Learning to read the dots - Sheet music to learn with

[Grangur]

Hey Stompbox, you're right. All corrected now.

[url="https://onedrive.live.com/view.aspx?resid=88014765C749B87!266&ithint=file%2cpdf&app=WordPdf"]Happy Birthday[/url] is all ready for anyone to play with all the right notes now. (wow)

Edited September 29, 2014 by Grangur

[Stompbox]

I've just downloaded some more of the tunes to have a go at - it's a really useful resource!

I bought the Hal Leonard Bass Method book recently - it's three books (with 3 cds) in one, and I'm resolutely working my way through the first book.

it's the syncopated rhythms that I find hard to read & put into practice - I can play "by ear" in syncopated style just fine - trying to read is sometimes a bit like the sketch off the Jennifer Saunders show - have you seen this?

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FroICbwvJII[/media]

Pretty funny - it's the only version on Youtube with a decent soundtrack - (the french subtitles are a bonus feature) .

Edited October 5, 2014 by Stompbox

[Grangur]

Hmmm... are you telling me you need the diagrams with dots?

Crikey! That will take me a few weeks.

[Stompbox]

No - no - just a joke!

[Bilbo]

Just a point for consideration for all those who are learning to read.

The skill begins with understanding the notes and note values so learning where C is on a bass clef, adding in the accidentals and then learning the difference between a crotchet and a quaver etc. Next comes reading rhythms. Remember to learn to read where notes END was well as where they start as this can make the difference between nearly and not quite. But the REAL skill, after you have the nuts and bolts down, is learning to CONCENTRATE!! When you nail a chart once, it gives you a real buzz. You put it down, jump around the room a bit, go get a coffee and a fag or whatever and then you come back and try again and it falls apartat bar fice and you get all despondant. My advice is don't beat your self up!! Learning to read is an incremental thing and it takes time to learn to get 'into the zone' so you can focus your energy on reading whilst listening to other musicians around you, finding your place when you have got lost, reading the geography of the chart etc etc. It's all about concentration and focus which takes as much time to develop as learning the difference between a C and an E does.

Hope that's helpful.

[JamesFlashG]

have a go at this one along to the song on you tube or something its quite a goodun

[JamesFlashG]

oh nothing attached never mind

[Dad3353]

When learning to read as a child, one starts with 'Janet and John', and gradually builds up the skill. 'Treasure Island' and such confirm this acquisition. Shakespeare takes a little study (well worth it, though..!), and poetry can throw one off kilter if unaccustomed. Then foreign languages kick in, including dead'uns such as Latin and Greek for some. All of this takes time, and not a little work. Simple enough at first, but can become quite deep.
Much the same, then, with reading music. If taken at the right pace, and to the level required by the learner, all is well. It cannot be rushed, nor greatly accelerated except by diligent repetition and usage of the previously attained building blocks. Patience and assiduity are the key, imo, powered by that most mighty of motors: motivation.

[Stompbox]

Just come back to this discussion again after a disastrous attempt to run through of something that I played fine the other day - have taken solace in Bilbo's wise comments above.

I must not be in the right frame of mind, or something like that.

Do you have any other words of wisdom?

- I'm taking the approach of



!) Having a break,

2) Writing this brief whinge,

3) Having a cup of tea,

4) Reminding myself that it WILL all be worth it, then

5) Going back to it......

[Grangur]

Practice, practice, practice...

Jaco says in a video - play anything and everything, even treble clef! (Imagine that thought )

[Grangur]

After a long break, I've done another tune for the list:

[url="https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=88014765C749B87!347&authkey=!AJq7elXKOMBsXlk&ithint=file%2cpdf"]Autumn Leaves[/url][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][size=3] - This is the score of the tune, not the bass line. To hear what this is meant to sound like, [url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsp5OASh7bg"]click here[/url] and listen from 0.50 onwards.[/size][/font][/color]

[skej21]

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1412672839' post='2570851']
Just a point for consideration for all those who are learning to read.

The skill begins with understanding the notes and note values so learning where C is on a bass clef, adding in the accidentals and then learning the difference between a crotchet and a quaver etc. Next comes reading rhythms. Remember to learn to read where notes END was well as where they start as this can make the difference between nearly and not quite. But the REAL skill, after you have the nuts and bolts down, is learning to CONCENTRATE!! When you nail a chart once, it gives you a real buzz. You put it down, jump around the room a bit, go get a coffee and a fag or whatever and then you come back and try again and it falls apartat bar fice and you get all despondant. My advice is don't beat your self up!! Learning to read is an incremental thing and it takes time to learn to get 'into the zone' so you can focus your energy on reading whilst listening to other musicians around you, finding your place when you have got lost, reading the geography of the chart etc etc. It's all about concentration and focus which takes as much time to develop as learning the difference between a C and an E does.

Hope that's helpful.
[/quote]

Interesting. When I was learning I started with rhythms first (using only one pitch) and then added the other pitches later. My tutor thought it was more important to be able to spot a rhythm and read it fluently like you would read a word (we don't go C-A-T like we do when we were younger, as adults we just recognise it as 'cat' and move on to the next word). Once I had rhythms nailed, he used to just get random bits of music and make me play through it until I made a mistake. The concentration I required at this point was working out the pitches as the rhythms were almost second nature and were no longer part of the equation (unless a really obscure rhythm popped up). Once I made a mistake in the piece he had opened the page at, he would turn to another piece. I'd play through until I made a mistake and he'd switch the piece again. This meant that I never had the chance to learn/memorise what I was playing, I was purely developing my reading ability. I also began to see his thinking, as spotting the intervals in the music when playing is a lot easier than spotting a bar of rhythm and knowing how to play it evenly/accurately (IMO).

Took a couple of months of practice but I picked up a few reading gigs quite quickly as a result and have never looked back. It's interesting how people approach learning to read!

Edited February 25, 2015 by skej21

[M@23]

I started 'Simplified Sight reading for Bass', was wondering, what is the best method of counting when playing passages of different values? For example, for 8th notes I'm counting 1 and 2 and... And when I hit a group of 16th notes I'll start counting 1 e and a 2 e and a... Is this correct, to change it up depending on the value of notes you're reading? That's probably a silly question, but its working for me now, but I don't want to continue if there's a better method.

[Grangur]

[quote name='M@23' timestamp='1425225794' post='2705252']
I started 'Simplified Sight reading for Bass', was wondering, what is the best method of counting when playing passages of different values? For example, for 8th notes I'm counting 1 and 2 and... And when I hit a group of 16th notes I'll start counting 1 e and a 2 e and a... Is this correct, to change it up depending on the value of notes you're reading? That's probably a silly question, but its working for me now, but I don't want to continue if there's a better method.
[/quote]
I had the privilege to be in a Q&A session with Ed Freidland a week or so back and he was presenting on just this. Ed's counting heavily featured "Duck n chicken, duck n chicken...".

So if it works; use it. If you like to count, that's good. Or you can use Ed's non-vegetarian variety.

[Bilbo]

My teacher did the same, skej21. Dan Quinton (Otis Grand and The Dance Kings). I think the counting thing M@23 mentioned above revelas an aspect that you touched upon. The I er and er 2 er aspect of counting is a great means of explaning the idea of written music but it is NOT a tool you should use whilst actually reading (you would have no chance). You need to get the rhythms in your head so you are 'seeing' them as phrases rather than reading each note. Think 'word' rather than 'letter' or 'syllable'.Proficiency comes with practice (and it is worth noting that, if you don;t maintain the skill, you will lose it).

[M@23]

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1425297994' post='2705887']
My teacher did the same, skej21. Dan Quinton (Otis Grand and The Dance Kings). I think the counting thing M@23 mentioned above revelas an aspect that you touched upon. The I er and er 2 er aspect of counting is a great means of explaning the idea of written music but it is NOT a tool you should use whilst actually reading (you would have no chance). You need to get the rhythms in your head so you are 'seeing' them as phrases rather than reading each note. Think 'word' rather than 'letter' or 'syllable'.Proficiency comes with practice (and it is worth noting that, if you don;t maintain the skill, you will lose it).
[/quote]

Cool. Thanks for that.

[Grangur]

I went out to a concert last night. Then came back and transcribed this for bass.

It gives a good intro to ledger lines and octaves up the dusty end.

The Blue Danube by Johann Strauss.

[attachment=208492:The_Blue_Danube_-_very_easy.pdf]

[bristolmusiclessons]

[Grangur]

That's a good book.

What I'm trying to do here is provide scores for tunes that a bass player can play and the tune/melody work in its own right.

Thanks all the same for your input. Others will find the book valuable. I have.

[bristolmusiclessons]

No worries mate, however it could easily be argued that his basslines work as a melody in their own right! I know what you mean though

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=At3OP5CvIRY

[Grangur]

[quote name='bristolmusiclessons' timestamp='1458033766' post='3003969']
No worries mate, however it could easily be argued that his basslines work as a melody in their own right! I know what you mean though

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=At3OP5CvIRY
[/quote]

Taking your ID seriously I'm also very prepared to take guidance and corrections on what you consider useful to a student of the art.
I'll be taking a another look at the Motown book. Many thanks

[bristolmusiclessons]

Thanks, that's very kind. It's about as good as it gets IMO!

[joey1234]

Hey not sure why but the links don't seem to be working it wants me to login, but doesn't let me register any ideas?

[Grangur]

[quote name='joey1234' timestamp='1460378073' post='3025114']
Hey not sure why but the links don't seem to be working it wants me to login, but doesn't let me register any ideas?
[/quote]
Sorry for that. I've gone through them all now and they should all work now. If you have problems on any of them, please do let me know.

[joey1234]

Hey thanks ill check them out now