Reading bass music... why play that note?

[barrywomb]

I must be way too elderly...when I was a kid we learned to read music in elementary school Although I am not a good sight reader (atrophy), I never thought of reading as hard since I started at such an early age.

Brian- learned the very basics of music in elementary school. Bass clef wasn't part of that. Timing was, but I learned it really little, never really used it again and forgot. Played guitar for 40 years and recently seriously took up the bass. As I mentioned in another post, as a rhythm guitarist (which I was primarily) it was pretty easy to "Know the chords and go!". Been playing gigs for 35 years as a guitarist. With bass... it's more of a lead instrument (I don't mean as in featured in solos, I mean that it's constantly moving as opposed to just strumming chords). As I'm faced with learning the bass parts for a stack of songs (and I mean a lot) I'd like to make things 'easier' (meaning once I learn 50 songs, I don't want to forget the first of those that I learned) so I'd like to actually start kind of writing things out just to get better but more because it's so much to retain.

For me, it IS easier to play by ear. And that's what I do. However, when faced with so much to learn, I'm more looking for a way to keep track of what I'm playing in these tunes. This is one of a few bands I'm playing bass in, so all together, it's about 150 tunes. I'm just looking for a way to keep things straight, so I got into notation a bit, and when looking at notation vs. a tab of that notation, I was curious "Why are they playing those notes in that position? How do they know to go there?". Preference is a perfectly fine answer.

 

[hsech]

Learning by ear and watching someone are definitely valuable skills. Being able to learn from multiple sources (i.e. rote AND notation) grants a flexibility that only using a single method lacks. The difficulty with just putting a note name is that it doesn't describe rhythm or octave; it just isn't descriptive enough. I frequently have to fight this issue with students who come to me from other teachers.

Edit: I guess I should note that guitarists and BGists reading notation is important to me. I have to teach guitar class and once they drink the tab kool-aid, there is usually no going back. They do things like not even trying to take playing tests over standard notation. They aren't even difficult lines. It's also really easy to play without understanding what you're playing (especially at the beginning).

Perhaps I should mention that I am 66 and have been playing since the early 1960's. I really think it's a little late to worry about reading music when I am in a couple of gigging bands doing just fine.

 

[David Jayne]

This video amazes me. The students have got tens of thousands of dollars worth of basses between them, yet they can't pull off a simple rhythm exercise. They should have spent their money on lessons before shelling out for the flashy gear.

Hah, yeah happens all the time. But it's OK . Some take it seriously and some don't. Some think they're pretty cool and are hoping a master class to bring them up a step. I'd bet that a few of those guys went home with some good stuff to work on, and that's what it's all about. It's all good.

 

[BazzTard]

after a while you can hear where a note is played on the FB.

As others have said,it depends on the flow to and from the other notes around it.

PS I love playing Sir Paul's basslines too, love Something, Nowhere Man, Dear Prudence etc

 

[DruidsGlass]

Perhaps I should mention that I am 66 and have been playing since the early 1960's. I really think it's a little late to worry about reading music when I am in a couple of gigging bands doing just fine.

Never too late to learn something new.

 

[diverse379]

a good rule of thumb is to start from first position
or 8th position
and keep all the notes within that position unless
you are forced to go outside that position

this is a great place to start.
because it gets you comfortable with all the notes in that range\

for example if you do first position you know
that you may need to travel up the G string to get to the G above the bar. line

if you play 8th position you know you have to travel down the e string to catch notes below the Bar.

anything else is within your four fret position.

I would recommend this to any new reader
it simplifies and reduces choices
which is is really not much of a limitation

and allows you to focus on the more important matters like
counting and reading the syncopations properly

 

[BassyBill]

Perhaps I should mention that I am 66 and have been playing since the early 1960's. I really think it's a little late to worry about reading music when I am in a couple of gigging bands doing just fine.

Never too late to learn, imo.

EDIT - Oops, DruidsGlass beat me to it.

 

[hsech]

Never too late to learn, imo.

EDIT - Oops, DruidsGlass beat me to it.

Welllllllll, I might try if I was so inclined.

 

[pholli00]

As far as knowing where on the neck to play, that comes with time and practice. Often, as I get familiar with songs I'll move the bass line around to different positions throughout the course of it.

And isn't this also an advantage for sheet music, in that it helps the player to know his or her way around the fingerboard? I like tab, I really do, but it expresses almost nothing about the music. I learned the treble clef years ago for playing the saxophone, but I'm only just now learning to play bass by reading music. Should've started doing that, day one. Tabs make the learning process less frustrating, but they're like training wheels in a way. Does learning to read music let you play better? I can't answer that, but I think it lets you understand what's going on, especially when it comes to keys. And rhythm.