Bass Clef Reading

Hi David, I did the same thing - transpose whilst reading the bass clef, which is inefficient - I completely agree.  I am interested to read other answers as I don’t have one.  I just wanted to say that at some point, maybe by playing more varied music, and over a very long time (for me) - I can read the notes in the bass clef as clearly (mostly) as in the treble clef.   Similar to you, I feel it’s because of the younger years only focusing on the treble, I played the melodies and the chords in a syncopated fashion.  Having spent a lot more time in the last decade on classical music though, for me, seems to have payed off in that it gets easier and easier to read the bass.  But I do need to keep practicing, because my default is to transpose.  I have always wished to have had the magic answer to this question, but I don’t.  Hoping others answer :)

The 'transposition' is probably what everyone does as a starting point.  Piano pupils learn the treble clef first and then the bass clef, may be some weeks later, depending on the age of the pupil.  Some teachers don't bother with reading music to begin with - just the visual relationship of the notes at the piano - and the aural relationship too, of course.

I am a flute player so have the same challenges particularly on the leger lines below the bass clef.  You will no doubt be the same in that mot pianists will envy our ability to sight read up to C7 and beyond.

My approach is to play lots of chord progressions - the Jazz approach is really beneficial - 7th chords - major, dominant, minor [and then diminshed, flattened fifths - I think there are eight in total].  This enables you to think in chords and then look at the keys so that you are playing the correct notes for that chord.  Having said that I still read a G when it should be a B, but at least it fits in a G major !

My aid with the bass clef leger lines is to remember the bottom line is 'G' so the two leger lines below form the triad C E G. 

The leger lines above clef are separated by middle C so it's fairly straightforward to work out that B and D are the two notes that are 'inverted' on the different clefs.

I write the name of the note on the score, if need be, particularly when the lower leger lines go below 'A', although it's often easy to hazard a guess from the hand position for the shape of the chord or if it's an inversion of a chord, say.

I am starting to play much more by ear, just chords, going around the the circle of fifths, i.e., C, then F, then B flat etc.  You can do this by doing Tonic, fifth, tonic, instead of the whole chord.  The plan is to the pick some pieces with Alberti basses and hope that there is an immediate recognition.  Playing by ear is not at all playing by ear is playing by applying music theory to the instant playing of music - from the brain to the keys.  Try the reverse, think of the notes, find them on the piano, and then write them onto a stave in the bass clef. 

Hope that helps in some way!     

I forgot to say that I had the following method with beginner flute students.  It must be similar for the violin.  The hardest problem to begin with is holding the wretched thing - under your chin in your case!  Why complicate matters by trying to read music at the same time?  I would start with G, which uses three fingers and the thumb of the LH - so it's the most stable note, then move to A and B.  I would then introduce reading music by drawing a single line on an unlined sheet of paper.  This line is G and I would draw the G clef to show that.  Then I would add the second line, above the G and this is B.  Lines would then added until all five were there.  I took this from Gregorian [I think] chants, which may have only one or two lines, from which to vocalise.     

I had this same issue when I started. I played clarinet and sang in middle school and high school. I could identify f and c in the bass clef, and then had to count up and down from those anchor notes. I'm sure this sounds dull, but I made some flash cards and drilled it for 5-7 minutes several days a week in spare moments. I kept practicing until it felt automatic and I could name a note without hesitating. I went as high as the E above middle C and the C two ledger lines below the bottom of the staff. The flash cards helped me practice one skill in isolation until I felt confident. For me, that confidence piece helps me avoid falling back on mental shortcuts, which too often become traps.

I was a trombonist first. The way I learned to read treble - which happened pretty quickly as I recall - was to play through an entire church hymnal. It might be because every hymn was written in 4 part harmony so it had a very predictable structure, but for whatever reason it worked quite well for me. I also got very good at sight reading which I also ascribe in part to this approach.