Probably a really silly question but here goes:
I’m just starting to play off music notation. Do I mute each previous note when the next is played and if there is a rest do I mute the preceding note when the rest begins?
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Short answer: yes
Long answer: each note should last as long as notated. So when there is a rest silence Is needed and you should mute the preceding notes. Usually a bass play a note a time, so Just before starting a new note stop the previous.
Sometimes it is Natural, sometimes you have to intentionally mute them.
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Note length is one of the most important aspects when going from playing notes to playing music.
Musical notation gives you a clear indication of how long a note is supposed to be sustained (cf. e.g., tenuto, staccato, etc., apart from the notes being identified as quarter, eighth notes etc.). Notes are only left ringing in relatively rare, specific cases.
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Thank you for taking the time to reply.
When you are self teaching some things which are probably simple often seem obscure.
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If you are here, you don’t need to be self teaching, we all can help… and there are no stupid questions… or obscurity!
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And then there’s the sostenuto pedal on pianos (the middle pedal of the three). The left pedal sustains all notes played until released. The sostenuto pedal sustains the current notes, but following notes stop playing when the key is released and the dampers mute the notes.
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sostenuto was such a a great Phil Collins song…
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This is an example of the bass Sostenuto
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The standard notation to show sustaining one note and playing additional notes in harmony, is to notate the first note with a rest above or below it for the length of time until the additional note comes in. Then notate those notes for as long as they are supposed to last.
It was a great Prince song!!
Have a listen to 1999 then Sussuedio
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