How to learn classical guitar bass notes?
I have been learning the guitar for quite a while now but have never been able to easily recognize bass notes. I was wondering if anybody had any tips to help me remember them!! Thanks
Bass (or Base) notes on any given piece of music will be the lowest note (or tone) to be used by the performer.
With guitars – either nylon or steel strings – the 5th (A) or 6th (low E) are the two strings most often involved in the bass part.
One easy way to quickly recognize the bass notes if to identify them by the way they are written: Only two possible ways to write these notes,
Across a ledger line and,Below or Above a ledger Line in a space. Ledger lines are the lines used by composers to write notes above or below the standard musical staff that consists of 4 spaces and 5 lines.
In music written for the guitar only the Treble (G clef) staff is used. These are the notes Crossing the 5 Lines : E G B D F and the notes written within the 4 spaces are : F A C E
The bass notes you are trying to recognize will be written on the ledger lines below the treble staff.The lowest note in the guitar at “open”strings, the low E; is written below 3 ledger lines under the staff.
Now remember this “alternative location formula”, The note “E” in the staff is written crossing the 1st line, then the next “E” note either up or down – an octave separation – MUST BE in a space.In this case low E will be shown to be in the space below 3 ledger lines and the nearest higher E will be in a space above 3 ledger lines.
Start the count with the next line up or down from where the note is located. In this example the1st line in the staff where the “E” note is located does not count.
This same rule applies to all the notes- They staggers from being across a ledger line into a space or Viceversa from a space into a line, to become an 8ve higher or lower.
bass notes, nylon strings
Bass (or Base) notes on any given piece of music will be the lowest note (or tone) to be used by the performer.
With guitars – either nylon or steel strings – the 5th (A) or 6th (low E) are the two strings most often involved in the bass part.
One easy way to quickly recognize the bass notes if to identify them by the way they are written: Only two possible ways to write these notes,
Across a ledger line and,Below or Above a ledger Line in a space. Ledger lines are the lines used by composers to write notes above or below the standard musical staff that consists of 4 spaces and 5 lines.
In music written for the guitar only the Treble (G clef) staff is used. These are the notes Crossing the 5 Lines : E G B D F and the notes written within the 4 spaces are : F A C E
The bass notes you are trying to recognize will be written on the ledger lines below the treble staff.The lowest note in the guitar at "open"strings, the low E; is written below 3 ledger lines under the staff.
Now remember this "alternative location formula", The note "E" in the staff is written crossing the 1st line, then the next "E" note either up or down – an octave separation – MUST BE in a space.In this case low E will be shown to be in the space below 3 ledger lines and the nearest higher E will be in a space above 3 ledger lines.
Start the count with the next line up or down from where the note is located. In this example the1st line in the staff where the "E" note is located does not count.
This same rule applies to all the notes- They staggers from being across a ledger line into a space or Viceversa from a space into a line, to become an 8ve higher or lower.
References :
I play classical guitar,mandolin, and baritone Uke with local groups where several of the members also teach their specific instrument.
Nice post, keep up with this interesting work.Good to know that this topic is being covered also in this web site, thanks for taking time to discuss this.Good job !