The Major's Bass Boot Camp - Session 28

[Major-Minor]

The Major's Bass Boot Camp - Session 28

Getting Started with Sight Reading - E Minor / Articulations

There are nearly always alternative ways that a piece of music can be written down. So you need to be aware of various different signs that you may come across. Let's start by looking at a few articulation signs. (We'll make a start on DYNAMICS in the next session).

We've looked at most of the note lengths you are likely to find in typical pop/rock/jazz such as crotchets, quavers etc.
But in reality, these symbols only show you where the note starts in relation to other notes, ie - where on the "grid" the notes are placed. If we were to play every note at exactly the length as written, it would sound very odd. If you have ever used a computer for music sequencing you will know what I mean !
We often articulate the notes in different ways, depending on genre and style, and if a composer / arranger requires some specific articulation, there are several symbols he/she may use to indicate this.

(Of course, we can also use semiquaver or quaver RESTS to help indicate shorter notes but sometimes using the following signs makes reading easier).

A LINE placed over (or under) a note indicates that the note is played long (nearly full length). Usually, this also means that the note is separated slightly from the following note.
The Italian term "tenuto" is sometimes used to describe this line. (I think it means "to stay" in Italian. As in "tenacity" ).

A DOT on (or under) a note means it is to be played short ie shorter than the written note length. For instance, a quaver may be written, but placing a dot on it means you need to play it more like a semiquaver. Staccato is the Italian term we use for this.

An ACCENT (a small hairpin shaped symbol) on or under the note means the note is to be accented, played with a little extra force, standing out from the non-accented notes around it.

A curved line joining 2 or more notes is called a "SLUR" and indicates that these notes are to be played "legato" or joined together with no gap between them. On a bowed instrument, this would mean playing these notes all in one bow direction.
On bass guitar, this can mean that the second note of a pair is hammered rather than articulated with the right hand. Or it can mean 2 or more notes are to be played smoothly with no gaps.

All examples here are in E Minor which, like it's relative Major of G, has one sharp (F#).

MBBC28a
[attachment=54110:MBBC28a.pdf]
[attachment=54115:MBBC28a.mp3]


MBBC28b
[attachment=54111:MBBC28b.pdf]
[attachment=54116:MBBC28b.mp3]


MBBC28c
[attachment=54112:MBBC28c.pdf]
[attachment=54117:MBBC28c.mp3]


MBBC28d
[attachment=54113:MBBC28d.pdf]
[attachment=54118:MBBC28d.mp3]


MBBC28e
[attachment=54114:MBBC28e.pdf]
[attachment=54119:MBBC28e.mp3]


The Major