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How To Play Bass

Learn songs not scales

Sight Reading Etude #2

For those bass players who want to work on their sight reading but who are ‘meat and potatoes’ bass players (i.e. 95% plus of us!) there’s a lack of sight reading materials that are:

  • (i) based on the kind of lines actually played in the real world
  • (ii) based on real world type chord structures and song structures.

Sight Reading Etude #2 is a 40 bar sight reading etude in a straight 8th note rocky style.  It’s in the key of A and the chord progression is similar to (but slightly different) the chord progression of parts of Crocodile Rock.  I’ve filmed playalongs of the etude at 125 BPM (“performance” tempo) and 85 BPM.  Here’s the 125 BPM playalong:

 

 

To get the PDF for Sight Reading Etude #2 along with the three backing tracks you need to be logged in to the Free Members area. If you’re not a member click the button below to join:


Comments

  3. I am sorry to advise the .pdf download of the Sight Reading Etude #2 is not working.

    Thanks

    To get the PDF for Sight Reading Etude #2 along with the three backing tracks you need to be logged in to the Free Members area. If you’re not a member click the button below to join:

  5. Paul I appreciate your hard work and dedication making your students well rounded bassist. Is there any tutorial on common bass rhythms?
    Regards
    Bill

    • Bill

      I have done something like that in the 80-20 Program with 8th notes…adn there will be a 16th note version in a later part of that program.

      Paul

  6. Sorry, not sure if my computer isn’t showing the music. No way anyone can follow that. I always thought ‘sight reading’ was the ability to translate the dots on the lines to the fingers on correct string as efficiently as possible. Not possible with no music!
    Been sight reading for other instruments for years and there has never been no music. If there’s no music surely it’s just copying another musician?

    • Are you logged in NIki?

      If so, you should see a download link which has the PDF with the notes in it and also a couple of backing tracks at different tempos for you to practice along with.

      paul