Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
beginner - reading music
- Thread starter z4knerd
- Start date
Check out this site for a lot of Music Theory info...Link Removed It's got plenty of lessons for reading music, and learning more on music theory.
TheAverageDave said:
Great site thanks for sharing
Here's a useful tip
Since your only starting break your reading practice in two sections
a) Pitch reading- read everything as a single quarter note ( crotchet ) even if the music has different rhythms
b) Rhythm reading- Pick up any sheet of music you can find and practice reading the rhythms not only by what it looks like but what it sounds like
You may have to get a teacher to show you how to count rhythms
Modern Reading Text In 4/4 by Louis Bellson(Henry Adler publications)-the best book out there for developing rythm reading skills.There are no notes-so you don't even need your instrument in order to play these(but you can if you want to)
z4knerd,
I teach reading for a living and use this book daily. Give it a try. If you have questions don't hesitate to ask.
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
I teach reading for a living and use this book daily. Give it a try. If you have questions don't hesitate to ask.
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
If you want to learn to read, get any beginner bass book that you want, and if you run into any problems, ask a local music shop guy if he could help you, or ask in here. Nothing more for anyone to add.
z4knerd said:
Start out with a basic text like the Hal Leonard book picknslap recommended. Another good book for starting reading is the Chuck Rainey Complete Electric Bass Player.
What you can do, once you've got the basics down, is to use any bass book, transcriptions and the like, and tape a bit of paper over the tab, so you have to read the standard notation. It will take a good few months before it's anywhere near as easy as tab, but once you have it you'll wish the tab wasn't there in the first place.
Do a google for Sight Reading Challenge. It's it's a quick little game for the PC that basically randomizes the notes on the staff and ledgers and you have to select the right name.
You race against yourself, and you can select the range of a variety of instruments that include both bass and treble clef.
You'll get past its value pretty quick, but it is great starter tool to get you going.
You race against yourself, and you can select the range of a variety of instruments that include both bass and treble clef.
You'll get past its value pretty quick, but it is great starter tool to get you going.
z4knerd said:
If you don't mind doing so take a little white-out to the tabs portion. You can't go wrong.
Anyway, as always, I recommend Mel Bay's "Note Reading Studies For Bass" book. But really, read anything you can get your hands on. I personally enjoy using classical sheet music (like Simandl) for my studies or some jazz transcriptions.
Good luck.
What helps me is just start reading and playing any thing and everything you can get your hands on. I've been doing a few classical pieces by Stromm and its great to start noticing things like modality changes etc. the only way to "see it" is when you "Apply it".
It also helps to have an instructor to check up on your progress. If you don't have an instructor find some one who can sight read and play what you've practiced to them and let them critique you. Bad habits are much harder to unlearn than learning good habits off the bat.
It also helps to have an instructor to check up on your progress. If you don't have an instructor find some one who can sight read and play what you've practiced to them and let them critique you. Bad habits are much harder to unlearn than learning good habits off the bat.
