Memorizing Bass Clef Notes

[vcs700s]

I am fairly new to bass and very new to reading the notes on the bass clef. I know the treble clef but not the bass clef.

I have the notes in the spaces: A C E G

I use acronyms to remember things when I am beginning. For these I thought All Cows Eat Grass.

I believe the notes on the lines are G B D F A

Anyone got a good acronym to use for these?

 

[dlloyd]

I am fairly new to bass and very new to reading the notes on the bass clef. I know the treble clef but not the bass clef.

I have the notes in the spaces: A C E G

I use acronyms to remember things when I am beginning. For these I thought All Cows Eat Grass.

I believe the notes on the lines are G B D F A

Anyone got a good acronym to use for these?

The mnemonic I used for EGBDF as a kid was Every Good Boy Deserves Fun, so I just dropped the every and added "Always" at the end.

It's easier in the long run if you memorise them properly.

 

[Matthew Bryson]

For these I thought All Cows Eat Grass.

^^^^^That's what me 5th grade teacher told us to use to remember the spaces. For the lines:

Good Boys Do Fine Always

 

[arbarnhart]

The mnemonic I used for EGBDF as a kid was Every Good Boy Deserves Fun, so I just dropped the every and added "Always" at the end.

It's easier in the long run if you memorise them properly.

My daughter's music teacher taght her "Elvis' Guitar Broke Down Friday"

How about "George Bush - Darn Fine Articulator" ?

 

[Juneau]

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helps tons with practicing your note memory

 

[slejhamer]

Good Bassists Don't Fear Anything

 

[IAmTheDood]

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helps tons with practicing your note memory

dang .. hadn't read bass clef since i left band when i was 18 .. remembered scales and everything but almost forgot the bass cleff. was counting for the first 50 or so of that drill then all of a sudden it all was coming back to me ..

did another 150 - 200 of them and only missed 2.

Funny thing was i was playing the tuba along with the notes.. remembering each key for it .. along with trombone .. lol.

now i just need to get that way with the bass and i'll be all set

 

[Jace The Bass]

Another way is to use your mind as well, picturing the note on the staff and at the same time picturing it in your mind the note on the fretboard this is good for practicing without your instrument then before you know it you'll be reading the staff as a fretboard in a kinda way

 

[chasfr]

From "Bass for Dummies": Good Bassists Deserve Funk Always

Chas

 

[fearceol]

Is the bass clef always used by bass players ? I spent a good while memorising the bass clef, then when I went to a teacher I was told that the treble clef is as important to a bass player

 

[BassChuck]

Is the bass clef always used by bass players ? I spent a good while memorising the bass clef, then when I went to a teacher I was told that the treble clef is as important to a bass player

I think a good musician should know both treble and bass, but in 35 years of playing bass I've never seen music written for bass in anything but bass clef. Now there are times that you many need to read from lead sheets and those are in treble clef, but in that case you just deal with the chord symbols, so the actual notes are not that important. All jazz band charts published and manuscript and all musical theater and orchestral music is in bass clef.

 

[addylewis]

Ooh...OK

Treble Cleff (not that theres much use for this round here )

LINES - Every Good Boy Deserves Football
Spaces - ...just spells out FACE

Bass Cleff

Lines - Green Busses Drive Fast Always

OR

Good Boys Deserve Fish And Chips

Spaces - All Cows Eat Grass

There ya go...good luck

 

[fearceol]

Thanks for the info. guys

 

[Mark Wilson]

I think a good musician should know both treble and bass, but in 35 years of playing bass I've never seen music written for bass in anything but bass clef. Now there are times that you many need to read from lead sheets and those are in treble clef, but in that case you just deal with the chord symbols, so the actual notes are not that important. All jazz band charts published and manuscript and all musical theater and orchestral music is in bass clef.

I agree.

Being at school for jazz, a lot of the music they give us is written in treble clef. The teachers are gigging musicians, and don't have time to give us music in bass clef. They're giving us experience.

Also, I'm quite experienced in both clefs. I started flute when I was 7, I'm now 19.

 

[Mark Wilson]

Also, I didn't read a lot of the posts, but another way to do it.

If you know treble clef, move EVERYTHING down ONE line or space.

 

[Rhonda Sommer]

I learned that it was this for the lines:
"Elvisis" Guitar Broke Down Friday Afternoon

I learned it was this for the spaces:
Are Colors Ever Green

There is you're

 

[Spectrum]

G B D F A

Anyone got a good acronym to use for these?

When I was a teenager my teacher taught me: "Good Bassists Do Fine Always"

 

[Fergie Fulton]

I am fairly new to bass and very new to reading the notes on the bass clef. I know the treble clef but not the bass clef.

I have the notes in the spaces: A C E G

I use acronyms to remember things when I am beginning. For these I thought All Cows Eat Grass.

I believe the notes on the lines are G B D F A

Anyone got a good acronym to use for these?

Best way is just learn them, use no acronyms just learn the relationship to the notes.

Think about this,

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

So you can remember the alphabet, that's 26 letters, plus you can organise the letters in any order to make words...which you can spell.
So all this without the use of acronyms.
All you have to do is organise the first 8 letters...... and you know them already, so look at this,

A B C D E F G A B C D E F G A B C D E F G A B C D E F G A B C D E F G,

That is the notes of any staff or clef you will use, so pick a root note and just use every other one for lines and spaces.
Why lines and spaces?
Well when you have reached the octave of any note it will swap position, so E on a line when moved an octave up will be E in a space and visa versa.

So learn to go,
A C E G B D F A C E G B D F A C E G B D F A C E G B D F A etc.

Learn this idea backwards and forwards starting on any note and you will quickly learn not just one clef, but all clefs, as well a chords, keys etc.
Because you know the relationship between the notes, you think notes first not acronyms...after all it is just eight letters.

 

[lyla1953]

for chords. scales, fret board and learning notes. Check out the
practice sessions and timed tests;
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[RDUB]

Also, I didn't read a lot of the posts, but another way to do it.

If you know treble clef, move EVERYTHING down ONE line or space.

When I was at Berklee, we all used our Real Books. Chord charts with melody written in treble clef. I had one prof who'd often point at me and say "Head", meaning he wanted me to play the melody line.

I used the down one line trick then, but with years of playing, I'm way better at treble clef now.

It's another fun challenge!