chilievans Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 I stopped playing bass around 5 years ago and have recently started playing again. I'm having lessons with a local teacher and I have my first exam coming up soon at grade 4 level. My weakest area seems to be sight reading as i haven't a lot of experience with it but I'm keen to learn. So keen that I get up every morning at 5.30 to practice before work . Anyway I looking for some hints and tips on sight reading and hopefully some song sheets with both notation and tab on them Thanks in advance guys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mart Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 I wouldn't have though you'd want sheet music with both notation and tab on, unless you're only just starting to read music at all. As soon as possible you should switch to music that has no tab; otherwise you'll find you're reading the tab no matter how hard you try to concentrate on the standard notation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 (edited) As far as I know tab doesn't feature in any exams so I would just stick to the dots. Hints on sight reading? Just keep at it. Edited January 18, 2011 by chris_b Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 Scroll through the Theory and Technique forum here and you will find loads of charts for reading. I have posted a few dozen and other have also so you should find plenty of material to practise on. Remember, you are trying to learn to read, not to play so make sure that is what you are doing during your practice time. Tab is no help in learning to read as it does the work for you instead of you developing the rskills/knowledge required to handle the process yourself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chilievans Posted January 18, 2011 Author Share Posted January 18, 2011 Hello Mart. Thanks for dead or alive by the way . Your right mate I have just started reading music and I find it helps to have the tab option to fall back on. I'll start reading the music without the tab as soon as I've sat my exam. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chilievans Posted January 18, 2011 Author Share Posted January 18, 2011 Thanks boys. I'll keep plugging away at it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doddy Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 [quote name='chris_b' post='1093970' date='Jan 18 2011, 03:43 PM']As far as I know tab doesn't feature in any exams so I would just stick to the dots. Hints on sight reading? Just keep at it.[/quote] Unfortunately the Rockschool exams do feature Tab,which to me,kind of defeats the object. Tips on reading..... Just do it. It's just a case ofthe more you read,the better you get-there are no shortcuts.Find new material all the time(without Tab) and try to read through it,without memorising it,that way you will be reading each time. Start off with simple lines and gradually get more difficult. Walking basslines are great for note practice because rhythmically they are mostly crotchets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mart Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 [quote name='chilievans' post='1094023' date='Jan 18 2011, 04:14 PM']Hello Mart. Thanks for dead or alive by the way . Your right mate I have just started reading music and I find it helps to have the tab option to fall back on. I'll start reading the music without the tab as soon as I've sat my exam.[/quote] You're welcome - there's so many tabs or pieces of music that I've got from other folk, that it's a pleasure to be able to give something in return. [quote name='Doddy' post='1094171' date='Jan 18 2011, 06:19 PM']Unfortunately the Rockschool exams do feature Tab,which to me,kind of defeats the object. Tips on reading..... Just do it. It's just a case ofthe more you read,the better you get-there are no shortcuts.Find new material all the time(without Tab) and try to read through it,without memorising it,that way you will be reading each time. Start off with simple lines and gradually get more difficult. Walking basslines are great for note practice because rhythmically they are mostly crotchets.[/quote] +1 on that. It really is so simple - there's no clever tricks, or fancy programmes you need - practice is the one and only answer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spiltmilk_2000 Posted January 22, 2011 Share Posted January 22, 2011 check out the book 'simplified sight reading for bass'. I found it really helpful in getting started... deals with getting you reading rhythms fluently first then adds pitches which makes it more digestible for the beginner in my opinion... Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soliloquy Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 (edited) I found 'Hanon the virtuoso pianist' to be a good book. [url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hanon-Virtuoso-Exercises-Schirmers-Classics/dp/0793551218/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1296256170&sr=1-1"]Hanon the virtuoso pianist[/url] Use a metronome and just play through the exercises, it's a useful way to gain familiarity with the dots and the notes on the fretboard. You can adapt the exercises in there for your own use. Play them as quarter notes, or eighth notes, but use a metronome. Walking bassline transcriptions are also really, really good, but the Hanon book is very cheap. Edited January 28, 2011 by Soliloquy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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