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The best book for sighting reading

#21
Literally dozens of my students have learned how to sight read with this method book:
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It starts off with the four open strings and whole notes, and always motivates the student with great backing tracks recorded with live drums, guitar and keyboards.

It doesn't use TABs for obvious reasons, and although it is designed to be a complete method book that includes basic technique as well, it's the best book I've ever seen for getting people to actually READ what's on the sheet.
 
#24
:crying:
AndreBas said:
Literally dozens of my students have learned how to sight read with this method book:
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

It starts off with the four open strings and whole notes, and always motivates the student with great backing tracks recorded with live drums, guitar and keyboards.

It doesn't use TABs for obvious reasons, and although it is designed to be a complete method book that includes basic technique as well, it's the best book I've ever seen for getting people to actually READ what's on the sheet.
Click to expand...

It looks like it is no longer available.
 
#27
Tough one, since you are isolated. In directed bands, you need to also know how to follow the conductor, a skill best learned by doing it. But you can work on sight reading by finding a written out bass part , then the music, then recording your self doing a play along. A suggestion is to get iRealBook (now called iRealb), which has play alongs, minus the melody lines, for 1200 jazz standards. You can mute the bass part, and practice walking the chords. then get a Real Book, and read the melodies along with the iRB accompaniment. Or just whip out the music, a metronome, and hit record. The recording will do two things- let you hear yourself as others hear you, and impose on you the same sort of pressure that happens when sight reading or recording something right on the first take. I have found that a lot of reading errors are committed by not being able to handle the pressure. You need to be comfortable, and learn how to keep it going, not freeze up, even if you miss some notes.
 
#28
+1 for anything Ed has written. He's a gifted teacher.
The Ron Velosky book is good too.
The Classic DB literature is great, but only after you have a pretty good handle on reading. If so, Simandl, Sturm, Bille and Storch-Hrabe are excellent.

One that is often overlooked and is excellent for getting a grip on the standard kind of rhythm and melodic things you'll encounter on a gig:

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David's series is a 3 vol and DO take them in order. Well worth the money.
 
#32
I recomend if you are starting http://www.amazon.com/Simplified-Sight-Reading-Bass-Instruction/dp/0793565189 by des pres
Also Simandl and de Bille but those I havent go so far.
When you finish the first chapters you will be able to pick up some songs. I am at this step, now I am working sight reading with several books.
Standing in the Shadows of Motown, the simple lines without 16th notes.
Duck Dunn bass lines, some slow blues and otis redding slow soul tunes, you really don`t need the book, cause 80 percent of it you can find it here Link Removed and many more.
Also a good book is blues bass by ed friedland and slow blues tunes by SRV, clapton, freddie king, bb king, albert king, etc.
 
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#33
I got the Hal Leonard books by Ed Friedland today, but won't really have time to delve into them today. Tomorrow, on the other hand... :bassist:

I want to say thanks to everyone who has participated in this thread, I really appreciate it! I'm certainly going to keep this subbed for the purposes of future purchases. Thanks again and if anyone else has any input, please throw it out there!
 
#35
jeffbonny said:
I agree. If you were teaching someone to read text would you let them get bogged down with books on how to do it or would you send them to the library? Oddly enough many libraries have HUGE amounts of bass clef music (bass, cello, trombone, bass clarinet etc) you can read through for free.
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I'm pretty sure I'd want to ensure that they have a solid foundation in reading music prior to putting a bunch of little black dots with various symbols in front of them, just sayin'.

Some of you seem to think, at least from your posts, that you can simply put bass clef music in front of someone and they can magically read it. If this is not your opinion, consider what you type out before doing so and read through it afterwards to ensure that you don't come across this way. There's a very specific question in the title, and it's exactly the information that this thread needs in order to assist those who want to learn how to do this.
 
#36
Righteous Thunderer said:
I'm pretty sure I'd want to ensure that they have a solid foundation in reading music prior to putting a bunch of little black dots with various symbols in front of them, just sayin'.

Some of you seem to think, at least from your posts, that you can simply put bass clef music in front of someone and they can magically read it. If this is not your opinion, consider what you type out before doing so and read through it afterwards to ensure that you don't come across this way. There's a very specific question in the title, and it's exactly the information that this thread needs in order to assist those who want to learn how to do this.
Click to expand...

I think that there is actually a little bit of a disconnect between your thread title and the question you were asking. There is a difference between learning the fundamentals of reading music (which is what you refer to in the above post) and sight-reading (which is the ability to apply those fundamentals in real time). Ed Friedland's books and similar instructional books are great for the former; reading anything you can get your hands on is great for the latter.

Regardless, best of luck with your studies.
 
#39
Righteous Thunderer said:
Some of you seem to think, at least from your posts, that you can simply put bass clef music in front of someone and they can magically read it. If this is not your opinion, consider what you type out before doing so and read through it afterwards to ensure that you don't come across this way. .
Click to expand...

Self-Righteous Thunderer are you trying to punish me by making my eyes sore from rolling them? I did not say DON'T get a book to get you started. Many good ones have been suggested and I don't need to belabor that point. What I said is not to get bogged down in "how to" books and to jump in and start reading everything you can get your hands on...just like you'd do if you were learning to read text.
I was making what's called an analogy:

analogy |əˈnaləjē|
noun ( pl. -gies)
a comparison between two things, typically on the basis of their structure and for the purpose of explanation or clarification

I was also pointing out a very valuable free resource, the public library, that many people learning to read have no idea exists.

There's a huge industry in music education books which seems like a good thing and in many ways making available this huge body of information is. A serious problem it creates is that there is little emphasis placed on moving past student thinking into thinking like a confident adult musician. If they did you'd stop buying books and work things out for yourself like an adult does.
 
#40
Febs said:
I think that there is actually a little bit of a disconnect between your thread title and the question you were asking. There is a difference between learning the fundamentals of reading music (which is what you refer to in the above post) and sight-reading (which is the ability to apply those fundamentals in real time). Ed Friedland's books and similar instructional books are great for the former; reading anything you can get your hands on is great for the latter.

Regardless, best of luck with your studies.
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Ahhh, understood. I was unaware of the difference between the two, thanks for the info! I somewhat linked the two together as the same thing because I see them as two steps, one leading to the other, but I understand that I used the wrong terminology. Thanks again!


jeffbonny said:
Self-Righteous Thunderer are you trying to punish me by making my eyes sore from rolling them? I did not say DON'T get a book to get you started. Many good ones have been suggested and I don't need to belabor that point. What I said is not to get bogged down in "how to" books and to jump in and start reading everything you can get your hands on...just like you'd do if you were learning to read text.
I was making what's called an analogy:

analogy |əˈnaləjē|
noun ( pl. -gies)
a comparison between two things, typically on the basis of their structure and for the purpose of explanation or clarification

I was also pointing out a very valuable free resource, the public library, that many people learning to read have no idea exists.

There's a huge industry in music education books which seems like a good thing and in many ways making available this huge body of information is. A serious problem it creates is that there is little emphasis placed on moving past student thinking into thinking like a confident adult musician. If they did you'd stop buying books and work things out for yourself like an adult does.
Click to expand...

Wow man, you get butthurt really easily don't you? Did the cool kids not let you sit with them in high school or something? I mean, thanks for reminding everyone that the public library and other free resources exist, but putting that little "Self" in front of my name... really? Is that necessary? I simply quoted you because you were the latest person to recommend something other than what I was looking for. I completely understand that there was a disconnect now thanks to Febs, but of course you'd rather make a sorry attempt at belittling me than pointing out my ignorance on the subject and actually helping. Good try bud.

If you respond to this with any sort of snide remark or comment, you will not get a reply; this is the internet, and I have other much more important things to do than argue with someone all day.
 

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