Sight Reading!

Grayson C. · #1 06-30-2009, 11:08 AM

So I'm trying to learn to readmusic fluently. I've only been able to read for a month or so and I'm struggling, but getting there. Unfortunately all I have is magnusson's "The Art of Walking Bass" and I'm afraid it's not making much sense just yet...I can read it fine, but the progressions and things are confusing me a bit too much and I can't turn off my bain and ignore them.

So I found this:

http://astro.sci.uop.edu/~harlow/piano/index.html

I've 2 questions, the first is the easiest: Would this be an acceptable resource for starting off? I'm finding the hardest part of this all to be not rythm (I have that down quite well, suprisingly) but just being able to identify the note I'm supposed to play. Sometimes it takes over 10 seconds per note!

My second question: When one tunes a bass, the low E string is the same note as the 5th key to the left on a piano, no? Well someone on hear also told me that the top (5 bar, the A) bar of the Bass clef, is the second fret of the G string on a bass guitar. Well, if that's the case isn't this program's bass clef a full octave too high?

Sorry I seem to be filled with questions, don't I.

Febs · #2 06-30-2009, 11:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grayson C.

Well someone on hear also told me that the top (5 bar, the A) bar of the Bass clef, is the second fret of the G string on a bass guitar.

Correct.

Quote:

Well, if that's the case isn't this program's bass clef a full octave too high?

Bass and guitar are both what are known as transposing instruments. Bass and guitar each sound one octave lower than written. To put it another way, music for bass and guitar is written one octave higher than the instrument is actually playing.

Grayson C. · #3 06-30-2009, 11:19 AM

Really!

That makes so much sense, thank you! I had no idea that one had to transpose on bass....I feel mildly silly now.

Ok, everything makes sense now

Kobaia · #4 06-30-2009, 12:46 PM

i think this might be useful http://garywillis.com/pages/lessons/read.html

Jim Campbell · #5 06-30-2009, 01:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grayson C.

So I'm trying to learn to readmusic fluently. I've only been able to read for a month or so and I'm struggling, but getting there. Unfortunately all I have is magnusson's "The Art of Walking Bass" and I'm afraid it's not making much sense just yet...I can read it fine, but the progressions and things are confusing me a bit too much and I can't turn off my bain and ignore them.

So I found this:

http://astro.sci.uop.edu/~harlow/piano/index.html

I've 2 questions, the first is the easiest: Would this be an acceptable resource for starting off? I'm finding the hardest part of this all to be not rythm (I have that down quite well, suprisingly) but just being able to identify the note I'm supposed to play. Sometimes it takes over 10 seconds per note!

My second question: When one tunes a bass, the low E string is the same note as the 5th key to the left on a piano, no? Well someone on hear also told me that the top (5 bar, the A) bar of the Bass clef, is the second fret of the G string on a bass guitar. Well, if that's the case isn't this program's bass clef a full octave too high?

Sorry I seem to be filled with questions, don't I.

i'll get better,and slow is the way to go,for now and build accuracy then speed.....there are tons of methods out there,but this trick helped me;

find any string of notes and write them all out on any one line or space and work on the timing alone...if its too busy,halve the timing; ie 1/8 becomes a 1/4 note etc

deckard · #6 07-01-2009, 07:53 AM

"Sight Reading for the Bass" by Ron Velosky.

The Best of the books I've bought re: reading bass music...

YMMV

COOL AND DEADLY · #7 07-01-2009, 08:01 AM

Musictheory.net note trainer is very helpful. You need to go to settings to turn off the treble clef and turn on the bass clef. It shows a note, you answer what note it is. It tells you whether you are right or wrong, keeps score.

raymondl3 · #8 07-01-2009, 08:06 AM

Your best bet is to find real music written for bass in the form of books, practice, then get with a teacher who can give you advice on how to improve. Beginner trombone books were helpful to me.

Good Luck.

electracoyote · #9 07-01-2009, 08:39 AM

The Velosky book is good, but currently out of print.

In my never-ending quest for good material to help my students with sight reading, here are some titles that have worked. Your mileage may vary:

Mastering the Bass (Gertz)
Simplified Sight Reading for the Bass (des Pres)
Hal Leonard Bass Method (Friedland)
Bassist's Link to Sight Reading (Jennings and Kleven)
Note Reading Studies For Bass (Evans)

All available on amazon.com (I think). These are all similar yet different. Some are a little dry, but the progression is very logical and easy to follow. Some are a little more contemporary using CD play-along tracks, but a little lean on content. Some are tomes, some don't progress very far. You have to be the judge as to what's appropriate for you.

Avoid materials that include TAB under the standard notation. You will subconsciously use the TAB as a crutch while you try to learn to read, and this will hamper your efforts.

On-line tutorials and aids are nice, but they don't always outline a logical progression.

Don't jump headlong into accidentals (sharps and flats). You should get a good grip on playing practice pieces involving the whole notes first, then go to a single accidental key (usually G, which has an F-sharp, or F, which has a B-flat).

Keep in mind that you are learning a language. Remember "See Spot run"? That's where you are, so BE PATIENT and give yourself as much time as it takes. It's not a race. Repetition, consistency, and determination are the keys.

You gotta crawl before you walk, walk before you run, yadda yadda yadda.

Keep it fun. Get your nose out of the book once in a while and learn a song with your ear or (gasp!) some good tablature. Sight reading is but one facet of good musicianship.

I hope this helps, wishing you only the best with your quest!

deckard · #10 07-01-2009, 12:15 PM

FWIW, looks like BassBooks.com has Velosky's book in stock... at least, I was able to put it in my "shopping basket" and click successfully for check-out...

Just fyi...

electracoyote · #11 07-01-2009, 12:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by deckard

FWIW, looks like BassBooks.com has Velosky's book in stock... at least, I was able to put it in my "shopping basket" and click successfully for check-out...

Just fyi...

Oops, sorry, I checked amazon.com which normally has everything since the Guttenberg press. That's good to know.

Grayson C. · #12 07-01-2009, 03:49 PM

The thing is, I don't want tolearn how to read music for bass. Wait, what am I saying, of course I do. But that isn't ALL I want. I understand "how" to play bass guitar pretty well, actually. I just have no idea how to read music fluently. So reading, say, an agpeggiated G maj isn't going to help me other than showing me what those notes look like because I can play and improvise over that like it's nothing. My goal in being able to read music is to become a better musician, not just a better bassist.

Treble and bass clef are both needed for me, I think.

ahsbass6 · #13 07-01-2009, 04:13 PM

The books mentioned before are good. You can also use the Simandle Double Bass Method Book I and Rufus Reid The Evolving Bassist. There are a wealth of Bass and Cello etudes for practce.Search on line or go to a music store that serves schools and musical organizations in your town. There is no replacement for sight reading everyday, it is a skill.
Even though I am a bassist my "Real Books " are all in treble clef. You could start by playing from begining flute books, "Classical Guitar " books or simple 2 voiced piano etudes. This would give you practice in both clefs. The simple books will have 2 voiced piano parts and not "block chords" written for the left hand.Good luck

**T. B. Player** · #14 07-01-2009, 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ahsbass6

The books mentioned before are good. You can also use the Simandle Double Bass Method Book I and Rufus Reid The Evolving Bassist. There are a wealth of Bass and Cello etudes for practce.Search on line or go to a music store that serves schools and musical organizations in your town. There is no replacement for sight reading everyday, it is a skill.

Absolutely!

Once you get past the stuff for bass guitar, move on to music written for upright bass/bass viol/string bass - whatever you want to call the violin on steriods. Etudes for will not only work your reading ability, but they'll give your left hand a workout! Then when you go to play bass for a country band, and they want you to play only root and fifth basslines, you'll say, "What...that's all?"

Play nice -

Z

Rudreax · #15 07-01-2009, 06:44 PM

I second musictheory.net

chuck1073 · #16 07-03-2009, 04:45 PM

Talk to Carol Kaye. Her music reading DVD and patient teaching style is wonderful.
Then start reading thru her Electric Bass Lines books. Do it regularly and you will become proficient in sight reading. Not to mention the fact that her stuff is really fun to play.

A teacher of mine at one point compared music reading to reading the printed word.
"Do you read books well? Yes. Do you read every day? Yes. Well then...read music every day."