Wheat's BassBook

What's New

Here's a version history of the BassBook. The current version is 6.0.

Version 6.0 (06.2024)
At some point between version 5.1 and now, I decided to port Wheat's BassBook into Wordpress, thinking that would make future edits and enhancements easier. But I gave up on that notion. I've reverted to the old version, cleaned it up a bit, and put it back out there. Modernizing an 18-year old site is no small task. But I'm enjoying it. Here's a quick list of things I've done:

• Removed outdated social sharing icons (del.icio.us, furl, digg) added in 5.1
• Switched bassplaying.com branding to wheatdesign.com branding.
• Added some JavaScript to auto-submit your selections from the choose-a-section drop-down menu. The "go" button is still there if you need it.
• Improved the navigation.
• Rationalized and modernized the HTML, CSS, and PHP, though there's still much more to do.
• Recreated the text logo image with HTML/CSS.
• Added a Buy Me A Coffee link so you can support the site.
• Switched to Google Fonts and standardized on the lovely Fira Sans Condensed font family.
• Updated and expanded the content of many sections.
• Fixed lots of small typographical errors.

Version 5.1 (07.2006)
Added some social bookmarking links (del.icio.us, furl, digg) to the front page. Revised the version history and consolidated it on the what's new page. Updated or expanded the listening guide, the gear page, the exotic scales page, and the reading music page, along with some global style modifications.

Version 5.0 (02.2002)
New, clean PHP includese-based interface added table-of-contents combo box to the footer. Reorganized the table of contents to group like topics together in a more logical progression. Removed frames interface. Added new content and revised the entire text.

Version 4.0.1 (08.2000)
Made many minor corrections to the text, began the process of cleaning up the HTML to 4.0 validation standards, and introduced casscading style sheets for better formatting.

Version 4.0 (05.1999)
Added a frames-based interface which we later regretted, enhanced navigation, and included new graphics.

Version 3.0.9 (12.1998)
Included extensive additional material in Appendix V, "A Reading Primer," and split the BassBook into five separate documents, instead of one continuous file, as it had always been previously.

3.0.8 (11.1998)
Overhauled the graphics to reduce dithering problems and give the BassBook a clean new look, cleaned up the prose a bit, and included even more on walking bass lines and exotic scales.

3.0.7 (08.1998)
Expanded most of Book III--especially the very popular section on walking bass--and added scales to the section called other interesting scales.

Version 3.0.6 (05.1998)
corrected some errors, Added ASCII support for many graphics and greatly expanded most of Book II.

Version 3.0.5 (01.1998)
Expanded Appendixes V and VI.

Version 3.0.4 (01.1998)
Added Appendix VI.

Version 3.0.3 (01.1998)
Added Appendix V.

Version 3.0.2 (12.1997)
Expanded description of the modes and their use.

Version 3.0.1 (12.1997)
Added note diagrams for five and six string basses and a few graphics of the modes of C major.

Verion 3.0 (12.1997)
Corrected a few errors, expanded Book I, reordered some of the sections, and streamlined the HTML for ease of future revisions.

Version 2.0 (01.1997)
First web-based edition.

Version 1.0 (08.1996)
A loosely organized, hard copy version that I put together for my friends and students.