Best Way to learn how to read music.

[Mi5a]

Anthony for you what is the best way to learn how to read music, I'm not looking for the easiest or the fastest or even the magic pill lol. All I want to find is a guide that even if it take me a year that I learn the correct way. Thanks!!!

[Ant Wellington]

Hey Mi5a,

Sorry it's taken a bit to respond. I had a ton of lessons and travel. And I just couldn't type a fast response on my iPhone to this question.

First let me say this,...

There are 3 things that you have to know to be able to read music. A deficiency in any one of the 3 won't work.

You have to know the notes on the bass. The 3rd fret on the 'E' string is a G.

You have to know the notes on the staff. The bottom line is that same G.

And you have to know how to read/calculate/memorize/interpret rhythms.

The first 2 are constants. Meaning they never change. The rhythm part is a 'variable'.

Most bassist will tell you that they know the notes on the bass. But most of them don't know the notes on the bass. The may or may not be able to figure them out really fast. Most bassist know that the 1st fret of the E string is an F. But most bassist don't know that the 20th fret of the A string is an F or that the the 15th fret of the D string is an F or that the 22nd fret of the G string is an F. Like I said, they may be able to figure it out,...but that's NOT the same as knowing the notes on the bass.

I teach the notes on the bass, the notes on the staff and reading rhythms as separate curriculums. There's not even a need to tell the students that it's leading to being able to read music. I teach reading rhythms in a unique way.

Also, one of the best ways to work on reading music is to write it. Like with English, it's impossible to not be able to read a sentence that you wrote.

Think about that for a second,...

It's impossible to NOT be able to read a sentence that you wrote.

If you know how to play Brickhouse,...WRITE IT OUT! All of the stuff you already know how to play,...write it out. It doesn't make a difference whether it's a line you learned or created.

I hope this helps.

peace,
anthony

[bass12]

I've done quite a bit of transcribing but not much sight reading. I'm currently working on my sight reading and I can tell you that doing all of that writing/transcribing (as Anthony has recommended) has really helped. If you can get a cheap copy of a music notation programme (such as Sibelius or Finale) you might find it worth your while making such an investment. One of the benefits of such programmes is that you can listen back to what you've written to ensure that you've notated the music correctly.
And don't get discouraged: reading isn't that difficult, it just takes practice. And a little reading each day (even ten minutes) can go a long way.

[Anonymatt]

Originally Posted by Ant Wellington

It's impossible to NOT be able to read a sentence that you wrote.

Man, I've seen you write that before and there again you just did it twice and it still blows my mind every time!!!

[Ant Wellington]

Hey Anonymatt,

Sometimes the 'profoundness' of that statement is lost on people.

It says something about you that you get it.

I think I've only said that in private lessons or maybe bass camp. Have you ever studied with me? You don't have to tell me who you are. You wouldn't be Anonymatt if you did.

peace,
anthony

[_chrispy]

Hi Ant, i really enjoy your outlook on teaching it makes a lot of sense! And you playing just speaks for itself.

Could you shed some light on what your curriculum involves for reading rhythms? This is where I really struggle.


Thanks for you help!

[Anonymatt]

Anthony, I believe you've said it before in this forum.

It's a great companion to the old saying "If you can't sing it, you can't play it." Seems to have that same kind of logic going for it.

My teacher keeps me pretty busy, but if I ever go out of town for a couple weeks, I may seek a lesson from you over Skype.

I'll take this opportunity to tell you that I mainly hang out in the doublebass forums, and that your forum is the only thing I come over to check out regularly on the EB side. I like the great attitude you have and, of course, that attracts other people around here that keep it real cool!

[Ant Wellington]

Hey Chrispy,

Honestly, it would be impossible to explain my curriculum for reading music in one post on this forum. I don't even know if it could be explain in one book.

But my reading curriculum, like my other concepts that are getting popular, was born out of a 'deficiency' in my own playing. And there wasn't a curriculum that I saw that was efficient and logical.

Reading music was difficult for me in the beginning. I didn't even have a desire to know how to red music as a teenager. I knew I was gonna' be a Rock Star so I couldn't understand the importance of reading music. And none of the gigs I did as a up an coming player required being able to read music. But when I became 'serious' about music I felt(and still feel) that a person is only as good as the weakest link in his playing so I wanted my reading to be as goos as my playing. And because of that I came up with my own curriculum.

I'm a really good reader now but,...

Setting a sheet of music in front of me in the studio or on the bandstand gives me jitters and anxiety issues more than anything else. And I read really well.

Because of that, I read a page a day. Three or four years may go by before I may have to read music. But if I wait that long to work on reading I'd be in trouble. So I read a page a day,...sorta' as an insurance policy.

But like I said,...my curriculum is different than anything than you'll get from someone else. Most teacher's curriculums is just stuff that was shown to them by a school or another player. They've never questioned it or got 'inside' of it to see if it makes sense and is efficient and logical.

I hope this helps.

If you read a page or more a day it'll always get better.

peace,
anthony

[Ant Wellington]

hey Anonymatt,

Honestly, I have to say that I haven't seen any other page on this forum other than my own. I just don't have the time. I'm sure it's good and I'm sure that many people learn a great deal on it.

I make it a point to play when I can. I know so many people who spend more time on forums than they do playing. I tell my students this,...

Instead of always reading about good players and what they do, just go practice. A lot of the tools that modern players have at their disposal can hurt them just as mush as they can help them. Things like tab, slow down machines and forums 'can' make people lazy.

It's funny,...I have no clue what else is on TalkBass! There could be sexy Halle berry pictures on the site and I wouldn't know.

Alright,...I gotta' practice the 5 modes of the pentatonic scale in the 8 directional permutations.

peace,
anthony

[Anonymatt]

Yeah, practicing every day makes the practice seem to merge with the goal.

It's crazy how many distractions there are. Some people seem to enable others to distract them w/ greater and greater efficiency!

When I first got on here, I checked the entire site thoroughly for Halle Berry pictures, as I do for any website I visit, and there are none. Good deals in the classifieds, though.

[Ant Wellington]

I figured there were no Halle Berry pictures. But never thought that there'd be a classified section. It only makes sense. But I better stay away since I own over 40 basses, 6 bass rigs, 5 guitars, too many effects pedals, drum set, 8 synthesizers, 20+ microphones, 24 channel mixing board, 4 computers, etc. I guess it woulda' been easier just to say I have studio.

-aw

[nutdog]

Originally Posted by nutdog

Originally Posted by nutdog

Just sayin...

[Ant Wellington]

Yo Nutdog,...

I don't know who you are but,...

I LOVE YOU, MAN!!!!!!

Seriously, that was an unexpected surprise. I had just fixed a cup of coffee and I try to get the coffee the exact color of Halle's skin tone. Then I turn on my computer and see this.

TalkBass is AWESOME!!!!

-aw

[sonofabass]

And I love you too.

....and God created woman!!! My goodness

[Anonymatt]

Now I know anything is possible!!

[simmerdown]

i made myself a set of flashcards, one for each note

making them helped alot...using them helped more...

[Ant Wellington]

Yea, I have students make flash cards for the notes on the bass.

And I teach them the 8 metric rhythms and teach to know them 3 different ways.

peace,
anthony

[mjl422]

Originally Posted by Ant Wellington

hey Anonymatt,

Honestly, I have to say that I haven't seen any other page on this forum other than my own. I just don't have the time. I'm sure it's good and I'm sure that many people learn a great deal on it.

I make it a point to play when I can. I know so many people who spend more time on forums than they do playing. I tell my students this,...

Instead of always reading about good players and what they do, just go practice. A lot of the tools that modern players have at their disposal can hurt them just as mush as they can help them. Things like tab, slow down machines and forums 'can' make people lazy.
It's funny,...I have no clue what else is on TalkBass! There could be sexy Halle berry pictures on the site and I wouldn't know.

Alright,...I gotta' practice the 5 modes of the pentatonic scale in the 8 directional permutations.

peace,
anthony

I'm curious about your thoughts on slow down machines? I assume that, because music won't be slowed down for you on the band stand, that these machines 'can' hurt you in a real life situation? (but I really don't like to assume).

Do you see a use for these machines and when are they useful / harmful?

I'm asking because I use "Transcribe" often (mainly as a looper but, sometimes as a 'slow downer'). I would like to hear your philosophy on the best ways to use these tools.

[Ant Wellington]

Hey MJ,

A 'slow down' machine is a tool. I don't place judgements on tools. A slow down machine, like a hammer or a fork or a baseball, is a tool that can be used for a good or bad.

WARNING: AN ATTEMPT AT HUMOR IS ABOUT TO BE MADE!!!!

A hammer is a tool. It can be used to build a house for Habitat for Humanity or can be used to bash in your drummers brains because he rushes out of every drum fill. You have to decide which is a good usage or not so good usage.

A fork is a tool. It cool be used to roll spaghetti around on a fork for consumption or to poke the guitar player in the eye because he only knows the blues scale,...and just the whole step and chromatic pieces of it. You decide the better use of the fork.

A baseball bat is a tool. It can be used to hit home runs or it can be used to go 'upside the singer's head' because she sings the '3rd' flat every time. Again,..We all know the proper usage of a baseball bat.

Seriously,...

Slow down machines are great tools. But they have made some people very lazy. My guess is that those people were already lazy and now they've found something that can make them even lazier.

It's like putting note stickers on your bass. What that usually does is NOT make you learn the notes on your bass because they are always written in front of you!

A slow down machine is a tool. You can use it as a training guide to help you 'learn' how to transcribe and develop an 'ear' or you can just let it be a crutch.

Anthony Wellington quote:

"The common misconception is that the 'best' musician is the musician who plays the fastest. I disagree,...the 'best' musician is the musician who hears the fastest."

Everything you play(or say) should be in reaction to what you hear. How fast you understand what you just heard affects what you play(say).

peace,
anthony

[mjl422]

OK, cool. Thanks for the response.

I kinda thought that's what you were saying but, I didn't want to assume anything (even though I kinda did).

I've heard so many theories about some of the 'tools of the trade' that I like to hear what different philosophies are out there.