How do you guys read both bass clef and treble clef music? I come from a tuba background so I am used to reading lower bass clef but get confused when I read jazz lead sheets in treble clef. Any advice would be appreciated.
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Practice. I started with treble clef on guitar so it is the same position on bass. Learning bass clef involved (and still getting better) reading and writing on the bass clef.
When first starting with treble clef, imagine every note is an entire line or space down.
Top line (your A)—imagine it is one line down (your F).
Hanging under bottom line (your F)—imagine it is one ledger line lower (your D).
After a while, you will find you are no longer jumping down a third anymore in your mind; you are simply reading treble from then on.
Top line (your A)—imagine it is one line down (your F).
Hanging under bottom line (your F)—imagine it is one ledger line lower (your D).
After a while, you will find you are no longer jumping down a third anymore in your mind; you are simply reading treble from then on.
Probably the best thing you could learn how to do is play, and read music at, the piano.
There are proven strategies for learning to read a new clef. The best way, IMHO, is to read each new note beginning at the reference note, which is 2nd line G in treble clef. Out loud, say "G" and then continue through the alphabet, one letter at a time, until you reach the written note you're figuring out on the page. You will, after a while, get very good at saying the music alphabet both forwards and backwards. When you're ready, switch to just saying the names of the lines between the reference G and your note so, e.g., for top-space E, you'd say, "G, B, D, E." You'll get very good at saying the names of the lines in both directions, too.
And learn to play the piano.
-S-
Sight Reading Factory has been a huge help to me:
Practice Sight Reading and Sight Singing Exercises Online – Sight Reading Factory®
Since it generates new pieces automatically, it prevents you from memorizing lines or playing by ear.
15 minutes a day... you should see results in about 2 months.
Practice Sight Reading and Sight Singing Exercises Online – Sight Reading Factory®
Since it generates new pieces automatically, it prevents you from memorizing lines or playing by ear.
15 minutes a day... you should see results in about 2 months.
But that note will be two octaves lower (plus an additional one because the bass sounds one octave lower than written, but since that would be true for both keys, it's still two octaves, not three).
You might decide that you want to play that an octave lower than written, but then you still have to play it one octave higher than simply reading one line lower.
The piano might help you to check out the distance/position of the notes relative to what you are used to read in the bass clef.
Basic rule is: the c on the first ledger line above the bass clef system is the same as the c on the first ledger line below (!) the treble clef system.
The OP was regarding reading treble clef lead sheets, not playing treble clef at pitch.
You, however, are welcome to play 2 octaves higher whenever you see treble clef.
I was taught to imagine whiting-out the bottom line of the staff (remember White Out?)
Just try to un-see the bottom line of the staff.
I keep this cheat sheet handy when it's late at night and I'm figuring out gnarly bop lines:
Best to pick an easy piece in a key like G, and anchor yourself on the G. The clefs can be confusing but not worth getting a hang up over.
+1 to basing off the G clef mark line and relating and memorizing from there. Also, for me the D just above middle C is a nice visual reference for the thumb position harmonic on the D string. In elementary school violin I learned Every Good Boy Does Fine for the lines and FACE for the spaces. To this day it helps if I blank out in thumb position reading
also: patience is your friend. before smartphones we said things like "rome wasn't built in a day."
Just practice reading treble clef. I use the "FACE" method to figure out where my notes are on the staff, but when you do it long enough you'll just kind of know.
Beat me to it, Steve!
You've already won half the battle with reading bass clef. Learn piano, and reap the benefits.
I read both treble and bass, prefer bass. Most of my music is lead sheets in treble. I cheat some times and add a line to the staff above the treble staff (red line), so face becomes , funny all cows eat grass.
Given a choice, satb music is a second choice, this allows me to play the baritone.
I'm lazy.
Given a choice, satb music is a second choice, this allows me to play the baritone.
I'm lazy.
It helps me to think of it as bass and treble clef as one connected staff. Conceptualizing it this way helped me to think of each note in a set space and not moving up or down depending on the clef. I just avoid the clefs where the notes move up and down
Try playing treble clef for a while on a different instrument (piano). When you try to learn it on bass, you're probably (more or less unconsciously) trying to translate (transpose) it to what you are used to. When you do it on a different instrument it is more like doing it from scratch, without old habits kicking in. Then, when you take it back to the bass after a while you will read it directly, without thinking "what would this be in bass clef".
It helped me to have two copies of a similar/same source - like real books in both bass & treble clef. I would read the bass clef utilizing as many open strings as possible, then play the same melody written in treble clef in thumb position - also utilizing the “12th fret” harmonics as open strings.
I still get momentarily confused if I switch back and forth, but I’m comfortable enough with either clef.
I still get momentarily confused if I switch back and forth, but I’m comfortable enough with either clef.
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- Chuck Sher publishes my book, WALKING BASSICS:The Fundamentals of Jazz Bass Playing.
We should read treble both one octave down - meaning as written - the G being our octave harmonic on the G string as well as two octaves down in the low region.
This came up for me recently and I was rusty at it.
This came up for me recently and I was rusty at it.
