Moving from tabs to music: tips requested

[lanark]

Okay, I can sight read music for a piano (so I suppose that's a start), but I'm stuck reading tabs for the bass in my band. I know which note I'm supposed to play, but I can't convert that to a finger position on the fretboard quickly enough, so tabs are easy and a difficult habit to break.

Anyone switched from tab to music? Any advice on how to do it with least pain?

[Bilbo]

There is no quick route. Its practice, practice, practice (it shouldn't take very long to get a handle on it for bass lines. Its only usually solos that get so complex that they can't be played in one position).

[Doddy]

If you can sight read on piano,you can obviously read bass clef.
Do you know where all of the notes are on the 'board? If so it'll make things so
much easier.
Try reading some of the bass parts to any of piano score that you've got and play them on the bass.You will
have no choice but to read the notes. Alternatively,take some of the tabs that you use,and convert them into proper
notation.

[jamieariss]

i drew a fingerboard and marked on the notes at each fret ,, then i stuck it above my bed

[crez5150]

[quote name='jamieariss' post='725595' date='Jan 26 2010, 07:07 PM']i drew a fingerboard and marked on the notes at each fret ,, then i stuck it above my bed [/quote]

Brilliant!

[keving]

[quote name='jamieariss' post='725595' date='Jan 26 2010, 07:07 PM']i drew a fingerboard and marked on the notes at each fret ,, then i stuck it above my bed [/quote]

I tried that. I'm not getting any better at it but at least my wife can play bass as well now.

[Doddy]

[quote name='jamieariss' post='725595' date='Jan 26 2010, 07:07 PM']i drew a fingerboard and marked on the notes at each fret ,, then i stuck it above my bed [/quote]


That's cool-but remember to write the notes out on the stave aswell.

What I do with beginners is I write out the notes on a sheet of manuscript over 4 staves,using one stave per string.
So for the E string I'll write from the open string chromatically up to the octave,with the note name written underneath. After I've done
this for all the strings,it is easy to see where all of the notes lie on both the 'board and on paper,and where the notes cross over
eg. E on the 2nd fret of the D string is the same as the 7th fret on the A,is the same as 12th fret E, and so on.

This way,my students are learning both the notes placement on the 'board as well as basic reading skills from the very
beginning,which makes it so much easier for us both.

[tarcher]

I'm learning the notes on the fret board by running through the cycle of fourths and by saying the note as I play it.
I'm doing this one string at a time and varying which note I start on.
Also doing it with a metronome.
Its a bit tedious but if you do it for half an hour a day after a week or so you should have it nailed.
Good luck