adouglas
Well-known member
No, you play by sense of taste.
Whether it's good taste or bad taste I leave as an exercise for the reader. Or viewer, in this case.
- Thread starter EBMM7181
- Start date
No, you play by sense of taste.
Whether it's good taste or bad taste I leave as an exercise for the reader. Or viewer, in this case.
Ole Man Blues
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jan 12, 2006
- Messages
- 482
That's a great to get it done.....it doesn't hurt to improvise a little too.........
OMB
delberthot
Well-known member
I'm in the middle of eating a cookie right now, inbetween drinking copeous quantities of red wine.
I joined a big band (glen miller, count basie etc) when I was 17. I could barely read music but tried my damnest to do it. When it came to gig time all of the older guys thought I was the man. In actual fact, I am the world's greatest bluffer - I can take a piece or written music, play it completely wrong and everyone thinks it is brilliant.
In truth I am lazy. I could easily learn to sight read without any problems but i just do what is basically required of me.
I could finish this message but th..........................................................
I joined a big band (glen miller, count basie etc) when I was 17. I could barely read music but tried my damnest to do it. When it came to gig time all of the older guys thought I was the man. In actual fact, I am the world's greatest bluffer - I can take a piece or written music, play it completely wrong and everyone thinks it is brilliant.
In truth I am lazy. I could easily learn to sight read without any problems but i just do what is basically required of me.
I could finish this message but th..........................................................
adouglas
Well-known member
EBMM7181
Well-known member
Lol
rhythmCity944
Well-known member
I learned to play by ear and music at the same time...a year of piano before hand didn't hurt either...standard notation is so much easier with only 1 or 2 notes at a time instead of 5, 6 or even 7
i learned to read lead sheets quickly due to the fact i was learning to play with other people in a church band 3 weeks after i picked up bass guitar
and all the meantime i learned just about every song by IRON MAIDEN (Steve Harris is the reason I play bass), GUNS N'ROSES, and RUSH and played along with the albums for hours each day after school all 4 years of high school and just about every song played on the radio or VH1...i learned exactly how an E note and so forth is supposed to sound
but personal advice...play with as many people as you can find to play with...train your ear and learn the lingo and you'll be able to gig in 3 different bands each week
instead of 5, 6 or even 7i learned to read lead sheets quickly due to the fact i was learning to play with other people in a church band 3 weeks after i picked up bass guitar
and all the meantime i learned just about every song by IRON MAIDEN (Steve Harris is the reason I play bass), GUNS N'ROSES, and RUSH and played along with the albums for hours each day after school all 4 years of high school and just about every song played on the radio or VH1...i learned exactly how an E note and so forth is supposed to sound
but personal advice...play with as many people as you can find to play with...train your ear and learn the lingo and you'll be able to gig in 3 different bands each week
mrpackerguy
Well-known member
I played piano and violin for 10 years before learning bass in high school. Bass clef was a pretty easy translation to the fretboard. I also had 2 years of high school music theory and 3 years of college music theory. I taught meself bass, though and can play by ear, read music, charts and tabs.
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armybass
Well-known member
Actually in professional circles you are pretty much expected to nail it the first time. Sometimes it may not even be bass clef you are expected to read. In one of the Army Bands I was in, the Jazz Band director would not pass out the music we were going to play at any given performance until we took the stage. I hated that but you learned to really pay attention and play with BIG ears.
Dr Stankface
Well-known member
I do both.
newtley
Well-known member
2 bars in cache
How I approach a sight reading gig is to almost split your visual screen; IE memorize 2 bars at real-time then look ahead to see what's coming up. I'm not sure how clear that explanation is, but it's almost like being able to see around corners. It can give you the ability to play more interesting lines and anticipate the next change with passing tones if you're reading a jazz-gig style lead sheet or even a nashville-number style chart. Lots of ways to approach it but in general you can assume that knowledge is power, and it will give you much more confidence in unfamiliar situations. You'll get more calls if you do casuals or if you're on anyone's sub list.
Certainly big ears don't hurt either, as ultimately they're judge and jury.
Plus.. with those skills all the other cowboys will think you're mighty grand..
..my first sight-reading gig was on fretless <insert squanky sound>. Like armybass's story..when the heat is on... you gits yer @ss in gear fast..or start lookin for yer pizzahut hat..
GREAT QUESTION, BTW.. and ultimately there is no right/wrong answer..it just depends what your personal goals and expectations are for your music. Follow your heart and your (b)ass won't be far behind..
How I approach a sight reading gig is to almost split your visual screen; IE memorize 2 bars at real-time then look ahead to see what's coming up. I'm not sure how clear that explanation is, but it's almost like being able to see around corners. It can give you the ability to play more interesting lines and anticipate the next change with passing tones if you're reading a jazz-gig style lead sheet or even a nashville-number style chart. Lots of ways to approach it but in general you can assume that knowledge is power, and it will give you much more confidence in unfamiliar situations. You'll get more calls if you do casuals or if you're on anyone's sub list.
Certainly big ears don't hurt either, as ultimately they're judge and jury.
Plus.. with those skills all the other cowboys will think you're mighty grand..
..my first sight-reading gig was on fretless <insert squanky sound>. Like armybass's story..when the heat is on... you gits yer @ss in gear fast..or start lookin for yer pizzahut hat..
GREAT QUESTION, BTW.. and ultimately there is no right/wrong answer..it just depends what your personal goals and expectations are for your music. Follow your heart and your (b)ass won't be far behind..
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MondoKen
Active member
Bass Clef
I learned to read treble clef while in band. The only challenge was learning to shift notes down a line for bass clef. I don't know how keyboardists can read both clefs simultaneously.
I find reading notation to be easier than tab. For some reason I have to look at my fretboard when reading tab. I can play by ear but prefer notation or tab.
I learned to read treble clef while in band. The only challenge was learning to shift notes down a line for bass clef. I don't know how keyboardists can read both clefs simultaneously.
I find reading notation to be easier than tab. For some reason I have to look at my fretboard when reading tab. I can play by ear but prefer notation or tab.
AnthonyD
Well-known member
It's amazing to me to watch my sons sight read (12 on guitar and 8 on keyboard with bass plans in the future!). I get it, but need time to digest, I do not have the familiarity with the notation they do.
My older son has actually resisted tab, claiming it's "confusing".
My older son has actually resisted tab, claiming it's "confusing".
MingusBASS
Well-known member
I hate Tab.
Psycho Ward
Well-known member
Yeah me too, I'm a Diet Coke man myself.
I have been hesitant to post. I read very well. I site read great thanks to Carol Kaye and her method of doing so. I hear pretty good too.
I still haven't gotten every where I want to go with my playing.
They are all just tools in the toolbox.
Some players that can't do any of that blow me away.
They are just the gifted and that I know I am not.
We all play our basses or guitars to the best we can or we quit.
imho
tk
I still haven't gotten every where I want to go with my playing.
They are all just tools in the toolbox.
Some players that can't do any of that blow me away.
They are just the gifted and that I know I am not.
We all play our basses or guitars to the best we can or we quit.
imho
tk
bovinehost
Administrator
I can't read for squat! Nor am I gifted, I promise. I've just been doing this a long, long time, and maybe sometimes it makes me appear to know more than I do.
I've stayed way clear of this thread for very good reasons.
I am completely a "by ear" player. I mean, I know what notes work in a minor key and what notes work in a major key and I wish I knew how I know these things, but I DO NOT.
But I don't buy the "some are gifted, some are not" concept, unless we are talking about some serious players. You know who I'm talking about. The rest of us work hard and play the same things over and over and make little discoveries and fool most of the people most of the time.
There are only so many Tony Levins, so many Jacos.
I remember a while back, I went back to MS to play with some guys I'd played with when we were in high school, and someone said, "Hey, he's a pretty good bass player."
If that were written on my headstone, I would be perfectly happy with it.
Jack
Bill
Well-known member
TK & Jack are both wise gents!
adouglas
Well-known member
+1, Jack.
I've been playing a long time too, but never in a disciplined, serious way. Your description really nails it. Do something long enough and it becomes second nature, whether you "know what you're doing" or not. And you can have a lot of fun along the way.
Learning to read/learning theory is something I want to do partly because it's another useful skill, but also because the knowledge is a good thing in and of itself. By nature I'm the sort of person who wants to know how and why things work (occupational hazard, I guess...I'm a professional writer and my job is based on explaining things). Big furry mysteries annoy me.
I've been playing a long time too, but never in a disciplined, serious way. Your description really nails it. Do something long enough and it becomes second nature, whether you "know what you're doing" or not. And you can have a lot of fun along the way.
Learning to read/learning theory is something I want to do partly because it's another useful skill, but also because the knowledge is a good thing in and of itself. By nature I'm the sort of person who wants to know how and why things work (occupational hazard, I guess...I'm a professional writer and my job is based on explaining things). Big furry mysteries annoy me.
