chords

[kraigo]

So i read (i think on this site) standard notation is a must for bass players.

I've gotten severely beaten up on another site for saying that although I think it's a damned good idea for everyone to know how to read standard notation, one can learn theory without knowing standard notation. They really are two different animals to me.

Bass is a cool instrument to learn theory on because it's very uniform: All strings are the same interval (a fourth) apart (unlike guitar) and there aren't any black versus white keys (unlike piano). With bass, violin, etc. it's much easier to take intervals and chords into the abstract - place your finger anywhere on the neck and the intervals to another note are the same. With guitar, up a string and up two frets from a note on the G string is different from any other sting. I suppose that keyboardists mentally "flatten out" the keyboard, but sharps and flats do require a small adjustment. The uniformity of the bass can really help.

Notation falls into the "keyboard" category for me. It's the written language of western music, but it doesn't really help me grasp the underlying theory very well.

Again, I want to emphasize that I'm discouraging anyone from reading music. It opens a lot of doors that will otherwise be closed to you. I should cut/paste that statement in between every sentence above just in case some idiot decides that I'm attacking reading like anonymous pompous *ss did on alt.guitar.bass. I'm not.

KO

 

[Fergie Fulton]

I've gotten severely beaten up on another site for saying that although I think it's a damned good idea for everyone to know how to read standard notation, one can learn theory without knowing standard notation. They really are two different animals to me.

Bass is a cool instrument to learn theory on because it's very uniform: All strings are the same interval (a fourth) apart (unlike guitar) and there aren't any black versus white keys (unlike piano). With bass, violin, etc. it's much easier to take intervals and chords into the abstract - place your finger anywhere on the neck and the intervals to another note are the same. With guitar, up a string and up two frets from a note on the G string is different from any other sting. I suppose that keyboardists mentally "flatten out" the keyboard, but sharps and flats do require a small adjustment. The uniformity of the bass can really help.

Notation falls into the "keyboard" category for me. It's the written language of western music, but it doesn't really help me grasp the underlying theory very well.

Again, I want to emphasize that I'm discouraging anyone from reading music. It opens a lot of doors that will otherwise be closed to you. I should cut/paste that statement in between every sentence above just in case some idiot decides that I'm attacking reading like anonymous pompous *ss did on alt.guitar.bass. I'm not.

KO

No one should be criticised, or ridiculed for their opinion and i agree with you, yes theory is not necessary. The pursuit of knowledge is what drives players in to theory, but unfortunately they come in to it at different levels and stages instead of at the start and that is the real problem. When i studied music i had lots of different aspects from practical, oral, appreciation, notation, history, in fact i had to have a 2nd instument to study as well, and as piano was compulsary i had three instruments to consider. All of that is not neccesary to play bass but it neccesary to understand and play music.

 

[kraigo]

I think theory is really handy. I have a reasonable grasp of theory. I also think reading is really handy. I'm a horrible reader.

KO

 

[onlyclave]

I've gotten severely beaten up on another site for saying that although I think it's a damned good idea for everyone to know how to read standard notation, one can learn theory without knowing standard notation. They really are two different animals to me.

Bass is a cool instrument to learn theory on because it's very uniform: All strings are the same interval (a fourth) apart (unlike guitar) and there aren't any black versus white keys (unlike piano). With bass, violin, etc. it's much easier to take intervals and chords into the abstract - place your finger anywhere on the neck and the intervals to another note are the same. With guitar, up a string and up two frets from a note on the G string is different from any other sting. I suppose that keyboardists mentally "flatten out" the keyboard, but sharps and flats do require a small adjustment. The uniformity of the bass can really help.

Notation falls into the "keyboard" category for me. It's the written language of western music, but it doesn't really help me grasp the underlying theory very well.

Again, I want to emphasize that I'm discouraging anyone from reading music. It opens a lot of doors that will otherwise be closed to you. I should cut/paste that statement in between every sentence above just in case some idiot decides that I'm attacking reading like anonymous pompous *ss did on alt.guitar.bass. I'm not.

KO

Do you realize that music theory is instrument agnostic? One does not lend itself any better than another, however piano is the de facto standard in a collegiate music theory program.

Standard notation is also instrument agnostic. Just because you play a stringed instrument with frets doesn't mean you don't need it. Without a recording, tablature is virtually useless.

 

[Jake of Bass]

I'd encourage everyone to have at least a working knowledge of notation.

You don't need to be the world's best sight reader, but at least being able to understand what notes are being played and at what time values they are played for. It might take you ages to work out a song, but at the very least you can get a book that has both notation and tab and work out the rhythms of the notes to the frets they're played upon.

The problem with tab is it gives you the song without the understanding.

 

[TingTwangSlap]

guys, i'm lazy. is there a RIGHT chord tab out there?

 

[Jake of Bass]

What do you mean by "right chord tab"?