My brain went into gear! :)

[stingrayPete1977]

Something a few days ago started to click in my head for sight reading, I was doing my usuall 1 and 2 and blah blah thing then I kind of auto pilot read maybe 2 bars no more without thinking! At first I thought I had just filled the bar with something close then come back in on the 1 count and carried on but I have been spending a bit of time with the book Doddy suggested, Modern Reading Text in 4/4 and my brain is starting to work I have just played a whole page (44 bars but all just the E note) without over thinking it and listening to the note/rest lengths rather than counting, sounds easy now but Im still miles off I guess but I have well and truly turned a corner today, my note recognition is ok and this syncopation study has made a world of difference, If I can tie the two together now I will be well away. I only wanted to be able to read a basic bass part when I started which I can do and then learn it parrot fashion but If I can nail this bit a basic steady sight reading [i]could[/i] be possible too.

Right off to the next page until my brain hurts......

[rOB]

congratulations! Love it when something just starts working. Had that happen recently with a song that I've been writing on and off for ages.

[Bilbo]

That's how it works, Pete. Like reading English. You start reading words like D + O + G = Du Uh OG = Dog! And then, one day, before you even know you are doing it, you just 'see' DOG! First its a phrase, then a bar, then two bars and then, gradually, the reading passages get onger and longer and longer. Its a great feeling as it develops.

[stingrayPete1977]

Thanks guys, looking forward to my next practice already! I'm trying to not over do it as my brain hurts after about an hour.

[wal4string]

Great feeling, you must be well pleased, huge pat on the back.
Learning to sight read is a bit like learning to drive, if you can remember how it was a matter of thinking left foot change gear, right foot brake etc. at some point you do everything without even thinking about it. If you are use to driving a manual car then sit behind an autamatic I guarantee without thinking you will be finding yourself about to try and change gear. Sight reading at the beginning you think that is such and such a note and it needs to go here on the fretboard and the rhythm you need to count one and two etc. Whith practice you don't even think of the note name you merely think where it can be played on the fretboard, the same goes with syncopation, there is only so many variants that can be played around a beat so when you covered the variants its just a question of playing the new set of notes for a syncopation you have most likely played before. I spend a great deal of my practice time sight reading pieces I will no doubt never play in a band situation, the trick is to practice tunes you not only know and like, but also challenge yourself with different genres, and yes also play tunes you may even hate, you more than likely will find that those hated tunes and genres may not be so cr*p as you thought. Even the most simplest of tunes can throw you when it has an odd time signature thrown in during the middles of several bars rest. Try playing along to tunes such as Take Five or Golden Brown and you will see that although not technically difficul't unless you have done your homework with your styles and genre you will be lost within the first 20 bars. Golden Brown changes every bar nigh on from 6/8 to 7/8 (If I remember right) if you try to count the beats in your head your brain will explode, just need to play the notes as written and the time value of the note while tapping your foot to the eighth note pulse. Sorry I may have rambled a bit but what I was trying to say was you just passed your driving test, congratulations but now go and learn to drive. To that end I have put together several practice files you may find useful. They are here [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/158406-sight-reading-playalong-practice-files-now-with-fast-download/"]http://basschat.co.u...-fast-download/[/url] but don't just download the tunes you know and like.(this is not compulsory)

Edited November 5, 2011 by wal4string

[stingrayPete1977]

That's spot on Wal! I have already started trying random songs from a few books I have bought, Money by Pink Floyd has a simpler version of what your talking about, before I would of tried counting in 7/8 8/8 6/8 I will try again just playing the notes in my head. I have gone from one and two and etc to more of a der de da de der da method

There is just so much to learn and none of it is actually stopping me getting out there and gigging but it's making me a much better player, I'm going to get booked in with our Doddy for some more lessons soon but I'm not sure what to focus on next?

[Leemarc Ferguson]

Congratulations! I think Victor Wooten says it best. "Music is a language" just like learning to speak and read as a child its the same principle when learning the bass.

[stingrayPete1977]

I have never fully mastered English so it could take me a while Thanks Leemarc Im off for a reading practice right now......