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Reading the bass clef.

Joe Nerve

Joe Nerve

Oct 7, 2000
18,619
38,939
New York City
www.joenerve.com
Disclosures
Endorsing artist: Musicman basses
#1
Because I learned the treble clef early in life, and because I fried my brain on various chemicals later in life (which I haven't done in many years), I can't seem to hold onto the note values in the bass clef. It's incredibly frustrating and I give up pretty quickly just about every time I commit to finally getting it down. Gonna try something new. Since I sit around all day at work I'm going to take music books with me and pencil in every note, every day, for the rest of the week. I wonder if this'll make it stick? Not sure why I'm posting this. My cat had me up all night cuz he's a pain in the ass. That's why. I can't think clearly. I just said Tony Levin stole something from me in another thread too, for no reason. I don't want to go to work. I want to stay home and play my new bongo.

Anyone else have any other ways of practicing bass when you don't have a bass around. Yeah I know bass player did an article on that once but I don't remember it.
 
#3
What's useful to remember as well, is that the low E - bottom string on most 4-strings - sits on the leger line below the stave - it's like the lower limit...?

Then - C at 5th fret on the G string is like the upper limit, sitting on the first leger line above the stave.

This is what makes Bass Clef so useful for our instrument - all the main, usable range below 5th fret, sits very neatly between one leger line below and one above ! :)

I don't know - this helps me .....?
 
#4
its just practise practise practise.

start simple and work at it. thats it. there is no shortcut.
soon after using the rhymnes a but you'll find it becomes second nature.

Perhaps, also throw yourself in at the deep end and get yoursef a reading gig - this will force you to sort iti out! sorted me out...

Good luck and don't give up, a little each day and you'll be well on your way!

Dodge
 
#5
I used to do this drill several times a day at work, while on the phone, before heading to the can etc...

Bass Clef Drill

Once I could name the notes without having to think about it, I started picturing where they were on the fretboard. If I was at home, I'd hold the bass and finger the notes with my left hand while I clicked on the next one on the mouse. It takes awhile, but now I can run this entire drill in a few seconds.
 
#7
I downloaded a little program called "notable" its really made for piano but you can set it up to do bass clef only and it keeps track of your progress and encourages you to read faster and faster.

Took me about 3 days to go from not reading any music at all to reading bass clef without really thinking about it anymore.

-Rav
 
#8
Rav said:
I downloaded a little program called "notable" its really made for piano but you can set it up to do bass clef only and it keeps track of your progress and encourages you to read faster and faster.

Took me about 3 days to go from not reading any music at all to reading bass clef without really thinking about it anymore.

-Rav
Click to expand...

Might also mention I set it up to do Low E to Middle C and not just the ACEG/GBDFA Range.

I think the website was "www.noteablesoftware.us"

-Rav
 
#9
I'm right there with you, Joe. I started on saxophone, and still think in treble clef. And just about every beginning excersise book on the market tells you what key you're in and where your fingers should go, which isn't exactly helpful if you're already proficient on the bass. I found that I'd involuntarily look at those markings, and then play the whole excersize by ear. No good.

Then I found a book called Note Reading Studies for Bass, by Arnold Evans (published by Mel Bay). It's designed for guys who want to focus on sightreading, and it's fantastic for guys like us. It starts out easy, and gets progressively harder, and doesn't actually tell you anything other than what's indicated in the music itself. I'm becoming pretty darn comfortable in bass clef solely based on working out of that book. I'm even becoming a pretty good sight reader.

Here's a link to the book: http://www.melbay.com/product.asp?productid=95297
 
#10
Two suggestions.........

1) your local music shop should have flash cards for a few bucks per set..... they really can help with recognition skills.

2) get yourself some manuscript paper and transcribe Tab to Notation......... this will solidify the pitch values in yor mind, as well as help with fretboard placement recognition...
 
#14
Joe Nerve said:
Because I learned the treble clef early in life, and because I fried my brain on various chemicals later in life (which I haven't done in many years), I can't seem to hold onto the note values in the bass clef. It's incredibly frustrating and I give up pretty quickly just about every time I commit to finally getting it down. Gonna try something new. Since I sit around all day at work I'm going to take music books with me and pencil in every note, every day, for the rest of the week. I wonder if this'll make it stick?
Click to expand...

I also learned to read on the treble clef and abused my brain in between then and learning bass clef.

It's taken a few attempts and I've found that sight reading is the only way to really force it in my head. Get something like a walking bass tutor book (all quarter notes... you don't have to think about rhythm too much) with no tab. Ed Friedland's Building Walking basslines is good.
 
#18
Instead of peciling in all the note names, I started bass clef by circling just the open string notes E, A, D & G. I also worked on Simandl a good bit so that helped with note groups & positions, etc.

I've also been getting more comfortable with treble clef on bass by reading/playing melodies in the octave register (thumb position on upright).

What kind of stuff are you reading? I dig working with Real Books, etc.
 
#19
It's all about intervals. From one space to the next is a third (major or minor depending on the key and/or accidentals), two spaces is a fifth, etc. Once I determine the starting place (by song, exercise, phrase, whatever works for a particular situation), then it's about finding the intervals.

I don't think writing the note names is going to help your reading. It'll teach your eye to look for the names, unless you're not going to actually try to play the exercises you wriet the note names in to.

jte
 
#20
LoJoe said:
I used to do this drill several times a day at work, while on the phone, before heading to the can etc...

Bass Clef Drill

Once I could name the notes without having to think about it, I started picturing where they were on the fretboard. If I was at home, I'd hold the bass and finger the notes with my left hand while I clicked on the next one on the mouse. It takes awhile, but now I can run this entire drill in a few seconds.
Click to expand...


Thanks for this link, this really helps me too. I have plenty of time at work to work on this.
 

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