The content of the Bass Guitar Secrets course is largely the two manuals with a whole load of accompanying audio tracks. The fact that there is no video instruction does, in my opinion, make it a little more difficult to work with, however some people may prefer this approach. You also get access to some ‘exclusive’ software, including among others JamBox which provides ‘full band’ tracks to jam along to and GrooveStation which provides tracks with just drums. You also get tuning software and a few other bits and pieces.

I’ve already said that this course is cheaper than the others reviewed here and that’s true – the CD ROM version is just $49.95 and you can get the hard copy version for $97. At these price points Bass Guitar Secrets should be considered if you cannot afford to buy the other courses as I believe you are still getting good value for money here. As with the other courses, you also get a no questions asked money-back guarantee which in the case of Bass Guitar Secrets lasts for a full year!

The Bass Guitar Secrets site has a lot more information along with some sound samples that give you an idea of the sort of things taught in the course, so it’s certainly worth checking it out – just try to see beyond the overly hyped sales patter!

Summary of Bass Guitar Secrets Features:

• Comprehensive 2 part manual (250+ pages in total)
• Custom and exclusive software programs (PC and MAC versions supplied)
• Audio CD kits – including audio samples, jam tracks, commentary and examples from the manuals
• Supplementary training manuals including “Chord Mastery for Bass Players”
• Membership of Alex Sampson’s coaching program
• Certificate giving you lifetime free updates to the two manuals
• 365-day money back guarantee

The course is put together by professionals and taught by Roy Vogt. Roy is a professional bassist, recording artist, performer, composer and instructor, with 30 years as head of Nashville’s Belmont University Bass Department.

The course itself contains over 16 hours of video instruction, 100+ play-along videos, a 162 page 4-color fully illustrated book available as both PDF and optional print format as well as full unlimited access to the online bass community and support website Thunder Row.

The DVDs supplied are universal and will work in all countries and the course features a full 90-day money back guarantee – so you have nearly 3 months to try out the course and see if it’s for you.

So, what about the price? Well, this course is the closest thing you’ll get to having one-to-one bass guitar lessons – and you know how much that would cost – so at the price of $187.50 (currently including a 25% saving for buying online) I think it’s actually very reasonable. On the Teach Me Bass Guitar website they make the claim that this course is worth $4000 of private instruction, and they are probably about right.

If you head over to their site you will find a lot more information, including many reviews and testimonials from both beginners and far more advanced bassists, all of whom seem to be very happy with TMBG.

Teach Me Bass Guitar is an award-winning course – it was winner of the First Place Telly Award for excellence in video production, and the First Place AEGIS award for excellence in education.

Summary of Teach Me Bass Guitar Features:

• 20 lessons
• 10 DVDs
• 16+ hours of intensive instruction
• 162 page 4-color illustrated book in PDF (print available as an option)
• 100+ play along videos with professional studio musicians
• Totally original music
• Extensive loop library
• Membership in Roy’s online community
• 90-day money back guarantee

As with Alex’s previous course, there is quite a bit to get through on the sales page of his website! However, once again the product behind the hype actually promises to be very good. The addition of the video instruction in the DVDs stands this course apart from Bass Guitar Secrets and brings it much nearer my personal favourite bass guitar course, Teach Me Bass Guitar by Roy Vogt.

Available either for a one off $127 or in 3 installments of $46 per month this course is mid-priced between the other main courses I have reviewed as well.

If you are looking to teach yourself bass guitar the structure of the Fretboard Formula is fairly well laid out, and whether you believe that there really is a ‘formula’ to be learnt, there’s no doubt there is a lot of information provided and that Alex himself is a very accomplished bass player.

As with the other courses featured, there is a money-back guarantee offered here – and it’s a good one! You get a ‘free look’ of 90 days to decide if the Fretboard Formula is for you, and if not, send it back and you’ll get a full refund (less shipping) . Alternatively, at the end of the 90 days you can contact them and get the risk free trial period extended by a further 120 days and Alex says he’ll work with you personally to help you ‘get it’. He even suggests that if you still can’t get anywhere with the Fretboard Formula having followed the course carefully he’ll give you $25! Full details are on the Fretboard Formula Website.

Summary of Fretboard Formula Features:

• Master Class 6 DVD set featuring over 9 hours of content (Region Free DVDs – can be played anywhere in the world)
• Audio Discs 6 CD set
• Workbook – 355+ page PDF with diagrams, tabs, and all course material
• Companion Tool Kit PDF – 54 pages of reference material plus mind maps, quick start guides, trouble shooting etc
• 90-day money back guarantee – can be extended by a further 120 days

If you’re not familiar with the RHCP, their music or Flea’s bass playing then you may not be aware that Flea isn’t exactly your typical, quiet, stand at the back out of the spotlight sort of bass player.

I’m not suggesting that watching the videos below is going to immediately teach you how to play bass guitar, but it can’t hurt to see what can be done with the instrument. The first video is a lesson on slap bass that Flea put out a few years ago – it features some of the riffs from a couple of Red Hot Chili Peppers tracks. I guess you could try learning the bass guitar from this video!? The second video is Flea playing bass and Chad Smith, also from the Chili Peppers, on drums. They’re just having a laugh jamming together, again playing some of the RCHP tracks.

The Chili’s are currently taking a bit of a break from each other that was originally only meant to last a year. Rumors now are that they may extend the break for a little longer – see links below. I hope they don’t leave it too long to start playing together again.

Enjoy! Then get back to learning the bass guitar.

More about the Chili Peppers and people who feature their music:

• Red Hot Chili Peppers Extend Hiatus
• AWESOME ALTERNATIVE HITS OF THE 90′S!
• “Signature” Song?
• “Ryan’s Variety Music Show

He’s got a new solo album coming out later in the year (April some time) named “Holy Cow!”, hence the shocking post title.  There is also going to be a solo tour to follow the album.

His style may not be for everyone – I must admit I’m not actually a big fan of the style of music – but you have to admit he’s got serious tallent.  See the video below.

So, for some more inspiration you could do worse than watch a bit of his playing and see if that helps you learn how to play bass guitar!

The next thing that had to be sorted was how I would learn, so I asked if there was a bass guitar teacher I could learn with. The response this time was “Um, I’m afraid we don’t have a bass guitar teacher but we do have a regular guitar teacher – I’m sure he could teach bass”. So that was how it started; I began learning bass guitar from someone who had never picked one up before! The guy, named Mr Rosenburg (I can still remember him!) was quite a character. He sort of reminded me of a cross between Mick Jagger and Jools Holland – with a bit of Eddie Izzard thrown in! To be fair to the guy, he gave it a pretty good go and tried to learn a bit of bass himself in order to teach me, but it wasn’t the best way to try and learn bass guitar! I managed to learn enough to bang out a few notes, and the highlight of my bass playing career was playing some pretty funky (well, they seemed it to me at the time) bass lines in the school production of Bugsy Malone when I was 14. I stopped playing bass when I left secondary school at 15 (I had to give bass back!) and haven’t picked one up since. As part of my drive toward mid-life crisis I feel it’s time to try to learn bass guitar all over again, but I don’t think I’ll look up Mr Rosenburg….

The bass pictured above, the ‘Flora Aurum’ is being sold be Wynn & Co for around $250,000 and you can click here for the complete story.  For more information on Jens himself, as well as more stunning bass guitars have a look at his site, Ritter Basses. Look around the ‘models’ section for some gorgeous pictures. The 5-string bass pictured below is one of my favourites, and Jens named this one “The Zephyr Concept”. Right, I promise the next article will be of more use to us in our quest to learn bass guitar, but when I find stuff like this I get a little distracted!

So if you want to learn bass guitar, i suggest you go out there and get one of the 12-string bases and give it a go! Or perhaps not! I think it may be wise to stick to a nice simple 4-string bass as a beginner….