Bass Notation

[Hot Tub]

Inspired by the "Bass Tabs" thread, why is it seemingly impossible to find bass lines in standard notation? I've picked up a few (four in total!) most of which were posted on here at some point. I know tab is used by a large number of players, but is it really laziness, or is it simply the fact that notation just isn't available for the majority of songs we want to play?

I managed to learn "Rythmn Stick" from notation which was posted on here. I think learning the bass parts for songs that we know from standard notation would be a great way to learn to read, but it just doesn't seem to be available. I've been desperately searching for "Oliver's Army", but can't find it anywhere. There are many others too.

I know there's books out there, but I don't what to by a book just for one or two songs. I'd end up with hundreds of books, and once something's learned and committed to memory, I don't need the hard copy anymore, hence the desire for an online resource of notation.

????

[charic]

with something like powertab or tuxguitar you get both

[JakeBrownBass]

I've added these sites to countless threads.

[b][url="http://www.thebassment.info/"]Site 1[/url]

[url="http://jbbass.co.uk/transcriptions.aspx"]Site 2[/url]

[url="http://freebasspart.pv24.pagesperso-orange.fr/Bass_Players.htm"]Site 3[/url]

[url="http://www.stevieglasgow.com/transcriptions_e.html"]Site 4[/url]

[url="http://stefanredtenbacher.com/transcriptions/"]Site 5[/url]

[url="http://tomkenrick.wordpress.com/basstranscriptions/"]Site 6[/url]

[url="http://www.dodgebass.co.uk/?page_id=36"]Site 7[/url]

[url="http://bassoridiculoso.blogspot.com/"]Site 8[/url]

[url="http://www.mikenichols.co.uk/"]Site 9[/url]

[url="http://www.arcellussykesmusic.com/index.php?/transcriptions/"]Site 10[/url]

[/b]

10 sites there with plenty of material to keep you going for years & they are also updated all the time.

Jake

[lowdown]

Apart from the above links, go down to the theory section...
Always plenty of Notation PDF's to download.




Garry

[Hot Tub]

Thanks guys, some good stuff there!

Still looking for Oliver's Army, if anyone could scan it....?

[Soliloquy]

Tell you what is fantastic practice. All you need is your bass, some manuscript paper, a pen, the track and some spare time.
Listen to it, listen to it again, and keep on listening to it. Work out what the chords are first of all, intro, verse chorus etc. From the chords you'll be able to work out the bass line.

The more you do it, the easier it'll become.

Write it out in standard notation, use other transcriptions to help you write the part out.

[TKenrick]

[quote name='J.R.Bass' post='1160419' date='Mar 13 2011, 01:05 PM']I've added these sites to countless threads.

[b][url="http://www.thebassment.info/"]Site 1[/url]

[url="http://jbbass.co.uk/transcriptions.aspx"]Site 2[/url]

[url="http://freebasspart.pv24.pagesperso-orange.fr/Bass_Players.htm"]Site 3[/url]

[url="http://www.stevieglasgow.com/transcriptions_e.html"]Site 4[/url]

[url="http://stefanredtenbacher.com/transcriptions/"]Site 5[/url]

[url="http://tomkenrick.wordpress.com/basstranscriptions/"]Site 6[/url]

[url="http://www.dodgebass.co.uk/?page_id=36"]Site 7[/url]

[url="http://bassoridiculoso.blogspot.com/"]Site 8[/url]

[url="http://www.mikenichols.co.uk/"]Site 9[/url]

[url="http://www.arcellussykesmusic.com/index.php?/transcriptions/"]Site 10[/url]

[/b]

10 sites there with plenty of material to keep you going for years & they are also updated all the time.

Jake[/quote]


Thanks for the shout out, Jake. I've been slacking off on the transcription front lately but will try and get some new stuff on the site before too long. If there are specific things that people want transcribed then hit me up and I'll see what I can do.


Tom

[mep]

[quote name='Hot Tub' post='1160484' date='Mar 13 2011, 02:12 PM']Thanks guys, some good stuff there!

Still looking for Oliver's Army, if anyone could scan it....?

[/quote]

Check out the thread that I posted my hybrid tab / notation transcription to Olivers Army to.

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=101845&st=0&p=948917&#entry948917"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=...mp;#entry948917[/url]

[Eight]

[quote name='Hot Tub' post='1160404' date='Mar 13 2011, 12:46 PM']Inspired by the "Bass Tabs" thread, why is it seemingly impossible to find bass lines in standard notation?[/quote]
I've recently come to think that bass players are so much more musical than their guitar or piano equivalents, in that they are so capable of playing by ear that writing the sh*t down and posting it on the internet seems a waste of time.

[Bilbo]

[quote name='Eight' post='1161179' date='Mar 13 2011, 10:56 PM']I've recently come to think that bass players are so much more musical than their guitar or piano equivalents, in that they are so capable of playing by ear that writing the sh*t down and posting it on the internet seems a waste of time.[/quote]

Its not that; its because, in 99% of cases, its [i]easier [/i] to work out a bass line than it is a guitar of piano part.

[JakeBrownBass]

[quote name='Eight' post='1161179' date='Mar 13 2011, 10:56 PM']I've recently come to think that bass players are so much more musical than their guitar or piano equivalents, in that they are so capable of playing by ear that writing the sh*t down and posting it on the internet seems a waste of time.[/quote]

Its definitely not a waste of time.

Writing down & transcribing songs helps your ear & your reading to no end. The more you do it, the quicker & easier it all comes.

Plus, the more you do, the bigger your pad gets which means you don't [i]need[/i] to remember them as you can just whip them out and read them.

[lowdown]

[quote name='Eight' post='1161179' date='Mar 13 2011, 10:56 PM']I've recently come to think that bass players are so much more musical than their guitar or piano equivalents, in that they are so capable of playing by ear that writing the sh*t down and posting it on the internet seems a waste of time.[/quote]

A lot of Piano and Guitar players, and indeed Bass players that "write the sh*t down" do so to a high standard, and usually sell and earn from this sh*t in transcription books/tutorials, do arrangements for Orchestral parts, copy for companies supplying music for TV bands, School Orchestras and block buster films etc. So your way of thinking may be well off the mark. Its a big Musical world out there.
You need to have good lugs [whatever instrument you play] to hear before you write the sh*t down.


Garry

[stingrayPete1977]

[quote name='J.R.Bass' post='1160419' date='Mar 13 2011, 01:05 PM']I've added these sites to countless threads.

[b][url="http://www.thebassment.info/"]Site 1[/url]

[url="http://jbbass.co.uk/transcriptions.aspx"]Site 2[/url]

[url="http://freebasspart.pv24.pagesperso-orange.fr/Bass_Players.htm"]Site 3[/url]

[url="http://www.stevieglasgow.com/transcriptions_e.html"]Site 4[/url]

[url="http://stefanredtenbacher.com/transcriptions/"]Site 5[/url]

[url="http://tomkenrick.wordpress.com/basstranscriptions/"]Site 6[/url]

[url="http://www.dodgebass.co.uk/?page_id=36"]Site 7[/url]

[url="http://bassoridiculoso.blogspot.com/"]Site 8[/url]

[url="http://www.mikenichols.co.uk/"]Site 9[/url]

[url="http://www.arcellussykesmusic.com/index.php?/transcriptions/"]Site 10[/url]

[/b]

10 sites there with plenty of material to keep you going for years & they are also updated all the time.

Jake[/quote]
Thanks for those I have been meaning to ask this for a week or more and kept forgetting, Google didnt come up with much last time I tried. Just checked out Intro for Sex on Fire by K.O.L as our guitarist used to try and do something weird with it and I always got the dirty look when it screwed up, It turns out I was right all along! Dick......

[Blademan_98]

Cheers for the sites.

I have been putting a lot of effort into trying to write it down.

I use tuxguitar for speed but do admit to cheating with the tab when playing!

[Hot Tub]

[quote name='mep' post='1160886' date='Mar 13 2011, 07:25 PM']Check out the thread that I posted my hybrid tab / notation transcription to Olivers Army to.

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=101845&st=0&p=948917&#entry948917"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=...mp;#entry948917[/url][/quote]


Thank you! Dunno how I missed that!

[mep]

[quote name='Hot Tub' post='1162424' date='Mar 14 2011, 09:34 PM']Thank you! Dunno how I missed that! [/quote]

No problem, glad you found it. It always pays to do a search before posting. Hopefully you will find what you are looking for, if not a new post will definately get you there!

[Eight]

Meh. I disappear for a short while and return to find you've completely misinterpreted what I was getting at. It was a joke - clearly not a funny one - at the inabilities of players of others instruments.

For what's it worth - I spend a huge amount of time transcribing lines into standard notation, just for the training and for the fun of it.

Edit: maybe using the word sh*t instead of stuff etc. implied a tone I hadn't intended.

Edited March 18, 2011 by Eight

[Michael Currie]

I've only ever transcribed a piece of music when doing an arrangement for school or just for fun, usually altering the style e.g. Phil Collins 'In the Air' swung for a lounge jazz style setup. But I've realised that it's [color="#FF0000"]really[/color] good ear training, so I've decided to tackle 'Not Yet' by Michel Camilo, with those amazing lines by Anthony Jackson!

[Ross]

Took me about 3 weeks of googling to build up my resources, it's all out there you've just gotta find it.