Major-Minor Posted February 9, 2010 Share Posted February 9, 2010 (edited) The Major's Bass Boot Camp (Session 15) 8 sight reading exercises, all in 6th position (bass guitar) MBBC15 - 6th position study (1) [attachment=42162:MBBC15.pdf] [attachment=42190:MBBC15.mp3] This rather classical sounding piece (no syncopation) features all the scale notes of E major that are available in the 6th pos. So once you have played the first 2.5 bars, you have covered all the notes that crop up thereafter. I have fingered each note just the first time it appears. E major has 4 sharps - F#, C#, G# and D#. MBBC15a - 6th position study (2) [attachment=42164:MBBC15a.pdf] [attachment=42191:MBBC15a.mp3] This is in the rather nasty key of Eb minor. There are 6 flats - Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb and Cb. MBBC15b - 6th position study (3) [attachment=42166:MBBC15b.pdf] [attachment=42192:MBBC15b.mp3] An exercise with multiple time signatures and key changes, starting in the really horrible key of Ab minor (7 flats - so every natural note is flattened). The rhythm of the first 2 bars might remind you of Leonard Bernstein's "America" from West Side Story ... "I'd like to be in A-me-ri-ca". This relationship between a 6/8 bar and a 3/4 bar is sometimes referred to as a HEMIOLA. This is a good exercise for getting your head around the difference between "simple" and "compound" time signatures - "simple" being divisible by 2, "compound" by 3. In bar 17, I have written a time signature change to 9/8. This means 3 main beats (foot-taps) each with 3 sub-divisions ie each main beat is a dotted crotchet (1/4) and each of 3 sub-divisions is a quaver (1/8th). MBBC15c - 6th position study (4) [attachment=42169:MBBC15c.pdf] [attachment=42193:MBBC15c.mp3] A 60's Motown type groove in A major - 3 sharps: F#, C# and G#. MBBC15d - 6th position study (5) [attachment=42171:MBBC15d.pdf] [attachment=42194:MBBC15d.mp3] Nominally in the Key of Bb, but with a bluesy dominant 7 feel. Lots of minor 3rds and flattened fifths (Db and F flat respectively). To be theoretically correct , the flattened 5th should be written as an F♭but often would be seen as an E ♮so I've used both options to help you get used to these 2 ways of writing the same note (the ENHARMONIC). MBBC15e - 6th position study (6) [attachment=42173:MBBC15e.pdf] [attachment=42195:MBBC15e.mp3] In a light latin ballad style. Another E major exercise. Mostly notes from the scale, but an occasional accidental appears - A#, D natural, E# (or F natural). MBBC15f - 6th position study (7) [attachment=42176:MBBC15f.pdf] [attachment=42196:MBBC15f.mp3] Key of F major (one flat - Bb) but like study number (5) above, this has a bluesy dominant character, so includes lots of 7ths written as accidentals. And, as before, the flattened 5th (of the F scale) is sometimes written as a Cb and sometimes as B natural. In bar 29 for instance, there is both a Cb and B, but note how I have used them. Where a Bb is preceded by the semitone above, it is easier to read when written as Cb. But when a C is preceded by the semitone lower, it is better with a B natural. Also notice, in bar 20, I have written an F# rather than Gb. As the next note is B natural, it's easier to "see" the relationship of a 5th between these two notes if written this way, as both notes are ON the line. If I had written Gb leading to the B, it would look like a sixth at first glance (one note in the space, one note on the line). I could of course have written the B as a Cb but then Cb moving to C natural is not ideal (and not wrong either - but the idea is to find the most instantly recognisable way of reading these notes and to then be able to find the best fingering). MBBC15g - 6th position study (8) [attachment=42179:MBBC15g.pdf] [attachment=42197:MBBC15g.mp3] A swingy bluesy feel in F minor (4 flats - Bb, Eb, Ab and Db). The dotted quaver / semiquaver construction is always interpreted as swing triplets in this style of writing. See Boot Camp Sessions 2 and 2A for more on this. The Major Edited February 9, 2010 by Major-Minor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danthewelshy Posted February 10, 2010 Share Posted February 10, 2010 thanks once again Major! These are of great help as per usual, im currently working through the Motown styled one. Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Major-Minor Posted February 10, 2010 Author Share Posted February 10, 2010 [quote name='danthewelshy' post='741308' date='Feb 10 2010, 06:54 PM']thanks once again Major! These are of great help as per usual, im currently working through the Motown styled one. Cheers[/quote] Thanks for the reply danthewelshy. Its good to know that somebody is able to use this stuff ! The Major Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billphreets Posted February 11, 2010 Share Posted February 11, 2010 thanks major.. ive found all of these installments helpful, can never get enough reading practice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Major-Minor Posted February 13, 2010 Author Share Posted February 13, 2010 [quote name='billphreets' post='742528' date='Feb 11 2010, 08:49 PM']thanks major.. ive found all of these installments helpful, can never get enough reading practice![/quote] Cheers billphreets ! I'll keep on adding to the sight reading sessions. But the next session, which I'm working on right now, will be "Creating a Walking Bass Line". The Major Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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