Bilbo Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 [quote name='fatback' post='1084252' date='Jan 10 2011, 02:29 PM']Interesting point about not going back. I'm inclined to keep going back until I can get everything right, but it's hugely time consuming. Probably memory comes into play too much as well.[/quote] You are learning to [i]read[/i] not to [i]play[/i]. If you are on a gig, you don't get a second chance but what you do get is to get used to the process of transferring what you see to what you do with yoiur hands. If you keep stopping and going back, you are focussing on the [i]content [/i]and not the [i]process[/i] of reading. Best reading lesson I ever had, with a guy called Dan Quinton from Otis Grand and the Dance Kings, was him putting new stuff in front of me one after the other without any breaks for half an hour. If I stalled, he took the chart away and put another one up, no comment. Completeley exhausting but a massive learning experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jam Posted January 10, 2011 Author Share Posted January 10, 2011 [quote name='Bilbo' post='1084279' date='Jan 10 2011, 02:45 PM']You are learning to [i]read[/i] not to [i]play[/i]. If you are on a gig, you don't get a second chance but what you do get is to get used to the process of transferring what you see to what you do with yoiur hands. If you keep stopping and going back, you are focussing on the [i]content [/i]and not the [i]process[/i] of reading. Best reading lesson I ever had, with a guy called Dan Quinton from Otis Grand and the Dance Kings, was him putting new stuff in front of me one after the other without any breaks for half an hour. If I stalled, he took the chart away and put another one up, no comment. Completeley exhausting but a massive learning experience.[/quote] Christ that sounds brutal, but very logical. I made a mistake playing the other day, and like other people have mentioned, I've gone back to fix it. Gonna approach reading with this in mind from now on, cheers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doddy Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 [quote name='Bilbo' post='1084176' date='Jan 10 2011, 01:25 PM']A little and often, I say. Just get anything in bass clef and bang through it. Its familiarity with the written form that allows you to improve. Print off anything that is transcribed here (its all free) and go for it, one after the other - don't go back and rectify your mistakes as you go, just keep reading, reading, reading and not learning the pieces. At this point, accuracy is not as important as keeping going!!! It will come but it takes time and practice - no short cuts here.[/quote] I kind of disagree on the keep going part. At this stage I would say go back and fix mistakes,but again don't learn the piece. At this stage I don't think it's worth ploughing thorough,it's more about taking time and getting it right. Later on you should carry on and get to the end,but until you are at least a relatively comfortable with the dots I wouldn't plough through pieces. It doesn't matter how long it takes you to work out the notes at this stage as long as you get them right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frank Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 hello everyone, great advice what im wondering now is in this book by J des Pres that most of us are using is there are no tempo markings so at what tempo should i say ok this is good enough. for anyone with the book im talking about chapter 3 Ex 2a (i cant get past 100bpm with that one) for anyone without the book its a very simple example with mostly 8th notes some halves and quaters also the only notes used are E F G and A. And at this point there are no keys involved. Whats an acceptable tempo for reading 8th notes at this point Also like Jam and Bob id like to be reading the Motown book sometimes i read through it just tapping out the rhythms not always at the same tempo as the song as most of them are around the 100-120 mark Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaypup Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 I remember Quincy Jones saying that he and his mates learned to be incredibly quick at sight reading so that they could spend most of the gig checking out the women in the audience - great motivation! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jam Posted January 11, 2011 Author Share Posted January 11, 2011 I managed to go through the bass clef with: [url="http://www.studybass.com/tools/bass-clef-notes/"]http://www.studybass.com/tools/bass-clef-notes/[/url] today when I had a spare few minutes. Great practice if you don't have a bass to hand.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.