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5 strings and reading music?


sunburstjazz1967
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[quote name='sunburstjazz1967' timestamp='1448361211' post='2914675']
The lines are the fret numbers one to nine then? Sorry if that's dumb but its all new to me!
[/quote]

??? :huh:

Which lines..? If you mean the bar lines, numbered up to 9; no, they indicate the passage of time moving forward as one counts out the beat "ONE, two three four; TWO two three four" etc...
If this is all new to you, that's fine; it's all new to everyone at some point or other. Rather than trying to 'second-guess' each and every time, I'd highly recommend reading up on the subject at least a little, by consulting a few web sites, looking for 'Basic Music Notation Lessons' or similar. You'll come across sites such as this ...
[url="http://www.jazclass.aust.com/basicth/bt1.htm"]Basic Music Notation Lessons ...[/url]
You'll get on so much faster. Try it and see..?

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[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1448360997' post='2914672']
The shortcomings of tab is that you have to already know the song before it makes any sense. You can read the dots and play any piece of music even if you've never heard before.

That's why tab is a kids bike with stabilisers, while dots are a Trek Emonda.
[/quote]

And the above is absolutely true.

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I'd strongly suggest learning score as opposed to tablature. Score might take a little longer to start with, but it's far more informative.
As for how to read. It's just like reading words, it goes from left to right. The stroke down to the dot indicates the speed it is read & the where the dot is placed indicates the pitch.

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[quote name='xgsjx' timestamp='1448367749' post='2914753']
I'd strongly suggest learning score as opposed to tablature. Score might take a little longer to start with, but it's far more informative.
As for how to read. It's just like reading words, it goes from left to right. The stroke down to the dot indicates the speed it is read & the where the dot is placed indicates the pitch.
[/quote]

This :).

I'd also maybe suggest a lesson or 2.

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[quote name='sunburstjazz1967' timestamp='1448473316' post='2915751']
I've realised what I'm doing wrong here, I have a right handed bass that I play upside down so my strings are like normal people's strings other than the E string (the fattest one) that is at the top for me,which is odd I know but that's how I learnt it.

So as I look at the strings top to bottom I have
E
G
D
A
[/quote]

You mean G, D, A, E ?

One of my tutors at uni had his basses tuned the same way.

Edited by ambient
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[quote name='sunburstjazz1967' timestamp='1448487395' post='2915912']
Would it matter where I put it? As long as I learn which note is which it will sound the same wont it?

I've seen talk about 34" and 35" making a difference to the B strings, my encore is a lot longer than that from end to end?
[/quote]

The figures you quote are scale lengths, these are measured from the bridge to the nut, that's to say the length of an open string resonating. Your bass is probably the same as most others. You've not indicated your location; maybe another bass player could meet up with you and have a chat..? Lastly, a suggest that you may not like, or agree with. I'd suggest that it might be worth putting the strings on your bass in the right place for a 'righty' player, turning it round and re-learning how to play it that way round..? A teacher could help with that. If you're naturally 'righty' for most things, it may make more sense for you. With your current tuning, you're going to struggle with the intervals of the G, D and A strings.
Disclaimer: I'm 'righty', but play drums 'lefty', so, yes, it [i]can [/i]work. No malice intended.

Edited by Dad3353
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[quote name='sunburstjazz1967' timestamp='1448486122' post='2915897']
Nope, E nearest my face like a normal left handed bass then G D A. I'm used to it now but I've never seen another with strings like mine, I wish I'd just learnt the right way up now, I'm not even left handed at anything else!
[/quote]

So they're not the same as everyone else's just upside down. You've got the A, D and G switched. Your heaviest string is next to your lightest string ?

My tutor had his tuned G, D, A, E (B). Jimmy Haslip has his the same, but now plays a 6, so his C string is top most. Both play left handed.

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[quote name='ambient' timestamp='1448492704' post='2915970']...Your heaviest string is next to your lightest string ?...
[/quote]

Not necessarily. Maybe the 'A' string is tuned to 'G', the 'D' is OK and the 'G' tuned to 'A'..? Either way it's not easy to play..!

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