sheet music - no tabs

wazzel · #1 12-19-2008, 02:50 PM

I need to work on my note reading to build up speed and profeciencey. Does anyone know where I can get some moderate skill level sheet music to practice. All the bass books I have found have tab and I have wandering eyes when I try to practice. I'm also looking for song length stuff instead of just lesson lenght of one or two lines. Would non-bowed doubble bass music work? IIRC it is written in the same "place" as bass guitar.

Fetusyolk · #2 12-19-2008, 02:53 PM

if all that you can find have tabs then just take some duct tape and put it over the tabbed section. helps wandering eyes.

wazzel · #3 12-19-2008, 02:57 PM

I have done that, but I all have now is the lesson length stuff from books which is generally just a few measures. When I was playing saxaphone they had all these level approprite pieces that were two to four pages long. Do they do similar things for bass because that is really what I am looking for.

barbarbass · #4 12-19-2008, 02:57 PM

Excellent! Let me commend you heartily for taking such a step. You will not regret your studies in reading. It will expand your ability to get gigs by a thousandfold -- plus, it gets easier if you really practice at it steadily.

I have been using www.imslp.org extensively for just this purpose -- although I play double bass (mainly arco), I also use some of the pieces as workouts on the electric as well. Click on the link that says "Petrucci Music Library" when you get to their home page.

Imslp is very well organized. You can browse "by composer", or just do a keyword search.

Either that or the Werner Icking Music Archive is pretty good as well (I can't think of the url right now -- but if you google "Werner Icking Music Archive" that should get you there).

If you like Mozart, his complete works are available in free pdfs at the Neue Mozart Ausgabe online, which is at http://dme.mozarteum.at

azureblue · #5 12-19-2008, 03:01 PM

to work backwards:
Find a simple riff you like, and write it down. Then write it in another key, or modify it. Then do more difficult riffs. This goes far when learning to recognize parts as patterns, not as a series of notes.

Oh yes, and get the "Standing in the Shadows of Motown" book, or Carol Kay books.

standupright · #6 12-19-2008, 03:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wazzel

I need to work on my note reading to build up speed and profeciencey. Does anyone know where I can get some moderate skill level sheet music to practice. All the bass books I have found have tab and I have wandering eyes when I try to practice. I'm also looking for song length stuff instead of just lesson lenght of one or two lines. Would non-bowed doubble bass music work? IIRC it is written in the same "place" as bass guitar.

i definitely incorporate my doublebass etudes into my slab practice. has helped dexterity, positions, and fingering immensely.

wazzel · #7 12-19-2008, 03:02 PM

Thanks for the commment and the links. It one of those things I can do (I also played double bass for a short time and tuba in high school), but just need practice to get better. I was handed a few pieces lately that were written out and I was asked to play them as written. Fortunatly they were not hard and with a little time I got through it no problem, but sight reading it was a killer.

wazzel · #8 12-19-2008, 03:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by standupright

i definitely incorporate my doublebass etudes into my slab practice. has helped dexterity, positions, and fingering immensely.

Where do you get the sheet music? Can you get them on line? Would you mind reccomending a few.

JohnnyPustular · #9 12-19-2008, 03:18 PM

My old bass teacher (2nd call bassist in Detroit, so he knew what he was doing) used to have me read trombone music.

VroomVroom · #10 12-19-2008, 03:24 PM

Good for you!

I second the recommendation for trombone music - I still have a number of etude and other books I bought back in high school.

Now seems like the perfect opportunity to buy a real book, or other similar fake book. Hal Leonard and Chuck Sher both offer versions in bass-clef as well.

Writing and transcribing your own stuff is really helpful as well. I "make" my own transcription paper using Excel, but if you're interested in a lot of writing the tablets are pretty inexpensive. Good luck and congratulations! Leave tab behind and never look back.

Lesfunk · #11 12-19-2008, 03:24 PM

Try some Bach cello suites or Trombone books. Bass clef real book is good for melodies

standupright · #12 12-19-2008, 03:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wazzel

Where do you get the sheet music? Can you get them on line? Would you mind reccomending a few.

these are two that i have.....still looking for the others.

http://www.amazon.com/Method-Double-.../dp/0825801524

http://www.amazon.com/New-Method-Dou.../dp/0825802326