion of an entire page of one-octave major and minor scales & arpeggios. Overall, the 25 lessons are well-balanced with both technique or position work and short solos such as folk songs, classical tunes, and Tucker Rhoda's original compositions. Visual learners will also enjoy the numerous fingerboard (position) diagrams throughout this book. Healthy habits are reinforced throughout, such as the inclusion of interspersed warm-up exercises and other exercises devoted to checking intonation with open strings and octaves. Musical terminology and symbols are also made clear, such as when enharmonic notes are explained or when accent and trill signs are introduced.

Ms. Rhoda has created a valuable resource for students and teachers alike. The strengths of this book are evident in the attention to detail and in the methodology of how the left-hand is sequenced in position work. If anything is to be supplemented, it is more practice-minded exercises devoted to developing advanced bowing techniques. As described in the preface, this book is intended for developing students of any age (ie. for young students as well as adults) and I believe ABC's of Bass succeeds in this goal."

Dr. David Ballam,
Instructor of double bass and music appreciation, Auburn
University

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