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Reading... goes slow :(

S

semborg

Mar 1, 2005
591
2
38
Europe, Sweden, Skåne
#1
Hello!,

For a year ago I played in a orchestra where I played after sheet music (notation). I did it quite well but I realized I just listened to the Tuba player (Most of the time, sometimes we hade different sheets). Also when I see a note I my brain starts to think where it exist on the fretboard. for example If I see Bb, I think 1 fret A string. This can be very confusing when it sometimes it had been easier to put that Bb on the 6 fret of the E string.

Also now, it feels like I am not improving reading music.

What can I do to feel better about it? :hmm:

Thanks
 
#2
It just takes time and practice. Think about how long you were surrounded by the English language and could even speak it pretty well before you could read and write it. It is like recognizing that A and a represent the same letter and it is best to use each one at different times. 1st fret and 6th fret can both represent Bb, and it is best to use each at different times.

Keep doing it and it will become ingrained in you. You will no more think about it than you think about the letters that make up any of the words in this ramble.
 
#3
well, if it were easy you wouldn't be learning anything, right? :)

not that I'm an authority or anything, but a couple of things that have helped me (and may or may not work for you):

Playing stuff you're familiar with in a different (closed) position.

Playing scales up the neck with octaves and tenths (hard to type out, but say F, F 8ve, A (near high F), A (near low F), G, G8ve, Bb...) think about the location of each note as you're doing it. Do a few different keys of course.

Playing different intervals in scales (in different positions) so you're able to think of where to go from one note to next . Again, think of what each note you're playing while you do it (so you're not just doing the pattern).

For reading, I just try to practice sight reading more. I'm trying to get better at sight reading the high notes, and getting rhythms right.

Good luck.

Marshall
 
#5
#8
My suggestion, just do it slowly. You"ll get it, eventually.

The problem I had when I started learning sight reading bass etudes was the F cleft:D

I came from classical guitar. I read guitar etude with no problem, but guitar etudes are in G cleft. So when reading bass etude which is in F cleft, I often made mistakes, mistakes like playing A note instead of C. I automatically read the etude in G cleft even though it's in F cleft.

After a week, I made less mistakes and now I no longer make those mistakes.
So, just do it slowly, you"ll get it.
 
#9
Got to identify the fly speck first, i.e. what note does the fly speck identify? My first instructor had me read standard notation and be able to identify (name) the active note in the same amount of time it took me to say my name. When I could do that in the keys we normally play in then and only then was I allowed to pick up my bass and find the note on my neck.

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So..... gotta be able to identify the note you are reading and then find it on your neck, before the song goes off and leaves you.

When I'm reading I visualize D as the home base, G, A, B, C are below and E, F, G, A are above. D being on the middle line seems to work for me, help yourself, I'm sure I got this from someone.... very little I do is original thought, so help yourself.

bass_board_1.png

OK now find the note on your fretboard. Right at first use first position - first 5 frets on your neck. And here I let C be my home base and work from there. The D is up two frets, the B is back a fret. The E is over the B and the F is over the C. The G is under the C and the A is under the D. Not a step for a stepper.

Identifying the fly speck is step one. Finding that note on your fretboard is step two. Start with one, ready, set, and go.

We learn how to read by reading so ---- take some standard notation sheet music with you and get in some reading every chance you can. A day with out reading finds the rust developing.
 
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#10
-Be sure you know your neck as well as you can (hint: you don't, it's a lifelong task, constantly getting better)
-Be sure your technique is as good as it needs to be to get from any note to any note.
-Constantly review things you can read well to re-enforce the eye to hand co-ordination.
-Always play with a metronome, even if the tempos are very, very slow. People will suggest Bach Cellos suites or Simandl etc to learn to read. No real problems there, but don't forget you can, instead of trying to play 4 16th notes in a beat, give each of those 16th notes a beat and set that beat as slow as you need to. It's more important to get it right and steady within itself than to screw up doing it too fast. (any fool can make fast mistakes)
-Anything worth doing is worth doing everyday.
-Make use of your reading skills. Learning to read music and then not applying it is a long, pointless and frustrating task. How easy would it be to learn all the names of the Chinese emperors in order? Especially since it really rarely comes up in daily conversation. Use what you learn.
 
#14
BassChuck said:
-How easy would it be to learn all the names of the Chinese emperors in order? Especially since it really rarely comes up in daily conversation. Use what you learn.
Click to expand...

BassChuck says it all. Use what you learn!

This thread is from 2006? Wow. How's the reading going, Semborg? It's been 13 years. I bet you've figured out the trick by now. Just walk out into the middle of the street and yell "I'M A READING BASS PLAYER" and your phone will start ringing immediately.

Find a gig where you're expected to do some reading. I'm not sure what kind of styles of music you're into, but the world of musical theatre is a perfect place to polish your reading chops. Any community theaters near you? High schools needing outside ringers to come play bass for the spring musical? It may be volunteer work at first, but it's a time investment to work on your reading chops. And who knows? It may lead to some actual musical gigs.

The other reading option is to find a couple of bands on the wedding/corporate circuit that hire freelance bass players. Do the "hey do you guys need a bassist? I'm a so/so reader but I'd be interested in getting a copy of your bass book" move. Nice thing about wedding bands is that the bass charts are usually a mixture of notation and chord changes. Gets you listening to those old James Jamerson lines again. They also pay well. But you'd better like playing modern country/electric slide/wobble.

And I'm stealing that "Chinese emperor" line.
 
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#15
I'm working on that as well.
Music notes
Is an app in the play store that is helpful.
I choose the bass and treble clef is for practice. Ive gotten 50 notes in 1 min.
I don't know what time would be considered proficient.
Anyone help me with a target time?
 

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