Reading Sheet Music: Bass Clef

[MKCL]

When you play more contemporary music in church band, which notes are you supposed to play?

 

Usually we have the note written on top, but occasionally for more traditional music, it is written in music notation.

 

I was wondering, when you see on the bass clef 3 notes that are supposed to be played at the same time, which note do you play? For piano, you play all of it, but for bass, you usually play one note and sometimes 2 notes like a fifth.

 

Let's use 'Moonlight Sonata' for example:

 

http://www.sheetmusicnow.com/img/pdfpreview/28038.gif

 

The first bass note in the LAST bar. Which one do you play? The highest note or the lowest note in the bass clef?

[sunburstbasser]

In the last bar, those two low notes are octaves apart. If you have a 5er, go for the low one. If not, play a B on the A string or wherever.

 

When you have parts written like that, if notes are doubled then you should normally also play those notes. So if you see E octaves, play an E, G octaves a G and so forth.

 

It doesn't get too terribly difficult until you are given a chart that has piano voicings, but not in root position. Then you have to figure out the root and go from there.

[NeonVomit]

Usually just go for the root, i.e. the lowest note. That's what the bass is for

 

But in cases that the chords given are inversions, then it would probably do some good to sit at a piano with the score and figure out what the chords are, and play the non-inverted root.

[Perfessor]

I usually play the lowest notes that are playable on a bass. Sometimes I transcribe up to the range of the bass. I'd rewrite it if I were you and eliminate any confusion.

[Banta]

In church I typically play at least the bottom note in a chord, depending on the bass line and what the piano is doing. With a five string I find that occasionally the sheet music will have a prominent bass line going below a B1, so if it doesn't flow right I might take it up an octave. I work with the pianist to avoid doubling and for more creativity. I try to mix up the lines so that I'm not necessarily playing the exact same thing on each verse.

[MKCL]

Lowest note makes sense for bass actually.

 

Wait, the lowest sounding notes is near the bottom, right.