So, If I Wanted to Learn to Read Music...

[doc540]

bass clef music....how would you recommend I start?

I can't read tab, but I do make my own shorthand charts on blank sheet music. I've been playing bass for 33 years.

But, if I decided to learn to read music, what are your recommendations for a starting point?

[Sven]

Well, just start!

On the bass clef; (from bottom to top)
The lines are - Great Big Dogs Fight Animals
The spaces are - All Cars Eat Gas

The bass clef is also called the F clef, because the two dots straddle the F line.

The low E string is the first ledger line below the clef, the a string is the bottom space, the D string is the middle line, the G string is the top space.

Like a Double Bass, you will actually be playing notes an octave lower than what is written, because that many ledger lines would be nearly impossible to read.

[doc540]

Oh, ok.

Well, I got it then.:nelson

[Sven]

Originally posted by doc540
Oh, ok.

Whut?! Did I make it too hard?









I usually charge $40 an hour to tell people this stuff..... just send a check for $3.14

[walshb]

It was a whole lot easier than I thought it would be. Thanks Sven.

Can I officially call myself a musician now?

[chuckocaster]

hey doc,

go get a book from guitar center or local music store. a beginning bass book, skip past all of the "how to tune" crap, and after that they should have sections with musical notation and stuff. it really isn't as hard as people think it is. i am glad i played clarinet in school cause i learned to read music in the fifth grade. once you get what the book tells you. get some christmas song books and what not, the easy stuff. you should be able to get it down in about a month or so. hope that helps. good luck.


chuck

[doc540]

The combination of your advice and avatar are just what a dumbass like me has been needing.

Thnx!

[Sven]

Rotsa Ruck, Raggy!

[Annie D.]

Shoot, doc, I read music AND tab and had no idea what he said.

Mel Bay, baby. Seek and ye shall find.

[telecast]

I think Chuck-The-Bunny-Boy and Annie nailed it Doc. I have always been able to read-----music----very----slowly. It was avery painful process. When I decided to learn sax, I bought one of those beginning band books with the dumbass 6th grade excersizes. "This is a D", etc. I was trying to learn how to play the sax, the result was I learned some sax and some reading at the same time.

You're going to find it extremely boring because you already know the instrument, but working through those exercises will teach you how to read. As the book progresses each lesson gets a little more difficult. Don't focus on the playing part, you have that nailed already. Force yourself to play what you're reading, not what you already know from memory. You'll be surprised how quickly your basic reading skills will pop out.

[doc540]

Thanks for the encouragement.

I just bought this bootleg compilation of about 5 or 6 Real/Fake books on cd from eBay. The index is thirty-three pages in pdf format!

I need to be able to print a few sheets, sit down and at least play the basics, don't you think?

For instance, what if I was unfamiliar with a standard like "All of Me"? I wanna be able to just read and play a tune like that. Or Blue Bossa, or Green Dolphin Street, or Rainy Night In Georgia, or......

Don't ch'all think I should be able to do that if I wanna work as a bass player?

[telecast]

Depends on if you want to join a band or play pickup parts as a hired gun.

One thing youse could do: Find a tune in the book that you have on disc. (make sure they're in the same key). Print out the music, sit down and WRITE the note's name right next to it by counting up the staff. Write out the sharps and flats in the key signature, write everything you can. Whole rest, half, etc. This'll help you identify the notes early on and where they are in relation to the staff. Then play along and you'll start to recognize note values (oh, I gotta hold this one for 4 counts, must be a whole note).

Don't get caught up in this though. If you do it too much, you'll be looking at the written letter instead of the music. After you learn the tune to a REASONABLE degree, print it out again and try playing with just the notes in front of you.

I'm a firm believer that recorded music is one of the best teachers out there. You can learn to play by ear, comp, solo, and even read music by combining it with other tools. You're skills are such that you can maximize the curve and get a good jump start.

[doc540]

Good idea. I'm familiar with quite a few tunes in the book, so I'll try that.

I'd like to be able to play pick-up gigs as a hired gun if and when they become available.

For instance, I was hired to play a New Year's gig and a festival on Feb. 14. I rehearsed a couple of times mainly learning the singer's material.

Then a replacement guitarist was hired. He's also an excellent singer and gave me a 33 song list. I know a lot of 'em, but it sure would be nice to just look at a chart and be able to copy the basic changes.

Reading would sure help that.

Thanks again.

[Annie D.]

How's it going?

http://www.peel.edu.on.ca/~centralpe...T01/UNIT01.HTM

[BLUELOU]

WES MONTGOMERY /OR GEORGE BENSON COULDNT READ MUSIC AND THEY ARE GREATS

ITS ALL UP TO YOUR DESIRES


I LIKE READIN MUSIC BUT ITS FUNNY WHA GETS WRITTEN ON PAPER AND THE CADIENCE OF WHICH PERSAY A NOTE IS PLAYED IS VERY DIFFERENT AS YOU KNO FROM PLAYIN BASX A LONG TIME

TAKE IT SLOWLY

MY POP HAD THIS IDEA
EVERY BOY GOES DOWN A EARLY
IT WORKED ON THE CLEFS AS A KID IT SOUNDS DUMB BUT MADE ME ALOT OF $


THERE IS THIS OTHER THING I REMEMBER MY POP TELLIN ME I FORGET A LITTLE OF IT BUT IT WENT
EVERY BOY DOES FINE
SOMETHIN TO THA EXTENT THAS 33 YRS BACK

LMAO IM LUCKY I REMEMBER THA MUCH OF HIS MEMORIAL LESSONS AT 10

I JUST PLAYED BY EAR SOUTH PAW STYLE AT 4 TILL I WAS 10

I LEARNED HOW TO READ MUSIC IN SCHOOL JAZZ BAND
BUT I WAS KICKED OUT FOR BEING THE ONLY SOUTHPAW V GUITARPLAYER BACK THEN LMAO

I READ MUSIC I PLAY RIGHT HANDED NOW I STILL HAVE MY LEFT HAND KNACK I CAN PLAY LEFTY IF I WANT

MOST IMPORTANT PART OF READIN MUSIC IN NOTES IS FEELIN THE CHANGES BETWEEN THE NOTES AS YOU MAJORED ALREADY
I THINK BECAUSE IM SCHOOLED DYXLEXLIC AMBIDEXTROUS AND FUN WHEN I WAS THROWN OUT OF THE SCHOOLS JAZZ CLASS I TOOK 1 YRS LESSONS FROM A PIANO TEACHER AND HIM AND HIS NOW DECEASED WIFE WERE MY MENTORS

BUT I DONT USUALLY USE LEAD SHEETS UNLESS TOTALLY NECESSARY
I LIKE THEM I WRITE THEM UP FOR THE NEW SONGS WE LEARN BUT MUSIC COMES FROM THE HEART BRO AND EVEN SOME OF THE BEST NEVER KNEW HOW TO READ MUSIC NOTES ]

IM NOT JOKIN DOC IM TRYIN TO INSPIRE YOU BRO


SO IM TRYIN TO LIGHTEN YOU UP AND MAKE YOU SMILE MY FRIEND

JUST SMILE PLAY THA BASS AND LET MUSIC FLOW OUT OF YOUR SOUL
DOC 540 READIN MUSIC WILL COME NATURALLY A LITTLE AT A TIME

I LIKE TRANSPOSIN SAX LINES INTO MY GUITAR PLAYIN BUT I GOT A VERY TRAINED EAR LIKE YOU BRO
JUST BE YOU

THE PERSON WHO REALLY HELPED ME THE MOST AT 5-8 WAS MY DAD AND HE WAS BACK THEN A KILLER JAZZ BASS PLAYER BUT HE LIKED TO
USE WHA WE REFER TO AS AD LIB SOMETIMES AND I LEARNED THE COLORS OF THE NOTES FROM HIM IT SOUNDS CORNY BUT IT WAS HIS PHILOSOPHY THA GOT ME SOO MANY GREAT HIGH PAYIN PRO GIGS

ME /MY POP WOULD WRITE UP OUR LEAD SHEETS SIMPLE AS POSSIBLE AND CALL THEM CHEAT SHEETS
I KNO WHERE YOURE COMIN FROM ]DOC540

I WAS THROWN OUT OF A MUSIC CLASS IN THE EARLY 70'S BECAUSE I WAS LEFTY AND STILL AM BUT I MAINLY PLAY GUITAR / BASS RIGHTHANDDED BUT MY POINT IS IF I FOLLOW A PIECE OF MUSIC PAPER I STILL HAVE TO ADD FEELING


NOISEFULLY
BLUELOU
GODBLESS


REMEMBER MUSIC YOU KNO ALL THE NOTES ON YOUR BASS ITS A MATTER OF LININ UP THE DOTS ON PAPER WITH YOUR FRETTED NOTES

SOLID DOTS = WHOLE NOTES AND SO FORTH
I HOPE I MADE SOME SENSE FOR YA BRO

PLEASE LET ME KNO

MELBAY BOOKS ARE GREAT PRIMERS REALLY

BUT THE CADIENCE OF A NOTE THE VOLUME THE EXPRESSION OF ONE NOTE PLAYED ON PAPER OS ONLY UP TO YOU


I USE THE LEAD SHEETS MAINLY AS REMINDERS FOR CHORUSES ETC AS YOU FEEL THE MUSIC ITS A NATURAL THING AS LONG AS YOU DONE IT

YOURE A PROFESSIONAL
DONT UNDERESTIMATE YOURSELF NEVER OK?????
WRITE ME BACK

YOUR FRIEND
BLUELOU

[doc540]

Thanks to everyone!

I spent a few hours last night learning some new tunes like "Riding with the King" and a few off Boz Scaggs' "Come On Home".

Then I wrote out a few bass lines on staff and began learning note locations. Kinda fun actually!

Time will tell, won't it?

:)

[BLUELOU]

ITS FUN AND ITS HELPFULL BUT REMEMBER MOST IMPORTANTLY LIKE IF YOURE DOIN WEDDIN GIGS AND THINGS LIKE THA YEA THE MUSIC STAND IS PRETTY MUCH NEEDED LMAO BUT GUYS LIKE YOU ARE WISE LISTENERS SO JUST POKE AT IT ALIL TIME


I KNO THE FEELIN OF A NOTE AS IT IS PLAYED IS ALSO VERY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT IS ON PAPER IMOP BUT THAS CONVERSATIONAL TOPIC AREA
I LIKE READIN MUSIC TO GET THE BASICS QUICKLY LOTS OF TIMES I JUST GLANCE A FEW TIMES IN THE SHITTER AND THEN REMEMBER IT AS BEST TO MY KNOWLEDGE
I KNO THERE IS BERKLEE PRODIGE'S OUT THERE WHO LOVE SIGHT READIN LIKE A MACHINE BUT NOTES HAVE FEELIN TOO

I CALL IT CADENCE I DONT KNO THE WORD FOR IT BUT NATURAL INSTINCTUAL SYMPATHY FOR THE PLAYED NOTE

ITS A EMOTOIN THE ARTIST HIRED GUN ADDS TO THE NOTATION THA MAKES MUSIC COME ALIVE

MY FRIEND IS A JULLIARD PIANIST
WITHOUT HIS BOOKS AND CHARTS HE IS EMOTIONLESS ON PIANO BUT SOMEONE LIKE ANNIE CAN SING PLAY HER HEART OUT AND MAKE A INSTRUMENT SING
ITS THE PLAYER

JULLIARD IS LIKE MACHINE TEACHING IMOP
I LIVED VERY CLOSE TO IT IN NY I HATED ITS ETHICS NOT BECAUSE I WAS IN MY OWN HABITS BUT BECAUSE THEY CAN BE SO FINNIKY THEY SUCK UP THE EMOTION FROM THE PLAYERS AND YOUN END UP ALL THIS DEGREES SCHOOLING AND NO FEELING SOMETIMES
LIKE MY PIANIST GRADUATE FRIEND SAL HE HAS NO FEELING WITHOUT A SHEET OF MUSIC IN FRONT OF HIM
THAS SAD
I HAVE WORKED WITH HIM IN JAZZ GIGS IN THE PAST AND HE IS A MACHINE
KOOL BUT I HEAR THE DRUMMER AD LIBBIN A BIT ADDIN A FEW EXTRA PARA DIDDLES AND SAL DONT BUT HEY I THINK FEELING COMES FROM THE SOUL SO DOES REAL GOOD MUSIC


SAL RMINDS ME OF A CONCERT PIANIST SO PERFECT AND NOTHIN WRONG WITH THAT BUT NO ROOM FOR EXPRESSION AT ALL AND STUFF MUSIC IS EMOTIONAL AS ITS UP TO THE PLAYERS TO FEEL THE NOTES MY FRIEND SAL IS OUTSTANDING BUT I THINK HE OVERWORKS FOR HIS MONEY ON GIGS BIGTIME
I PLAY ALONGSIDE HIM AND THINK I LIKE LIFE IM NOT WORRIED ABOUT A FLUKE HERE AND THERE WERE ONLY HUMAN

SOME JULLIARD SCOLARS ARE OUTSTANDING AND REALLY EMULATE THINGS INTO THEIR OWN BUT MOST OTHERS ARE MOLDED MANIPULATED MACHINES WHO LOST THEIR DIGHNITY ON THEIR INSTRUMENTS IMOP

IM SURE I WILL CATCH HELL FOR THIS

BUT THAS MY VIEWS

IM NO MACHINE NON ONE IS

JUST ENJOY AND LEARN AT YOUR OWN PACE

MUSIC IS SUPPOSED TO BE FUN
IM GLAD YOU FIND IT ACTUALLY FUN I DO AND SAL WILL THRO A LEAD SHEET IN FRONT OF ME AND I JUST GO WITH THE FLOW IN LIFE

I LIKE LIFE
IM SERIOUS BUT SINCERE TO SYMPATHY OF NOTES IN MY WAY

IM A MORE RELAXED PLAYER THAN SAL IS IN BETTER TERMS

SOME ARE / SOME ARENT LIKE HIM HE IS A STREESS BAG IMOP LMAO

DOC YOU DONE FINE SO MANY YRS THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNIN OF A NEW ADVENTURE
JUST ENJOY LIFE BECAUSE LIFE IS TOO SHORT
THAS MY APPROACH
GODBLESS
NOISEFULLY
BLUELOU

[Warren Pederson]

Buy the book/CD calles "Building Walking Bass Lines" Vol 1 by Ed Freidland. There is no tab there it's all standard notation. That, and Vol 2 are probably the best learning tools out there for bass and it forces you to read.

[doc540]

Thnx for the tip.

[chuckocaster]

alright, i love boz skaggs! keep it up man, and maybe one day...i don't know, i was just trying to think up something funny. but keep it up man, it will help you imensely.

[Steve]

Gee, I thought all those Fake/Real type books had chord symbols and figured bass to the right of the diagonal line, if any?

For single note reading, a Trombone Method book would probably give you some pretty good workouts.

Clarinet Method books used to kick my ass on guitar.