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Hello there

I've just started taking piano lessons and am having some problems with bass clef. I've been playing the clarinet for 13 years now and so I've only ever played music in treble clef. I've done theory exams etc and A-Level music so I know how bass clef works, but for some reason I can't seem to read it as it is. By this I mean whenever I look at notes in the bass clef, in my head I always read them as if they were in the treble clef and then transpose them.

Its making it very difficult for playing as I often have trouble keeping my left hand up with my right hand, as I have to transpose the note, not just read it. I don't know of any way I can learn to read the notes as they are in bass clef. Does anybody have any ideas or tips please?

Many thanks!

I can remember, as a child, finding the bass clef notes difficult. I agree with dave brum that trying to remember a couple of milestone notes was a big help. I think I found it most useful to always have it in mind that the lowest line was G and to quickly calculate everything from that. Gradually the calculations became quicker and eventually became unnecessary. I think the second note I always remembered was 2nd space C, presumably because so many easy pieces then (and now too, though less predominantly) were in C major.
It also helped to play lots of music based on simple chords: I enjoyed playing hymn-tunes, which were ideal for that, but they might not be everyone's first choice. You soon get to recognise the chords, so playing the bass clef notes becomes automatic.
I think the main thing to say to sparkley is that it does all suddenly click into place!

Hey Sparkley,

If you're familiar with the treble clef then I guess you also know that its called a 'G' clef, Its the same with the bass clef its also known as an 'F' clef, because it rests on the second line that repesents the note F. This is the way I learned the notes on the bass. The first I memorised was the F then the line in the middle that repesents D and the note on the last line G. I then memorised the other notes over a few days by using these ''milestone notes'' as a guide to workout the others.

Have a look at some music in the bass clef that contains the notes you have learned recently ( in the bass clef ). Test yourself everyday by reading aloud the notes in the bass. Hopefully it will quickly overide the temptation to read then as treble notes.

Hope this helps, and sorry if you know this already! But I like to try and help people even if I have been 'teaching' myself the piano for 6 months.

Youll know that developing the ability to read music quickly when you were learning the clarinet took a bit of time at the start because you were not used to the notes. In the same way you learned to read words - with all the sight vocab and sounds - you are in the same way developing your mind to snapshot at notes so that your end results should be the ability to scan music without having to take a lot of time thinking about it.

You will become more proficient at this as you expose yourself to more bass clef notes. Dave's idea of using the sight-reading games - and there are quite a few of them on the internet - is a very good idea and is good at developing that fast mental process you will need. The thing is later, that as you start to play music, your mind has to be able to extend beyond this to scan treble and bass at the same time.

But forget that for now, start plugging up the gaps in your knowledge and competence now no matter how tedious and pointless it will seem. Be consistent with the sight games and try to play basslines online to develop confidence and skill in this area.

Thank you so much for all the wonderful replies, there are some great tips there.

Dave, thank you for the link, thats a really good site so I think I'll keep trying those games

Dave is right, this a lovely friendly community

Hi!
I'm relearning the piano after 30 years away and remember that ACEG are the notes in the spaces - All Cows Eat Grass, and for the lines GBDFA -Great Big Dogs Fart Alot!
I wonder if this might help?

Hey Silvermist,

I remember when I was at school in music lessons ( not that I was bothered with learing music then, regrettably ) to remember the AGBDF notes my teacher said: All Good Boys Deserve Females!!!
Its probably the only thing I remember from music at school so it must have worked for me .

Never heard of: Great Big Dogs Fart Alot, but it seems intreresting.

silvermist wrote:Hi!
and for the lines GBDFA -Great Big Dogs Fart Alot!
I wonder if this might help?

]

My own favourite is: Good Boys Don't Frighten Auntie

Moonlight wrote:Hey Silvermist,

I remember when I was at school in music lessons ( not that I was bothered with learing music then, regrettably ) to remember the AGBDF notes my teacher said: All Good Boys Deserve Females!!!

Why would you need to remember AGBDF?
Is that I clef I've never come across? Or does Moonlight mean EGBDF? - the treble clef lines.

Whoops sorry I meant EGBDF in the treble clef lines. Its Every Good Boy Deserves Females

Silly me I'm Baching mad!

what if the good boys are gay? no females deserved!



Anyways, one I use with my pupils is

granny's boots don't fit aunty

all cows eat grass

of course great big dogs fart alot works just as well and probably has more truth in it, because granny's boots may just fit aunty, yet dogs ALWAYS fart!