Quick question on notes/reading

[C2C -2.0]

So, I've just taken up bass as an instrument. I have zero formal, informal, or "shade tree" knowledge of music. Still, after reading & researching for awhile, I've convinced myself that I'd be doing myself a favor by learning to read music. To that end, I've been scouring the Internet and landing on the usual suspects (studybass.com, etc.) and working through the materials there. I've also got the Hal Leonard Bass Method compendium on order, which should be arriving soon. Likewise, I've got a work schedule that is very amenable to getting lessons; this, I'm still working on as I don't want to tread haphazardly into something I'll be paying for on a regular basis.

With all of this in mind, I've got what is (probably) a very easy question to answer but I've been unable to figure it out myself. Along with studying the bass clef, I've been trying to translate that to the fretboard. One of the exercises I happened upon indicated that an efficient way of learning the fretboard is to focus on ONE NOTE at a time, then learn its position all along the fretboard.

To wit: Assuming an "E-A-D-G" tuning, then the 1st fret on the E-string, when played, produces a note of F. Similarly, the 3rd fret of the D-string also produces an F, along with 8th fret of the A-string. None of this is news to any of you; I'm just trying to help you understand how I see it. Although the positions of the notes are not confusing to me, they are giving me pause when it relates to the staff.

Assuming I'm reading a piece of music (or an exercise), what should I be looking for that indicates WHICH note to play WHERE? Using the information from above, I see the staff calls for an F note to be produced. Fine. But, which one out of the choices I have should I be trying to produce? Again, my understanding of reading is VERY limited at the moment, so it's possible that I've forgotten something I've already read or that I'm not synthesizing the information properly. Anyway, thanks in advance to anyone who tackles this small problem that is, for whatever reason, causing me a bit of grief.

[Richard Lindsey]

If you are reading a piece of music, and assuming you're following the music as written, it will tell you what register the note is to be played in, but not necessarily what position it's played in or on what fret it's played. (Though these things can be indicated by additional markings on the staff, if desired.) Let me explain.

Those two notes you mentioned are both Fs, but they are not written the same way. They are in different registers, with one sounding an octave higher than the other. They are different pitches, even if they're both Fs. Consequently, they are found at different places on the staff: the F at the 1st fret of the E string occupies the 1st space hanging off the bottom of the bass clef, and the F at the 3rd fret of the D string, being an octave higher, occupies the 2nd line from the top of the bass clef. This is what I mean by the notation always indicating what register the F is in.

The other factor to consider is that on the bass and other stringed instruments, the same note in the same register often (not always) can be played in more than one way. (This is not true of, for example, the piano.) As an example, take your F on the 3rd fret of the D string. The same F, in the same register, can also be produced by playing the 8th fret of the A string or even the 13th fret of the E string. So notation in its basic form won't automatically tell you which of those three alternatives you should employ. If you see an F written on the 2nd line from the top of the bass clef, this just tells you that you need to play THAT F in THAT register (however you choose to do that), not the F in the lower register (i.e., the one produced by fretting the 1st fret of the E string). If you see an F written hanging of the bottom of the staff, OTOH, you are being instructed to play the F in the lower register, not the one in the higher register. (On a 4 string bass, there's only one way to play this low F--you don't have any fretting choices, the way you do with the higher F.)

So, given that you have three choices for how to play that higher F, how do you choose which one to use? Sometimes the composer or arranger will indicate this by marking string numbers or position numbers on the music. More often, though, the player makes the decision on the basis of sound, convenience, and continuity. This takes a while to get comfortable with, but you'll get it if you keep at it.

[06rdking]

The main thing you need to do is learn how to read tab http://www.playbasseasy.com/learn-bass-guitar-tab.php
This is another way of reading music that might be easier for you and help with all the notes on the neck. If you learn tab you will find that you will be able to start playing your notes quicker and you will remember them. Practice your scales. http://www.playbasseasy.com/bass-gui...root-notes.php

[Richard Lindsey]

I would say that if you're interested in learning to read--you say you're studying bass clef--don't bother with tab; it will only sidetrack you. My $0.02.

[JimmyM]

Originally Posted by 06rdking

The main thing you need to do is learn how to read tab

yes, if you plan on never ever communicating musically with anyone else except guitar players who use tab, use tab. tab is a very limiting way of communicating musical thoughts that tells you nothing except where to put your fingers.

[John Wentzien]

+1

[C2C -2.0]

Richard,

Wow!

Thanks for clearing it up for me. I figured as much that the same note, appearing on different parts of the staff, had something to do with it; I just didn't know how to interpret it. It makes much more sense now that I know the position of the note (F, in this case) on the staff is indicative of the octave the note is to be produced in.

As for tab, I've heard that it is probably most useful AFTER getting a sound & fundamental command of notation. The primary reason I've come across is that tab can be helpful in deciding on fingering positions as a compliment to the notation of the same piece.

Thanks a ton!

[FranR]

Tab can have its uses if you are familiar with the songs; or if you happen to have guitar friends who can't read music so you end up writing tabs for them.

[C2C -2.0]

Can't believe I've been tooling around on Studybass.com for so long and COMPLETELY missed this:

Bass Clef Fretboard Notes.

'tis a .pdf that pretty much visualizes what Richard summed up in his earlier post. Might be a good download for people just starting out!

[MalcolmAmos]

I think we've all used tab at one time or another, however, it's a last resort for me now. + 1 to it being a crutch and just slows down the learning process.

IMO - reading standard notation comes in steps.

Step one involves flash cards. Flash cards cost $5 a pack. Purchase several packs. They can be taken to work, kept by your easy chair, etc. When ever you have a few free minutes grab your cards and get some study time in.

When you can flash a card and vocalize the note name in the same amount of time it takes to say your name - then and only then are you ready for step two.

Step two - finding that note on your instrument, i.e. reading and playing from standard notation.

Good luck

[alirazz]

If you have an iphone, get this app called bass clef. It has this excercise where you have to match notes on a bass clef to their matching frets. Only thing that worked for me.

[Stumbo]

Originally Posted by C2C -2.0

Can't believe I've been tooling around on Studybass.com for so long and COMPLETELY missed this:

Bass Clef Fretboard Notes.

'tis a .pdf that pretty much visualizes what Richard summed up in his earlier post. Might be a good download for people just starting out!

http://www.studybass.com/lessons/rea...-fretboard.pdf

Seems studybass.com was overloaded with TB hits and shutdown access. Try pasting the link in your browser and go from there.

Something like this should be a stickie.

Good find. Thanks for posting.

[Stumbo]

Help in memorizing the fret board:
Free, downloadable fretboard learning file utilizing Microsoft Excel or Excel file reader