Book for reading Bass Music etc.

[raul]

what would you recommend as a good book for learning how to read music for bass guitar? there seem to be a few. what's one of the better ones? how is the Music Reading For bass by MI Press?

and what about a cool bass theory/fretboard book? something that kinda opens up the neck a bit for ya. again, there seem to be a few nice ones, which ones are really worth it? is the Gary Willis fretboard book a good one?

[Calebmundy]

I think the Berklee Press 'Reading for Contemporary Bass', or whatever it's called is a great book. It starts pretty easy and moves to some heavy stuff.

If you're up for it, I would recommend 'Standing in the Shadows of Motown'. All of those Jamerson lines will really help your 16th note/syncopation stuff, although it tends to stay down in 1st-3rd position, so it's not much for the upper range.

[Psychicpet]

Originally Posted by Calebmundy

I think the Berklee Press 'Reading for Contemporary Bass', or whatever it's called is a great book. It starts pretty easy and moves to some heavy stuff.

If you're up for it, I would recommend 'Standing in the Shadows of Motown'. All of those Jamerson lines will really help your 16th note/syncopation stuff, although it tends to stay down in 1st-3rd position, so it's not much for the upper range.

[raul]

so, you recommend the Berklee book over the MI Press book? i really want to learn how to read music for bass guitar. i'll have to look into the Berklee book though. thanks.

and the Jamerson book looks cool!

[Calebmundy]

Originally Posted by raul

so, you recommend the Berklee book over the MI Press book? i really want to learn how to read music for bass guitar. i'll have to look into the Berklee book though. thanks.

and the Jamerson book looks cool!

I am glad you're into the Jamerson book. I was a pretty good reader when I got into it, but it really improved my rhythmic reading ability, and my general sense of where 16th notes happen. Watch out for seriously bad tone and hair cuts from the guest players though!

I didn't mean to imply that I would pick the Berklee book over the MI book-I've never seen the MI book or looked through it.

Props to you for getting deeper into reading. I have been a decent reader since high school, but as I got better I was surprised how much work is out there for a good reader-even in Nashville, which is not really a standard-notation kind of place most of the time.

[Dave Muscato]

Jim Stinnett (Berklee prof) has a bunch of good books...

http://www.jimstinnett.com/books.html

[Daniel L.]

I'd check out the Hal Leonard 'Bass Method' Complete Edition. It is a great book. It covers more than just reading music, but it will definitely get you moving in the right direction.

Personally, I wouldn't recommend the Berklee 'Reading Contemporary Bass' book. I no longer own the book, but from what I remember the exercises were boring. Also there was little to no guidance from the author on any of the exercises. And, with no accompanying CD it makes it difficult to learn if you are inexperienced. I've bought 4-5 different books from Berklee Press and I haven't liked any of them.

Also, while the 'Standing in the Shadows of Motown' book is fantastic, if you can't read at all this book is going to be very frustrating. Trying to learn to read music from complex, syncopated Jamerson transcriptions is probably not the best idea. You want to start with simple stuff.

I'd check out Amazon and Bassbooks.com and read some of the user reviews to make sure you get what you want. Good luck!

[Andrew Jones]

IMHO I recommend A.Vitti's Sight reading funk Rhythms for reading 16th and Stagnaro's Latin Book for 1/8ths and any walking transcriptions for 1/4s.



Aj

[Calebmundy]

Originally Posted by Daniel LeClaire

I'd check out the Hal Leonard 'Bass Method' Complete Edition. It is a great book. It covers more than just reading music, but it will definitely get you moving in the right direction.

Personally, I wouldn't recommend the Berklee 'Reading Contemporary Bass' book. I no longer own the book, but from what I remember the exercises were boring. Also there was little to no guidance from the author on any of the exercises. And, with no accompanying CD it makes it difficult to learn if you are inexperienced. I've bought 4-5 different books from Berklee Press and I haven't liked any of them.

Also, while the 'Standing in the Shadows of Motown' book is fantastic, if you can't read at all this book is going to be very frustrating. Trying to learn to read music from complex, syncopated Jamerson transcriptions is probably not the best idea. You want to start with simple stuff.

I'd check out Amazon and Bassbooks.com and read some of the user reviews to make sure you get what you want. Good luck!

Yeah, I agree. None of the books I listed would be super for someone just starting to learn to read. I would head for a general beginning book for that as well.

[raul]

i think i'm going to narrow it down to the MI Press Music Reading For Bass or the Hal Leonard books by Ed Friedland. i have no idea how to read music for bass and these seem like the easiest ways to go about learning how to read. now, which one will i end up with...

[chicagodoubler]

Can't say enough good things about Ed's books.

[HaVIC5]

Originally Posted by Andrew Jones

IMHO I recommend A.Vitti's Sight reading funk Rhythms for reading 16th and Stagnaro's Latin Book for 1/8ths and any walking transcriptions for 1/4s.



Aj

Yeah, man, that Vitti book is a real mofo. I thought I was hot stuff before I took a look at that book, boy did it cut me down fast! It really helped with recognizing sixteenth syncopations, though, it'll kick up your reading chops to the next level.

[Koki]

here are couple
link
Reading Contemporary Electric Bass Rhythms - Rich Appleman
Sight-Read Any Rhythm Instantly - Mark Phillips

[JeffC]

As silly as it sounds, the "Bass for Dummies" book is pretty good too.

[raul]

yep, ordered the Bass For Dummies book. looks like fun. still up in the air about which learn to read book...

[Twistad]

I pretty much learned to read with Ron Velosky's Sight Reading for the Bass, it's a great, easy to understand book. I got it at bassbooks 2 years ago but I guess you can find it relatively easily.

[poisonoakie]

Reading Music in Bass Clef by Jim Stinnett is the only place to start learning to read. Get it!!!

[raul]

geez...so many decisions...now i'm not sure what to get! the Velosky and Stinnett books look amazing! between those 2 and the Friedland book, i gotta get something already! i wonder which shows the most? the easiest and most comprehensive for someone who has nover read music for electric bass guitar...looks like i have to make a decision fast! i really need to learn how to read and understand written music. it's possible that i may have some gigs coming up that require it.

[Andrew Jones]

Well since you seem to be in a real hurry.


Reading music is about being able to recognize shapes and understand what those shapes sound like. When you begin to see shapes you begin to see bigger groups of shapes.The census is that you should try to see 1/6 in groups as 1/4's and 1/8's in groups as 1/2's.


So theres rhythm and pitch right?


Pitch, this is recognizing what lines = what notes on the bass clef staff. Bass clef music is ideal but you can get alot out of getting some music paper and WRITE notes.Really even if you just randomly through a bunch of dots on the clef then asine a value to them (whole ,half, quarter) then read them over and over then turn the page upside down and ....over and over. Also write scales just every major and minor scale, With accidentals writin in (no key signatures that too easy.)


Then theres Rhythm..... Any music can help you with this just put the bass down and clap the rhythms you see.Or for extra credit sing them, the good thing about this is that you deall with the length of the note (duration). Another good thing to do is make flash cards with a bunch of rhythms and lay them out go through them one at a time two at a time Ect.......


This will all get you reading.Plus get some "reading books"



Aj

[raul]

i guess what i mean is understanding how to read music and more importantly, learn how to sight read. yeah, that's it. learn how to sight read. big difference, huh?