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Reading music

M

mgsmith9

Apr 23, 2010
40
0
Baton Rouge, LA
#1
Ok, I started playing bass right at the end of high school (about 2 years ago now). Currently, I am in a cover band that eventually wants to progress to writing our own originals. Well up until this point I have just been reading tabs, but I would really love to read sheet music.

Actually I need to rephrase that, I want to learn how to read bass sheet music, I was in concert/marching/jazz band since about the 4th grade all the way through senior year of HS on trombone. So I know the basics of read, I would just have to make the transition to bass. Anyone else ever been in this situation, and if so how did you do it? It's not exactly easy to find sheet music of the covers we currently do.

I would love if someone could give me ideas/suggestions for music to learn on. Or suggestions on how i go about doing this

THanks
 
#8
mgsmith9 said:
Ok, I started playing bass right at the end of high school (about 2 years ago now). Currently, I am in a cover band that eventually wants to progress to writing our own originals. Well up until this point I have just been reading tabs, but I would really love to read sheet music.

Actually I need to rephrase that, I want to learn how to read bass sheet music, I was in concert/marching/jazz band since about the 4th grade all the way through senior year of HS on trombone. So I know the basics of read, I would just have to make the transition to bass. Anyone else ever been in this situation, and if so how did you do it? It's not exactly easy to find sheet music of the covers we currently do.

I would love if someone could give me ideas/suggestions for music to learn on. Or suggestions on how i go about doing this

THanks
Click to expand...

There are a few bass clef sight reading books out there. Try this one since you have previous sight reading skills and can read rhythms.

"Berklee Bass Reading", Antony Vitti
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

OR:

"Note Reading Studies for Bass", by Arnold Evans
http://www.melbay.com/product.asp?productid=95297

Ed S.
 
#9
Gawd said:
You most likely won't find sheet music for a lot of covers. Transcribing them will help your reading a lot though.
Click to expand...

What helps your reading is actual reading. Just an opinion from someone that reads music on a regular basis, i.e. everyday and on gigs at least a couple of days a week.
 
#10
I started cello in 4th grade, but we had no string program in our schools. The bass slot opened up in the school jazz band, and I thought electric bass would make me "cool" so I bought one with my allowance money.

It was not such a huge stretch as switching from trombone, but cello is tuned in fifths, so there was some difference to overcome. I just got out my old cello method books and started at page 1. By the end of summer vacation, I was reading pretty fluently, and joined the jazz band.

No, the electric bass never made me "cool." :rollno:

So I suggest finding whatever you can lay your hands on that is in bass clef. It doesn't have to be interesting music, just stuff that you can work with. The cello method is by Dotzauer. There is an upright bass method of the same ilk by Simandl. Or, use your old trombone music.

I've seen a book called "chord studies for trombone" that will really put hair on your teeth.
 
#11
I suggest you transcribe manually. Software is not always available. It's slower but will be a great exercise.

Here are some links you may want to check out:
~Sight Reading
1 Learning
2
Improving
Practicing
Sight reading source material
Transcribe/read transcriptions free online

~Transcribing, Music Notation, Chord Charts, Software, Online
Transcriptions to practice;many with .mp3 files Click on Transcriptions
Free transcriptions
1 Suggestions for music notatation software
2
Let the computer transcribe your played notes
Link Removed
Making chord charts w/lyrics
 
#12
mgsmith9 said:
Ok, I started playing bass right at the end of high school (about 2 years ago now). Currently, I am in a cover band that eventually wants to progress to writing our own originals. Well up until this point I have just been reading tabs, but I would really love to read sheet music.

Actually I need to rephrase that, I want to learn how to read bass sheet music, I was in concert/marching/jazz band since about the 4th grade all the way through senior year of HS on trombone. So I know the basics of read, I would just have to make the transition to bass. Anyone else ever been in this situation, and if so how did you do it? It's not exactly easy to find sheet music of the covers we currently do.

I would love if someone could give me ideas/suggestions for music to learn on. Or suggestions on how i go about doing this

THanks
Click to expand...

Congratulations! You already know how to read bass music.

I played trombone and bass in HS. Trombone is written in bass clef and even though it tends to occupy the tenor range - it's the same staff - same notes -well, technically - bass is tuned an octave lower than the notes written - but both trombone music and bass are written in bass clef.

If you know how to read bass clef and you know the strings and intervals on your bass, you're in business.

Try breaking out some of your trombone music and start playing it on bass to practice. As others have suggested, transcribing rock songs will be a great exercise. But as for learning how to read and play - just go grab your last semester's concert band folder and get to jammin!
 
#14
Get a copy of the Bass Clef version of the Real Book and start at the beginning.

HLE90003012.jpg
 
#15
Transcribing is a great way. It's probably the best way to do anything.

Here's a link I love
Invalid Link Removed

It randomly generates pitches across the stave. It's great for finding notes on your instrument once you can identify them on the stave. Downside is it gives no rhythm, and it's not as much of a help if you want to learn the notes on the stave from scratch (which I don't think is your situation?). It's perfect for learning the notes from the stave on to your instrument.
 
#17
Get some really great song transcriptions that you can read down while playing along. For example, I personally like Jamerson's lines and a lot of the Motown stuff; and as it happens, there is a really great book of transcriptions called "Standing in the Shadows of Motown." (BTW, want to be humbled? Check out Freddie Washington's part that he read down on sight. Yeah baby!)

Also, you can actually read almost any of the great baroque bass literature, and there is tons of stuff there. For example, the Bach Cello Sonatas.

In fact, there is a lot of stuff out there. Bass Player has transcriptions every month. Just keep your eyes peeled; no shortage of written bass parts for those who seek.

GL
 
#18
tZer said:
bass is tuned an octave lower than the notes written - but both trombone music and bass are written in bass clef.
Click to expand...

Yeah both electric bass and upright double bass have the same pitch as the tuba but written an octave up I guess to avoid excessive use of ledger lines below the staff, I could see them wanting to save ink, but I never liked that it was written an octave up. I would have always rather had it written in the pitch that it sounds. Even though if you are on a 5 string playing the pedal B (open low b string) takes a little getting used to reading since it is on the 6th ledger line below lol. But then again philharmonic tubists sometimes are required to play as low as a pedal B and even double pedal Bb's and A's, and i've even seen college level bass trombonists hitting pedal C's too, which on that instrument really is a feat. Props to them because I know I can't do that unless i'm on tuba.
 
#19
mgsmith9 said:
Ok, I started playing bass right at the end of high school (about 2 years ago now). Currently, I am in a cover band that eventually wants to progress to writing our own originals. Well up until this point I have just been reading tabs, but I would really love to read sheet music.

Actually I need to rephrase that, I want to learn how to read bass sheet music, I was in concert/marching/jazz band since about the 4th grade all the way through senior year of HS on trombone. So I know the basics of read, I would just have to make the transition to bass. Anyone else ever been in this situation, and if so how did you do it? It's not exactly easy to find sheet music of the covers we currently do.

I would love if someone could give me ideas/suggestions for music to learn on. Or suggestions on how i go about doing this

THanks
Click to expand...
ask in the tab forum.....lots of dots change hands there,and if you pm me an e mail i'll send you a few things
 

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