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For those who are in need to be ready on a moment notice to transpose a/any song must use the Roman numerals - I, vii7 or Nashville notation system.
If I need to transpose momentarily a bass line while sight-reading on stage - maybe I don’t need that gig.
Don’t get me wrong but I’m trying to imagine the following situation.
You as a good sight-reader got a phone call that you need to play some Musical in one hour. You barely made it and now are trying to look at the sheets - the show starts in three minutes, when the director informs all musicians that we must transpose all the songs.!
Exactly. Is a professional bass player expected to be able to sight read a piece in the key of A major and transpose it to F# major, instantly?
Could you, please, approximately(!) tell us how many TB members and how often they encounter a situation where they are required to momentarily sightread and transpose at the same time?
no we don’t.
probably not. This kind of thing usually occurs with pro singers at theatre, pit orchestra type gigs. Union reading stuff. Not usually a concern at the cover band level (although, even there, I’ve encountered singers who requested a song be done in other than the original key).
All the songs? No. But a few? Yeah. Happens a lot.
Approximately 312 TB members possess this skill; Approximately 583 encounter a situation where they are required to use this skill.
Of course I can’t answer your question. I neither represent nor speak for all of TalkBass.
OK.
You have a gig in some bar playing some known some unknown songs and there are NO chord sheets.
I've been in those situations numerous times.
Oh yes, but please show me a concert where an Opera singer decided to transpose his Aria.
LOL.
Anyway, it was my pleasure to converse with a very knowledgeable and Professional musician/bass player and a Bass guitar teacher.
Yeah. I don't understand how an interesting theoretical musical point became something for people to shout at each over about the internet.
Let me continue with that ABSURD-ish message.
If I write MY OWN song but don't play it in all KEYS - do I know that song?
If I write MY OWN song but don't play it in all KEYS - do I know that song?
Absolutely. Sightreading and transposing in real time. There are plenty of pros who can’t do this, but most can.
Cool it, WUTP - seriously. Your ability to bring all heat and no light to a discussion is without peer on this forum.
Wow. I did not know this. I’m not a professional bass player by the way. I’m just blown away. That’s another whole step past just sight reading in time, that I had never considered.
It just kind of happens. I don’t think anyone sets out to systematically learn how to do it. It starts off with the easy intervals first: seconds, fourths, fifths, then after a while you find you can even do it with harder ones (thirds, sixths, tritone)