How important is it for bassists to learn how to read standard notation and navigate charts?
Unfortunately, I don’t think enough bass players take reading seriously. Many players will argue that if they don’t aspire to do sessions or play intricate music, then it’s not a necessary skill for them to develop. It is true that there have been many legendary players who have earned a great deal of success and admiration without having had to read notation or charts. However, I believe that learning to read and understand music on the written page expands your knowledge and understanding of the language, itself. Even if you don’t plan on having to sight read on gigs on a regular basis, practicing this skill gives you a huge advantage when working towards mastery of your fingerboard in its entire range. I have always been an average reader at best, but I have found that the time I spent working on it in the past has paid off immensely in both boosting my confidence on the gig and also allowing me to take jobs that I might have otherwise been intimidated by if I knew that charts were
