DEVELOPING READING SKILLS FOR THE CONTEMPORARY RASSIST (VoL 1) RY STEVE MARKSAbout The Author Steve Marks performs in and around New York City using a wide variety of styles; Rock, Jazz, Classical, Blues, Theatre, Cabaret, World Music and Big Band Ensembles. He's partial to a 1930s blonde Czechoslovakian upright and a killer Fender Precision, circa 1963. His education includes studying bass with Ed Lord, David Katzenberg and Jay Leonhart, as well as general music studies at Queens College, the SOJ Jazz and Contemporary Music Center and the Lynn Oliver Jazz Workshops. Steve has been teaching bassists since 1982. In addition to his private students he's currently on the staff of the Bass Collective, the SOJ Jazz and Contemporary Music Center and the American Institute of Guitar in N.Y.C. Steve's first book for bassists is entitled "The Zen Of Bass." Acknowledgments I'd like to thank my wife Lisa for her continuing support and my friend Lory Lazarus for serving as editor. I'd also like to thank my students for allowing me to use them as a sounding board for the materials and methods used in this book. Dedication This book is dedicated to my teachers. | didn't make it up, I'm just passing it along.Foreword Music notation is merely symbols on paper; like a recipe or a formula, not the thing itself but instructions on how to assemble it. In order to translate the ovals, stems, dots and assorted squiggles of musical notation into living breathing music, you must first learn the language and rules of usage, and then practice until you can speak it gracefully. In order to succeed you'll need to fuse a technical knowledge of musical notation with the ability to execute the musical information in a skillful and artistic manner. Good cooks do more than merely follow the recipe; they need a love for the process and materials they use. As important as having the necessary tools of the trade, @ craftsman needs the skill and discipline to use them correctly. In this book | will attempt to show you how to take these "chicken" scratches of music nomenclature and translate them into musical sound. | hope you enjoy using this book as much as | enjayed putting it together How to use this Book: There are two main sections in the book, each divided into smaller modules: pitch identification, position studies, rhythm etudes, rifftudes, classical melodies and contemporary etudes. Feel free to order your studies in your own way. You could do a little of each module when you practice or you could concentrate on one or several modules at a time. After you can play all of the music in the first section reasonably well, move on to the second section. Start slowly and increase the tempo gradually. Practice each exercise until you can play them smoothly and accurately. Use your own judgment in determining the tempos. Accuracy and "groove" count for more than speed. (Between 60 and 120 beats on the metronome is a good general benchmark for most of the material in this book). © 1997 Steve MarksTable of Contents Part 1 Conception Counting Notation Pitch ID 1 .. Il Position Study 1 II Position Study 2 | Position Study 1. | Position Study 2 Ill Position Study 1 Ill Position Study 2 Rhythm Etude 1 Rhythm Etude 2 Rhythm Etude 3 Rhythm Etude 4 Rhythm Etude 5 Rhythm Etude 6 Rhythm Etude 7 Rhythm Etude 8 Rhythm Etude 9 Rhythm Etude 10 .. Rifftude 1 Rifftude 2 Rifftude 3 Rifftude 4 Passepied Melody Ode To Joy Happy Farmer The Magic Flute Bouree Ancient History A Minor Dude D-mented Blues Walk Come On © 1997 Steve MarksTable of Contents Part 2 Pitch ID 2 .. 36 IV Position Study 1 . 37 IV Position Study 2 Pg. 38 Mixed Position Study Pg. 39 V Position Study 1 Pg. 40 V Position Study 2 Pg. 41 VI Position Study Pg. 42 Mixed Position Study 4 Pg. 43 Rhythm Etude 11 Rhythm Etude 12 Rhythm Etude 13 Rhythm Etude 14 Rhythm Etude 15 Rhythm Etude 16 Rhythm Etude 17 Rhythm Etude 18 Rhythm Etude 19 Rhythm Etude 20 Rifftude 5 .. Rifftude 6 .. Rifftude 7 .. Rifftude 8 Minuet 58 Musical Joke - 59 New World Pg. 60 Peasant Song . Pg. 61 Bouree Pg. 62 Gavotte . Pg. 63 Hidin’ . 64 De Blues . 65 Rim Shot Pg. 66 All Things Considered . Pg. 67 Run, Don't Walk .. Hot Pursuit .. © 1997 Steve MarksCONCEPTION Musicians need to speak the same language and dialect to communicate effectively. If your definition and execution of the placement and duration of pitch and rhythm are the same as your band mates’ you'll understand each other much better and the music will "feel good". Audiences tend to relax and groove when musicians are in sync and tense up when they're not. To speak this language well you need a fluid rhythmic conception and execution, the ability to pinpoint your notes with perfect control, keep a steady tempo for an entire song and finally, an articulate understanding of the musical dialect you're performing in. In order to be in sync we have to agree on standards of measurement: How long each particular note or rest is and where the note is placed in relation to the beat. Is your whole note exactly 4 beats or is it 3 and 9/10 beats? When you aim your notes to hit on the beat are you accurate or do they arrive early or late? If you play two eighth notes is the second one exactly between two down beats? Good musicians expect this kind of attention to detail. Notes begin either exactly on the beat or on the exact space between beats that is allotted to it. A note lasts until the next note or rest begins. For instance, a quarter note on the first beat of a measure followed by a rest would sound until replaced by silence exactly at the point in time when the second beat begins. A dotted quarter lasts until the exact middle of the second beat and so on. This may sound obvious and simple, but it’s often overlooked. Once you have a good grasp of this kind of exactness you can then use your knowledge and judgment to temper it. Though a quarter note is a quarter note, you can interpret it differently according to the style of music and your own individual expression. For example, in jazz walking bass lines are generally long and connected. An opposite example is hard rock, where quarter notes are usually played short and tight. Sometimes playing slightly in front or slightly behind the beat will give the music energy and drama. You need to know the conventions of the music you're called upon to play. © 1997 Steve MarksCOUNTING RHYTHMS AND METER The meter is the basic grouping of beats and accents in a musical piece. For instance in a 4/4 meter the underlying pulse is grouped in 4 beat, measures (also called bars) with each full beat represented by a quarter note. In a 3/4 meter each beat is still represented by a quarter note but the pulse is now grouped into three beat measures. Each pulse in the meter is called a down beat. In 4/4 time there are 4 down beats. (In 3/4 time there are 3, and so forth). The spaces that are exactly between down beats are called up beats. The up beat between the first and second beat is referred to as the up beat of one. The up beat between the second and third beat is referred to as the up beat of two, and so on. If you can count the music correctly you can play it correctly. Using an “incorrect” counting scheme, or not being able to coordinate counting the meter and playing the notes is where a good number of students seem to take a "wrong left turn." The basic principle | use is: A/ways count every down beat ina measure but only count the up beats you play. \n 4/4 time you count 1,2,3,4 over and over, inserting "and" wherever you have an up beat to play. Never count two half notes as 1,2,1,2 or a dotted half and quarter note as 7,2,3,1, etc. That is the most common mistake made, and will prevent you from being able to read fluently. It is important to be able to hold your counting together through syncopations and tied nates, which can be difficult at fast tempos. A strong attack on a weak beat can throw your counting off. Difficult technical demands can also throw you off. Make sure each note is properly placed in the measure. An eighth note can be a down beat or an up beat. If it's on a down beat, count it as such, don't count it as an "and." You should count the meter and rhythms verbally until you can eternalize it. In time counting can become somewhat transparent, but you never get too hip to stop counting. Work out the counting technique first, then make your playing conform to the counting and you will be successful. © 1997 Steve MarksMUSIC NOTATION The graphic and textural notation that indicate pitch, duration, meter, clef, key and performance instruction are written on five horizontal lines called the staff. The first symbol is the clef sign which designates the pitch of the lines and spaces on the staff. t There are 4 basic clefs: treble, bass, tenor and ¢ > = alto. Most music for bass is written in the bass. (E) (FH) (GH) clef. Next come the Key and Time signatures. The Key signatue keys the tonality by indicating the notes to be sharped (#) or flatted (b). The Time signature consists of two numbers, one placed on top of the other, that denote the meter and how it is to be notated. The ‘top number defines the meter while the bottom number defines which note will represent. one beat. For example, 4/4 denotes a four beat pattern with each beat reresented by a quarter note. Notes and rests placed on the staff represent durations of pitch and silence. Notes higher or lower than the staff allows are written on short lines called ledger lines drawn above or below the staff. Notes and rests are grouped in measures according to the Time signature. In 4/4 time measures contain combinations of notes or rests equal to the value of 4 quarter notes. Notes and their equivalent rests: Whole Note ‘Whole Rest Half Note Half Rest Quarter Note ‘4 beats 4 beats of silence 2 beats 2 beats of silence 1 beat Quarter Note Rest Eighth Note Eighth Rest Sixteenth Note Sixteenth Rest E H Se =; + 1 beat of silence 1/2 of a beat 1/2 beat of silence 1/4 of a beat 1/4 beat of silence A dot placed after a note increases the value of a note by half: Dotted WholeNote Dotted Whole Rest___Dotted Half Note Dotted Half Rest Dotted Quarter Note 6 beats 6 beats of silence 3 beats 3 beats of silence 14172 beats Dotted Quarter Rest Dotted Eighth Note Dotted Fighth Rest Dotted Sixteenth Note Dotted Sixteenth Rest EOE = K = ) ) ) ) , ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) } ) ; ) P } ) ) ; ) )es Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) Dance from the Magic Flute The key of B major has five sharps: F#, C#, G#, D# and A#. The only notes not sharped are B and E. is the abbreviation for piano which indicates the music is to be played softly. D.S. al Fine is an abbreviation of the Italian phrase "Dal Segno al Fine" (from the sign to the end). When you finish playing the last bar, go to the sign (the slanted S with a line through it) and play until you reach the Fine. % I Position Sa — SS D.S. al Fine © 1997 Steve Marks « ‘ e é € € € « € ¢ « ‘ « « € « é ‘ ¢ ¢ ‘ a ‘@ € « c ¢ e ¢ e ¢ e e e e € ¢ -30 Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) Bouree The Key of Ab has four flats: (Bb, Eb, Ab, Db). This piece also returns to the sign and ends at the Fine. ILI Position % D.S. al Fine © 1997 Steve Marks31 ANCIENT HISTORY PTS I & II The pieces in this section were constructed as miniature bass charts and are more contemporary in nature. f stands for forte, or loud. mf; mezzo-forte, means half as loud. Rehearsal letters, sometimes enclosed, have no musical significance but make it easier to rehearse sections of the chart. PART 1 > I POSITION f PART 2 D. 1 POSITION mf © 1997 Steve Marks i I a ak en a an es as de OeA MINOR DUDE “ Here are some more "road map signs.” The sign in bars 3 and 4 direct you to repeat the previous two bars. Continue through the 1st ending. Repeat the bars enclosed by the dots but skip to the 2nd ending. D.S. al Coda, the circle with two lines through it, means return to the sign and play until you reach the Coda sign, then jump ahead to the matching Coda sign. | POSITION 2 DS. al Coda NOT A WALTZ > | POSITION © 1997 Steve Marks* D-MENTED The road map: Repeat the enclosed bars then continue to the bar where D.C. al Coda is written. (D.C. is an abbreviation for Da Capo, Italian for the beginning). Go back to the first bar, play until you reach the Coda sign then jump to the second Coda sign. "Repeat and fade" is a common term derived from what is done on recordings when the music fades. AJ II POSITION D.C. al Coda Repeat and Fa: A HANDFUL OF SHARPS The oval line with the dot under it is called a fermata, and indicates the note is to be held for an indefinite length. | POSITION eR ee ees © 1997 Steve MarksBLUES WALK Here are two variations of a 12 bar blues structure. The first one is in a minor key, the second piece is major. They can both be played in the third position without any shifting. It POSITION -————_—— HEY FLAT IL POSITION © 1997 Steve Marks ) ) ) } j ) } ) ) ) ) ; } , ) , ) ) ) , , ) \ ; , ) ) ) } ) ) ) ) )35 COME ON After the third measure it's third position all the way. Notice the abrupt ending...don't let your last note linger. 1, IH POSITION A © 1997 Steve Marks36 PITCH ILD. 2 This exercise adds a few new notes (D,E,F). Recite the notes on each line out loud and in time to a metronome. First recite one note for every beat, then two notes per beat. Strive to see the two notes as a pair. © 1997 Steve Marks37 TV Pos. Study 1 In the 4th position the 1st finger (index) plays the notes on the 4th fret, the 2nd finger plays the notes on the Sth fret, the Srd finger on the 6th fret and the pinkie plays the notes on the 7th fret. Play the following exercises in the Ath position. Observe the key signature in each measure. © 1997 Steve MarksTV Pos. Study 2 Play the following exercises in the 4th position © 1997 Steve Marks 3833 Mixed Pos. Study 1 It's not always possible to play a piece in one position; sometimes you need to shift from one position to another. There are usually several workable fingerings for any given phrase. In this study | map out one for each example. Follow the left hand fingerings (underneath the notes) for position shifts. Stay in position until the next shift, After you've tried my fingering, see if you can find an alternate fingering that works smoothly. © 1997 Steve Marks40 V Pos. Study In the Sth position the ‘st finger (index) plays the notes on the Sth fret, the 2nd finger plays the notes on the Bth fret, the Grd finger on the 7th fret and the pinkie plays the notes on the 8th fret. © 1997 Steve Marks41 V Pos. Study 2 This study is all eighth notes. Slow down the tempo and stay in position. Place the notes on the up beats exactly and evenly between the down beats. He » % » % . i © 1997 Steve Marks42 VI Pos. Study | In the 6th position the 1st finger (index) plays the notes on the 6th fret, the 2nd finger plays the notes on the 7th fret, the Grd finger on the 8th fret and the pinkie plays the notes on the Sth fret. Play the following exercises in the 6th Position. A double sharp, as the one in line 6, raises the pitch an additional 1/2 step. (C double sharp is the same pitch as D natural). © 1997 Steve Marks“ Mixed Pos. Study 2 Here's another study in shifting positions. Follow the left hand fingerings (underneath the notes) for position shifts. Try not to take your eyes off the music. Stay in position until the next shift. After you've tried my fingering, see if you can find some alternate fingerings. » te + > Tat © 1997 Steve Marks44 RHYTHM ETUDE 11 This etude begins with an eighth note on the down beat of one followed by a quarter note on the up beat of one - always a funky rhythm. Make sure you give the up beat quarter note its full value (through the down beat of two) and place the third note on the up beat of two. Count: 1+2 + 34+ 4 1+2+4+ 34 142 3+4 14234 © 1997 Steve Marks45 Count: RHYTHM ETUDE 12 2/4 time is relatively simple, only two beats per bar, but it is often played very fast which makes the bars zip by. Try this etude at an appropriate tempo. 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 © 1997 Steve MarksCount: RHYTHM ETUDE 13 More of that syncopated stuff. Keep your note placement and their durations as accurate as you can. 1+24+ 34 1+ 2+ 3 44 T+2 344 124 © 1997 Steve Marks 4647 ; RHYTHM ETUDE 16 | 4 ( t 6/8 time has 6 beats per measure, but now each beat is represented by an ‘ eighth note. 6/8 is often felt and conducted in 2 with a strong emphasis on t beats 1 and 4. (Think Irish jig). ‘ t { Count: 123 45 6 123 456 123456 123 456 4 © 1997 Steve Marks48 RHYTHM ETUDE 15 Here's another element to consider - rests that begin on an up beat. It may seem abrupt to stop a note in the middle of a beat, but that's probably what the composer or arranger intended. Count: 1 +24+ 34 1 +24+3 4 12+ 3444+ 124+ 344+ © 1997 Steve Marks4g RHYTHM ETUDE 16 This etude introduces eighth note triplets, groupings of three notes (or rests) in one beat, usually indicated by the number 3 in brackets above or below. Eighth note triplets sub-divide the beat into three even notes and can be counted using syllables: (1-trip-let, 2-trip-let, etc.) Going back and forth between triplet eighths and non-triplet eighths can be tricky. Make sure one doesn't influence the other. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ a ‘ ‘ e e 1 2 wip tet 3 4 1 trip let 2 34 12 3 4 trip et 1 + 2+ 3 + 44 =o 4 4 Count: ro. 4 m4 434 iS m4 m4 a4 © 1997 Steve Marksa eS Se ee ee ee SS a RHYTHM ETUDE 17 Sixteenth notes, or rests, visually resemble eighth notes but with one more flag. A sixteenth note has a value of 1/4 of a beat, therefore 4 sixteenths fit into the space of a quarter note and two fill the space of an eighth note. | use syllables to sub-divide the beat: (1e-an-a, 2-e-an-a, etc.) Play the following etude. Be careful to place each sixteenth note in the exact space allotted to it. Count: lemma 2 3¢an4 1 ana2+ 3 4 lea 230ea 4 1 a2a3 de © 1997 Steve Marks51 RHYTHM ETUDE 1% 12/8 time has 12 beats in a measure, and an eighth note gets one beat. 12 is a mouthful to count. One shortcut is to subdivide the bar into 4 parts of three syllables: (1, an, a, 2, an, a, 3, an, a, 4 an, a.) Slow blues numbers are most often in 12/8. Count: 123,45 6 789 101112 123 4 5 6 789101112 123456 7891011 © 1997Steve Marks a ag aR a Rt ER ee Re a ee a me52 RHYTHM ETUDE 14 6/4 time is not a very common time signature, but you never know, some day a piece in 6/4 may find its way onto your music stand. Each quarter note gets one beat. 6/4 is generally not subdivided. Count: 12.3 4 5 6 123456 123456 1 2 3 45+ 6 2S See eet © 1997 Steve Marks53 RHYTHM ETUDE 20 Here's another etude that focuses on sixteenth note rhythms, but now in 3/4 time. Sort of a funky waltz. Count te a 2 3ecana laa 2.3ea lem 2+ 3 1 2 8 © 1997 Steve Marks eRifftude 5 The rests on the down beats in riffs 1 and 2 make the lick stand out, so give them their due. In riffs 5 and 9 tie the last note of the riff to the first note when you repeat them. O @® ‘© [© j© © © 1997 Steve Marks 5455 Riffs 3, 4 and 5 are straight eighths. Keep a steady in the pocket groove. Check out the whole bar of rest in number 10. Sometimes laying out can be most effective. © ® @ Rifftude 6 ®@ — <—7e © 1997 Steve Marks I ai a i i a ili ln i al i ec cl li iRifftude 7 These riffs have some interesting interval leaps and tricky rhythmic twists. ® ® ey HO He © 1997 Steve Marks57 Rifftude 8 Sixteenth note grooves are the bedrock of modern rock and funk. Here are some tasty sixteenth licks along with some eighth note grooves. © @ @ i e — 2 © 1997 Steve MarksMinuet Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) 58 A minuet was once a dance. Tunes were often generically named after dances. This one can be played entirely in the fourth position. mf" stands for mezzo-piano, which means louder than piano but not as loud as forte. IV Position mf — or Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767) Die Alte Und Neue Liebe I don't know what "Die Alt" etc., means but | like all the thirds. V Position © 1997 Steve Marks59 . é Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791), A Musical Joke ~™ ; This piece necessitates a few position changes. You can stay in fifth position for most of the tune, but near the end you'll need to move down the neck. I've laid out one possible fingering but feel free to try a different one. Try to avoid switching positions in the middle of a phrase. V, VI, III Position Ludwig Van Beethoven (1770-1827) Pastoral The "Pastoral" can be played entirely in the fourth position. Try this piece with the metronome clicking on the eighth note (six clicks per bar) and also on the dotted quarter (2 clicks per bar). IV Position. © 1997 Steve Marks i i i tien i ii die ie i as ee a ee a i ee aFelix Mendelssohn (1809-1847) Peasant Song In this piece all the notes are flatted except F and C. Fall positon changes. le fingerings for IIL, V, VI Position Tru mp et Tu ne Henry Purcell (1659-1695) It's a Trumpet / Bass tune today! Except for one note, the E in measure 11, this piece can be played entirely in the fourth position. Give the dotted eighth and sixteenth figure a nice "skip." IV Position © 1997 Steve Marks61 Antonin Dvorak (1841-1904) New World Symphony Both of these melodies can be played entirely in the sixth position. Remember, eighth note triplets are three even notes in the space of one beat. VI Position Ludwig Van Beethoven (1770-1827) Russian Song VI Position © 1997 Steve Marks750) B ouree Johann Sebastian Bach (1685: Here's a bouree and minuet from Bach. Here | favor the first finger for shifting positions, but there are many good alter fingerings you could use. TV, III Position Fine Minue t Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) V, IV, III Position Fine © 1997 Steve Marks 6263 George Frederick Handel (1685-1759) Gavotte | This one shifts positions quite a bit. Try to move smoothly from one position to the next. V,LIV,ULPositions %& ie : D.S. al Fine © 1997 Steve Marks64 tegro HIDIN' This chart could be an excerpt from a symphonic bass part and sounds great ‘on both acoustic and electric. Hidin' can be played entirely in the fourth position. Allegro is an Italian word for cheerful, and indicates a fast tempo. mf" means louder than mp but not as loud asf. > 1V POSITION Ba eee aa ©1997 Steve Marks =~65 DE BLUES The "Blues" usually has a 12 bar structure, but not always. Here's an eight bar blues with an eight bar bridge. If your part begins with a rest in the "pickup" that usually indicates that other instruments will play on those beats. 1 OR II POSITION 3 D.S. al Coda Repeat and fade © 1997 Steve Marks re Re earache term eT a IE ek SR eneRIM SHOT “ “Rim Shot" has a two octave range and moves around the neck quite a bit. The goal is to be able to move from note to note smoothly. A curved line that Connects two different pitches is a slur. Articulate the first note and slide up to the second. 1,1 Vi POSITION [A D.S. al Coda Repeat and Fade © 1997 Steve Marks67 All THINGS CONSIDERED Fast Swing Imagine five trumpets, four bones, five reeds, piano, drums and you. It can be played freely in the first and second positions. © 1997 Steve MarksRUN, DON'T WALK Here's another chart with a big band feel. Molo Allegro translates ta "very fast." This piece can be played entirely in the fifth position. Motto Allegro V POSITION © 1997 Steve Marks 6869 HOT PURSUIT This last chart is a "take no prisoners” bass line, full of twisty sixteenth note rhythms. It's written in E major but all the D naturals hint at a mixolydian scale. [A mixolydian scale is similar to a major scale except the seventh degree of the scale is flatted). VI, 1, V POSITION oi © 1997 Steve Marks