Compiled and written by George Urbaszek

This is the final version of the free monthly Creative Bass Newsletter. Future versions of the newsletter will be even more feature-rich. Bass lessons will be more comprehensive than the mini lessons of previous newsletters. In addition to JPEG images of notation and/or bass TAB, lessons will usually contain MP3 files of audio demonstrations, providing a much more enhanced lesson experience for you.

The Creative Bass Newsletter will be re-named “Creative Bass E-Mag”. The term “E-Mag” bucks the “Ezine” trend because I prefer the abbreviation using the first letters of “Magazine” as opposed to the last. (It sounds more “Aussie” too.) Also, it will be more like an online bass magazine rather than a personal newsletter.

Subscription to the Creative Bass E-Mag will cost you a whopping US $2.00 per issue, making an annual subscription fee of US $24.00. See the end of this newsletter for subscription instructions. It is an easy, two-step process.

For $2.00 per month you will get at least one lesson, lots of information and advice about bass playing, including tricks and tips, as well as links to free bass-related downloads. This saves you time because I am the one who does the research and organization for you.

Today’s joke (or is this serious?):
How can a musician make a million dollars playing?
Start with two million.

HELP!
So far, no females have subscribed to Weekly Bass Lessons. Where are the girls? Some of my best former students are females. They include Kim Khahn, currently residing in London, England. Kim has played with Robbie Williams, Natalie Imbruglia, and Mel C of Spice Girl fame. There is also Zoe Hauptmann, who now specialises in upright bass. Zoe is based in Sydney, Australia, playing with Miroslav Bukovsky’s multi-award-winning band Wanderlust and touring with many other notable musicians.

Statistic
82% of current subscribers to Weekly Bass Lessons were originally contacted through email.

I have now set up an Ebay store at: Creative Bass Store The current HOT TIP is that you can MAKE AN OFFER FOR WEEKLY BASS LESSONS. Of course you can purchase most of my music education products there; they include lesson CDs and a systematic method book on Walking Bass.

Speaking of lessons, let’s get on to this month’s lesson on the topic of Reading Music.

Reading Rhythm

Last month’s newsletter introduced the music alphabet and notation of quarter notes. You are now able to read any note within the 5-line stave in bass clef and you are able to play the correct rhythm provided it contains only quarter notes.

If we subdivide quarter notes into eighth notes, we get eight eighth-notes per measure in 4/4 time. We should count 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and 1 etc. The digits 1 2 3 4 are called the “downbeats” and the “ands” between the downbeats are called “upbeats”.

Below is a notated piece of music. The first two measures begin with two quarter notes followed by four eighth notes. The two-measure phrase is repeated, finally ending on the sustained first note. This is called a “wholenote” because it fills the entire 4/4 measure.

Your count for the first two measures should be 1 (and) 2 (and) 3 and 4 and 1 (and) 2 (and) 3 and 4 and 1. The “ands” in parentheses are the non-played pulses. I strongly STRONGLY S-T-R-O-N-G-L-Y urge you to COUNT OUT LOUD AS YOU PLAY.

Click anywhere in the notation to hear audio.

I recommend you make your own notation, then play what you have written. Use only the information provided so far:
1. Notes from low A to the next octave A in within the bass clef
2. Quarter notes, eighth notes, whole notes.
3. Repeat sign.

George Urbaszek
© 2007

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