The time has come to learn to read...

[CamdenRob]

I have decided that it is about time I learnt to read music... or more accurately learnt to notate the music I write so I don't forget it over time, as I have been doing with stuff I only wrote a couple of months back... I blame the wine...

I've a good understanding of theory, I always write diatonically and I'm familiar with where the notes are on the fretboard, interval positions etc. I know where I am when I'm given a chord sequence to work to and the scale / mode shapes come naturally, however I've never learned to read music off the stave... This is probably due to having absolutely zero interest in playing anything written by someone else. However I have come to realise it would be very useful to be able to notate my own stuff and then sight read it back further down the line when I've forgotten it...

I've ordered a copy of 'The Bass Guitarist's Guide to Reading Music - Beginner Level' and when it arrives I shall be off down the road of crochets and quavers...

I am not to old to learn something new... Anyone else gone through this after years in the darkness?

Rob

Edited September 19, 2013 by CamdenRob

[Grangur]

When are you too old to learn?

IMHO if you're to old to learn, you're probably too old to hold a bass... sad times.

You could take a look here for some stuff to read without tabs.
[url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/215336-learning-to-read-the-dots-sheet-music-to-learn-with/"]http://basschat.co.uk/topic/215336-learning-to-read-the-dots-sheet-music-to-learn-with/[/url]

Stuff I've loaded up is mostly stuff with a tune to it without having to have a backing track. Ok it's not a real bass line, but it's music.

Good luck mate


Rich

Edited September 19, 2013 by Grangur

[CamdenRob]

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1379576659' post='2214274']
When are you too old to learn?

IMHO if you're to old to learn, you're probably too old to hold a bass... sad times.

You could take a look here for some stuff to read without tabs.
[url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/215336-learning-to-read-the-dots-sheet-music-to-learn-with/"]http://basschat.co.u...-to-learn-with/[/url]

Stuff I've loaded up is mostly stuff with a tune to it without having to have a backing track. Ok it's not a real bass line, but it's music.

Good luck mate


Rich
[/quote]

Yeah I saw your post a few days ago with those pieces attached, I'll give them all a go once I'm a bit further down the line... they look like a great exercise to judge how far I've come.

I'm assuming that after a while I won't be reading each note individually but instead seeing a sequence of notes and translating that to a tune... like we do with reading words, ie. we don't read each individual letter but more a phrase as a whole at a glance... obviously this will take time and practice but I imagine thats how it goes eventually.

Rob

[uncle psychosis]

I can fluently sight read treble clef, but I've just never been able to make the switch to bass clef I really need to force myself to do it.

[pietruszka]

Learning how to read doesn't take long, intact you could do it in a lunch break! But getting good at it takes a while. Doing it often is the key, and reading notes in bunches. So you're aiming to read them almost as words instead of letters, phrases instead of notes.



Dan