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Bass Clef - Rhythms and Melodies

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Sightreading Jazz

Bass Clef – Rhythms and Melodies

Version 3 See the future of your


music – today! TM
©2005 Visual Jazz Publications

All rights reserved. These materials (printed/electronic) may not be reproduced in any way without the written consent of Visual Jazz Publications.
F: Swing Variations ........................................... 15

Contents F1: Using Even Eighth-Notes in Swing............. 15


F2: Laying Back on the Tempo........................... 15
F3: Swing Exceptions ........................................... 16
Introduction
G: Practice Techniques and Goals.................... 17
A: The Challenge of Sight Reading.................... 3
A Little History........................................................ 3 Part 1: Sight-reading Rhythms
Skills to Develop ..................................................... 4

B: Miscellaneous Reading Problems .................... 5 Practice Methods for Rhythms ......................... 21

Tempo....................................................................... 5 A: One Pitch .......................................................... 21

Tune Form and Road Signs................................... 5 B: Multiple Pitches ................................................ 21

Other Problems....................................................... 5 C: Using a Scale ..................................................... 21


D: Using an Arpeggio ........................................... 22
C: Ten Common Problems in Sight Reading..... 6 E: Two-Octave Scale or Arpeggio ...................... 22
1: Being Surprised ................................................. 6 F: Switching Scales ................................................ 22
2: Playing Easy Notes Fast, Hard Notes Slow.... 6 G: Using Thirds or Other Intervals.................... 22
3: Playing Side-by-Side Eighths Wrong ............... 6 H: Going Across the Page ................................... 22
4: Getting “Tied Up”.............................................. 7 I: Going Down the Columns............................... 22
5: Playing Dotted Quarters Wrong....................... 7
6. Switching Offbeats and Downbeats ................ 7 Two-Measure Rhythm Exercises......................23

7. Mistaking Three Eighths for Triplets .............. 8 Four-Measure Rhythm Exercises .....................26
8. Handling Dotted Eighths & 16ths ................... 8
9. Waiting for 16ths ............................................... 8 Eight-Measure Rhythm Exercises....................29
10. Miscounting a Single Downbeat 8th.............. 8
Triple Meter....................................................... 31
D: Swing Rhythms.............................................. 9
Mixed Meters ....................................................32
D1: Quarter-Notes and Quarter-Rests ................ 9
D2: Eighth-Notes and Eighth-Rests.................. 10 Additional Rhythms ..........................................34
D3: Dotted Quarters, Longer Notes, Triplets.. 10

Part 2: Sight-reading Pitches


E: Swing Articulations and Accents ................. 12
E1: Eighth-Note Articulations............................ 12 Ten Guidelines for Reading Pitches ................. 41

E2: Articulations for Long Notes & Triplets.... 13 1: Know Your Key Signatures............................. 41

E3: Swing Accents ................................................ 14 2: Strengthen Your Interval Skills ....................... 41


3: Know the Pitch-Degree Numbers.................. 41
4: Don’t Lose the Root .....................................41 Variation Examples for Pitch Exercises ........49
5: Hear the Pitch Degrees.................................41
Major Key Pitch Exercises ............................. 51
6: See the Chords and Scales ............................42
7: Watch for Sequences and Semi-Sequences 42 Minor Key Pitch Exercises.............................77
8: Don’t Confuse Slurs and Ties......................42
9: Handle Accidentals........................................43
10: Don’t Stop at the “Barriers” ......................43 Part 3: Etudes
Dealing with Manuscript Problems .............. 44
Four-Measure Etudes ...................................101
1: Watch for Bad Spacing .................................44
2: Watch for Bad Beams ...................................44 Eight-Measure Etudes ................................. 106
3: Watch for Bad Ledger Lines ........................44
16-Measure Etudes ........................................110
4: Find Beat 3 when it’s Hidden ......................45
5: Watch for Bad Accidentals...........................45 Blues Etudes .................................................114

Practice Methods for Pitches......................... 46


About the Practice Methods.............................46 Appendix
A: Across the Page ............................................46
B: Down the Columns ......................................46 Sightreading Jazz Art Gallery........................118
C: Upside Down ............................................46
Practice Tracker for Rhythms ...................... 123
D: New Keys ............................................47
E: New Rhythms................................................47 Practice Tracker for Pitches......................... 125
Combinations .....................................................47
Rhythm Combinations for Pitch Exercises....48
Introduction

A: The Challenge of Sight Reading


B: Miscellaneous Reading Problems
C: Ten Common Problems in Reading Rhythms
D: Swing Rhythms | E: Swing Articulations & Accents
F: Swing Variations
G: Practice Techniques and Goals

Sightreading Jazz – Bass Clef © 2005 – Visual Jazz Publications – 1


A: The Challenge of Sight Reading Notes

Why does sight reading jazz music cause so many problems for ____________________________________
performers and so many headaches for ensemble directors? ____________________________________
Anyone who has fought through the strange maze of jazz ____________________________________
rhythms and melodies can relate to these challenges.
____________________________________
Picture yourself in one of these situations:
____________________________________
• Everyone in your group plays the same printed music ____________________________________
differently, resulting in a ragged sound.
____________________________________
• Your director stops rehearsal repeatedly to demonstrate how ____________________________________
to play a swing rhythm, taking up valuable rehearsal time.
____________________________________
• You seem to make the same kinds of mistakes each time you ____________________________________
sight read a tune.
____________________________________
• Other players get recommended for gigs instead of you, ____________________________________
because they sight-read better than you do.
____________________________________
Sound familiar? You’ve probably faced one or more of these ____________________________________
challenges already. So why is jazz music so hard to sight read?
____________________________________
____________________________________
G A Little History ____________________________________
Let’s briefly dig in to jazz history for some clues the answers. In ____________________________________
the early 1900’s, jazz developed in America as a blend of African ____________________________________
and Western European music. Here are some of the
contributions of each of these cultures to jazz: ____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
African Sources Western European Sources
____________________________________
Improvisation Modern instruments
____________________________________
Blue notes, pitch inflections Chromatic harmony ____________________________________
Rhythmic freedom Balanced form and structure ____________________________________
Music learned by ear Written notation system ____________________________________
Merging of duple/triple meters ____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
Probably the hardest thing about writing out jazz music is trying
to capture “swing” – the combination of duple and triple meters. ____________________________________
These rhythms can be notated in 12/8 time, which captures the ____________________________________
duple and triple feeling, but that’s a cumbersome notation system.
____________________________________
____________________________________

Sightreading Jazz – Bass Clef © 2005 – Visual Jazz Publications – 3


Instead, it’s simpler to write in 4/4 notation, but this lacks the triple
Notes element and leads to a series of musical optical illusions on the page.
With 4/4 notation, it’s up to the performer to inject the triple
element and play the rhythms not as they look, but as they should
____________________________________
sound.
____________________________________ That’s where the Swing Rhythms chapter of Sightreading Jazz comes
into play. It’s a collection of guidelines that help you make the
____________________________________
conversion from printed to sound, consistently and effectively.
____________________________________
____________________________________
G Skills to Develop
____________________________________
____________________________________ Here are some of the skills you need in order to become a good
sight-reader:
____________________________________
____________________________________ • Good reflexes
____________________________________ • Technical command of your instrument or voice
____________________________________ • Knowledge of musical styles, such as swing and latin.
____________________________________
• Knowledge of printed musical symbols (pitches, rhythms, “road
____________________________________ signs,” markings, etc.)
____________________________________
____________________________________
Working Smarter and Harder
____________________________________
The traditional advice for learning to sight read is this – “Sight-read
____________________________________
as much music as you can!” But there are problems with this
____________________________________ approach:
____________________________________
• It’s often difficult or expensive to find enough new material for
____________________________________ constant sight reading practice.
____________________________________
• Quantity of practice time doesn’t necessarily equal quality, unless
____________________________________ you can break down and understand the principles of effective
____________________________________ sight reading.
____________________________________ Sightreading Jazz pays off here, as a smarter and proven approach.
____________________________________ Instead of being stuck with the typical “play it and you’re done”
method of reading, you can recycle and customize Sightreading Jazz
____________________________________
exercises, creating thousands of new exercises for fresh reading
____________________________________ practice. Additionally, this book helps you “divide and conquer” the
____________________________________ many smaller issues in the big picture of sight reading.
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________

4 – © 2005 – Visual Jazz Publications Sightreading Jazz – Bass Clef


B: Miscellaneous Reading Problems Notes

The guidelines below will help you handle some of the common ____________________________________
problems you’ll face in sight reading. ____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
G Tempo
____________________________________
1. Keep counting and keep the tempo steady, especially when the ____________________________________
rhythm section drops out or when you have rests in the music.
____________________________________
2. If your conductor counts off a faster tempo than you can handle ____________________________________
well, keep up with the tempo, even if it means dropping certain
____________________________________
notes. Make sure to play the downbeat of each bar correctly and
in time, then try to play beat 3 in each bar correctly. Remember – ____________________________________
if you’re consistently behind the tempo, all the “right” notes you ____________________________________
play are still wrong, because they are late.
____________________________________
____________________________________
G Tune Form and “Road Signs” ____________________________________
____________________________________
(“Road signs” are directional markings in a tune, such as repeats, DS,
codas, etc.) ____________________________________
____________________________________
1. Watch for tunes with odd-length phrases (other than 8, 12, or 16
measures). ____________________________________

2. Notice when a repeated section should be played more than ____________________________________


twice. “3x’s” means play the section three times; “3xo” means ____________________________________
play the written notes only on the third time through the section. ____________________________________
3. Memorize the location of a starting repeat (||:) so when you ____________________________________
reach the ending repeat (:||) you’ll remember where to repeat to. ____________________________________
4. Memorize the locations for any DS or Coda signs the first time ____________________________________
you see them, avoiding a panic situation later.
____________________________________
5. Unfold longer charts on the music stand so you can see more ____________________________________
music and avoid awkward page turns.
____________________________________
____________________________________
G Other Problems ____________________________________
____________________________________
1. Pay close attention to written dynamics, and be aware of what
dynamics to use when none are marked. (You can get clues on this ____________________________________
from the range, density and texture of the piece. ____________________________________
2. Watch for instrument switches, mute changes, or changes in ____________________________________
electronic settings. ____________________________________

Sightreading Jazz – Bass Clef © 2005 – Visual Jazz Publications – 5


Note: A significant amount of content has been omitted here – please see the Product
Version for the complete content. To order Visual Jazz products, go to:

http://www.visual-jazz.com

Best wishes from


Visual Jazz Publications
D: Swing Rhythms Notes

____________________________________

Objective: You’ll learn to divide swing rhythms into triplets to ____________________________________


get the authentic swing style. ____________________________________
____________________________________
Remember: These are guidelines, not hard-and-fast rules. Still, it’s
best to learn them first so you’ll understand how to make ____________________________________
exceptions later. ____________________________________
____________________________________
G D1: Quarter-Notes and Quarter-Rests ____________________________________
____________________________________
*1 Mentally divide each quarter-note into three eighth-note
triplets. Swing quarter-notes are usually played staccato, so they ____________________________________
are about one triplet of sound and two triplets of silence. ____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________

Example - Dividing quarter-notes into triplets ____________________________________


____________________________________
Offbeat quarters (tied 8ths) are divided similarly: ____________________________________

1,2 3 1,2 3 ,2 3 1,2 3 1 (2,3) ____________________________________


____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
Example - Dividing offbeat quarter-note values into triplets ____________________________________
____________________________________

*2 Mentally divide each quarter-rest into 3 eighth-note-triplet ____________________________________


rests. ____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
Example - Dividing quarter-rests into triplet rests ____________________________________
____________________________________
It’s important to feel the underlying triplets of rest just as securely as ____________________________________
you feel the triplets of sound. Many problems with swing
rhythms stem from not paying strict attention to the right ____________________________________
amount of silence during the rests.

Sightreading Jazz – Bass Clef © 2005 – Visual Jazz Publications – 9


G D2: Eighth-Notes and Eighth-Rests
Notes
In swing, an eighth-note is not equal to half of a quarter note. Instead,
the eighth-note varies in length, depending on whether it comes on
____________________________________ the beat (downbeat) or off the beat (offbeat).
____________________________________
*3 A downbeat 8th-note is like two tied 8th-note triplets; an offbeat 8th is
____________________________________ like one 8th-note triplet.
____________________________________
____________________________________ 2 1 2 1 2 1 3 EQUALS 2 1, 2 1, 2 1, 3
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________ Example - Dividing 8th-notes into triplets
____________________________________
____________________________________
*4 Likewise, downbeat eighth-rests are “two triplets” long; offbeat
eighth-rests are “one triplet” long (you rarely see offbeat eight-rests;
____________________________________ they’re usually handled with staccato quarter-notes).
____________________________________
____________________________________ 2 1, 2 1, 2 1, 2 1 = 2 1, 2 1, 2 1, 2 1
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________ Example B1 - Dividing eighth-notes and eighth-rests into triplets
____________________________________
____________________________________ To play swing 8th-notes, you alternate between “two-triplet” and
“one-triplet” 8th-notes. When an 8th-note or rest is followed by
____________________________________
some other rhythm, you need to correctly subdivide each note value
____________________________________ into triplets.
____________________________________
____________________________________ Activity D2: Marking Triplets for Quarters & Eighths
____________________________________
On the sheet of paper, mark the correct triplets for the 8th-
____________________________________
____________________________________
 notes, quarter-notes, and rests.

____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
G D3: Dotted Quarters, Longer Notes, Triplets
____________________________________ Dotted quarter-note values in swing are not all the same length, even
when they are side-by-side in the music.
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________

10 – © 2005 – Visual Jazz Publications Sightreading Jazz – Bass Clef


*5 Downbeat dotted quarter-notes get five triplets; offbeat dotted
quarters get four triplets. Like eighth-notes, side-by-side dotted Notes
quarters vary in length. The quarter-note portion always gets
three triplets; the dot (an 8th-note) gets two if on the beat, or one
if off the beat, just like a swing eighth-note.
____________________________________
3+2 1,+3 3
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
Example - Dividing dotted-quarters into triplets
____________________________________

In the example above, you can see that side-by-side dotted ____________________________________
quarter values are not equal. Getting these subdivisions right will ____________________________________
greatly help you get a more authentic swing feel. ____________________________________
____________________________________
*6 Longer notes (half-notes, etc.) get the correct amount of
triplets: ____________________________________
____________________________________
3+2 1,+3+2 1, + 6 6
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________

Example - Triplets for longer notes ____________________________________


____________________________________
____________________________________
Guidelines for written triplets and rests ____________________________________
____________________________________
*7 Each written 8th-note triplet gets 1 triplet; quarter-note ____________________________________
triplets get 2 triplets each.
____________________________________
1 1 1+3 1 1 1 (3) (1) 1 1 2 1 2 2 2
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
*8 Half-note triplets and rests are 4 triplets each. ____________________________________
(4 4 4 4 2 + 2 4) ____________________________________
--------- 3 ---------- ----------- 3 -------- ____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________

Remember that triplets should always add up to 12 per bar of ____________________________________


4/4, or 9 per bar of 3/4. ____________________________________

Sightreading Jazz – Bass Clef © 2005 – Visual Jazz Publications – 11


Note: A significant amount of content has been omitted here – please see the Product
Version for the complete content. To order Visual Jazz products, go to:

http://www.visual-jazz.com

Best wishes from


Visual Jazz Publications
Part 1: Sight-reading Rhythms

Practice Methods for Rhythms


*2-Measure Rhythms | *4-Measure Rhythms | *8-Measure Rhythms
*Triple Meter | *Mixed Meters | *Additional Rhythms

Sightreading Jazz – Bass Clef © 2005 – Visual Jazz Publications – 19


Note: A significant amount of content has been omitted here – please see the Product
Version for the complete content. To order Visual Jazz products, go to:

http://www.visual-jazz.com

Best wishes from


Visual Jazz Publications
Four-Measure Rhythm Exercises

A – One pitch | B – Multiple Pitches | C – Scale | D – Arpeggio | E – 2-Octave | F – Switch Scales


G – Intervals | H – Across the Page | I – Down the Column
26 – © 2005 – Visual Jazz Publications Sightreading Jazz – Bass Clef
A – One pitch | B – Multiple Pitches | C – Scale | D – Arpeggio | E – 2-Octave | F – Switch Scales
G – Intervals | H – Across the Page | I – Down the Column
Sightreading Jazz – Bass Clef © 2005 – Visual Jazz Publications – 27
Note: A significant amount of content has been omitted here – please see the Product
Version for the complete content. To order Visual Jazz products, go to:

http://www.visual-jazz.com

Best wishes from


Visual Jazz Publications
Ten Guidelines for Reading Pitches Notes

Objective: You’ll recognize and solve common problems that occur ____________________________________
as you sight-read pitches in jazz music.
____________________________________
____________________________________
1: Know Your Key Signatures ____________________________________
____________________________________
Memorize the key signatures of all major and minor keys; learn to
recognize them instantly. Always check the key signatures in a piece ____________________________________
in advance to avoid surprises. ____________________________________
____________________________________

2: Strengthen Your Interval Skills ____________________________________


____________________________________
Practice sight-singing regularly. You can practice most exercises in
____________________________________
Sightreading Jazz vocally as well as instrumentally. The better you
hear and sing intervals, the better you will play them. ____________________________________

Work on your intervals, small to large. The pitch exercises in ____________________________________


Sightreading Jazz are built with smaller intervals at the top of the ____________________________________
page and wider intervals at the bottom. ____________________________________
____________________________________
3: Know the Pitch-Degree Numbers ____________________________________
____________________________________
Be familiar with all the pitch-degree numbers in each key. For
example, the 6th degree in D Major is B; the 4th degree in C# minor ____________________________________
is F#, etc. With 15 major and 15 minor scales (allowing for ____________________________________
enharmonics), there are about 210 pitch-degree numbers (30 x 7). ____________________________________
Patient work in this area will pay off well in your sight reading efforts.
____________________________________
____________________________________
4: Don’t Lose the Root ____________________________________
____________________________________
Use the root of the current key as the strongest reference point. Store
the root in your mind and compare it to other pitches as you play. ____________________________________
This will keep you grounded in the key, especially if you are sight- ____________________________________
singing.
____________________________________
____________________________________
5: Hear the Pitch Degrees ____________________________________
____________________________________
After you hear the root of the key, learn to hear the 3rd and 5th of
the key. This will complete the basic chord triad in your mind. ____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________

Sightreading Jazz – Bass Clef © 2005 – Visual Jazz Publications – 41


Note: A significant amount of content has been omitted here – please see the Product
Version for the complete content. To order Visual Jazz products, go to:

http://www.visual-jazz.com

Best wishes from


Visual Jazz Publications
Major Key
Pitch Exercises

Sightreading Jazz – Bass Clef © 2005 – Visual Jazz Publications – 51


C Major - 1

A – Across the Page | B – Down the Column | C – Upside Down | D – New Key | E – New Rhythm
Combinations: AC, AD, ACD, ACE, ACDE, BC, BD, BCD, BDE, BCDE, CD, CDE, DE

52 – © 2005 – Visual Jazz Publications Sightreading Jazz – Bass Clef


C Major - 2

A – Across the Page | B – Down the Column | C – Upside Down | D – New Key | E – New Rhythm
Combinations: AC, AD, ACD, ACE, ACDE, BC, BD, BCD, BDE, BCDE, CD, CDE, DE

Sightreading Jazz – Bass Clef © 2005 – Visual Jazz Publications – 53


C# Major

A – Across the Page | B – Down the Column | C – Upside Down | D – New Key | E – New Rhythm
Combinations: AC, AD, ACD, ACE, ACDE, BC, BD, BCD, BDE, BCDE, CD, CDE, DE

54 – © 2005 – Visual Jazz Publications Sightreading Jazz – Bass Clef


Db Major - 1

A – Across the Page | B – Down the Column | C – Upside Down | D – New Key | E – New Rhythm
Combinations: AC, AD, ACD, ACE, ACDE, BC, BD, BCD, BDE, BCDE, CD, CDE, DE

Sightreading Jazz – Bass Clef © 2005 – Visual Jazz Publications – 55


Note: A significant amount of content has been omitted here – please see the Product
Version for the complete content. To order Visual Jazz products, go to:

http://www.visual-jazz.com

Best wishes from


Visual Jazz Publications
Minor Key
Pitch Exercises

Sightreading Jazz – Bass Clef © 2005 – Visual Jazz Publications – 77


C Minor - 1

A – Across the Page | B – Down the Column | C – Upside Down | D – New Key | E – New Rhythm
Combinations: AC, AD, ACD, ACE, ACDE, BC, BD, BCD, BDE, BCDE, CD, CDE, DE

78 – © 2005 – Visual Jazz Publications Sightreading Jazz – Bass Clef


C Minor - 2

A – Across the Page | B – Down the Column | C – Upside Down | D – New Key | E – New Rhythm
Combinations: AC, AD, ACD, ACE, ACDE, BC, BD, BCD, BDE, BCDE, CD, CDE, DE

Sightreading Jazz – Bass Clef © 2005 – Visual Jazz Publications – 79


C# Minor

A – Across the Page | B – Down the Column | C – Upside Down | D – New Key | E – New Rhythm
Combinations: AC, AD, ACD, ACE, ACDE, BC, BD, BCD, BDE, BCDE, CD, CDE, DE

80 – © 2005 – Visual Jazz Publications Sightreading Jazz – Bass Clef


Note: A significant amount of content has been omitted here – please see the Product
Version for the complete content. To order Visual Jazz products, go to:

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Best wishes from


Visual Jazz Publications
Four-Measure Etudes

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Note: A significant amount of content has been omitted here – please see the Product
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Visual Jazz Publications
Eight-Measure Etudes

106 – © 2005 – Visual Jazz Publications Sightreading Jazz – Bass Clef


Note: A significant amount of content has been omitted here – please see the Product
Version for the complete content. To order Visual Jazz products, go to:

http://www.visual-jazz.com

Best wishes from


Visual Jazz Publications

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