Reading music.

[dideah]

I've been playing bass for a while and I'm getting into a level where I can pretty much what ever . But I can't read music. I can improvise and look at tabs and I know what notes I'm pressing but I cant write or read sheet music. How important is it ( don't want to sound like an idiot. I probably already do ) but all my life its just play b , d , a ( etc ) and I'll just play what ever that sounds right within these boundaries ?

[CnB77]

It's only important if you plan on using it, but really it isn't that hard to learn. More knowledge is never a bad thing, and it may well help you sometime in the future.

[waleross]

Try a keyboard/theory instructor, no need to go to music school just to read music, sitting in front of a keyboard with the right person should be enough.

[MalcolmAmos]

Standard notation will always help - in the long run.

I'm Country which is root-five and chromatic runs to the next chord. Not a lot of published Country music has the bass clef shown. It's fake chord or lead sheet neither of which show the bass clef. So knowing how to read standard notation bass clef is not a large help with what I do with Country music.

Now that I've got that out of the way. What do the members of the band pass among themselves - and play from? If it's treble and bass clef, you should know how to read that.

Sooner or later standard notation will enter your life. Bite the bullet and get started. It opens the next door.

[JimmyM]

Reading gets me gigs that non-readers can't do. Some folks do fine without reading, but I've found reading gigs to pay way better. And the increased understanding of music alone is totally worth it even if you don't go for reading gigs.

[bassybill]

I find being a reader enables me to do many things that I couldn't do or would find very difficult without that particular skill. It makes a huge difference to many, many musicians that read, and the benefits are worth the effort it takes to learn a hundred times over, in my opinion.

I know not everybody rates reading as highly as those of us who can read and really value it, but I think at least some of the people in that other camp definitely underestimate the benefits. For many folks, learning to read would be the single biggest thing that they could do in order to develop further as a musician. If you're already decent at what you do but just can't read, it would seem a logical next step.

[the_hook]

I haven't taken any lessons, but I still made sure I learned how to read and write treble and bass clef notes, and it is a bonus. One area it helps is if I create something new, I write it down and memorize it. Months could pass before I ever get back to it, so having it written out helps a ton in getting back into the piece quickly.

I took the summer away from most of my bass (and keyboard) playing. I got back on the keys recently and couldn't remember a bunch of parts, so I opened up my binder and walked through the notes I wrote out and in minutes I was playing again.

I also had my guitar player create some tunes and send me the chord names (not the notes) and turnarounds. I worked out the chord notes and decided what bass line I wanted to play. I haven't played those songs since last year, but I know once I scan my sheets on them I'll be up and playing them in no time.

[Telenic]

There will be a day when you'll loose a gig because you can't read, and it will be one that you really wanted.

It's interesting that the percentage of guitar players that don't read seems to be much much higher than bass players. If this thread were on a guitar forum most of the responses would be against reading.

[Gord_oh]

i can read music, but im still having a hard time finding notes on a fretboard.
im played tuba for 7 years before picking up bass. so i can read bass clef.
however i play mostly by ear, or with tabs, so reading music while playing bass is still new to me.

[MalcolmAmos]

Originally Posted by Gord_oh

i can read music, but im still having a hard time finding notes on a fretboard.
im played tuba for 7 years before picking up bass. so i can read bass clef.
however i play mostly by ear, or with tabs, so reading music while playing bass is still new to me.

Just takes practice. Use position one right now. Bass Clef Fretboard Notes
Click on "Bass Clef notes on the fretboard" This chart gives you three octaves of notes (visualize that first - 3rd octave is all on the 1st string) - start with the first two; the third deals with the high ledger notes which you will probably not be using. Take it one step at a time two octaves should be enough to get your sight reading up to par.

Once you sort out where the lower ledger note E is on the fretboard and the E that is in the middle of the staff and the E that is an upper ledger note (3 octaves) you have a good idea where the other notes can be found. Or at least that was one of my problems - OK it's an E but where is this E on my fretboard. Bottom ledger, middle of the staff or upper ledger?

This helped me. The D note in the middle of the staff - any note below that is on the bottom two strings, or first octave, any note above that is on the top two strings. Once you get that worked out - practice, practice, practice.

Good luck.

[Russell L]

Just do it. Can't emphasize how much it will help you. Don't get discouraged, though, it takes time and effort. However, for me it seemed easy, but only because I was on fire inside to learn. A hunger, if you will. The same with learning theory, I couldn't learn enough fast enough for being so interested. So, let it be a desire, not a chore.

[Turtlejimmy]

It's worth the effort.

I'm a trumpet player too, and pretty much nothing happens for trumpeters who don't read music. It's absolutely mandatory .... Bass seems so much more optional, but it has to be worth the effort, just in terms of being versatile. At least it's in the key of C (trumpet is Bb).

Turtle

[Mharris]

Originally Posted by Russell L

So, let it be a desire, not a chore.

+1 to this. Get emotionally involved in the idea. Think about how awesome it's going to feel if you can read music and feel the feelings of already possessing those skills.

Think about the doors it will open up, how much better you'll feel about yourself, the value you'll have added to yourself as a musician, the respect you'll receive from others, etc.

Then think about all the pain associated with not learning to read. How embarrassed you'll feel later on in life, how you'll feel like you cheated yourself, the limitations you'll encounter. Really put your emotions into it.

I think you'll find that within a few weeks it will be a piece of cake to learn because you'll have the deep emotional desire and it won't feel like a chore or something you have to to do. It will be something you can't stop thinking about.

[bassinplace]

Originally Posted by Mharris

+1 to this. Get emotionally involved in the idea. Think about how awesome it's going to feel if you can read music and feel the feelings of already possessing those skills.

Think about the doors it will open up, how much better you'll feel about yourself, the value you'll have added to yourself as a musician, the respect you'll receive from others, etc.

Then think about all the pain associated with not learning to read. How embarrassed you'll feel later on in life, how you'll feel like you cheated yourself, the limitations you'll encounter. Really put your emotions into it.

I think you'll find that within a few weeks it will be a piece of cake to learn because you'll have the deep emotional desire and it won't feel like a chore or something you have to to do. It will be something you can't stop thinking about.

I think this is great advice and something I must make a stronger attempt to try and follow. My personal problem is that reading is one of the few areas I have a hard time getting passionate about. I liken it to chewing grass. Just doesn't grab my attention. I'm sure being able to pick up any book and play it would/will be great fun, it's just getting to that point that I seem to have an ongoing struggle with.

[theretheyare]

reading can mean:
1) play notated music on you instrument, at first sight.
2) understand written music, which for example enables you to write music for others (arrangements, compositions).

For example, I have always considerd myself way more expert at #2, and less so at #1. because each of these require different learning curves, I would first decide what exactly you want to achieve by learning to read.