The book include scales, arpeggios, and exercises within each position. All bass guitar scales can be sorted by number of notes. The exercises i have given you in the following video tutorials will really open up the geometry of the bass neck and if practiced alongside the arpeggio exercises you will truly start to see the available harmony for any given chord sequence all over the bass. Knowing how to read music really helps if you want to play bass guitar. Scales, chords, arpeggios, and more presented with theoretical definitions and related resources.
For example, if the scale is in e and im playing a 5 string, i know there are notes on the b string that fit the scale, but they are not shown. Youll have an easier time mastering bass guitar exercises if you understand how to read music and tablature and have a basic understanding of. That being said, it should be quite obvious that the two go hand in hand. Bass clef notes and the bass fretboard when you begin reading music for bass, you will quickly realize there are many different ways to play the exact same thing in different locations, or positions, on. The major pentatonic scale contains the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th en 6th note of the normal major scale.
Bass tab for playing a 1octave scale with a tonic note of e in open position a movable bass pattern for playing the scale with any tonic note. Exercises for each string are presented in all keys. Look at these bass major scale positions with the bass a major scale. Please visit for auxiliary study material, pdf ebooks, and info about. My personal favorite bass sound is that of a fender jazz bass a really nice woody sound. The 6 string bass has a high c string this is a more specialized bass for soloing i personally have not heard a 6 string bass that sounds as good as a 4 or 5 string bass. However obvious it may be, guitarists tend to overlook both the importance of practicing scales and the importance of practicing scale application. Home scales the major scale the melodic minor scale symetric scales pentatonic scales blues scales. The notes above are all natural however any of this notes can be raised or lowered a half. Along with doing twooctave scales, this is the main exercise i recommend to my students for getting a thorough knowledge of the neck of the bass.
The online course is a lifetime subscription that accesses more exercises. Note that the full ebooks include 196 pages, featuring 192 fullpage illustrations of 16 scales and modes in all 12 keys. Numbering each scale degree via the chromatic scale degrees. Scale degrees 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 8 c d eb f g ab bb c. The following figures present your main rhythms with rest symbols included free of charge and the note names on the fingerboard of your bass. The same exercises are transposed for each scale which, although. By applying these exercises to your regular practice time you will start hearing the arpeggios in all there different inversions which in turn will help the development your ear. A cable is plugged into the bass s input jack to send the signal into the amp. You can move on to tuning forks, harmonic tuning, and variable instrument tuning later. Make sure you get a bass amp and not a guitar amp 6 some way to tune your bass. Bass tablature for 2 octave scale for 5 string bass by bass lessons. Pdf bass scales complete fretboard diagram daniel oscar.
The beast pdf advanced bass scales exercise this bass scales exercise is the best way ive found to learn the notes on the neck, be able to move around fluidly from top to bottom in any scale, build up your playing endurance, and practice playing fast scale runs all at the same time. Then try sliding into the notes following the shift points for more of a legato feel. For an extra challenge, try doing the exercise with arpeggios, intervals, bass lines or pretty much anything else you can think of. This course will deal with alternating 1root 5 fifth bass parts. A good bass player plays the same scale in different ways.
They show the scales as played on a 4 string bass with standard tuning. This exercise book is 430 pages long, and is designed to supplement bass methods such as simandl, bille, montag, and others to include the 5th string tuned to b with exercises in each position. These exercises are hard and it will take a lot of practice. Annotated scale exercises developed from luigi legannis 36 caprices op. David ellefson has been a mainstay in the rock and metal communities for over 25 years. The relative minor begins of the 6th note of a major scale.
One very significant factor affecting the tone of your bass is scale lengththe vibrating. The baged octaves sequence is shown for c natural in the diagram that follows. The beast for 5string bass advanced scale exercise. Even after a long day, you can rock back and forth, up and down a one or twooctave scale and feel its calming and constructive properties take hold in your playing. This page contains all the notes on a 5 string bass guitar fretboard as well as all the scales in tab form and charts. The minor pentatonic scale contains the 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 7th note of the normal minor scale aeolian. Mar 10, 2016 modes scales 3 octaves 5 string bass tab by lessons scales. E major scale exercise for 5 string bass outsiders republic. You play exercises, often over and over, until you master them. Bass guitar exercises for dummies cheat sheet dummies.
I named it the beast because it takes a while to get through the exercise, and you can practice in every key, with every 7note scale you know. A cable is plugged into the basss input jack to send the signal into the amp. Your best source to find bass charts like bass arpeggios, bass fretboard notes, videos, tab paper, and more. Once you know the sound of the major scale and the scale patterns needed to play it in all keys, learn how it can be changed in order to make other bass scales. Jul 03, 2019 they show the scales as played on a 4 string bass with standard tuning. Dec 04, 2015 we are going to need to know the major scale, the cycle of fourths and the notes on the neck. On a 4string bass, you can get away with tuning to bead, but the strings may be too loose for your liking. A mediumscale bass will use a 32inch scale length, and instruments with a 30inch scale length are considered short scale.
Scroll down to download a printable pdf version of the chart, with no login or signup required. Bass scales chart a free printable bass guitar scales. The beast pdf advanced bass scales exercise josh fossgreen. All stuff for bass guitar, theres so much free bass stuff going on here its ridiculous. As we did with the shifting drills, be sure to add slurs, change the key, learn it in two octaves jeff has great fingering for this in double bass. The real fun and challenge of playing a bass guitar is that the patterns of the chords and scales never change, no matter what musical key youre in. The purpose of this book is to provide the aspiring bass player with a wide variety of finger exercises for developing the techniques necessary to succeed in todays music scene. The isbn of the full jazzhacker scales and modes for 5string bass ebook is. Celtic alternatingbass scale exercise for a recent wedding i was asked to play an instrumental version of singer george ezras uptempo tune budapest as the recessional. This bass scales exercise is the best way ive found to learn the notes on the neck. A strap can be attached to the strap buttons to play the bass standing up. When you practice a scale, first learn to play it up and down. One great way to practice is to arpeggiate oneoctave seventh chords, starting from a different scale degree in the same scale each time.
Lessons scales modes scales 3 octaves 5string bass. However, in the long scales and chords for the upright bass 1 of 17 7122011 7. It should be borne in mind that some scales are called different shapes types of scales for electric bass. Beginning 5string bass video lessons with george urbaszek. The craziest sounds are coming out of your bass right now. Practicing sequences not only gets your fingers familiar with the mechanics of playing a scale, but they also help you learn to hear the scale. Even modes of the same key c major, d dorian, and a minor, for example can all be practiced, because by shifting your mental root note, it will change. Knowing the intervals between the notes of a major scale is important in understanding all other scales.
Major scale 5 pos system condensed major scale 5 pos system detailed major scale 7 pos system condensed major scale 7pos system detailed major scale 12 pos system. For example, using a sevennote scale you could practice a 3note sequence like this. Good luck memorizing all of your scales, modes and chord tones. Jazzhacker scales and modes for 5string bass standard tuning, beadg jeffrey williams sample ebook please feel free to share this 38page sample ebook with all other musicians and music students. This course will deal with alternating 1root5fifth bass parts. By practicing each different fingering of the major scale and then incorporating. These are virtual lessons utilizing a bass track and a drum track to. For when you have to learn to play the bass right now. Oneoctave natural minor scale exercises bass scales.
Scales and modes for the 5 string bass pdf 5 string bass scales and modes. Strictly speaking, a pentatonic scale is any scale that is comprised of 5 notes. Play the electric bass by the number system background there are 7 tones or notes in a major scale or key. Jun 24, 2014 bass arpeggios are a great resource for both practicing finger exercises as well as learning the fundamental components of chords every practice routine should include some kind of incorporation of finger exercise both for developing dexterity and finger independence as well as understanding chords from a fundamental perspective and how they relate to one another musically. One of our perennial bestsellers over the past few years, fretboard alchemy for 4, 5, and 6string bass is now available as an ebook. Now you have so many more choices to play 1, 2, 4 and 5. The purpose of this book is to provide the aspiring bass player with a wide variety of finger exercises for developing the techniques necessary to.
It comprises 7 notes 8 including the octave, spaced. The symbol of the bass clef is derived from the old german way of writing f. In this blogozon we take a look at the c major scale box shapes and join them all together for 5 string bass in standard low b tuning to form one long baged octaves chain. Beginning 5string bass video lessons 1 and 2 if you are making the transition from 4 to 5string bass guitar or even if you are a beginner bass player on the 5string with a few bassic skills, these two videos will provide you with the tools you need to get going.
Playing bass guitar well, much like playing any other musical instrument, requires practice. Observe that the first finger plays the fnote on the fourth string. Play a c major scale starting from the 3rd fret of the a string. I cover some of the common problems and then some ways to make things much easier. The major scale is one of the first bass scales you should learn. Major and minor bass guitar scales bass books and music. To print the notes of any scale or chord for any string instrument, remember you can use the fretboard diagram printer in the tools section. Feb 24, 2017 in this lesson im going to give you a few tips on moving over from 4 to 5 string bass. In this lesson im going to give you a few tips on moving over from 4 to 5 string bass. This exercise involves playing a major scale from every chromatic note through the cycle of fourths starting on one string. The major scale is the standard scale used in western music. Internationally acclaimed as the bassist and cofounder of thrash icons megadeth, he is known for his unique and hard hitting style of bass playing, as well as his versatility in a wide variety of other musical settings across the globe.
Bass arpeggios are a great resource for both practicing finger exercises as well as learning the fundamental components of chords every practice routine should include some kind of incorporation of finger exercise both for developing dexterity and finger independence as well as understanding chords from a fundamental perspective and how they relate to one another musically. Pentatonic scales continued for 5string bass guitar starts on 3rd of the pentatonic scale starts on 5th of the pentatonic scale starts on 6th of the pentatonic scale. On the bass fretboard, adjacent frets are a semitone apart. Most bass guitars will also have a pickup selector switch along with volume and tone knobs. The was one of the things i didnt like about that one site that was suggested, it didnt show all of the notes possible, only the ones needed to make up that part of the scale. These bass basic scales are perfect for the begining. The metal bars that go across the neck are called frets. Florida state university libraries electronic theses, treatises and dissertations the graduate school 2008 a guitar scale excerpt workbook.
For practicing at home with no immediate ambitions to play, a practice bass amp found at any music store will do. A no nonsense comprehensive study of scales, modes, chords, arpeggios, extended fingerings, diagonal fingerings, functional harmony, theory and more. The e string, or b string on 5 or 6 string basses you don. I have labeled the d scale on the a string, g string and e string. A shorter scale length generally makes an instrument physically easier to play, which may aid beginners, though this could be a dangerous crutch. This scale works really well over chords i, iv and v and is a great scale to start with if you are beginning to learn how to solo and improvise.
Oct 14, 2016 it is typical that many 5string basses have a flappy low b string. The simplest is to play all the notes of the scale from bottom to top, and perhaps back down again. Bass tabs of songs by bass lessons 448 bass tabs including cool riffs for beginners, easy funk basslines. The two dots on the right of the bass clef symbol surround the line on which f pitch is written. If you are a novice on the bass you will probably have a 4string electric bass, so lets concentrate for now on exercises for a 4string electric bass. We are going to need to know the major scale, the cycle of fourths and the notes on the neck for an extra challenge, try doing the exercise with arpeggios, intervals, bass lines or pretty much anything else you can think of. Siama 66etudes inallmajorandminorkeys fortrombone,tuba, bassoon,stringbass mt 172 s62 1922 c. The natural minor scale can be found by playing the major scale starting from the 6th degree. Bass tabs of songs by bass lessons 448 bass tabs including cool riffs for beginners, easy funk basslines and basic 12 bar blues in a the walking bass. That means the bass guitar will normally sound the 1, 4, or. Home scales the major scale the melodic minor scale symetric scales pentatonic scales blues scales bebop scales miscellaneous scales exotic scales fivetone exotic scales. In the progressive scale, we climb the scale i four note sequences. For example, if the scale is in e and im playing a 5 string, i know there are notes on. Memorizing the order of your basss musical notes can prepare you to tackle those chords and scales.
Scales and arpeggios by jp dias gustavo lopez segura. Youll find the more ways in which you practice a scale, the more ideas youll have at your fingertips. Dont worry at the beginning if you dont get a good sound, if you practice every day with these bass scale exercises you will notice a great advance with your instrument. Bass exercises understanding musics main minor scale including fingering and examples. Modes scales 3 octaves 5string bass tab by lessons scales. I recommend playing these exercises with a major chord drone for each key.