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Learning to Read 16 th Notes Mind Your e ’ s and a ’ s
By Jason Raso
Learning to read and play 16th notes accurately is an essential skill for a bass player . When I was in high school , my music teacher , Mr . Hendriks , suggested I count 16 th notes as …
1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a
Did I take Mr . Hendriks ’ advice ? Absolutely not ! I thought counting them that way sounded silly . I figured I could use my ears and just feel where the notes should go . Of course , my feel proved to be inconsistent . It was obvious that I needed to develop my rhythm reading skills .
As the years went on and I played with more seasoned musicians , I had no choice but to jump on board with counting that way . It ’ s how musicians communicate with each other . Phrases like “ play the e of 3 ” or “ play the e and a of 4 ” became a regular occurrence . The better I got at counting this way , the better my playing sounded . I also learned material at a much faster rate . Of course Mr . Hendriks was right !
Here ’ s a groove étude I wrote to practice reading 16 th notes ! I hope you dig it . And be sure to mind your e ’ s and a ’ s !
“ Jason has put together a great short simple guidebook to get up and in the bass world . I remember my first Mel Bay book way back when , and this book sticks in my mind like that one . I love the rhythmic examples and how once you figure out they are rhythms you ’ ve heard before on songs , it clicks into your brain and you can see them a mile away on a chart . Great job Jason , let ’ s get a coffee !” - Matt Bissonette ( Elton John )
Jason Raso is a professional bass player and instructor from Guelph , ON . His latest book , Soloing on Electric Bass : A Chord Tone Approach , is available from MusicBooksPlus . com . Jason proudly endorses Aguilar amplification and D ’ Addario strings . www . jasonrasomusic . com .
You can find this exercise and more like it ( including audio examples ) in my book , Raso ’ s Rollicking Rhythm Reader , available now at
www . jasonrasomusic . com
60 CANADIAN MUSICIAN