Best books to learn to read music

[Willie5String]

I really want to learn to read bass clef music. I have several books at home but none seem to cover what I need.

After working with 300 reading exercises for bass, I have gotten pretty fair at reading in the key of C, but the minute I switch away from C to say key of F or Bb, I'm hosed, which means I don't have a connection from notes on the page to notes on the neck.

I think I need a book the covers scale exercises in all keys without the "help" of tab.

Any suggestions are much appreciated

 

[JRA]

the real book, bass clef version + lots of time! good luck!

 

[TomB]

Back in the day I got a lot from The Evolving Bassist by Rufus Reid. It has a focus on upright but that doesn't matter - notes is notes, exercises translate. I'm not sure where you find it as it's quite old, but worth the look, IMO.

 

[Malcolm35]

Back to the basics.

G is the bottom note, D is the middle and A is the top note. Work from that. For some reason having that as "home" helped.

Good luck.

 

[Papageno]

You've already asked almost the same question in another thread recently.
Did the 50+ answers you received there not help you?

A few remarks:
- you say you can read in the key of C but not in F or Bb. But notes are the same in all keys: a G is a G, and an F# is an F# in all keys.
- that suggests that you problem is primarily one of fingerboard knowledge.
- Jim Stinnett has a number of books specifically dedicated to reading. They are supposedly progressive. You can preview some sample pages to figure out whether this is what you are looking for.

Below is a copy-paste of suggestions I made on the other thread:

What you say above suggests that your issue is primarily one of fingerboard knowledge.

You might want to practice scale and arpeggio exercises.

Forget about the "shapes" and "boxes" (for now at least).

Play your scales and arpeggios all over the neck from the lowest to the highest possible note. Play them on 1 string, 2 strings, 3 strings, etc., with open strings, without open strings, across the strings, up and down.

Play broken scales (in 3rds, 4ths, ..., 7ths, octaves).

Whenever you play a note, you should be able to know:
- how it is called
- how else it can be called (enharmonics)
- what scale degree it is for the scale or chord you are playing
- how it is notated on staff
- how it sounds (can you sing it?)
- where to play it on your bass
- where else to play it on your bass
- what is the interval with respect to the note you played just before.
- what fingering(s) is appropriate to play it, taking account of where you have been before, and you are going to.

Do this in all 12 keys (+enharmonic keys). All modes, and all chord qualities.

Do all this ... but don't try to do it all at once. Go by small steps.

 

[Malcolm35]

.....After working with 300 reading exercises for bass, I have gotten pretty fair at reading in the key of C, but the minute I switch away from C to say key of F or Bb, I'm hosed, which means I don't have a connection from notes on the page to notes on the neck.

Perhaps some patterns right at first will help. C major key, (scale or arpeggio) has the same finger pattern as any other major key, scale or arpeggio - you just move the pattern. Want a C major scale find a C note and start "the pattern, also called The Box" on a C note. Want the F major scale start that same pattern on an F note and the notes of the F key, or major scale await you within the box - yes it is like that all over your fretboard.. Piece of cake.

But, you will need to run your patterns a zillion times, or more, so it becomes imbedded in muscle memory.

Go to post # 4 in this string and the box awaits you. you. How to get started? After post # 4 post # 6 and 14 may help.

Use the box to get you started. It does help to think in A, B, C's and 1, 2, 3's. For example, using the box T-2-b3-4-5-b6-b7 is the natural minor scale. A Cmaj7 chord has these notes, R-3-5-7. and yes you find them within the box.

Happy trails.

 

[Willie5String]

"Did the 50+ answers you received there not help you?"

Yes, the posts helped me look at why I was stuck where I was.

I realized that I know the notes on the neck well enough, that I understand them enharmonically, however, when they are on the page, the eye to hand connection is weak, hence the reason I asked another question regarding a book specifically with scales to improve that weakness.

Like many semi-self taught musicians, there are holes in my knowledge that I am trying to understand and fill.

It truly is a journey of discovery and I really appreciate my peers and betters weighing in with guidance, I read and assimilate every word.

 

[Malcolm35]

After working with 300 reading exercises for bass, I have gotten pretty fair at reading in the key of C, but the minute I switch away from C to say key of F or Bb, I'm hosed, which means I don't have a connection from notes on the page to notes on the neck.

I think I need a book the covers scale exercises in all keys without the "help" of tab.

In Standard notation? Google will find you some. Amazon.com : music scales in all keys

Yes I love to have my keyboard music in the key of C. But, how often will we be on stage, with our bass, playing scales? We play chord tones 90% of the time. IMO Scales are an exercise for getting our fingers moving on the fretboard. We are paid to play chord tones, aka R-b3-5-b7. So a lot of us follow the chords, and play the chord progressions, i.e., C-F-G. Yes much later we will mix in scale notes with our chord tone bass lines. First things first.

Again need:
A major scale = T-2-3-4-5-6-7
A minor scale = T-2-b3-4-5-b6-b7
C = R-3-5
Cm = R-b3-5.
C7 = R-3-5-b7
Cmaj7 = R-3-5-7
That's enough for now.

 

[KeepItMoving]

I had good luck with this book

I think I need a book the covers scale exercises in all keys without the "help" of tab.

Any suggestions are much appreciated

I bought a copy of this one, Sight Reading Mastery for Bass Guitar by Joseph Alexander, a couple of years ago, and had good success with it; it sounds like the sort of thing you're looking for:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/149957911X

It's got some introductory material and helpful info about reading rhythm and time signatures but the real meat of the book is pages of bass-clef exercises in all the major and minor keys.

All the comments above are true — work with the Real Book, learn the scales, etc. — but it IS handy and a boon to efficient learning to have some prepared materials that you can work through methodically. Good luck!

 

[lefthandbass17]

I have this one, it doesn't really give you much of a choice but to learn to read.

https://www.amazon.com/Serious-Elec...di+bartolo+bass&qid=1600307760&s=books&sr=1-1

 

[BassChuck]

The thing to recognize is the difference between knowledge and skill, .... and the difference between event and process.
Books on reading will give you the knowledge you need, but are fairly lacking in the skill. In other works, you'll learn the name of the note, some possible places to find it on the neck, but it can't (even with the use of a metronome) give you the timing you need to get there in the micro second that music performance demands. For that you're best place is a band THAT READS. Community groups and church bands can be good for that. Backing tracks and recordings are an excellent 2nd choice.
Remember too that since reading is a skill based action, you don't get there with a beer and a quiet night of study with the book. It takes repeated (everyone is different, be patient with yourself) exposure, and, not only will it take years, but you'll work on it as a permanent part of your playing 'tool box'.
Do you have a real reason to learn to read music? or has someone just suggested that will make you a better player (it will, if you have a need).
Never underestimate the power of a well needed goal.

 

[MonetBass]

It takes time to be able to see a note on a page and have your fingers instantly go where they should. Practice, practice, and more practice is the only thing that will get you there.