Originally published June 9, 2013, lightly edited for clarity.
When working on developing your reading on the bass, I recommend breaking it down into three areas of study. The first is note names – This means knowing all of your note names on your bass neck without hesitation. The second is written range – I define this as knowing what the note name is on the staff and then where it goes on the bass, again, without hesitation. The third is reading and counting rhythms. A good reader has all of these elements under his/her control as well as being able to make the line being played, groove and feel good. I have always believed a good reader to be one who sounds and more importantly, feels like they are not reading. The following video walks through these prep steps. Reading music is one of the fundamentals I teach. If you want structured coaching on note reading, online bass lessons via Zoom are available.
