I really like songs from musicals and have learnt to play a couple. One issue I’ve come across is that it is very hard to find good tabs for these sorts of songs. I’ve been through the process of learning them by ear, and trying to write my own tabs, but this is very time consuming. Thus, I’m looking at the daunting task of having to learn to read sheet music properly.
I’ve had a little experience with the Treble Clef, but am struggling to read the Bass Clef, let alone, transfer that note onto the fretboard at any sort of speed. I am still in the mindset of ‘This would be F on the treble clef, so move up 2 from that and it would be an A’.
I was just wondering, what is the best way to start off learning the bass clef? Any games or website recommendations, or any habits/easy things that you can do day to make reading Bass Clef and the process of learning it faster/easier.
After that, what is the best way to start applying this note reading. Any recommendations of songs/type of songs to start out on, and any methods to make this bit easier too?
Like you, I experienced confusion reading the bass clef (I came from reading treble clef notation for sax and piano). At first, I tried blunt force immersion and repetition to tackle it, but that didn’t work well. But what DID work was the Talking Bass Simple Steps to Sightreading course by Talking Bass.
This course starts at the most fundamental level, never assuming the student is familiar with the bass clef or the bass fingerboard layout. Its lessons then build logically with simple but increasingly progressive exercises to help you build proficiency as you go.
Its benefits include not only learning to read notation for bass but also learning note locations on the fretboard and being able to play without staring at your fretting hand. It’s an excellent course.
I actually find reading bass class for bass guitar much easier than reading treble clef for guitar (less ledger lines needed).
Also, Hal Leonard’s Bass Method uses only standard notation in the beginning. The material itself shouldn’t be challenging, but this is designed to teach you the notes
Talkingbass Simple Steps to Sightreading is what you should use. I came into this with NO formal music training, having attempted guitar multiple times over the years using tabs. I’m about half way through the sight reading course and can play just about anything off of sheet music at this point. The course is simply amazing.
Whichever method you find or choose - just remember that sight reading will progress when you’re practicing it but - like languages or other skills that aren’t cemented into the bedrock of your brain’s memory banks / native-speaking brain center - it will recede if you stop practicing!
I tell all my students - if you’re interested in sight reading, be consistent and don’t let big gaps go by. It’s as easy to lose as it is to learn when you’re starting out!
Thanks for this recommendation! This is exactly what I needed to be able to practice my bass clef reading on the go! Great app. Bonus points for it being free and not costing hundreds of dollars.
Maybe “sight reading” means something different in the UK than it does here in the US. But if it’s the same, that course is overkill. You don’t need to learn sight reading, you just need to learn to read. As a bass player you only need to sight read if you’re a session bassist, music major, or in some other situation where you have to play music without any time to practice it or look at it beforehand.
Again, the whole “sight reading” definition debate has been done to death here before.
Mark Smith is an acclaimed and accomplished music college instructor and pro musician. In his course, sight reading means being able to read notation and translate it specifically to bass playing, with never having to look at your fretting hand. It does not mean or imply needing to be able to “read and play a piece cold, sight unseen, at tempo.” However, it does empower students to do that as well, if they put in the practice.
It’s a great resource available to those who care to avail themselves of it.
Words do have meaning. I speak for someone who went to college for music and knows what they’re talking about.
I hope Mark is giving you some kick back for as much as you advertise for him on this forum.
There are so many easier ways to read than a $250 course. Strange that’s the first/only thing you recommend. Probably not super helpful to most beginners.
I got my degree in music theory and composition. I have also taken the majority of Mark’s courses, and I find them excellent. Your mileage may vary.
Some who have taken Simple Steps to Sightreading have mentioned that the course should be renamed as it covers and delivers so much more than just the ability to read music. Maybe there’s something to that.
Regardless, the course delivers an amazing amount of knowledge and resulting playing ability to students who absorb and apply what it teaches.
Hear this: I have no financial interest or benefit derived from Talking Bass. I recommend the courses because they are good courses.
And, in case you haven’t been paying attention, this forum’s members run the gamut from newbies to seasoned players with decades of experience. Therefore, interests and abilities span a wide range.
But whatever, man. You do you. I presume you have an axe. Better to show it attention than anything else that proves less edifying to you.
Reading music is about reading music, and figuring out where to play on the fingerboard as some notes can be played in different location and produce slightly different timbre.
Sight reading to me is sitting down and read while you play, it’s ok if you are in that level, most studio pros can do that not because they can read that fast but they already know what notes are coming next there’s only so many theories and chord progressions, after a while it’s just that predictable.
Either way, us mortals won’t be doing this in front of people or real time (live) on a gig. it’s not something people do.
It can be about performance-on-demand, as certain session players and other professionals can be required to do.
On the other hand, the TB Sightreading course is about learning to play music on bass by reading its notation and the notes’ durations. It’s not about reading and playing sheet music on demand, perfectly at first sight.
If a bass student can read music, he/she can practice at whatever tempo is necessary to play cleanly and in time. That’s the goal.
I found that the book “300 Progressive Sight Reading Exercises for Bass Guitar” was pretty good and if you have Kindle Unlimited, you can get it for “free”.
