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Bass cheat sheet


owens hound

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Why would a bass player need tab for Christmas carols? Or music or chord charts for that matter?

 

I thought you just listened to the music and hit the bass note.

 

I feel sorry for all of us. Bass is so difficult. The notes can't be found on the fingerboard. Reading music is almost impossible. All we can do is go "boom boom boom".

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I play them as solos, just an octave lower. Auld Lang Syne with distortion is something you need to hear to believe.

 

... and what about my Eb question just above your last post? I may have edited while you were composing your reply.

 

Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn

 

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Originally posted by jeremy c:

I feel sorry for all of us. Bass is so difficult. The notes can't be found on the fingerboard. Reading music is almost impossible. All we can do is go "boom boom boom".

You have been listening to too many of Thanny's Cradle of Filth CD's :D

 

Seriously though Jeremy, things that we have done for years that seem second nature to us are in fact the result of years of practice. We often forget how hard these things appear to novices.

Feel the groove internally within your own creativity. - fingertalkin

 

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TNB, I have seen a form of TAB for vocalists where each word has Do-Ray-Me etc written under it to infer the note of the scale. Long time ago though. I don't know if it still used. But I get your point.

Feel the groove internally within your own creativity. - fingertalkin

 

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Originally posted by TimR:

Seriously though Jeremy, things that we have done for years that seem second nature to us are in fact the result of years of practice. We often forget how hard these things appear to novices.

I don't think anyone doubts that it's daunting to learn all that stuff when you're starting out. But I think the worry is that you don't solve that problem by doing an end-run around learning it. You solve that problem by putting in the practice.
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Myself, I don't have any problems with those "cheat sheets." I think if a player or teacher uses them to avoid learning where the notes are, then that's a real problem. But that's not the only way to use them. For instance, right now I'm teaching a new player a basic major scale pattern; he doesn't know his fingerboard notes yet, but for now he can learn how to play a major scale. But I'm teaching him that pattern so that I can go on to teach him where all the notes are, what an interval is, how a chord is made, etc.

 

Update: Had the lesson, & showed him that know that he knows (1) the C major scale starting on the A string, (2) the C major scale starting on the E string, and (3) how to find the octave of any note, he now knows everything he needs to know to find all the natural notes anywhere on the fretboard, up to the 12th fret, after which they just start over again anyway. His reaction: "That's too easy!" :D Being a novice, he probably figured he could never work out what all those frets were. You should've seen the look on his face when he realized he actually could learn them. Cool.

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Thanks, Jeremy. It may be getting a little off topic, but I was reading an article (probably in BPM) where a player who thought he was ready to play in a jazz band was confronted with a band leader that would hold up fingers to indicate how many flats (and subsequently the key) of the next song. I've stared immersing myself in theory again recently and I want to make sure I don't miss anything.

 

Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn

 

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Originally posted by Social Critic:

Thanks, Jeremy. It may be getting a little off topic, but I was reading an article (probably in BPM) where a player who thought he was ready to play in a jazz band was confronted with a band leader that would hold up fingers to indicate how many flats (and subsequently the key) of the next song.

Yep - fingers pointing down for flat keys, and up for sharp keys. I've seen that, and I've seen guys kinda make the shape of the letters with their hands (3 fingers pointed sideways for the key of E, etc...). You just have to know which particular set of signals a given leader will use...

Dave Martin

Java Jive Studio

Nashville, TN

www.javajivestudio.com

 

Cuppa Joe Records

www.cuppajoerecords.com

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Originally posted by Dave Martin:

Yep - fingers pointing down for flat keys, and up for sharp keys. I've seen that. You just have to know which particular set of signals a given leader will use...

Especially as I would normally expect to see fingers up for flat keys, and down for sharps. Is this a UK thing. help I'm confused now..

Feel the groove internally within your own creativity. - fingertalkin

 

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Originally posted by TimR:

Originally posted by Dave Martin:

Yep - fingers pointing down for flat keys, and up for sharp keys. I've seen that. You just have to know which particular set of signals a given leader will use...

Especially as I would normally expect to see fingers up for flat keys, and down for sharps. Is this a UK thing. help I'm confused now..
Might be; I've seen all manner of gestures over the years. :)

Dave Martin

Java Jive Studio

Nashville, TN

www.javajivestudio.com

 

Cuppa Joe Records

www.cuppajoerecords.com

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