Module 3 · Beginner

Reading music for bass

Two ways to write bass parts: tablature shows where to put your fingers, standard notation shows pitch and rhythm exactly. This module teaches both.

Before this module

3.1
Bass tablature
Read bass tab and know what it does and does not tell you.
Requires: 1.5
3.2
The staff and the bass clef
Name any note written on the bass clef staff, including ledger lines.
Requires: 1.1, 3.1
3.3
Bass sounds an octave lower
Understand why written bass music sounds one octave below its written pitch.
Requires: 3.2
3.4
Reading rhythm on the staff
Read note values, rests and beams on the staff and play them in time.
Requires: 2.6, 3.2
3.5
Accidentals and key signatures on the staff
Know how long an accidental lasts and what a key signature does on the staff.
Requires: 3.4, 1.3