Reading music for bass/guitar

[MalcolmAmos]

Coming in late -- I know standard notation, however, never play from standard notation sheet music. Why? The directors I play for hand out fake chord sheet music. I compose my own bass lines, and I really like it that way.

 

[gtrimprov]

Coming in late -- I know standard notation, however, never play from standard notation sheet music. Why? The directors I play for hand out fake chord sheet music. I compose my own bass lines, and I really like it that way.

I'm similar.
Some genres need the bass line as written, though.
E.g. the themes of jazz-funk, where the written bass-line is integral.

 

[gtrimprov]

I do that, myself. I work on learning where the intervals are to the left and right of the root. Numbers are easier to remember than letters. So if I'm trying to figure out a riff with a guitarist I'll say Dm 135, or C 158
(if we're both playing the same riff like with a Rush song). I think it would be a good replacement for tab. You'd have to label the octave, as well so it might read: C4 135 (middle c) D3 158. This would help learn the octaves as well. And, like standard notation, it would not matter what instrument one played.
I haven't incorporated it into reading music yet b/c 3 6 & 7 are half step lower for a minor. But if you've done it, I'll give it some more effort.
I need to get my speed up. There was a training video that said you learn to read in clusters, but didn't explain how. Do they just read the root note and intervals when they do this?

Yes, minor keys are a complication, since there are so many varieties.
This document
Guitar scales
deals with scales (away from the nut) for guitar and so applies to bass if you ignore guitar strings 1 & 2.
Regarding using this to help read music, if it's in E minor, key signature one sharp, I'll generally try the E=1 way of thinking, but occasionally I'll switch to G=1 (if I'm having difficulties or to be playing in a position that makes the music lie better under the fingers).

 

[Howlin' Hanson]

Catloaf Fretuoso bass version
I really didn't expect it to make any difference.

Seems to be only iPhone. Android users, look for Fretboard Learn in the Play store.

 

[devnulljp]

Seems to be only iPhone. Android users, look for Fretboard Learn in the Play store.

Doesn't look like that does notation though? Just notes on the fingerboard.

 

[SteveCS]

Doesn't look like that does notation though? Just notes on the fingerboard.

Yes - naming the note at a given position is easy. Finding the letter in an 'alpha' list less so, and also irrelevant from a score-reading perspective. Reading works the other way around - the score tells you the notes and you play them on the fingerboard... Also the time challenge is of no importance as reading and playing is an asynchronous process.
Not a useful reading app, IMHO. YMMV

 

[Tbsx]

Yes, minor keys are a complication, since there are so many varieties.
This document
Guitar scales
deals with scales (away from the nut) for guitar and so applies to bass if you ignore guitar strings 1 & 2.
Regarding using this to help read music, if it's in E minor, key signature one sharp, I'll generally try the E=1 way of thinking, but occasionally I'll switch to G=1 (if I'm having difficulties or to be playing in a position that makes the music lie better under the fingers).

I've found that if I can stay in a 5 fret box, I don't have to look at the fingerboard much, but it does make a stretch from 3 to 4.

Ex:

A major

E string: 5 7 9
A string: 5 7 9
D string: 6 7

A minor:

5 7 8
5 7 8
5

Does anyone else use this pattern?