• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Starting to learn to read music

a cat IRL

a cat IRL

Guest
Jul 24, 2014
6
1
#1
So I've been learning bass for a while, and as part of my efforts I think I decided to learn to read sheet music (not just tab.)

In order to get it done I went hunting for easy bass-clef songs that I can go through and try to read. When I say easy, I mean "Jingle Bells" easy.

I have an old book here with that came with an electric piano years back, but they're arranged with piano in mind, and don't make much sense on bass guitar.

With that in mind, could anybody link me to some very simple sheet music that I can attempt to play?
 
#2
There a lot of J.S. Bach pieces that would be relatively easy for a beginner. Do a Google search on Bach etudes or something like that and you should find a wealth of materials.

And don't worry about the fact that this is classical music. The basic principles of reading pitch and rhythm are universal.
 
#3
Before you even start with sheet music, I recommend starting off with a comprehensive bass book. I highly recommend the Hal Leonard Bass Method, books 1, 2, & 3, which is written by Ed Friedland. You can buy them all combined as one book. By the end you'll have mastered sight reading. It takes things nice and slow so you don't feel too overwhelmed as you advance to more difficult techniques.
 
  • Like
Reactions: jazzsoul, EddiePlaysBass and BassChuck
#4
I second the Hal Leonard books 1,2and3. That is exactly how I got started reading. Another thing that helped a lot was to learn to read rhythm separate. I got a drum book I think was called, called Bellson, Modern Reading. This brought my reading to a higher level because you only had to worry about the rhythm.
 
#5
Ed Friedland's Bass Method, is logical, well laid out and progresses slowly and methodically. Good place to start. Get a teacher, pain is mandatory, suffering is optional. Teacher will make it easier and keep you moving forward. You must work at this, everyday for a while. You are learning a new language. It takes work.

There is nothing easy about Bach and I think that is not the place to start. Once you get going, absolutely play some Bach, perhaps the greatest musical talent to ever walk this earth.

The rewards of becoming a reader and too many to list. It is well worth the investment of time and energy if you love music.
 
#6
Yes simple, dirt simple stuff to start with. Nursery rhymes. Any piano store will have Alfred's theory books 1 - 3. Which talk about how to recognize the fly speck for what they are.

My instructor started me out this way:
1) Be able to recognize the fly speck and say it's name in the same amount of time it takes you to say your first name. I recommend flash chard. Treble clef or bass clef? Good question. We play bass clef, but, bass clef by itself is boring so I do recommend you start with treble clef.

2) When you can do step 1 then find where that note is on your fretboard and do this in the amount of time it will take you to say your first and last name.

When you can do that find some dirt simple sheet music and start playing the notes on your bass. https://www.google.com/search?q=eas...ASuwYKICg&sqi=2&ved=0CCoQsAQ&biw=1041&bih=531

Reading standard notations takes place every day or rust develops. Take some sheet music to work, put some by your easy chair, read music during the TV commercials. To read music you have to read a lot of music.

Have fun, it's a journey that will last the rest of your life.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Geekydad and kdemello1980
#7
Ed Friedland's book gets much props in these forums.

I always recommend Cuban "Slasa" music for reading practice, for several reasons:
  • the lines revolve mostly around roots, fifths, and octaves : very good for a bassist to learn to recognize quickly
  • the rhythms are syncopated, with ties and dotted notes, so you will learn how to count and hear the off beats well
  • in spite of the syncopation, you will mostly see quarter and eight notes, so its friendlier to a noob than jumping into 16th note funk
  • It's very 'chord charty' music so you practice recognizing those Amin7 G7b9b13 type symbols.
try Oscar Stangoro's Excellent Latin Bass Book.
 
#9
My objective was to be able to read at a level where I can read AND play a piece sight unseen. To me this is kind of a 6 step process and at least one of these steps should be practiced every day until you master the level you desire to achieve. To me reading kinda falls into two main skills - Reading/playing the notes written and almost more important, reading/playing the rhythm written -
2) I did all of Ed's Method books and can second these a good starting point - IF you blank out the TAB while using them. I also REALLY liked Ed's book titled Building Walking Bass Lines as well (No TAB and you'll have to write or transpose more than half the exersizes). 3) The next great book is Bellson's Modern Reading Text In 4/4 - This book is for mastering reading and counting rhythms.
4) The next is to do what you've asked for - songs that you know - you can practice your reading/playing skills with - 5) Lastly, find a venue that requires you to read/play in a live setting. This one is really where the rubber meets the road and were the previous study is put to the test. 6) Also start writing or transposing simple stuff - start with just the notes and then rhythms.
Oh yea - step ONE is to learn/know your fret board! My 2 cents.
 
#12
I started working out a tutorial on sightreading for my students last year. I attached the first few pages and one of the accompanying videos:



Here's a more advanced workout:



I've worked out five Lessons with 26 Exercises so far. What do you think? Do you like this approach?
 

Attachments

#13
Like many of the others here I would recommend Ed Friedland's "Hal Leonard Bass Method" book. The combined books 1, 2, and 3 are comb bound on Amazon with play-along CDs for $15. Honestly I would have paid three times as much for it without feeling cheated. Also he seems to be a member of the forum here, which is a plus.

Anyways the book gets you started with reading notes on the staff right away.
 
#14
mattyb5000 said:
Before you even start with sheet music, I recommend starting off with a comprehensive bass book. I highly recommend the Hal Leonard Bass Method, books 1, 2, & 3, which is written by Ed Friedland. You can buy them all combined as one book. By the end you'll have mastered sight reading. It takes things nice and slow so you don't feel too overwhelmed as you advance to more difficult techniques.
Click to expand...
Exactly this.

One thing not mentioned is, included with the book(s) are cd(s) that you play along with and let you hear what it is you are supposed to be playing.
 
  • Like
Reactions: mattyb5000
#15
besides the things the lovely people above me have mentioned, in my own personal journey to learn to sight read has been the exercises on Musictheory.net

Really really really helps with memorization. Also I suggest not just learning bass clef or treble clef, but learn both right out of the gate. might be hard at first but just throw it all at your self.
 
#16
a cat IRL said:
So I've been learning bass for a while, and as part of my efforts I think I decided to learn to read sheet music (not just tab.)

In order to get it done I went hunting for easy bass-clef songs that I can go through and try to read. When I say easy, I mean "Jingle Bells" easy.

I have an old book here with that came with an electric piano years back, but they're arranged with piano in mind, and don't make much sense on bass guitar.
Click to expand...
Read it anyway. If something's written too low for your bass, transpose it.
 
#19
In a similar situation here- I played piano some three decades ago, and always retained a bit of my ability to read music (though now it's a slow process because I'm out of practice.) Anyway, tell me C or D or Bb and I can instantly play it on the keyboard... But I really want to be able to do that on my bass. (Haven't learned the fretboard well enough yet.) I'm thinking of making it a game with my son- he calls out a note, I play it, and we instantly check if I got it right on a chromatic tuner. Guess I could use flashcards for that as well. Shouldn't take too long- there's only 12 notes per octave...

Anyway, I'm using sheet music to brush up on my music reading, too. Most of what I've got has a simple enough bass clef part to use as a bass line, and I've decided if it drops below that bottom E, I'll just play it an octave higher... At least until I get good enough to justify buying a five-string :)
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back