Is it harmful to learn the treble clef as well?

[RRWesner]

Everyone so far has it covered. Learning more is always a good idea however if I was just beginning reading I would prioritize bass clef if my goal was to learn to sight read on bass.

I also find it so much easier to be able to just read treble clef parts as is than to have to worry about transposing like I would if I was given say a tenor clef part which I don’t read very well at all.

One thing that helps me when transitioning between bass and treble clefs though was to compartmentalize treble clef at the 12th fret and above to begin with and to read the melodies across the fingerboard rather than trying to read the lowest notes in lower positions. So if I saw a middle C in treble clef I would always play it on the 15th fret of the A string rather than on the 5th fret of the G string or the 10th of the D string like I might if it was in bass clef.

Once you get that down you can work on playing things down the octave.

An earlier poster also hit the nail on the head about looking at intervals. Begin to notice the intervals rather than the notes themselves and you will begin reading much more fluently in both bass and treble clef.

 

[Papageno]

You can safely ignore C clefs.

...provided you have no interest in reading music written with them...

Sure, you're right on this. I should have added "until you are fluent in treble and bass clefs". It's hard to learn too many things at once.

 

[Papageno]

So if I saw a middle C in treble clef I would always play it on the 15th fret of the A string rather than on the 5th fret of the G string or the 10th of the D string like I might if it was in bass clef.

I would not recommend doing so.

The bass is a transposing instrument, sounding one octave lower than what is written on the staff. It seems preferable to do this consistently, both for the bass and treble clefs; this is standard in music written for double bass.

If you do as you suggest (not transposing down one octave when playing stuff written in treble clef) you end up with a gap of one octave between bass clef and treble clef, which would be really akward.

 

[RRWesner]

I would not recommend doing so.

The bass is a transposing instrument, sounding one octave lower than what is written on the staff. It seems preferable to do this consistently, both for the bass and treble clefs; this is standard in music written for double bass.

If you do as you suggest (not transposing down one octave when playing stuff written in treble clef) you end up with a gap of one octave between bass clef and treble clef, which would be really akward.

No, 15th fret on the A string and 5th fret on the g string are the same sounding note. You will still be transposing down an octave from treble clef unless you play starting way up on the G string. I’m saying play the note in a different position so that you can play across the board without shifting a ton because the majority of what you will be playing is above middle C. And it helped to keep the two clefs separate for me when I was just starting to learn

And secondly I encounter treble clef mainly in jazz and pop music. So that is the register I want to play it in anyway. If I’m playing something that is written in treble clef 9 times out of 10 I will play it above the 12th fret.

 

[Papageno]

No, 15th fret on the A string and 5th fret on the g string are the same sounding note. You will still be transposing down an octave from treble clef unless you play starting way up on the G string. I’m saying play the note in a different position so that you can play across the board without shifting a ton because the majority of what you will be playing is above middle C. And it helped to keep the two clefs separate for me when I was just starting to learn

And secondly I encounter treble clef mainly in jazz and pop music. So that is the register I want to play it in anyway. If I’m playing something that is written in treble clef 9 times out of 10 I will play it above the 12th fret.

Oups. I had misread your post. Sorry. Just ignore mine.

 

[Koshchei]

Hi Basstalkers,

Im a musician thats been struggling to learn reading sheet music for most of my playing life. Started out on guitar and read mostly tabs and some sheet music. Lately I´ve only studied bass and bass clef.

The problem is, I have started practising some etudes i treble clef, and I mix it up so much. I dont notice Im off until things starting to sound awkward and then I realize Im in the wrong key or clef. Some of it actually sounds cool in both clefs tho.

Has anyone experienced the same? Should I stick to one clef or just continue with both, hoping that I get better at reading both clefs?

have a nice day,
Espen

It's good to be able to function in both. Don't think of them as a separate thing, but focus on where middle C is in relation to both and things should get easier. Pianists have it easy with the grand staff.

 

[DanGroove]

I mean if you just want to focus on the one you'll be using most for now there's no harm in that, but it can only help to get fluent in both. Keep in mind piano players learn to read both at the same time.

 

[kittywithabanjo]

its really helpful I read both as well can transcribe on the fly from Bb and Eb horn charts.

 

[Dirk Diggler]

Nope never a problem, treble clef just sits higher up the page.
Keep them separate in your mind.
Good luck,
Dirk

 

[pie_man_25]

nope, it can only be constructive, the act of becoming more well-rounded.

 

[azureblue]

LOL no. I played single reeds for 12 years, and was a pretty good sight reader. I picked up bass but wasn't in the position to have to read bass clef at the time. SO eventually I decided to go back to college and get my jazz education, as a bass player. Easy enough to get in. Then I sat down in big band and realized - holy crow - I don't know how to read bass clef! One week later I could but I nearly got a hernia. I can read Bb and Eb charts too, because I do horn arranging - if you pan to be in a music situation where you read you should learn how to read both clefs and at least transpose / read Bb..

 

[DylanB]

A Semi-Autobiographical Cautionary Tale

“I’m a bass player, I’ll surely only need bass clef”

<learns bass clef only>

“Great! That was an excellent decision”

<starts branching out into jazz>

“Wow some of these bop melodies are really cool, let me just break out my real book... ahh dang it”

 

[Tosh]

it's much easier to read in treble clef than it is to count all those ledger lines above middle "C"!

truth time - I'm a piano player; treble clef + bass clef = mandatory

 

[Tosh]

Dont do it...
You'll morph into a keyboard player.
Then you have to get a cape...etc.
Bad juju.

I'm expanding into a bass & keyboard player.
I have no cape.
Powerful Mojo!
Knowledge = Good; Ignorance = Unfortunate (and preventable) ;-}

 

[jamro217]

A lot of it depends on your ear training. The trouble is trying to get one ear to hear in the F clef and the other to hear in the G clef. The beauty of it is when you finally master it, you hear in true stereo.

 

[Richard Lindsey]

Short answer: no.

Long answer: also no.