Reading Theory

[originalfunkbrother]

Hello All,

Could someone please recommend where one can go to learn how to read and write music. I have been playing for quite a while now and I think I play competently well by ear but I am reluctant to carry on down this route as I understand the need and the importance to know how to read and write, only danger is that I dont know who and where to turn to for help but thank God for Basschat, I am sure somebody knows someone who can assist a brother..

Cheers

[EssentialTension]

Start here: [url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Musicians-Guide-Reading-Writing-Music/dp/0879305703/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1251745728&sr=1-1"]The Musicians Guide to Reading and Writing Music[/url] and here: [url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Inside-Music-Musicians-Composition-Improvisation/dp/0879305711/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1251745728&sr=1-2"]Inside the Music: The Musician's Guide to Composition, Improvisation and the Mechanics of Music[/url]

Edited August 31, 2009 by EssentialTension

[leftybassman392]

Another route might be to find yourself a local tutor who can teach you. (Not everybody does well with books.) A lot of BC members (myself among them) earn a living as tutors, so it might be an idea to make yourself known in the 'bass tutors' forum, making sure you tell people that you want to learn theory - without wishing to hurt anybody's feelings there's a lot of people on Basschat that are very good players, but sometimes they've sacrificed theory for the sake of a good technique. Also you will need to tell people where you live so that you get responses from tutors who live locally.

Andy

Edited August 31, 2009 by leftybassman392

[Major-Minor]

Andy (leftybassman) is absolutely right. Trying to teach yourself to read music can be a very lonely and frustrating business. And its so easy to get into bad habits - you might think you are right in your interpretation of the written note, but it is likely you will be getting it completely wrong. You need somebody to guide and correct you. For hundreds (if not thousands) of years, music has thrived through the teacher/pupil relationship. Indeed in many areas of "world music" this is the only way forward for budding musicians.

Just knowing that you have to perform to your teacher the pieces/studies/exercises that have been set, will make you practice with greater concentration and application than if you try to be your own taskmaster.

So get a teacher !

The Major

[foal30]

tutor is good
no need to be bass specific either
in fact if it's theory you want a good argument can be made to get your lessons from a Pianist

if music is chord based....

2 more top books are
Serious Electric Bass by Joe di Bartolo
and The Jazz Theory Book by Marc Levine

[steve]

[quote name='foal30' post='586356' date='Sep 1 2009, 11:06 AM']Serious Electric Bass by Joe di Bartolo[/quote]

+1

[leftybassman392]

[quote name='foal30' post='586356' date='Sep 1 2009, 11:06 AM']tutor is good
no need to be bass specific either
in fact if it's theory you want a good argument can be made to get your lessons from a Pianist[/quote]

Good point! Local music shops (especially if they do a lot of business with the education sector) should have lists of tutors who can take you through what you need to know. As a bass player you would be looking mainly at bass clef, but any half-decent tutor will want you to learn the whole language and not just a part of it. This is a good thing! - hence the comment by foal30 about having a pianist.

Edited September 1, 2009 by leftybassman392

[thepurpleblob]

There's lots of good stuff here - [url="http://thelibster.com/bass/"]http://thelibster.com/bass/[/url]