Hal Leonard Bass Method Complete Edition

As a guitarist, I record some bass line simply by playing the root note of a chord.
I wanted to improve myself and I was looking for a book who helps me to discover to play the bass more further

So, I decided to buy a bass course by buying this one with 4 keyswords:
- Bass (obviously)
- English
- Tabs
- Good rated

So i found this book, order it and it arrived quickly

Backtracking songs :
- With this method, you have an acces code that allows you to go to the Hal Leonard web site and you find backtracking songs to play with
- You can download thoses tracks or play online
- If you chose the online version, you can loop a part of the backtrack song or modify the pitch of it

So why such a poor total note ?
As I write above, I found this book by several keywords and I was exited to start with... until the first exercice: No tabs at all. Only notes :(
I tought there was an error and look further. In fact, very few of the exercices use Tabs (the first I saw is exercice n° 32)

So I can say there are two ways to rate this book:
1) If you are ok to learn notes with the metronom beating the rythme, it's a 5/5 stars and you will find a book who take the time to teach you along 105 exercices. It reminds you how to play to next exercice very well with nice backtracking songs
2) Personnally, I have tried for several weeks to learn it. I try be positive for the reasons i mention above and I know this is the most complete method to learn music ... but it's also the boring way to do it. I was hopping to have notes + tabs so I could chose between the two. Unfortunately, this is not the case by lacks of tab. This is why my title is ?feeling fooled? and such poor total note

My conclusion :
This book is well made, the backing tracks are pleasant, the online site is nice, but I just can't learn if I don't enjoy it.
And saddly, it's the case here. I just have the feeling to try to eat a meal I hate. No matters how good it is.

If I knew that the tabs were just few exercices of the method, I just wouldn't buy it. I have try to return it but it doesn't work with books (at least this one).

My recommandations:
- If you like the school way to learn bass, buy this book. You will enjoy it
- Otherwise, you may buy it for nothing with this book just taking dust

When I first started bass a few years ago, I bought some really bad french method. Coming from classical music, I thought I would learn it easily. It was a huge mess and I never came back to any music method.
Now I am using the Hal Leonard Bass Method Complete Edition every single day, and I am learning easily and fast.
You first learn the basics (how to hold your instrument, where to play...) then each string, one after another, and the relative notes on the bass key (no tab). Everything is simple, with examples, and the more you dig into the method, the more you learn music theory as well (12 bar blues, etc...)

The only thing which sometimes disturbs me is the fact they provide tips above or bellow the notes (fingering, beats, chords) and it changes from one example to another. At the beginning, you are a little bit lost, then you get used to it.

Really the perfect method for bass beginner. I just cannot tell you if it is enough for a complete music beginner (which I am not), who might have some understanding issues (or not ?).

I bought this for my teenage daughter to go with her Squier Affinity P-Bass Set... both great. As my daughter has played cello for years, she was looking for a book which allowed her to transfer the music theory she already has onto the bass. From what she's telling me about this book, it's very good and offers lots of help in getting a beginner on the bass playing quickly. The included CD/DVDs are great, too. BTW: this is actually three bass books-in-one, so there's lots of learning here. The book has a lay-flat binding which makes it easy to work with, and it uses classical music notation: there's no bass-guitar tab. Having said that, the book covers all you'll need to know to learn to read the bass music notation (so don't let that put you off).