Reading music

[lgmmember]

Hi,  Just wondering if there's anything here that would help me learn to read the bass clef.  Alternatly, are there any tabs for the chord progressions given here?  Thanks

[betnich]

Bass Clef Lines and Spaces, from bottom to top:

Lines -  Good Boys Do Fine Always (G B D F A)

Spaces - All Cows Eat Grass (A C E G)

There is also a trick some people use - if you know the note in Treble Clef, go up a third (3 alphabet letters) to find the Bass Clef note. For example, if the note looks like C in Treble, go C,D,E, and it's E in Bass Clef.

[lgmmember]

Thanks, betnich, that little tip about going up 3 is helpful   I don't suppose anyone knows of any sight-reading exercises on the Net?  I guess I could just use my music but that's no fun, and there's no feedback for incorrect answers.

Is anyone here planning on doing tabs for all those nice progressions?

[under13]

For sight reading practice, get a hymn book.

I'm sure you can google Bass clef notes, and you will find something on the net

[kodacolor]

Bass Clef Lines and Spaces, from bottom to top:

Lines -  Good Boys Do Fine Always (G B D F A)

Spaces - All Cows Eat Grass (A C E G)

There is also a trick some people use - if you know the note in Treble Clef, go up a third (3 alphabet letters) to find the Bass Clef note. For example, if the note looks like C in Treble, go C,D,E, and it's E in Bass Clef.

Well that's better than what I thought of trying to jump ahead of my ex-piano teacher:

Lines - Gang Bangers Don't Fly Airlines

Spaces - Alvin Can't Ever Golf

   

[chevonee]

I've got a few sites, hopefully one or both of them will help you
http://www.8notes.com/
http://www.empire.k12.ca.us/capistrano/Mike/capmusic/Key%20Signatures/key_signatures.htm
http://www.learngospelmusic.com/forums/index.php/topic,32585.0.html

[betnich]

Well that's better than what I thought of trying to jump ahead of my ex-piano teacher:

Lines - Gang Bangers Don't Fly Airlines

Spaces - Alvin Can't Ever Golf

  

LOL! that's good!

[csedwards2]

For sight reading practice, get a hymn book.

I'm sure you can google Bass clef notes, and you will find something on the net

heres your answer^^^

Theres no better sight reading exercise than to sight read. People make it complex. Just do it. And do it alot. And then do it so more. Then do it faster. And faster.

Whatever you sight read, just progressively increase the level of difficulty. And USE A METRONOME.

[Casioman]

Hi,  Just wondering if there's anything here that would help me learn to read the bass clef.  Alternatly, are there any tabs for the chord progressions given here; Thanks

Try these sites for some note recognition practice.
http://astro.sci.uop.edu/~harlow/piano/index.html
http://www.pianotools.com/

Be sure to devote some of your practice time every day to reading music,the good thing is that it can be done away from the piano as well. Also very important is to match what you see to what you play on the piano (you may read D-F-A but are they the correct ones on the keyboard?)

Bass Clef Lines and Spaces, from bottom to top:

Lines -  Good Boys Do Fine Always (G B D F A)

Spaces - All Cows Eat Grass (A C E G)

There is also a trick some people use - if you know the note in Treble Clef, go up a third (3 alphabet letters) to find the Bass Clef note. For example, if the note looks like C in Treble, go C,D,E, and it's E in Bass Clef.

I find saying this rhyme a hindrance, (It makes reading a two step process when it should be a 1 step process). Just learn the ledger line letters G-B-D-F-A & space name letters A-C-E-G for the bass clef. Practice looking at the staff ledger lines & saying "G-B-D-F-A" same for the spaces A-C-E-G do it every day for 5 minutes or more until you can just look at the staff & read it fluently.

Count in thirds (C scale) to read the notes above & below the staff. Example G (bottom line of bass clef) a third below G is E (1 line below); a third below E is C (2 lines below). Do the same for the spaces count the lines & add a step.

Knowing your key signatures will help tremendously when knowing what notes need to be flatted or sharpened. learn the signatures as you practice your scales using the cycle of fifths chart.

All this is a means to an end after about a year of doing this you will just look at the staff & read it no problem.
Practice, Practice, Practice.

Be Blessed

Casioman

[betnich]

     Here's the REAL secret. It's not enough just to know the names of the notes and the keys...you must also be able to read by intervals. Some people who play by ear may do this already, by recognizing chords and patterns from others' performances. If you want to skip the long explanation, go to the last paragraph.

All melody and harmony is made up of intervals. That is the distance between low and high note pitches. On a guitar, that's a half-step from fret to fret. On the keyboard, a half-step is from one piano key to the very next one (black or white). Two half-steps equals a whole step (interval of a major second).

Now the difference between Guitar/Bass and Piano is that Western Notation is set up to reflect the white (letter A B C D E F G ) keys on the keyboard. It is supposed to be a keyboard TAB, but it goes up and down instead of from left to right. And the black keys in between were added later as an afterthought, being relegated to sharps and flats. If you keep in mind that the white keys represent the lines and spaces of the staff, you can find the distance between keys by counting them.

     Bottom line - learn to recognize the patterns in notation. Line to the next space (or space/line) is two white keys, a 2nd (like a number line - always count the first key - think 'first grade, 2nd grade). Line to the next line or space to next space is always a 3rd, the distance of 3 white keys. When it comes to naturals, other intervals in melodies or chords can be counted up or down using the white keys. Since black keys are sharps/flats, they are shown in notation as alterations of the white keys, like Bb or F#. Find the white letter key, then go up or down a half-step to play them...

[Casioman]

     Here's the REAL secret. It's not enough just to know the names of the notes and the keys...you must also be able to read by intervals. Some people who play by ear may do this already, by recognizing chords and patterns from others' performances. If you want to skip the long explanation, go to the last paragraph.

Bottom line - learn to recognize the patterns in notation. Line to the next space (or space/line) is two white keys, a 2nd (like a number line - always count the first key - think 'first grade, 2nd grade). Line to the next line or space to next space is always a 3rd, the distance of 3 white keys.

This is very true, A lot of the time when the intervals are close together I don't read the note names but the distance from the previous note(s) read. This is a skill you acquire naturally in my opinion, rather like reading a book where you can recognise the words because you have encountered them before. I can easily recognise distances up to a major third almost instantly but greater than that,  it is more difficult, but that depends on the key.

The problem for me has been getting my fingers into some of the ridiculous positions that the SATB hymnals would suggest, I have remedied this to a degree by doing Hanon exercises & purchasing some hymnals written specifically for the pianist. I can notice the difference believe me. This also gives me a chance to work on my technique at the same time,some thing I have been trying to get round to doing for ages.
 
Be Blessed

Casioman

[betnich]

Yes - SATB reading is ridiculous. Often the right hand has to do the upper notes in the bass clef (tenor part) because the distance between tenor and bass lines is too big for the left hand.

For beginning readers, it may be helpful to start with just the top melody line in Treble Clef (Soprano part). Then work the other parts in gradually...

[SisterCM]

Try these sites for some note recognition practice.
http://astro.sci.uop.edu/~harlow/piano/index.html
http://www.pianotools.com/

Be sure to devote some of your practice time every day to reading music,the good thing is that it can be done away from the piano as well. Also very important is to match what you see to what you play on the piano (you may read D-F-A but are they the correct ones on the keyboard?)

I find saying this rhyme a hindrance, (It makes reading a two step process when it should be a 1 step process). Just learn the ledger line letters G-B-D-F-A & space name letters A-C-E-G for the bass clef. Practice looking at the staff ledger lines & saying "G-B-D-F-A" same for the spaces A-C-E-G do it every day for 5 minutes or more until you can just look at the staff & read it fluently.

Count in thirds (C scale) to read the notes above & below the staff. Example G (bottom line of bass clef) a third below G is E (1 line below); a third below E is C (2 lines below). Do the same for the spaces count the lines & add a step.

Knowing your key signatures will help tremendously when knowing what notes need to be flatted or sharpened. learn the signatures as you practice your scales using the cycle of fifths chart.

All this is a means to an end after about a year of doing this you will just look at the staff & read it no problem.
Practice, Practice, Practice.

Be Blessed

Casioman

Thank you for the websites.  This will help me and my 7 year old grand daughter. 

[SisterCM]

Thanks to everyone for all the helpful tips and advice in this thread, it is truly a blessing. 

[Lildrummaboy66]

Bass Clef Lines and Spaces, from bottom to top:

Lines -  Good Boys Do Fine Always (G B D F A)

Spaces - All Cows Eat Grass (A C E G)

There is also a trick some people use - if you know the note in Treble Clef, go up a third (3 alphabet letters) to find the Bass Clef note. For example, if the note looks like C in Treble, go C,D,E, and it's E in Bass Clef.

Ah, brings back memories! I play the drums at church, so I don't read a whole lot of music, but I have a hymn book at home and I am getting back into reading music a little more.