Dread Bass

How about learning to read music thats what im doing.

Well today i worked on adding the first five frets of the A string. Its starting to get tricky now but with enough practice i will get it. I also learned the modes of the Maj pentatonic scale which was fun. I also managed to get hold of a copy of Bach for bass so when im getting the hang of reading i can have a crack at that. @OTPJ: thanks for the recommendations i will keep my eye open for those titles.

I'm finding using this thread quite useful as a practice diary so i will keep updating until people get bored.

Well completed today section. I went back over yesterdays exercises which involved 8th notes but all open E. I then moved on to include the first five frets of of the E string with accidentals. I just got up to getting the hang of 8th notes but it is tricky. Tomorrow i will add the first fove frets of the A string and see how i go. I have felt that my playing has stagnated over the last 6 months so to address this i am going to relearn my scales and chords and try to play different fingerings of things. So far i have relearned: Pentatonic: Maj (3 fingerings) min (3 fingerings) Maj + min 2 oct scales: Maj (3 fingerings) + 2 oct min (3 fingerings) + 2 oct triads (all 3 fingerings) Maj min Aug Dim 7th Chords (all three fingerings) arpeggios Maj Dom min min b5 dim I'm working through Intermediate Electric bass by Dave Overthrow. @ iamapirate: The main reason i am learning is to gain a better understanding of music opposed to practical reasons. I just feel it will give me better understanding of music. But as you rightly pint out there is no use in being good at reading but unable to play to a chart etc. Learning to read is a small part of what I'm practicing just now. @ Doc of bass: thanks that will be useful once I'm getting the fundamentals down. @flatwound: Thanks for the offer. I will see how i progress on the book i have and if its not going well i will shoot you a PM @ Doddy: I know it would be better using a teacher but I will just have to persevere just now. @ Endorka: thanks i will remember that as i progress sure it will be useful

[quote name='Hot Tub' post='596521' date='Sep 12 2009, 01:13 PM']Very slow and painful to begin with, enormously frustrating at times, but as I began to be able to recognise the notes of the staff the whole learning process seemed to get quicker. I make a point of having a bass book or magazine with some transcription in it with me pretty much all the time. If I get a quiet break at work I go through the music and just read out the note names. But that's only part of it. You also need to know where the notes are on the fretboard, and in many cases there are two or more positions in which the same note can be played. For that I'm just following some really simple stuff in the books - play the note and say it's name at the same time. You feel a bit of a plum to start with though! If it's any help, the book I'm mostly using is Music Reading For Bass by Wendi Hrehovcsik, part of the Musicians Institute Essential Concepts range, published by Hal Leonard, cat. no. HAL00695203. I'm finding it to be very well structured with good excercises which challenge me, but don't frustrate me. I'm currently fighting my way through the jungle of note durations and rest durations, all of which I think are at least as important as knowing the printed notes. My problem really, is that I have the attention span of a small insect, and so usually end up playing along with stuff again.... [/quote] Cool sounds like you are getting there. Like you say its practice, practice, practice. I am also using Music Reading for Bass by Wendi. So far so good.

[quote name='Hot Tub' post='596461' date='Sep 12 2009, 12:02 PM']That's just depressing. But excellent, just the same. I really hope she doesn't give up on it later. I did, and it's one of the biggest regrets of my life. Good luck to metaltime! I'm working my way through this long, slow process too. Practise, practise, practise - you [i]can [/i]do it! [/quote] Thanks for the encouragement. How are you finding it?

Well i Just completed my first session. I did the first two chapters of the book as most of the content of the first i already understood. The main difficulty I found was getting dotted 8th note rhythms. That took a bit of getting used to but i think I'm getting it. I aim to try and do an hour each day on reading alone. I am also going to work through some general theory to compliment the reading practice. @BigAl: Thanks that was helpful the book didn't give me a formula to remember the notes so that was useful. @ahpook: Well if i can get the hang of it then anyone can. I'm also dyslexic so not sure if that will impact or not. We will see. Once i get the fundamentals down your welcome to a lone of the book. @SteveO: Really helpful post thanks for that. As i mentioned above I'm going to crack on with some theory and the book i have is The complete idiots guide to music theory which i believe is mainly Piano based. Do you think this will be enough of a basis? once i get to the point where i can read read i.e somewhere near the first stage you point out I will defiantly be tackling some classical pieces. I have heard Cello suites are supposed to be useful. Mods if you feel this should be in theory and technique feel free to move although i think is OK where it is.

for those interested i will be using this book: [url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Musicians-Institute-Essential-Concepts-Reading/dp/B00144DX8C/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=miscellaneous&qid=1252713113&sr=8-2"]http://www.amazon.co.uk/Musicians-Institut...3113&sr=8-2[/url] the first chapter which i will tackle tomorrow is on: the staff, the bass clef, notes, pitches intervals, accidentals, ledger lines and the bass fretboard.

I am currently out of work as i have just finished my MA in Social Work. While I apply for jobs etc i have decided to learn how to read music as a challenge. I am going to try and practice every day. I have a book somewhere and i will up date this thread with a progress report on what im up to. Any advice or tips? getting a teacher is not an option just now due to lack of funds.

I didn't even realise this thread existed. Interesting reading.

[quote name='eightball' post='595746' date='Sep 11 2009, 03:12 PM']if someone is [i]truly[/i] metal, then EVERYTHING they touch is in fact; metal. [/quote] Never a truer word said.

Also if you read the Talkbass thread another guy who copied the idea moved two of the lats to make the space between big enough for cabling.

Ebay is good for velcro.

an entry from me:

Well i feel i may have some strong entry

Well this sounds epic. I look forward to seeing the progress.

I love trans black finishes and metal therefore I like this already.

Excellent basses you will not be disappointed.

Why not get a pro to set it up like you want it they might be able to work a bit of magic.

+1 I bought Deezbars six string schecter and it was a great transaction. Really cool guy.