Dyslexia Techniques?? Help!

[Neon Alien]

I know I'm new and I'm sorry for already posting, but I have a very unique question and I searched for an answer before posting this, to no avail, obviously.

I'm gonna give you some context here. I play stoner rock/stoner metal. Spacey, sludgy, grimey, thick, distorted to hell stuff. Why? Because it makes me feel good. Also, I can't play much of anything else...

I am a recent convert from drums. I played bass when I was a kid but I gave up because sheet music looks like a foreign language to me. I ended up becoming a pretty decent drummer, but I'm tired of being in the back. I need to be set free and I need to do vocals too. I decided to get a new bass and a bunch of awesome gear and make the switch. Now I'm dolled up to the 9s and I feel like I may have wasted all of this money and effort because I can't find a band that wants to stick with me because I can't just read music and then play it. I need time to develop the song to my liking. I'm not really into playing covers, but it seems everyone is looking for Claypool and I'm Geezer, at best.

I have some learning disabilities that make it especially difficult for me to play traditional styles. ADHD and dyslexia. I can play pretty good but I'm very limited.

I don't think I'll ever be able to read sheet music on the fly. My brain just doesn't work that way. On top of that I have nerve damage from multiple concussions and just beating my body up over the years, so communication with my fingers isn't the greatest.

Is anyone else here afflicted like me and if so, do you have any techniques to share that might help me conquer this instrument? I'm stuck sounding like an intermediate player because I need someone to help me unlock my ability to play what I hear in my head.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Slade N]

Limitations offer opportunities. If you have a limitation figure 1. The sound that you want to make 2. Experiment and research until you find out what works for you.

Even if someone doesnt have a extra hurdle the process is the same. Learn something new in a small bite sized piece and move on to the next thing.

Want to learn the major scale? Start with the first two intervals, memorize that, then add the next and repeat.

Check out Lemmy from Motorhead, Mark Sandman from Morphine or Jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt for examples. They worked with limitations, some of imposed on them, some self imposed.

 

[mambo4]

I don't think I'll ever be able to read sheet music on the fly.

I have been "learning to read" for like 15 years, and I still don't consider my self fluent. But even if you can't sight read the benefits of literacy are huge. The slow process of deciphering the dots on the staff, figuring out the best fingering, decoding the rhythm, and following the song structure viarepeats and d.s. al codas is well worth it. Reading notation eliminates almost all the foggy guess work and half baked understanding of music. For bass, the rhythm understanding you gain is invaluable.

 

[Malcolm35]

"I have some learning disabilities that make it especially difficult for me to play traditional styles. ADHD and dyslexia. I can play pretty good but I'm very limited."

Our Daughter teaches 5th grade. Lot of dyslexia children finally make it to her class after being ignored by the other teachers in the lower grades, because of all the paper-work necessary to get them help.

So, they get passed over, and over. Point of my post, most music teachers, instructors, etc. are not qualified to help ADHD and dyslexia children. Seek help from those that specialize in this field.

The solution does not come from a cookie cutter program. I would suggest a phone call to the local University music department, asking for a referral and/or their thoughts.

Good luck.