I'd like to read bass clef, need help

[sjleland]

I've been playing through scales studies and music theory on bass for 6 months or so and have gotten rapidly better due to my previous teachings in theory and rhythm, but don't know how to read electric bass music.

I've been playing saxophone for 5 or 6 years and know how to read treble clef, but I'd like to learn to read for electric bass now. Can anyone recommend any good instructional books for this?

Truly, the whole bass clef part really isn't the problem, I just would like a good instructional book to learn from.

[Clay_Bass]

Ed Friedlands books have tabs and notation and eventually progress to just notation. Id say though that You should learn how to read treble cleff on bass too. Since you already know it that should be easy. Read the notes as usual and transpose down to the correct octave. As long as you really know the fingerboard well like you can hit a random fret and say what note it is very quickly you should be able to teach yourself to read.

[IanStephenson]

Ron Velosky - sight reading for the bass.

[Kruton]

Originally Posted by IanStephenson

Ron Velosky - sight reading for the bass.

Where did you get it from? How much? When you finished how proffecinent were you?

[Lowtonejoe]

Originally Posted by sjleland

I've been playing through scales studies and music theory on bass for 6 months or so and have gotten rapidly better due to my previous teachings in theory and rhythm, but don't know how to read electric bass music.

I've been playing saxophone for 5 or 6 years and know how to read treble clef, but I'd like to learn to read for electric bass now. Can anyone recommend any good instructional books for this?

Truly, the whole bass clef part really isn't the problem, I just would like a good instructional book to learn from.

I ordered this last night.

Click here.

Hopefully I will get it by the end of next week.

No, I can't recommend it since I haven't gotten it yet but it sure looks good and thought that you might want to check it out.



Joe.

[IanStephenson]

Originally Posted by Kruton

Where did you get it from? How much? When you finished how proffecinent were you?

http://www.denimmusic.com/

$17

As proficient as I needed to be... It's basically a set of exercises which just keep getting harder (with a page of notes/explanation every four or five pages - I think this is a good approach, particularly if you can read treble, which I could). I got about half way, and that was as far as I needed to go for the small amout of reading I have to do.

The book does progress much further into some rather nasty stuff, but I think to get that far you would need to actaully be reading other material, and playing form sheet music on a regular basis. I don't see that as a fault of the book - simply that having get the basic stuff down you need to USE it before you can tackle the harder stuff.

Ian

[ebe9]

Not a book, but it might help.

www.musictheory.net

However what what you have said about your current music background it might be stuff you already know. Anyway, have a look and maybe it might do some good.

[John Webb]

I have the same problem. I was a trumpeter in my youth.

All I can say is practice? I have the Velosky book. Seems good but my teacher hasn't assigned me any reading assignments yet. Maybe you can find a teacher that will hit you with a stick whenever you revert to your trebled ways......remember A=C.......low C=E.

Peace,
John

[John Webb]

I have the same problem. I was a trumpeter in my youth.

All I can say is practice? I have the Velosky book. Seems good but my teacher hasn't assigned me any reading assignments yet. Maybe you can find a teacher that will hit you with a stick whenever you revert to your trebled ways......remember A=C.......low C=E.

Peace,
John

[Smallmouth_Bass]

Any of the Carol Kaye "Electric Bass Lines" will give you a lot to chew on.
http://www.carolkaye.com/index.htm

Also, Standing in the Shadows of Motown have got a lot of great basslines. They will surely improve your reading and syncopated rhythms as well as having fun playing them and learning about one of the legends of bass.

[sjleland]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions, I'm already looking into a few of these.