Recommendations for sight-reading apps/programs/books

[ianw]

Greetings all!

At the ripe old age of 44, I have decided to learn to read music – or at least bass clef - so that, among other things, I can make full use of the exercises in Joel die Bartolo’s excellent Series Electric Bass book. (Incidentally, why are there two six-string and one five-string basses pictured on the cover and no four-string?)

I have been using an excellent feature in the EarMaster ear training program for reading rhythm notation and the Music Tutor app has helped me to familiarise myself with the notes. I’m now on the point of putting these two parts together and what would really help is some sort of app, program or even (!) a book with a CD that would allow me to start slow and work my way up to some sort of proficiency.

Can anyone recommend anything suitable?

All the best from wintry Cologne,


Ian

 

[Stumbo]

Check out my TB Wiki: Learning Links for All Bass Players | TalkBass.com

Look under Newbie Learning and Learning for some links on your topic.

Good luck.

 

[ianw]

Wow, quite a treasure trove there! Thanks for going to the trouble of putting all that together and for pointing me to it

 

[mambo4]

In general, pitch is easy, rhythm is hard. they can be practiced separately to great benefit.

realize the sequence of lines/ spaces (in any clef) is the cycle of thirds (CEGBDFA,CEGBDFA,CEGBDFA,...) memorizing this can replace all the "Good Boys Do Fine Always" and "Every Good Boy Does Fine" mnemonics

Isolated rhtyhm practice , such a Cliff Engle's Rhytm Studies can be very good pratcie.

also, don't forget to write ideas you hear /create. Run them by someone more literate to check your work.

 

[GastonD]

Cliff Engles is a good recommendation, as he offers an entire course on the subject. Couple of excellent books were written by Ron Velosky and Charlie Fechter, but the latter is not available any more. Joe HUbbard's Sight Reading Compendium should be very good, too. However, if you are looking to pair the reading with serious musical concepts, I guess Jeff Berlin's instructional packages are the botom line.

 

[ianw]

Thanks guys! The tip about writing notation to help with reading was a great one: EarMaster has a feature for transcribing rhythm notation as well so I'm adding that to my practice routine.

Ideally what I'm looking for is something with an audio element where I can check what I play against how it should be. I'll have a browse through Stumbo's treasure trove and see if anything fits the bill. If anyone has any more suggestions, I'd love to hear them.

 

[Admiral Thrawn]

Have you checked out Tenuto?

 

[ianw]

Thanks, Tyler, but that looks like the app I am already using (Music Tutor). Or at least I can't find any mention of an audio element where I can check what I play against how it should be.

 

[ianw]

OK, guys, I've found exactly what I was looking for: SightReadingFactory.com.

You select your instrument (it has both 4-string and 5-string bass) and your level and the program generates suitable sight reading exercises. As well as a metronome and tuner, there is a synth bass playback feature that you can play along with or use to check if you have read the exercise correctly.

There were quite a few of this type of thing available for a monthly subscription of 20 dollars or so but this costs just 35 dollars for a whole year, which is very good value indeed.

Perhaps one to add to the archive, Stumbo?

 

[brianrost]

I always recommend just going to the public library, go to the 700s where all the music books are and check out any songbooks that they have. Go home and start sightreading...

 

[syohannan]

OK, guys, I've found exactly what I was looking for: SightReadingFactory.com.

You select your instrument (it has both 4-string and 5-string bass) and your level and the program generates suitable sight reading exercises. As well as a metronome and tuner, there is a synth bass playback feature that you can play along with or use to check if you have read the exercise correctly.

There were quite a few of this type of thing available for a monthly subscription of 20 dollars or so but this costs just 35 dollars for a whole year, which is very good value indeed.

Perhaps one to add to the archive, Stumbo?

Hey, I know this is an old thread, but I recently signed up for SRF, and was trying to figure out if there is a way for it to take direct line audio as an input for self assessment. I know it can use the computer microphone if you have an amp, but I don't have one and just use headphones with my bass routed direct through an HXStomp FX box. Do you know if that is possible?

 

[SteveCS]

Hey, I know this is an old thread, but I recently signed up for SRF, and was trying to figure out if there is a way for it to take direct line audio as an input for self assessment. I know it can use the computer microphone if you have an amp, but I don't have one and just use headphones with my bass routed direct through an HXStomp FX box. Do you know if that is possible?

Doesn't the Helix have a USB connection that let's you use it as an audio interface?

 

[syohannan]

Doesn't the Helix have a USB connection that let's you use it as an audio interface?

Yes. That is what I am doing. The USB cable sends direct line audio to the PC. The problem is, I am not sure if SRF can use that direct line audio as an input for self assessment. Seems like the only option is to use the PC microphone for an amplified bass or acoustic instrument. That was what I was asking. Have you been able to use the application in this way with direct line audio?

 

[SteveCS]

Yes. That is what I am doing. The USB cable sends direct line audio to the PC. The problem is, I am not sure if SRF can use that direct line audio as an input for self assessment. Seems like the only option is to use the PC microphone for an amplified bass or acoustic instrument. That was what I was asking. Have you been able to use the application in this way with direct line audio?

I don't use it - I just assumed SRF would be able to select and monitor any valid audio source. If not, there is a utility app called Jack that can to audio routing and patching, so you might be able to patch audio coming in via USB to the internal mic/line buss from where it can be used by your app. It does seem a bit antiquated if SRF can't 'consume' from a connected audio interface.

 

[syohannan]

I don't use it - I just assumed SRF would be able to select and monitor any valid audio source. If not, there is a utility app called Jack that can to audio routing and patching, so you might be able to patch audio coming in via USB to the internal mic/line buss from where it can be used by your app. It does seem a bit antiquated if SRF can't 'consume' from a connected audio interface.

Thanks. I have an app called virtual cable that can probably do that. I thought I would ask first before I tried to figure that out