Learning to read music

[GBF]

Hey guys I'm really clueless how to start learning to read music. If you guys could give me any tips it would be great. Thanks.

 

Gabriel

[...]

Here is a real basic beginning that I found with Google.

 

Click me to learn stuff

 

There are countless resources available for learning to read. Go to any music store and they are bound to have at least one book on theory and music notation.

[MartinJ]

Absolute Fretboard has been amazing for me. I knew nothing about music, reading, theory, or whatever before 3 months ago, and now I can read standard musical notation pretty well. My sight-reading is coming along, too.

 

This has been the most effective $30 I have spent trying to learn to play the bass thus far. The only thing that this doesn't do is help you with time, but I guess that no program can do it all.

 

(I have no affiliation with this company or product in any way, but I'm a very satisfied customer.)

[ClarkW]

The best tip I can give you is to keep at it. It's just like learning to read words. It takes a lot of practice. Once you get the basics covered and up to a good level of proficiency, you should still devote 5 or 10 minutes a day to just sitting down and sightreading. I recommend a hymnal or choral book to practice with, as they will have hundreds of songs in lots of different keys, and they will have several voice parts (bass, tenor, alto, soprano, organ/piano accompaniment) for you to practice reading in different ranges of the fretboard.

 

Plus it comes in handy to know all that religious music if you ever join a praise band.

[Dan South]

Yeah, I have some advice. Be patient. VERY patient. Reading music is almost as demanding as learning a new language. It takes a while. Don't give up just because it's not easy or because it doesn't "click" after a lesson or two. Classical musicians study reading for years (even decades), and most of them will admit that they wished that they could read better(!). Hang in there, brother, and take it one small step at a time.

[davebrownbass]

More ideas:

 

Learning to read involves 2 main problems: reading notes and reading rhythms.

 

(Later on, the problems are more complicated...anticipting shifting and reading with articulation are saved for later)

 

By far, reading rhythms is the more troublesome.

 

Now, here's a principle for learning you need to know:

 

Analysis is the practice of learning by taking things apart.

Synthesis is the practice of learning by putting things together.

 

You need to do both.

 

You can get a beginner book that give simple problems in reading notes and rhythms. The best kind of books start by playing only one rhythm (quarter notes) while learning to read notes. The rhythm is added later. Then rhythms are studied on only one note. More notes are added later.

 

So you see the principle in action...learn to read notes alone...then add rhythms. Analyze, then synthesize. Then learn to read more complicated rhythms alone...then add notes. Analyze, the synthesize.

 

This stairstep approach is time honored.

 

Now, the Simandl method works pretty good for this, in orchestral playing. However, the rhythms added are kinda square, 18th century orchestral rhythms. Not a lot of challenge there. Also, the fingering is designed for Upright bass...you have more options for electric.

 

Here's a really easy book to follow that does a bit of both, and takes you a long way...

 

"You Can Teach Yourself Electric Bass" Mel Bay Publications.

 

Another book I'm convinced every bass player should own is "The Bass Player Book" There are basic concepts of reading, not as many exercises.

 

Also, a good teacher makes a motivated student learn this 4 times faster than that student would learn alone. In other words...it may take 4 months to get up and running out of books. A good teacher might use 4 or 5 lessons IF THE STUDENT DOES THE ASSIGNED WORK!

 

Sorry about venting.

[Tom Capasso]

DBB,

 

Great bit of work here. One thing hit me (because I'm such a lousy reader)...

 

Originally posted by davebrownbass:

By far, reading rhythms is the more troublesome.

While in general I agree with this, I find ledger lines continue to stump me (like I said, I don't read much). Perhaps the worst part is that notes in spaces on the staff are on lines up high!!

 

Post Of The Day to DBB - it's a classic and applys to so many things in life.

 

Tom

[Dan South]

I agree that rhythms are tough, ledger lines are tough, and putting it all together is REALLY tough. Sometimes I play the rhythms of a piece of music on just one note to get comfortable with them. I'll also read through playing just the notes in sequences with no strict rhythm. Divide and conquer. Eventually, you put them together (slowly), and it starts to click.

 

Ledger lines just suck. Period. I always write on the staff and use an 8va marking to make it more readable.

 

My main problem with reading is that I loose all sense of groove and feel when I'm concentrating on the written page. It's really hard to read and groove at the same time. Knowing which notes to accent and how long or short to play a note is called "interpretation," a skill that takes a lot of time and musical maturity to develop.

[Graham56]

I'm struggling through this too, and I follow a similar method to those suggested above, ie, deconstruct the rhythm first, playing it all on one note, then start to add in the correct notes once I have that down pat.

 

My main problem is I'm not yet able to look ahead. I play through where I am, get to the end of the bar or measure with a sigh of relief, then smack into an almighty train crash as I haven't anticipated the next section.

 

When I trained in Aikido (a martial art) we often did advanced one v. many training. Multiple attackers would come in simultaneously from all directions, and you'd have to be able to move, turn and deal with them all. At first you'd get locked into concentrating on the first attacker and quickly get swamped by the others.

 

It would only come together when you were able to deal with the attacker in front of you without thinking about it.

 

You needed to have the movements and techniques down so solidly that immediately your first move was flowing you could leave your body to deal with it on autopilot. In the meantime you'd be heads-up, scanning and analysing the situation around you, already moving to the next threat. Eventually you'd be able to plan two or three steps ahead, relying on that muscle memory to deal with the immediate attack. A combination of instinct, thought, physical skill and experience, its an amazing feeling when it all comes together.

 

It seems to me that I need to develop a similar facility here to properly read and play music. Glance at the current bar - got that - let the fingers deal with it while I look ahead - whats coming up? - got that - whats after thatetcetc

 

Easy huh? That's the theory - better get down and do the work then...

 

Graham

[Tedster]

Hey guys, count your blessings, there's a troll afoot on the guitar forum, and now I see he's posted on the drum forum. Could be just a matter of time...

[Kooky Mogessi]

Greattttttttt he's makin his way here and just as a heads up, if he does get here he's probably going to make fun of you for not knowing how to read music. probably call you guitarded. All that 3rd grade stuff

[getz out]

Originally posted by ClarkW:

The best tip I can give you is to keep at it. It's just like learning to read words. It takes a lot of practice. Once you get the basics covered and up to a good level of proficiency, you should still devote 5 or 10 minutes a day to just sitting down and sightreading.

 

I can't tell you how true that is! Keep at it! 10 years ago, I could read relatively well on both bass and piano. However, I stopped reading all together for a number of years, and now I STRUGGLE reading. It's almost as if I have to re-learn. It's a terrible feeling.

 

Maury Spadoto

Hoboken, NJ

[MartinJ]

As a novice, I certainly agree with the folks here who have suggested that learning to read rhythm is TOUGH. I'm struggling to get the time thing down, but I found Carol Kaye's column ("Bassically Yours") in the latest issue of Bassics (no. 32) to be REALLY helpful. I've been struggling for months, and her article put me right over the top; I've now got a great basis from which to read time. I hope you'll find it helpful.

[tnb]

Eventually you will have to put yourself in a situation where you will have to read in real time. No rehearsals, no getting the charts a few weeks (or hours) in advance. Personally I think that the only way to get good at it is to do it all the time. A few hours a week for a year or 2.

Yesterday I did a 4 hour big band gig. Easy money with some great players. If that wasn't good enough, it was at the Newport Chowder Festival, so all the chowder you can stand.

[MattC]

A great way to hone your staff-reading chops is to write down what you write in staff. I always bring a staff book with me- it's sort of my notebook for everything musical- and I write down any riff or progression I find interesting in that book, all in staff. I do the same thing with songs my band writes: I write down any parts I need to in staff. Ditch the tablature!

[dohhhhh6]

My bass teacher introduced to me tab . I still love the guy though. Anyways, here's my problem. I know HOW to read music basically. The only problem is finding those notes on the fretboard without counting the frets and notes . I really need to get back into doing excercises which help me remember what notes on what fret. Then once that happens... I still have to be able to interpret the notes fast . I've got it bad, but then again, others have it worse. If only I had the will power to break away from tab!

 

On another note, I have problems with octaves. On a standard tuned bass, what would an open E be? Would it be #? or ##? Please help me with keys! I have so many problems!

[davebrownbass]

Originally posted by Da LadY In Tha Pink Dress:

My bass teacher introduced to me tab . I still love the guy though. Anyways, here's my problem. I know HOW to read music basically. The only problem is finding those notes on the fretboard without counting the frets and notes . I really need to get back into doing excercises which help me remember what notes on what fret. Then once that happens... I still have to be able to interpret the notes fast . I've got it bad, but then again, others have it worse. If only I had the will power to break away from tab!

 

On another note, I have problems with octaves. On a standard tuned bass, what would an open E be? Would it be #? or ##? Please help me with keys! I have so many problems!

I'm glad you love your bass teacher. He needs to supervise your reading, if he's able. Or, you gotta break away, as hard as that is.

 

Okay...here's a good exercise that will help you learn your fingerboard, it's quick, easy and will also help you with shifting.

 

Play, at first fret, on the a and d string the notes Bb and Eb. Then play the same thing all on the a string (first fret, sixth fret.) Call out the notes as you play:

 

Bb-EB--Bb-Eb.

 

Then, do B-E--B-E, and C-F--C-F and so on all the way up the A string.

 

Do the same exercise on the D and G strings...Eb-Ab and so on.

 

Call out the notes as you play.

 

Do it with your eyes closed.

 

On a standard tuned bass, Open E is the E string. Its octave would be D string second fret (or a string, seventh fret)

 

I don't know what # and ## are.

[GBF]

thanks alot for the replys guys... i've had already spent some time trying to read music and i was doing as you told by reading the rhythm first and then the notes. but since a was playing only walking bass that was not too dificult.

 

Thanks to all.

[Dan South]

Originally posted by Da LadY In Tha Pink Dress:

My bass teacher introduced to me tab . I still love the guy though. Anyways, here's my problem. I know HOW to read music basically. The only problem is finding those notes on the fretboard without counting the frets and notes . I really need to get back into doing excercises which help me remember what notes on what fret. Then once that happens... I still have to be able to interpret the notes fast . I've got it bad, but then again, others have it worse. If only I had the will power to break away from tab!

 

On another note, I have problems with octaves. On a standard tuned bass, what would an open E be? Would it be #? or ##? Please help me with keys! I have so many problems!

Okay, there's lots of good stuff in this message - except for the TAB.

 

Let's first address the mysterious double-sharp (##). I'll give you a simple explanation, then a more detailed one (if you want to stick with it that long).

 

Let's say that we're playing a song in D. The key of D has two sharps: D E F# G A B C# D. At some point, we're playing the bass line, and we see from the chord chart that we have to go from D to Bm. We play D F# A A# B, and presto, we've landed on the B root of Bm just in time.

 

Now let's imagine that the song was in B to begin with (no relation to previous example). We have a similar progression. We have to go from B to G#m. We play B D# F# G G#. And that's okay, but it's notated a little differently than the first example. In the first example, we played:

 

D: root

F#: major third

A: fifth

A#: raised fifth

B: root of next chord

 

In the second example, we played:

B: root

D#: major third

F#: fifth

G: lowered sixth

G#: root of the next chord

 

If this were an informal transcription that we did for ourselves, that would be no problem. But it's sloppy for real music copying. The second example should work the same way that the first does.

 

root

major third

fifth

raised fifth

root of next chord

 

The root is B. No problem there. The third is D#, and the fifth is F#. But how do we raise the F# fifth and still call it F-something when it's already F-sharp? Easy. Just because it's sharp doesn't meant that it can't be even MORE sharp. Just because you're a month ahead on your car payment doesn't mean you can't be TWO months ahead; get the idea?

 

So what happens is you make F# more sharp than it is already, i.e. raise it one more half-step (one fret)? It becomes F##. Yes, you're right, this is the SAME NOTE as G natural, but we've called it F-something to agree with the musical structure that we were looking for. Is this being really obsessive? Yes. Do you need to know this when you're playing? Not unless you're reading a double-sharp. But if you DO encounter a double sharp, just remember that it's one half-step sharper than the "sharp" note.

 

F = F

F# = F#

F## = G

 

By the same token:

 

B = B

Bb = Bb

Bbb = A

 

Simple.

 

Here's a more detailed (but shorter) explanation. In D, you might have a chord progression like this:

 

D F#7 Bm

 

The notes of each chord are:

 

D: D F# A

F#7: F# A# C# E

Bm: B D F#

 

We used an A# in the F#7 chord instead of the equivalent Bb for two reasons. First, mixing sharps and flats is sloppy notation, i.e. really difficult to read. Second, a chord is based on skipped scale tones:

 

F-something (skip G-something) A-something (skip B-something) C-something etc.

 

We accomplished this "skipping" with F# A# C# E. If we had written it F# Bb C# E, then B-something and C-something are next to each other = sloppy notation for a chord.

 

Transposing this to the more troublesome to notate key of B, the progression becomes.

 

B D#7 G#m

 

B: B D# F#

D#7: D# F## A# C#

G#m: G# B D#

 

From the explanation of how double sharps work, you know that F## is the same note as G. But we can't write the D#7 chord as

 

D# G A# C#

 

Why: Remember the skipping rule? We need a chord that's D-something F-something A-something C-something. You can't put a G-something and an A-something note in the same chord - sloppy and difficult to read. We have to force F up two notches to F## to accomplish this, but it makes the notations much cleaner than sticking the G-natural in there.

 

I'll continue in another post...

[Dan South]

There are two ways to learn to read notes. Method One is to train yourself to see a note on the paper and instantly play that note on your instrument. Method Two is to see the note on the paper, recognize how it fits into the key of the song or the current chord or some other musical construct, locate that key or chord or construct on the fretboard and play the note within that context.

 

Okay, I know that sounds like a bunch of hot air, so let me give you an example. You see an A on the top line of the staff. Using Method One, you recognize this note as the second fret of the G-string, go to that note and play it. Works fine.

 

Using method two, you look around a bit more. Let's say that you're playing in the key of D. Your index finger is at the fourth fret. Your hand is in position to play a D scale starting with the D that's at the fifth fret of the A-string (middle finger). You recognize that A is the fifth of the D scale, a note that your little (pinky) finger is in perfect position to play at the seventh fret of the D-string, and you play it instantly without shifting anywhere.

 

Either way, you get the note. The problem with Method One for bassists, guitarists, and all string players is that many notes occur in multiple locations on the fretboard. Keyboard players and some wind players don't have to to worry about this. They have one and only one way to play any given note. We have to be a little more crafty. Where is my left hand NOW? What is it doing musically? What does that note mean musically? Is it a degree of the song's scale? Is it a component of the current chord? Is it part of a an arpeggio? Is it a chromatic tone leading up or down to a new chord root? If we can recognize that note's musical significance, and if we know the musical significance of our left hand's current location, we can merge those two pieces of information and find the note.

 

So, when you're reading, don't just look at the current note. Look at the surrounding notes. Do they make an arpeggio? A scale segment? Try to recognize what's going on musically, and you'll then be able to hit that whole collection of notes.

 

Let's say you're playing in the key of D (two sharps), and all of a sudden you see a whole bunch of flats. The next four notes are Bb G C Eb. Your brain's first impulse is, "Where did those flats come from?" Then you think, "Should I play the B flat on the A-string or on the E-string?" Time is running out. You begin to panic! Hold on! You recognize that Bb, G, C, and Eb make a Cm7 arpeggio. You calmly put your hand where it can play that arpeggio, and the notes find themselves easily under your fingers (because you've been so dilligent about practicing your scales and arpeggios).

[abaguer]

Pick up Ron Velosky's Sighreading for Bass. It is a great book that I use with my students and it is very informative and the exercises are paced in a very gradual way. It is an excellent book and you should be able to learn to read just by following the book.

 

Like the other forum members said; patience and consistent practice will do the trick.

[Dan South]

Oh, I forgot one small but important detail. The double-flat is annotated with two adjacent flat symbols (looks like: bb), but the double sharp is annotated with a bold-face x (lower case x).

[davebrownbass]

Well, Dan, I do know double sharps and flats. I just couldn't figure out what our poster meant...in reference to open e?

[dohhhhh6]

Sorry DBB I mixed something up or whatever. How about if I put it this way. Where on a Piano would a standard tuned bass's open E be?

 

Thanks a lot Dan for all the that great info! Too bad I knew most of it although I don't know how to really use the info yet. I took a little theory with my bass teacher like a month or two ago, but then I realized my technique wasn't where I wanted it to be. It was a good and bad decision. It was good because I learned a couple more songs, one of them which I almost always play during practice, and it was bad because now I'm learning slap, which I don't REALLY ABSOLUTELY need to know.

 

On another note, what's the basic pattern thing for chords? Lemme try to explain what I'm talking about. It goes something like

 

1st note of major scale = major

2nd note of major scale = minor (I think)

3rd note of major scale = minor (I think )

4rd note of major scale = major

5th note of major scale = major

 

I out it in major scale becasue I'm not sure if it works with pentatonic and other types of scales.

 

An example is in a I IV V chord progression in G major, the chord would have to be I = major, IV = major, V = major.

 

Thanks a lot guys. This is definetly making the little thoery that I know more concrete plus it makes me look cool when I'm talking about all this weird theory stuff

[davebrownbass]

Major Scale Chord Pattern:

 

Works for all major scales, this pattern needs to be memorized:

 

(I'll use the included sevenths)

 

I=Major 7

ii=minor 7

iii=minor 7

IV=Major 7

V=Dominant 7 (which is a major chord, because the third note of the scale is major)

vi=minor 7

vii=minor 7 b5...also called half diminished.

 

Tonality=the group of chords that are directly and diatonically associated with a key center. For example, I might say that all these chords, when based on a C major scale, have a C tonality.

 

However, please note: there are 2 Major 7th chords (I and IV) and 3 minor 7 chords (ii-iii-vi.) What that means in real life is that if you see Maj 7 chord, it likely functions as either a Root or a IV chord...when you see a minor 7th, it could be functioning as a ii,iii or vi chord.

 

(Actually, the situation is even more complicated that this, when you leave diatonic (within the key) harmony)

 

So if you are looking at a piece of music and you see Dm7, there are 3 key that you could be in (again, even more when you count altered harmonies.)

 

Just a little bit to stir the pot.

[jeremy c]

An open E string sounds like the lowest E on the piano, but it is written one octave higher.

 

That's why if you look at piano books, the bassline often appears to be to low. The pianist reads the notes where they are. Our parts are written an octave higher than they sound so when we play them it comes out nice and low where we would like a bass part to be.

 

There are historical reasons why this is true (and probably hysterical reasons too). Large sections of our music would have to written with ledger lines below the staff without this practice.

 

And I know what you all think about ledger lines.

 

Dan has given you wonderful information.

 

Read every day. It will get easier. Go through every book that you can get your hands on.

 

I love Dan's point about does a written note mean put your finger here, or does it means something musical?

 

It is possible to read music silently to yourself and know what it sounds like.

 

You can read the newspaper without saying the words out loud, can't you?

 

When I read music, I already know what it is going to sound like from looking at it, then I just play it.

 

I often get the music on stage with no advance warning. Not only am I supposed to put my fingers in the right places, but I'm supposed to sound like I know the music. The phrasing has to be appropriate, I have to groove with the rest of the rhythm section and sometimes I have to change the part to make the whole band fit together well.

 

Just reading the note names, why should that cause a problem?

 

This week I heard some wonderful high school age musicians....and some miserable adult beginners...why is that?

 

Don't be discouraged, just keep at it every day for the next ten years. Or else ten years will go by and you still won't be able to read.

[dohhhhh6]

First off, what's a ledger line exactly?!? I have an idea of what it is, but I rather know for sure.

 

Second off, DBB, so I can play a &th chord anytime I want? There is a 7th chord isn't there?!? Sorry, all the miniscule tehory stuff that my teacher wrote seems to be lost . I'll have to ask him for some of this stuff written down again for easy reference.

 

Lastly, when you guys play like blues improv and stuff, do you guys play all the notes in the chords? Or do you play only a certain amount of them and add some more? Or do you even play maybe the root and then play some notes in the scale?

 

Thanks for the help guys.

[jeremy c]

There are five lines (and four spaces) on the musical staff. If you want to go higher (or lower), you add some extra lines. Those are called ledger lines.

 

________________

________________

________________

________________

________________

 

---0---

 

There's a ledger line, showing a low E. It's a whole note.

Of course, there should be a bass clef, but I can't draw one in ASCII.

 

Can you play a seventh that's not there? That's a deeper question than you think.

 

On the II, III and VI chords, the answer is, probably, yes.

On the V chord the answer is, probably, yes.

On the I and IV chords, the answer is, probably not.

 

Use your ears to play what you think sounds right.

 

When you are playing a blues, if you are playing a bassline, you are mostly dealing with chord notes and sometimes chromatic notes between the chord notes.

 

When you are playing a blues and soloing, you start with a blues scale in the proper key and take it from there.

[JDL]

Here's a tip- Be paitent.

[Dan South]

Originally posted by Da LadY In Tha Pink Dress:

Second off, DBB, so I can play a &th chord anytime I want? There is a 7th chord isn't there?!?

No. In classical music and in a lot of popular songs, the seventh will sound out of place. Stick to the triads (root, 3rd, and 5th only). In jazz, there's a seventh on almost every chord. This is what gives jazz its, um, jazzy sound, sort of, I think, kinda. Sorry, but I'm at a loss for how to describe this effect.

 

Do you have access to a keyboard? Play a scale. The C major scale is easy. It's C to C on all white keys. Next, play the triads build on each scale tone.

 

C: C E G

Dm: D F A

Em: E G B

F: F A C

G: G B D

Am: A C E

Bdim: B D F

C: C E G

 

Next play all of the natually occuring seventh chords in the scale (i.e. don't play any notes that aren't in the scale).

 

Cmaj7: C E G B

Dm7: D F A C

Em7: E G B D

Fmaj7: F A C E

G7: G B D F

Am7: A C E F

Bm7b5: B D F A

Cmaj7: C E G B

 

This second set of chords, the sevenths, will sound "jazzy" and harmonically, um, happening, I guess. - You have to hear it; I can't describe it. - By comparison, the first set of chords, the triads, will sound clean and pure. Triads are like primary colors, simple and direct. Sevenths, ninths, and other extended chords are more like pastels; their complexity teases your ear a little bit.

 

By the way, this is a great exercise for your ear training. You need to know the difference in sound between a major triad, a minor triad, and a diminished triad. You also need to be able to recognize a seventh chord, a major seventh chord, and a minor seventh chord. With a little practice, you'll find yourself listening to recordings saying, "Oh, that's a minor seventh...oh, and there's a major triad..." That will be a great help when you're jamming or subbing.

 

Here's a question for you. See if you can figure it out. This chord is called B diminished (Bdim).

 

B D F

 

When we add a seventh to this chord...

 

B D F A

 

...it's called Bm7b5. It's also called B half-diminished seventh (Bø7).

 

BUT...it's not called B diminished seventh (Bdim7). Why not??? Think about it and take a guess.