Reading music for bass/guitar

[rogerb]

Finding a note anywhere on a piano may be easier, but reading the notes is the same or more difficult for piano. Pianists need to read multiple notes and two clefs at the same time and decide on fingering.

Man up and learn ALL those bass notes, it isn't that many, and reading becomes much easier. Note I still need to do this effortlessly, but I am certainly half way or more there. Transcription helps enormously here.

 

[Manticore]

I reckon that if this discussion were on a guitarists' forum, there'd be fewer advocating "learn the whole fretboard!"

No, not really. Learning to read involves learning where every note is regardless of the instrument you play. In the long run, you'll save a boatload of time and frustration if you know where every note is on every string.

 

[James Collins]

I think the keys to learn to read staff are:
1) Don't use tab
2) Practice reading and playing staff
3) Practice transcribing staff

What you are doing seems to be reinforcing your knowledge of intervals which is good, but not your intended outcome.

 

[Clef_de_fa]

too complicated for what it is.

C-Db-Eb doesn't equal Mi-Fa-Sol ... it equals : Do-Re flat-Mi flat

 

[gtrimprov]

too complicated for what it is.

C-Db-Eb doesn't equal Mi-Fa-Sol ... it equals : Do-Re flat-Mi flat

I was in the key of Ab.

 

[SteveCS]

too complicated for what it is.

C-Db-Eb doesn't equal Mi-Fa-Sol ... it equals : Do-Re flat-Mi flat

In Ab it does. Incidentally, 'Re flat' is Ra and 'Mi flat' is Ma (or Me). In the minor key, 3 is Do...

 

[gln1955]

In the time this thread has been up, you could have made real progress in learning the whole fretboard. Spend a half hour, twice a day, and you'll have this cracked in a week or less.

You'll be glad you did.

 

[BassChuck]

Any instrument is difficult if you don't know it. The best musician in the world would falter if handed an axe they don't know. You want to read well on bass, learn it. (hint: when you learn something, use it)

 

[gtrimprov]

No, not really. Learning to read involves learning where every note is regardless of the instrument you play. In the long run, you'll save a boatload of time and frustration if you know where every note is on every string.

Was your remark from knowledge of guitarists? Mine was to an extent. I know of arguments between guitarists about the best reading method.

 

[IamGroot]

Learn where all the notes are on the bass.

Jaco said it.
I believe it.
That settles it.

 

[ftlpope]

Hi, I am not quite understanding this. Given that all basic major scales and their relative minors have the same intervals tone, tone, semi-tone, tone, semi-tone, tone and tone to octave, if you know one you can work out all the others. Two methods I use are to work in blocks and learn a scale within the first five frets, then the next three or four and so on to the octave so that you have split the neck into about four units before the octave. Next tip is to be able to do walking bass across the whole guitar in one key, say C major. Doing this means that you are having to play with invention continuously. Play to a record or midi track. Then move up to the next scales gradualy adding more different notes e.g. G major, D major, A major, E major etc or F major, Bb major, Eb major etc. Lastly, as my jazz theory teacher says, be able to play something in any key. My current jazz theory class is helping with this, something I am not sure you can get from any other music style.

 

[Gravedigger Dav]

I can't recall where I saw it (I think is was a video posted on TB) that talked about a way to learn the entire neck.
You play each note everywhere it occurs on the neck. It suggested you not do it chromatically, but use the circle of fifths.
So play every C on the neck. Then play every G on the neck, ect. Start slowly, like we do for every new exercise, and work your way up. And say the note out loud when you play it. Sounds silly, but it is working for me so far.

 

[gtrimprov]

Hi, I am not quite understanding this. Given that all basic major scales and their relative minors have the same intervals tone, tone, semi-tone, tone, semi-tone, tone and tone to octave, if you know one you can work out all the others. Two methods I use are to work in blocks and learn a scale within the first five frets, then the next three or four and so on to the octave so that you have split the neck into about four units before the octave. Next tip is to be able to do walking bass across the whole guitar in one key, say C major. Doing this means that you are having to play with invention continuously. Play to a record or midi track. Then move up to the next scales gradualy adding more different notes e.g. G major, D major, A major, E major etc or F major, Bb major, Eb major etc. Lastly, as my jazz theory teacher says, be able to play something in any key. My current jazz theory class is helping with this, something I am not sure you can get from any other music style.

Hi. Thanks for all that.
Be able to play something in any key!
Jazz pianist Bill Evans said the same thing.
It's a bit of a killer on the piano or the sax (which I am learning), but much easier on bass guitar, especially if the original key doesn't use open strings.
My approach to reading does let me transpose by pretending I'm in a different position, but I guess exactly the same is true of the "learn the whole fretboard" approach that people are recommending.

 

[gtrimprov]

I can't recall where I saw it (I think is was a video posted on TB) that talked about a way to learn the entire neck.
You play each note everywhere it occurs on the neck. It suggested you not do it chromatically, but use the circle of fifths.
So play every C on the neck. Then play every G on the neck, etc. Start slowly, like we do for every new exercise, and work your way up. And say the note out loud when you play it. Sounds silly, but it is working for me so far.

Thanks. Not so silly.
I think I've a hatred of memorizing things that dates from my school days - having to learn poetry or do a subject like history which, as we met it, was all memory work and no intellectual content. So your suggestion, which involves a bit of activity & engagement of the brain, could suit me.

 

[James Collins]

To describe another situation, I can fluently type on a keyboard including all of the numbers and symbols without looking at my hands at the same speed that I can think of the words--not the letters. I don't really even think about the individual letters or keys that need pressed. I think: I want to type the some words like, "practice makes perfect" and the letters just fall out naturally. The keys on a keyboard are placed in a sensible order, although with less pattern than the notes on a fretboard. I believe if I can type on a keyboard, I can remember where the notes are on a guitar neck even if the 2nd string to 3rd string interval is irregular.

Ultimately, I would expect with enough practice that you can think of the sound you want the instrument to make and it would just happen with little thought or error the same way it does for typing on a keyboard. I'm not there by any means with my instruments, but I type on a keyboard a lot more than I play my instruments. Also, I assume people get to where they can look at the musical staff and know what it is supposed to sound like without playing it on the instrument. I can only do this for songs I practice and know. But at some point in the future, I hope to look at the staff and have an idea what it is supposed to sound like before I start playing it.

 

[heatheroo1]

buy a copy of Simandl's bass etudes. Have a goal of mastering 1 etude per week. Use a metronome if necessary. In a couple of months these concerns of yours will be history.

 

[brydo]

I learned the neck mainly by reading chord charts and only allowing myself to use one string for the whole song.

Try charting out a simple song in all 12 keys and play that song using only root notes on, say, the G string. In no time, you'll be able to name every note on that one string. The next day, try that same exercise on the D string. Keep this up for a couple weeks and you'll have the fretboard down cold.

When this becomes second nature, try the same thing but allow yourself to use two adjacent strings. Try all three combinations (G&D, D&A, A&E) in various neck positions.

 

[saabfender]

I learned the neck mainly by reading chord charts and only allowing myself to use one string for the whole song.

I love that. Totally stealing it.

 

[jcsk8]

There´s no shortucut. You need to memorize all the notes on the fretboard if you really want to be a good reader.
Wich I´m trying to do.

 

[jamh2000]

Learning to read well above the stave is a bit tricky- partly because of the lack of easily available practice material. Trombone music e.g. Bugs Bower is helpful here- you really need to be reading stuff which frequently goes above the stave to get the repetition done. The way I started was to use the Latin Bass book and try and play all the easier lines in higher positions on the neck. That really helped get the note positions down. The move on to more melodic stuff like trombone and cello music to stretch yourself.