Study Bass
Study Bass
Study Bass
All styles of music, be it rock, jazz, Classical, funk, blues, country, hip-hop, or
whatever, use the same basic elements of music. The reason each style sounds
different is each style combines the basic musical elements in a different way.
A second thing that sets apart musical styles is the musical instruments used.
Classical music sounds the way it does in part because it uses violins, cellos,
woodwinds, and the like. Rock sounds the way it does partly because it uses
distorted electric guitars. Electronic music sounds the way it does partly due to
the use of synthesizers and computers. But, the basic musical elements for each
style remain the same.
These elements are the essence of music, and are a big part of what you should
study as a musician. Something important to my teaching philosophy is to
thoroughly teach each student all the basic elements of music. Once those are
understood its only a matter of understanding how each style combines those
elements to create that style's unique sound.
If you know the basic building blocks of music, playing, creating, and
improvising music will be much easier and more satisfying. This approach isnt
difficult, but it does take patience and commitment. This isnt one of those
Play like a pro in 10 days! approaches. This stuff takes years to learn.
Rhythm
As a general category, RHYTHM refers to all the time-based aspects of music.
Lets examine the common elements of rhythm and how it relates to bass
playing
Beat
BEAT refers to the underlying pulse of the music. Most music has a steady,
recurring beat to it. When you listen to music, you might be inclined to tap
your foot to the beat.
Meter
METER refers to how the pulse, or beat, of the music is divided and counted.
Commonly, music is divided into repeated groups of 4 beats counted
1,2,3,4,1,2,3,4and so on. Many other meters are possible. Its possible to
count in 3, 5, 12, or any other number of beats. Some meters are more common
than others.
As a bassist, your basslines will help define the meter of the music. Defining
where beat 1 occurs helps people to feel the meter. Often several musicians as
a group do this, but you should be able to define the meter all on your own.
Tempo
TEMPO refers to the pace of the music, or how fast or slow the beat of the music
is.
Bass players, as well as all of the other musicians, maintain the tempo by not
speeding up or slowing down the music as it is played.
Rhythm
RHYTHM, in a specific sense, refers to when and for how long individual musical
events occur. A musical event could be all sorts of things a single note, a
group of notes, a percussive sound like a drum, or even silence. Rhythm is
about when to start and stop these musical events. The when of a musical
event is called ATTACK. The how long of a musical event is called DURATION.
There are many different rhythms and combinations of rhythms. Rhythms have
different names, such as half note, quarter note, and eighth note, which
indicate their duration. This will be explained in later lessons.
A large part of playing the bass revolves around rhythm, and will be a lot of
what you study and practice.
Harmony
HARMONY refers to how notes, or pitches, are combined with one another. The
combining of notes happens on many different levels in music. Groups of notes
are played at the same time and notes can be played one after another.
Harmony is a vast subject and often intimidates and confuses people (especially
when it is poorly explained).
Chords
CHORDS (pronounced kords) are groups of notes played together at the same
time. For example, a C major chord contains the notes C, E, and G. When the
notes C, E, and G are played at the same time, a C major chord is produced.
There are many different types of chords and ways to play them.
Chords are named with a note name and something to identify the type of
chord, orCHORD QUALITY, it is. You might see chords named Fmaj7, or A7#9, or
just C.
As far as the note side of music goes, chords, and the notes they contain (CHORD
TONES), are the primary thing bassists need to understand and study. Bassists
usually don't play chords outright on the bass. Playing chords at a low pitch can
sound muddy. Instead, bass players outline the chord by emphasizing individual
notes of the chord. This requires a thorough understanding of chords. Never
forget that everything revolves around chords.
I think one of the biggest faults in music education today is students are first
pointed towards scales, then chords. This is backwards. Both are important, but
chords are primary. Scales complement chords. I will explain all of this in more
detail in later lessons.
Arpeggios
Arpeggio is pronounced ar-pay-zhe-oh. Many people wonder, What is the
difference between a chord and an arpeggio? An ARPEGGIO is the notes of a
chord played one after another instead of at the same time. For instance, to
play the arpeggio for a C major chord (which contains the notes C, E, and G),
we would play the note C, then E, then G, one at a time.
Playing and practicing arpeggios on bass will be a major part of learning and
understanding chords. Knowing this will help you interact with the chords of a
song and the chords other musicians are playing.
Chord Progressions
A CHORD PROGRESSION is a series of different chords played one after another.
Most songs revolve around a few chord progressions used repeatedly throughout.
For example, a common chord progression is C G Am F. (Remember, these
are chords, not individual notes.) So the chords would progress C major, then G
major, then A minor, and then F major.
The bassist plays a large part in defining the chord progression as it goes by in a
piece of music. This is one of the bassists main responsibilities. And, that is
why a bassist must really learn about chords and chord tones inside and out.
Scales
A SCALE is defined as a group of notes arranged from lowest to highest, or
highest to lowest. A scale is different from an arpeggio because it is not based
on only the notes of a chord. There are many different types of scales. Scales
are named with their starting note, or ROOT NOTE, followed by the type of scale
it is. You may see scale names like E major, C# minor, F major pentatonic, or D
dorian.
We can remove the duplicate notes and reduce that down to the notes C E G F
A B and D. Then, we reorder them from lowest pitch to highest and we get C D
E F G A Bthe C major scale. The original bassline actually outlined three
chords C major (C,E,G), F major (F,A,C) and G major (G,B,D). When we
summed all the notes together we got a scale. Chords actually produced the
overall scale for this piece of music.
Scales complement chords. You will run across many books and lessons which
say play this scale over this chord, and that one over that chord. I think this is
dangerous to tell a student right off the bat. Its not wrong, but first you need a
firm grasp of the chord to which you apply the scale. Even if you are playing a
phrase out of the notes of a scale, a good phrase will still outline the underlying
chord.
Key
A KEY is the scale that a piece of music revolves around. It is usually a major or
minor scale. What I mean by revolves around is all of the notes of the chords,
melody and other parts come from, or center around, the notes of this scale.
That doesnt mean you can only play the notes of the key, but the notes of the
key provide a kind of musical anchor for the piece of music.
In the scale example above where we reduced the notes of the bassline, we
would say that the music was in the key of C Major since all the notes revolved
around the notes of the C major scale.
Melody
MELODY refers to musical phrases. Technically we could call a melody a
coherent series of notes. Most of you will recognize melodies as
the singable parts of music. The vocal line often carries the melody. But, any
instrument can play a melody and play in a melodic manner. An instrumental
solo, a guitar solo for instance, is another kind of melody.
Traditionally, bass players dont play the main melodies of songs much. Of
course, that doesnt mean they cant or shouldnt. Bassists are doing it more
and more. It is somewhere where bassists have a lot of room to grow and
explore.
Even if a bass player is not playing the main melody, he or she is still able to
play in a melodic way. Bassists often strive to create melodic, singable
basslines. And, bassists sometimes get a chance to solo. For bass players the
study of melody often goes untaught. This may be why you don't hear enough
bass solos. I think melodies are essential to study if you want to create melodic
basslines or bass solos. It is also essential if you want to write songs.
Bass is often one of the most over-looked instruments in a musical group. Many
audience members have no idea what a bass even is. Despite this fact, bass is probably
the most critical instrument in a group. It is rare to find a performing band without a
bass player. As a budding bassist, you should be happy to know there is always a high
demand for bassistsespecially good ones.
The bass plays a powerful role in how we hear harmonies. When we hear
several notes played at the same time, we hear them all relative to the lowest
sounding pitch the bass note.
Online bass tuner - on the main page of the site there is a tuning reference that
has some silly animations.
Bass buying guide - explains the parts of the bass and various bass guitar terms
you should know.
Bass string FAQ - includes how to change bass strings, the different types of
bass strings, and more.
Bass setup guide - this thoroughly explains the process of adjusting your bass
setup like the height of the strings, intonation and other technical stuff.
Guide to bass amps - These articles explain the various parts of bass amps
and how to hook up bass heads and cabinets.
12 Notes
There are only 12 notes. I know this may seem wrong or confusing. Surely
youve seen more than 12 keys on a piano! But, its true. There are only twelve.
The same 12 notes simply keep repeating over and over in what are called
different octaves.
Natural Notes
To name the notes we use the first seven letters of the
alphabet A through G A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. The notes
named with these basic letters are called NATURAL NOTES.
A SHARP looks like a # symbol. Sharp means to go up one note. For example, the
note A# (pronounced "A sharp") is one note above "A".
A FLAT looks like a lower case b. Flat means to go down one note. For example,
the note Ab (pronounced "A flat") is one note below "A".
You will notice that the black keys each have a name with a sharp and a name
with a flat. Its important to understand the same note can have more than one
name. Two note names describing the very same note are said to
be enharmonic. Later you will learn the rules for when you use the sharp note
name or the flat note name.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1
A
A# or C# or D# or F# or G# or
A B C D E F G (next
Bb Db Eb Gb Ab
octave)
The order of the 12 notes is always the same. The same cycle of 12 note names
just repeats again and again. As I said before, it is the same for all musical
instruments.
Looking at the diagram above we see an open string tuned to the note A. (An
open string refers to a string that is not pressed down.) The notes of the
musical alphabet follow their basic order on up the frets just like they did on
piano. Open A, A#/Bb, B, C, C#/Db, D and so on.
Notice you have two dots on your 12th fret fret marker. That is where the 12
notes of the alphabet start to repeat.
Every string works in the same way. The only difference will be the note to
which the open string is tuned.
If the string is tuned to E, the musical alphabet starts on E and goes in order
to the next E on the 12th fret. Open E, F, F#/Gb, G, G#/Ab, A and so on.
No unwanted buzzing
No unintentional muffled, or muted, notes
No unwelcome open strings ringing in the background
No unintentional harmonics, and
No other accidentally produced extraneous noises
It is quite a tall order, but you have to learn to control all of these aspects of
the bass guitar. Notice I say unintentional a lot here. These are all valid sounds
the bass guitar can make. Make sure you are making them intentionally.
Early on this is difficult. Your attention is divided and youre just trying so hard
to play something. With time and practice, things will become more and more
effortless. But, you must develop a relaxed technique by consciously working on
and thinking about it. You need to make a habit of being relaxed. It takes work
to not work so much!
Accuracy comes from a lot of patient, mindful practice. Early in your playing
you will have a lot of problems with consistency. Time and experience are your
greatest teachers.
The sooner you get this straight, the better. If you understand what up in pitch
and down in pitch mean and you LISTEN, then you wont have any problems
with this concept
How you hold and support your bass guitar is very important and should not be
over-looked. Poorly holding your bass will negatively influence all other bass
technique.
Strap In
You should use a guitar strap 100% of the time when you play your bass. The
strap is an essential part of your bass technique. Your strap should hold your
bass for you. Your hands shouldnt be doing any of the bass holding or balancing.
Your hands need to be free to play.
Bass Height
The strap should comfortably hold your bass somewhere above your hips and
below your collarbone. Most people have it belly button level. Everyone is a bit
different. Experiment.
Try to adjust your bass so that it sits at the same height whether you are sitting
or standing. If you sit while practicing and stand while playing, this will help
you play just like you practice. Being consistent is a big part of learning to play
bass well.
Posture
Your mother was right sit or stand up straight. You shouldn't be leaning back
in a chair or hunching over as you play.
Finger Numbering
Unlike on piano and some other instruments, on bass your fingers are
numbered:
T = thumb
1 = index finger
2 = middle finger
3 = ring finger
4 = pinky finger
Fingernails
You will need to keep your fingernails trimmed short to avoid your nail catching
the string. (Unless, of course, you like the sound of it.)
Most musicians don't discover they've injured their hands until after 10-20 years
of playing. By then it's too late. The damage is done. And, it will be difficult to
break those old habits.
Alternating Fingers
To develop plucking speed and efficiency, it is important that you use at least
two fingers to pluck. Most people use their index (1) and middle (2) fingers and
alternate them.
Using two fingers is half the work for each finger. Always do as little work as
possible. Using two fingers is sufficient for most playing styles.
As you develop, you will become more comfortable with moving your plucking
hand around to access these different tones. In the beginning, I recommend
finding one place and staying there while you develop other, more important
plucking habits...
On most bass guitars this should put your plucking fingers in a central position
between the neck and the bridge. You should get a good, all-purpose tone from
your bass in this area.
You only need to lightly touch the E-string to mute it. No need to waste energy
pushing on the E-string...
Plucking Motion
When you pluck the string your finger should roll over the top over the string.
Most beginners and converting guitar players have the tendency to pull out
away from the strings. This results in a very thin, scratchy tone. You will get a
meatier, bassier tone by rolling over the string. It is much like the stroke of a
paintbrush. Your plucking finger should follow through towards your palm, or to
rest on the next string below the one you are plucking.
There's no need to pluck very hard. Let your bass amplifier do the work. That's
what it's for. Your fingers aren't amplifiers! Developing a light touch is a very
important part of developing speed and accuracy...
Follow-Through Muting
After plucking a string, follow-through with your plucking motion letting your
plucking finger come to rest on the string below. Letting your finger rest on the
string below mutes that string. As you pluck using alternating fingers, one finger
is plucking while the other one is muting. This is essential to keeping the strings
quiet. Use this same motion for plucking on each string.
There are two solutions I show students: (1) use another finger to help with
muting or, (2) use your thumb to mute more strings.
When you are plucking the G-string the muting will be as follows:
Either string muting method is effective. You will have to decide which you
prefer and stick with it. If you are just starting or trying to change some old
habits, it will be strange and frustrating no matter what. Practice slowly and
accurately. It will come.
When plucking the G-string with this method the muting will be as follows:
As with plucking hand technique, you want to strive for a relaxed hand, a clear
and consistent tone, and the use of efficient motions. This takes some time to
develop. Try to focus your awareness on these different points as you play.
Eventually they will become unconcious. Go slowly, be patient, and practice...
Finger Numbering
On bass your fretting hand fingers are numbered:
1 = index finger
2 = middle finger
3 = ring finger
4 = pinky finger
Fingernails
Keep your fingernails trimmed. It's not as important in your fretting hand as it is
in the plucking hand, but long nails can get in the way.
Pay attention to pains. Your body is telling you something. Your fingertips will
hurt a little in the early stages. This is normal. You should never have shooting
pains in your wrists. Always change your practice routine gradually. Don't jump
into playing 12 hours a day. You can hurt yourself.
Don't rest your elbow on your leg when you practice sitting down. Your leg
won't be there when you stand up!
Your thumb should point towards the ceiling. Your thumb should be straight and
the pad of your thumb should be flat against the neck.
Your thumb is there to help your fingers press the strings against the fretboard.
Keep your thumb behind your 1st and 2nd fingers for the most efficient support.
Don't move it off to the side.
Don't Touch the Underside of the Neck
Your palm should not be touching the underside of the neck. There should be a
pocket of space there. More friction against the neck may slow you down, and
you may accidentally mute your highest string.
In my opinion you should never use two adjacent fingers to stretch over more
than one fret. For example, playing frets 1 and 3 with fingers 1 and 2. This will
increase the risk of hand injuries. You can use those fingers, but rather than
stretch you should shift your hand over a fret. This way you are using a natural
movement of your arm vs. an unnatural stretch of your fingers.
Stretching is Tricky
Getting used to the 4-fret span is always awkward in the beginning. It may even
seem impossible at first. It's not. Many people think their hands are just too
small, but they're not. I've seen very few students whose hands were too small
for the one-finger-per-fret technique. With practice it will happen. Try it for a
couple of months of real, solid practice. If you still can't do it, try using a three-
finger technique -- use your first, second and fourth fingers. You will end up
doing a lot more shifting to make up for using one less finger.
If something is a big stretch for you, try practicing it higher on the neck (nearer
the bass guitar's body) where the frets are closer together. Once it is
comfortable on the higher frets, try gradually moving it lower to stretch your
fingers.
Press fingers 2, 3 and 4 with whatever feels most natural. Depending on the
length of these fingers, you may use more of the tip or more of the pad.
When this technique is combined with good muting technique in your plucking
hand, you will have very good control over muting all strings.
The reason you do this is because this spot is the least likely to make unwanted
bass fret buzz or muffled notes, and it requires the least amount of pressing.
Press Lightly
Another important point: always press with the least amount of
pressure possible while still making a clear tone -- no buzzes or muffled notes.
Any more pressure is just a waste of energy. It is much like a sprinter doesn't
stomp his or her feet on the ground while running.
The closer you press near the fret, the more lightly you can press. Test just how
little pressure you need for a clear tone and never use more than that.
A light touch will increase your agility later when you play faster, and your
hand won't tire or cramp during long playing or practicing sessions.
Beginning bass players tend to let their fingers fly off the strings when they're
not pressing a note. Don't do this. Hover.
Developing Calluses
With consistent practice you will slowly develop thicker skin on the pads of your
fingers. It is normal for your fingers to feel tender in the beginning, or if you
haven't played bass for some time. This will go away. Stick to a regular practice
routine and you will develop calluses which make playing more comfortable.
Even if youve only been playing bass for a couple of months, youve already
developed some playing habits. If youve developed some bad ones, heres what
I recommend to help fix them:
Avoiding songs you often play can be difficult if you currently play in a band.
You will have to make an extra effort to work on your bands songs applying the
new techniques you want to develop.
Slow Down
If youve been playing for a while, youve built up some facility to play things
quickly. You need to slow things down and pay attention to what your hands are
doing. The faster you go, the more likely you will jump back into your old
habits and make mistakes. Pace yourself with a metronome. There's no shame
in working at things slowly.
Get Feedback
Watch yourself in a mirror. Point the neck of the bass at the mirror so you can
see the reflection of your plucking hand and, at the same time, you can see
your fretting hand. If you want more feedback try recording yourself with a
video camera. That can be very eye opening!
The point of this bass technique lesson is to firstly understand the concept of
legato vs. staccato notes, and secondly to focus on and develop these
articulations in your playing.
Notes of any rhythm can be played legato or staccato. Legato and staccato
simply refer to whether or not a note's length runs into the next note being
played. It has nothing to do with the start of a note. It's about the duration of
the note.
To play legato, dont let go of a note until right when the next one starts.
Being able to play notes legato is essential. You will have a fuller bass tone and
beefier overall sound. Uncontrolled staccato notes sounds sloppy and weak.You
should practice all scales and chord patterns legato. Dont allow any space
between the notes. I know it seems a little harder at first, but youll appreciate
the results. Focus on sustaining the notes. Practice slowly so that you can hear
whether youre picking up your fingers too soon. Its less obvious when you play
faster. If stretching is an issue, remember you can play on the higher frets
(maybe between the 7th and 12th frets) where they are spaced more closely.
Then, slowly work your way down to the lower frets (1st through 5th frets).
Your hands will get more limber. Stretching seems impossible at first.
Eventually youll be able to stretch and relax at the same time.
As a musician, an essential thing to realize is that rhythm and feel not only
come from where notes begin, but where they end. When you play staccato
notes, you are shortening their duration creating various rhythmic effects.
You can use either hand to stop the ringing note, or both. What you use will
depend on what you are playing.
With your plucking hand you can touch the ringing string with one of your
plucking fingers. Hopefully you are using an alternating plucking technique. You
can use either finger to stop the string. Try to keep your alternate plucking
consistent. If you use a pick, you need to use the heel of your hand to stop the
string.
In your fretting hand you can release a note off the fretboard while never
letting go of the string. That is, your finger should not come off the string. Let
your fretting hand lightly touch the strings to keep them silent.
Sometimes, to point out the importance of holding out a note, a tenuto mark is
written above or below a note. Tenuto indicates hold for the notes full length.
It is a horizontal line written above or below the notehead.
Some of you may wonder why you can't simply notate a staccato note with a
realy short rhythm like a 16th or 32nd note. First, you want to think of this as
a feel type thing rather than a specific rhythm. Secondly, the staccato mark is
written much more cleanly and is easier to read.
In Summary
Playing legato and staccato notes is a very important concept to understand
and master. Though its subtle to beginners, it has a huge impact on your
overall sound. Listen to some recordings and pay attention to the length of
each note. Ask yourself whether theyre playing legato or staccato. How does it
lend to the overall sound of the bassline? Play some basslines you already know.
Try playing them legato. Try them staccato. Does it change the sound of the
bassline?
Youll discover most basslines use a variety of legato and staccato notes
throughout. And, youll hear that it has a lot to do with the overall
effectiveness of the bassline.
Pick Vs Fingers
A lot of people ask: Should I use a pick or my fingers to play bass? I think the
answer is always: Yes! My philosophy is to never limit yourself. Both are valid
and common methods of plucking the bass strings. Each has its place and,
ideally, you should be comfortable with either one. Many great players used
picks and many others used their fingers. There's no right answer. I'll outline
some more thoughts on the topic...
For most people playing fingerstyle takes a little more work to learn. But, the
difference isnt that big. Both methods share the same muting issues and
technical obstacles.
You can get different tones with different types of picks. Experiment a lot to
find the right sounding pick.
In Summary
Theres no right way to play the bass. As long as you are getting the sound
you honestly want and its not out of stubbornness or laziness, youve chosen
the right method. As I said above: Choose the sound not the technique.
Your aim is to develop control over your bass plucking technique. By control I
am talking about:
rhythmic accuracy
tonal consistency
dynamic balance (volume) between different plucking fingers
dynamic balance between strings
string muting technique between both hands
Try to get an even tone between your different plucking fingers. You don't want
one finger sounding much different than the others (or at least you want
control over it if you do).
Try to keep the volume even on each string and between strings. Sometimes
your bass strings and setup can create an uneven response between the strings.
If you are struggling with this, try another bass to see if it's you or your bass.
Remember, to get a clear sound you need to allow just one string to ring at a
time. Both hands help mute the strings. When you pluck follow through and
land on the string below. Use your plucking hand thumb to mute the E-string. If
you're using my ring-finger technique, mute the A-string with it whenever you
play the G-string. Or, mute with the wandering thumb technique. Finally, use
your fretting hand to mute the strings by letting it lightly touch/rest on the
strings above the string you are playing. (Remember, above in pitch.)
Getting all of this down doesn't happen overnight. Take your time with these
exercises.
You can alter these exercises by applying any rhythm you want. You can also try
groups of 3 notes, or 4, or 5. How about 1 note per string? Or, 1 note on the
main string and 3 on the others. Challenge yourself. There are limitless
possibilities and permutations.
Tab shows you the exact fingering to use for playing something.
It holds you back from learning the note names on the fretboard and the notes
of keys, scales, and chords.
Tab tells you one specific fingering to use when other possibilities are available.
Many tabs will have needlessly poor fingerings.
Rhythm isn't easy to read if at all. This is a big drawback since bass is a rhythm
instrument. Rhythm is an essential part of bass playing.
Usually tab cant be read at first sight. Tab needs to be worked out by hearing
the music first and then piecing it together.
Standard notation is much more visual giving you a better sense of pitch, pitch
relationships, time, and rhythm.
Standard notation can be read at sight with little foreknowledge of the music.
Standard notation is common to all instruments and gives you access to the
language most musicians use and understand.
Often no fingering is given. This leaves the reader on his or her own to know
how to go about fingering the music.
If you want to play in an original band or cover band (rock, blues, funk, etc.) or
just for your own fun, then the answer is: Its not expected of you, but it
couldnt hurt. Itd most likely help in your overall understanding of music.
If you plan on playing styles such as jazz, then it is expected of you to know
how to read.
If you plan to play gigs where you show up not knowing what youre going to
play jazz casuals, weddings, studio recording sessions then: Yes, you should
be prepared for someone putting notes in front of you.
If you want to thoroughly study music written over the past few hundred years,
then the answer is: Yes, you should read music.
If you want to study music written for other instruments, then the answer is:
Yes, you need to read. For instance, many bassists practice solos by saxophone
players, study rhythms of drummers, and play music written for cello.
If you want to write music down for other instruments to play, then the answer
is: Yes, it is essential.
If you want to audition for a music school, then: Yes, it is mandatory.
In Summary
Reading music is not required for playing an instrument. Many great players
cant read music. But, many great players can read. You dont have to read
English (or whatever your native tongue is) to speak it. But, think about how
much being able to read a language aids you in your day-to-day life. Its the
same with music.
Im not going to tell you you absolutely must learn how to read music. Thats a
choice you need to make based on your own personal goals.
You will gain so much more insight into music even if you can only read standard
notation poorly.
Pitch
Dynamics
Timbre
Pitch refers to notes, or groups of notes. Dynamics refers to how loud or soft a
sound is. TIMBRE (pronounced TAM-burr) refers to the tonal "color" of a sound.
For example, the tonal color of a piano sounds different from the tonal color of
a trumpet even when playing the exact same note.
Attack
Duration
Attack refers to when a sound occurs. Duration refers to how long the sound
occurs.
In standard music notation time is shown going from left to right. Pitch is shown
going up and down. Other symbols and markings are used to depict the other
aspects of music such as dynamics.
In standard music notation pitch is notated vertically showing the highness or lowness
of each note.
The Staff
Music is written on the staff. The STAFF is a group of five lines
and the spaces around them. Each line and space represents a
letter of the musical alphabet (A, B, C, D, E, F, and G).
The Clef
The CLEF is a symbol drawn at the beginning of each staff indicating how to
interpret the lines and spaces. Each clef assigns different letters to the lines
and spaces of the staff.
Music Notes
MUSIC NOTES are drawn on the lines and
spaces of the staff. The location of
the NOTEHEAD (the dot part of the note)
indicates which note to play. If the
notehead is on a line for F, the note to be
played is F; a notehead on a space for A means to play the note A. We will
discuss what the various types of music notes mean in the lesson on rhythmic
notation. For this lesson you only need to understand the notehead part of the
note.
Ledger Lines
The range of the staff can be extended using ledger
lines. LEDGER LINES are added lines placed above and below
the staff adding extra places to draw notes.
In the beginning people often learn a phrase to help remember the letters of
the lines and spaces. You can make up your own like: "Good Bassists Don't
Forget Anything" and "Always Create Excellent Grooves".
The range of the bass extends beyond the notes of the bass clef staff. To get at
the notes beyond its range we add ledger lines. A 4-string bass in standard
tuning (E-A-D-G) requires one lower ledger line to add the note for the open E-
string. Many of the higher notes on the bass fretboard will require multiple
ledger lines above the staff.
Accidentals
You may be wondering about how we get all of the other notes of the musical
alphabet on the staff. To give us the rest of the notes, there are three basic
symbols calledACCIDENTALS which can be attached to notes: the sharp, the flat,
and the natural.
With experience and knowledge of the bass fretboard, you will learn to choose
where to most easily play a piece of music. Where you play the notes is up to
you. Choosing where to play them will come down to whether you know a
particular area of the fretboard, which position requires the least amount of
shifting, and maybe even the tonal difference of a position on your particular
bass guitar. The tone of your bass might sound very different higher up the neck
vs. lower even if you are playing the very same notes.
A good rule of thumb (or finger?) is if you are constantly shifting around over
more than 5 frets, there is probably a better way to play it without so much
shifting. You should reconsider the fingering of bass tabs that have you playing
a simple line up and down one string. Just move the notes to the next string
instead.
This is one reason learning to read standard music notation instead of just bass
tablature will help you on the quest for fretboard mastery. Again, the better
your knowledge of the bass fretboard, the easier this will become. Learn to
think the note names on the fretboard, not fret numbers.
Key Signatures
A KEY SIGNATURE is a symbol used in music notation telling you what key a song or piece
of music is in. We havent started talking about keys just yet. There is a lot to discuss
about keys and we will do that in later lessons. This lesson is just to explain key
signatures used in written music. But, Ill give you a little preview about keys so you
can better understand key signatures.
What is a Key?
A KEY is the major or minor scale around which a piece of music revolves.
Every key has a unique set of seven notes. For example, the key of C Major uses
the notes C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. The key of C Major uses no sharps or flats. It
is the only major key using no sharps or flats.
As another example, the key of D Major uses the notes D, E, F#, G, A, B, and C#.
The key of D Major has two sharps F# and C#. Again, D is the only major key
with two sharps.
As a third example, the key of Eb Major uses the notes Eb, F, G, Ab, Bb, C, and
D. Eb Major has 3 flats Bb, Eb, and Ab, and its the only major key with 3
flats.
There are 12 possible keys and 15 different key signatures for identifying them.
At this point in the lessons don't worry about memorizing the keys just yet. We
will cover them in more detail later.
Using our key examples above, the key of D would show 2 sharps as its key
signature.
With time and practice you will memorize all 15 key signatures. This will go
hand in hand with learning scales and harmony.
In this example, you can see the notes of the D Major scale written without a
key signature. Next to it is the very same notes using the key signature for D
Major 2 sharps. That means every F and C you encounter in the music are to
be played as F# and C#. All key signatures work the same way.
The Order of Sharps and the Order of Flats
The sharps and flats of the key signature always follow a specific order and are
always written in that order. There is a logic for this order, but we will look at
this later.
The order of flats is: Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb, Cb, Fb
The order of sharps is: F#, C#, G#, D#, A#, E#, B#
You might notice they are the same order of notes only reversed. When we
discuss keys and harmony I will explain why you want to memorize these orders
of flats and sharps. For now, it's enough that you know there is a specific order
in which the flats and sharps are always written.
Rhythmic Notation
In standard music notation, time is notated from left to right. In this lesson I
will explain the basics of rhythmic notation and then show you some applied
examples. Rhythm is very important to study since bass is a RHYTHM INSTRUMENT.
Understanding rhythmic notation is essential to learning and studying rhythm.
The Beat
Music is based in time. Most music has a steady, recurring pulse called the beat.
Its the steady rhythm to which you want to tap your foot or dance. Think of
any music youve heard in a dance club and you can quickly imagine the beat of
the music. The element of time in a piece of music revolves around the beat.
Bars
To help keep our place in music, beats are grouped into BARS, or MEASURES as
they are also called. In many songs four beats make up one bar. The steady
pulse would be counted 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, and so on. Beat one always
marks the beginning of the bar. In other songs 3 beats will make up one bar.
Any number of beats can be grouped into a bar. The structure of the song will
decide how it is counted. This will be explained in later lessons concerning time
signatures.
Rhythms
Rhythms in music are based on fractions. Dont be scared off when I say
fractions. If you can cut up a pizza fairly, you know all the fractions you need
for reading rhythm notation.
Since counting four beats to a bar is the most common, all rhythmic
terminology is based on a bar containing 4 beats.
We also need to notate when, and for how long to be silent, or not play
anything. For this we use rests. A REST tells you when and for how long
to not play anything. Every note value has a corresponding REST VALUE. Here are
the simplest and most common rhythmic values:
All the other basic rhythmic values are just simple fractions of the 4-beat
whole note
Note Beaming
Sometimes, to make rhythmic notation easier to read,
the flags of notes are connected with BEAMS. Beams
still have the same meaning as flags: one beam
across a group of notes indicates 8th notes, two
beams across a group of notes indicates 16th notes,
and so on.
Time Signatures
A TIME SIGNATURE tells you how the music is to be counted. The time signature is
written at the beginning of the staff after the clef and key signature.
The top number of the time signature tells you how many beats to count. This
could be any number. Most often the number of beats will fall between 2 and
12.
The bottom number tells you what kind of note to count. That is, whether to
count the beats as quarter notes, eighth notes, or sixteenth notes. So the only
numbers you will see as the bottom number (the denominator) will correspond
to note values:
You could continue on with 32, 64, but you will hopefully never encounter
them! After a while it gets a bit unwieldy. The most common bottom numbers
are 4, 8 and 16.
Let me give you some examples so you better undertand the concept...
Now you will wonder why cant you just reduce 6/8
to 3/4? After all, they add up to the same amount. One reason you might pick
one time signature versus the other is how the music
is organized.6/8 is grouped into 2 groups of 3 eighth
notes. 3/4 time would be grouped into 3 groups of 2
eighth notes. Depending on the structure of the
bassline or song, it may make sense to group it one
way instead of the other. So 6/8 feels more like two,
while 3/4 feels more like three.
[Completely unimportant historical note: the C is not actually short for the
word common. It is actually an incomplete circle from an older form of notation
called mensural notation.]
Another common abbreviation is for CUT TIME meaning 2/2 time. Cut time is
usually written as a C with a slash through it.
The main thing to remember is a time signature tells you: How many of what
kind.
Thats it. A time signature is the number of beats and the type of note the beat
is.
Bass tab shows the strings of the bass drawn horizontally. Most often bass tab is
written for 4-string bass, but you may see it for 5-string and 6-string basses, too.
That will depend on whether more strings are required to play the song.
The bass strings are drawn with the lowest-pitched string at the bottom.
Standard bass tuning from lowest to highest is E-A-D-G and looks like this:
G ----------------------------
D ----------------------------
A ----------------------------
E ----------------------------
Some music will require a different tuning or more strings, but the perspective
stays the same with the lowest (fattest) string at the bottom.
Fret Numbers in Bass Tab
In bass tab, notes are indicated by fret number. The fret number is written on
the string on which it is played. Most basses have between 20 and 24 frets. You
may see fret numbers from 0 (the open string) up to 24.
In this example you are to play the 3rd fret on the E-string followed by the 2nd
fret on the A-string, then the 5th fret on the A-string, and finally the 5th fret
on the D-string.
G -------------------------------
D --------------------5----------
A --------2----5----------------
E ---3---------------------------
G ----------------------------|-----------------
D ----------------------------|-----------------
A ----------------------------|-----------------
E ----------------------------|-----------------
Other times rhythm is marked underneath with the count written under the fret
numbers.
In this bass tab example there is an eighth note count written underneath...
G ----------------------|---------
D -------------------5-|---------
A --------2----5-------|--------
E ---3------------------|--------
1+2+3+4+
Alpha Tab works the same way as regular bass tab. All that is changed is the
fret number becomes the note name. To distinguish between the same note
name above the 12th fret, you simply use lower case.
G ----------------------------------------------------
D --------------------5--------------------------17--
A --------2----5-----------------14-----17----------
E ---3----------------------15-----------------------
G --------------------------------------------------
D --------------------G-------------------------g--
A --------B----D-----------------b-----d----------
E ---G----------------------g----------------------
What is practicing?
First, you need a concept of what practicing is. This is how I define it:
Practicing is the absorption, mastery and maintenance of skills.
Lets examine that more closely. Skills are things we use to create music. Skills
can be bass techniques, concepts, rhythms, basslines, etc.
You can divide skills up into new, unlearned skills, and old, learned skills. Many
people learn a few skills and continue practicing those same skills over and over.
In order to advance, it is important to keep a balance of new and old skills in
your practice routine. Only working on things you can already do will take you
nowhere. The trap is you play old skills well and it is gratifying. Practicing new
skills can be frustrating. People often keep playing the same stuff to make
themselves feel better about their playing. Dont tread water only reviewing
things you can already do. Work on old and new skills.
Absorption is a process. Absorption means learning how to play and apply those
new bass-playing skills. Absorption is the art of practicing; it is how to learn.
There are a number of ways to learn skills.
Mastery is a result. Mastery means absorbing a new skill so well you have access
to it whenever you need it. Some skills can be mastered in an hour; other skills
take decades to master. If someone were to shake you awake you at 3 a.m. and
asked you to play something and you could, you probably have it mastered. If
you need to play through something once or twice before you can make it
through it, you havent mastered it yet. Mastery means being able to execute
at will. You will know when you really have something mastered. It will feel
effortless. Keep in mind it is possible to play bass fairly well without having
hardly anything mastered at all.
Maintenance means to review those skills you have mastered. Many learned
skills need to be used consistently if you want them ready at will. Its very easy
to forget skills like reading, fingerings, basslines, and the like if you dont use
them.
Youve got to practice. Its the only way to get better. If playing bass didnt
require practice, everyone would be able to do it. Think about how few people
you encounter that can play a musical instrument well. Playing well is not easy
to come by. It takes a lot of work. And, it is work anyone can do if they want it
badly enough.
Practicing is a necessary sacrifice you are going to have to make if you want to
play bass and be a musician.
How much you practice depends a lot on your goals and your schedule. I
believefrequency of practice is more important than quantity of practice.
You will retain more and learn at a faster pace if you consistently practice 30
minutes every day of the week rather than 6 hours one day a week.
It is very important to pick up your bass once a day even if it is only for five
minutes. Just a few minutes of practice when you dont have much time will
strengthen your memory of concepts, improve your musical ear, and reinforce
the muscle memory you are developing.
If possible, keep your bass out of its case. Make your bass accessible. That way
it is easy to pick up whenever you have some time. If you want to force yourself
to pick it up, leave it sitting in your favorite chair or in your bed! Put your bass
where it is in your way; dont keep it out of sight.
As you increase how much you practice, you also need to be aware of the
increased health risks musicians face. Long practice sessions may stimulate
hand injuries, and you are at higher risk of losing your hearing. Remember to be
gentler on yourself as you increase your practice time.
Your practice routine doesnt always have to be the same length of time each
day. You could have a full practice routine (maybe 2 hours) and an abbreviated
one (maybe 30 minutes). Choose which one fits your schedule best each day.
Dont skip practicing for the day because you cant get in your normal amount
of practice time. This is a common trap into which students fall.
Above all, if you are pressed for time, be sure to pick up your bass and practice
for a few minutes. It will do you a lot of good.
Another trap is to practice only when you "feel like it." There will be times
when you have no desire to practice. There may be a lot of them. If you want
to learn to play bass well, you have to learn to do it regardless of how you
feel. Often you'll find you just needed to get started and then you're into it.
Again, don't treat practicing as optional. You go to school or work whether you
feel like it or not. You pay bills and brush your teeth whether you feel like it or
not. And, you practice whether you feel like it or not. Practice is the only
way you progress. Eventually practicing will become a habit if not an addiction.
It will feel strange when you don't practice.
Interruptions
Your practice session is an important appointment between you and your bass
that no one else should interrupt. I know avoiding interruptions can be difficult
for a lot of people. You need to get others to really understand what you are
doing. Even if you are deeply serious about practicing and playing bass well,
others don't perceive it that way. To others you are merely playing bass and
having fun. People rarely mind interrupting your fun. Unless you explain to
them how serious you are about your practicing, theywill interrupt you. If
possible, explain to the people who often interrupt your practicing that it really
interferes with your passionate goal of becoming a great bass player.
Be Alert
You won't practice very effectively if you are exhausted. Try to choose times
when you are most alert. Avoid practicing right after a meal or just before
going to bed if you can. You're better off with less practice time when you're
clear-headed and rested, than more time when you're not.
Make It a Routine
Once you have your set time and people know not to bother you, you must
learn to stick to your practice routine. It may take several weeks to get into
the habit of consistently practicing. The beginning is always the most difficult.
Most importantly, if you slip, don't give up on your routine. Failing is part of the
whole learning process.Just as you are learning to play bass, you are learning
how to practice bass.
A common pattern of failure is setting up your practice routine and you miss a
day or two and feel like you can't pull it off. Then you give up completely and
don't practice at all. What you need to do instead is determine what caused
you to fail at your practice routine just as when you run into problems
playing a bassline or exercise on your bass. Maybe you set yourself up to fail.
Maybe you picked a time you didn't expect a lot of conflicts, but there were
some. How can you avoid them? What other time could you choose? Is
it you causing the problems? Or is it others bothering you? Maybe you expect to
practice more than is really possible right now. Figure it all out and adjust
accordingly.
Also, there's nothing wrong with easing into your routine. If this is something
new in your life, it will take some getting used to. I often recommend getting
comfortable with the every day aspect of a routine first. Practice every day
for at least five minutes. If you do more, fine. Once you successfully get the
every day part going, increase the amount of time you practice each day. Do
that until you get to your goal amount of practice time.
Commit to Yourself
You need to come up with a well-conceived practice plan and stick to it. You
can be a great bass player if you do this and focus your practice time on the
right things.
You will find it is very easy to let yourself down. When there is no one else to
answer to for not doing something, we don't feel the same kind of pressure as
when there is. This is one of the many reasons teachers help you progress. You
don't want to let them down and they push you. You must learn to live up to
your commitments to yourself just as you should live up to commitments you
make to others. Don't let yourself down by not practicing. If you want to learn
to play bass well, you need to put in the time. If you've read this far, you know
it's something you want to do. You can do it with the right plan and
commitment.
Make sure everything is in arm's reach so you don't have to go searching for
anything mid-practice. You might be sure to have a glass of water handy, too. If
you get up mid-practice, there's a chance you might stop practicing early!
You need a quiet spot with good lighting. If you plan to sit, find a comfortable
chair with no arms to get in the way. Don't sit on the edge of a bed or anywhere
awkward. You want to practice with good posture.
Make sure you have a music stand to hold your study materials where you can
see them easily. You shouldn't be twisting your body or craning your neck when
you practice.
Make sure the temperature is comfortable. According to research, cooler
temperatures relax you and stimulate your creativity. Warmer temperatures
arouse you and help your memory.
Keep plenty of pencil and paper on hand in case you want to make notes or
write some music down.
You'll want a CD player, MP3 player and/or computer nearby for playing songs.
And, you might want a cheap recorder to record and listen to your playing.
If you can't find an entire spot, you can try dedicating just a chair instead. Sit
in your "practice chair" only when you practice. Never do anything else in that
chair. Really anything could be used to trigger your practice mode like this. I
know it sounds silly, but you could have a practice shirt or hat. Or, maybe you
practice only after having a glass of orange juice. Be creative. Do something
consistent to get you into the practice groove.
Much of playing music and being a musician is mental, not physical. That means
you can practice music anywhere you are. You dont need your bass to practice
a lot of the things there are to master. In music there are many technical things
to memorize. There is ear training. There is rhythm. There is harmony.
Learning all these things, and many others, doesn't always require a bass guitar
in your hands. Don't miss out on the constant learning opportunities you have all
day, every day.
Visualization
One of the most powerful ways you can practice is mentally visualizing plucking
the strings or pressing down the notes on the fingerboard. You will be surprised
how effective this can be. Sometimes its as good as practicing with your bass.
Visualize yourself practicing something and then pick up your bass and see how
well you can play it. You might be surprised at how well it works.
Down Time
Whenever you have some down time during the day, use it to mentally rehearse
something. Maybe youre stuck in traffic, waiting for a bus, waiting in line at
the grocery store or any of the other time wasting situations we get caught in
every day. Use that time to practice!
All of this amounts to one thing: you need to listen to what you are playing. In
fact, you should hum along matching the pitches as you play. The more often
you do this, the more quickly you will absorb and internalize each sound
pattern.
So, as you study these note patterns on bass please be sure you are thinking of
them and listening to them as patterns of sound. Thinking this way will really
benefit your musical development.
What is a Root?
A ROOT NOTE is the main note on which a chord is built. It is the foundation,
or root, of the chord. For example, the three notes G, B, and D form a G major
chord. The note G is the chord's root note.
As another example, the notes Bb, Db, F, and Ab form a Bb minor 7th chord.
The note Bb is the chord's root note.
Bassists play root notes of chords more than any other chord tone.
Let's say you have an E minor chord. You could play the note E anywhere on the
bass and be playing the root note. You can use a low-pitched E, a higher one, or
switch between them. The choice is yours. Choose what sounds best to your
ears.
A good starting point for creating basslines is to play the root of each chord at
the moment the chord changes. This is often on beat 1 of the bar.
Playing roots is essential and elementary to bass playing. After a while you may
feel just sticking to the roots is boring to play. You should realize, at the most
basic level, this is what other musicians want and need from you as a bassist.
The root notes are a big reason you are around.
Obviously, you want to be capable of doing a whole lot more than just playing
roots to chords. But, this is a good starting point and is the first skill you should
develop for creating your own basslines. If you can play root notes and keep a
steady rhythm, you're ready to play in a band! This is where the false idea that
"bass is easy to play" comes from. The barebones basics of playing bass is fairly
easy. All the other stuff is going to take a little more work.
What is an Octave?
An OCTAVE is the same note at a higher or lower pitch. You'll recall from
the musical alphabet lesson there are only 12 notes in music. That same cycle
of 12 notes is repeated over and over in what are called different octaves. That
means there are multiple 'A' notes, multiple 'Bb' notes, and so on. Each one is
just a higher-, or lower-pitched version of the others.
To get any note's lower octave, reverse the pattern:play the note two strings
down and two frets back.
This pattern also works for open strings. You can see the octaves of open E and
open A in the interactive fretboard diagram.
When you play and practice octaves, don't let them ring together at the same
time. Instead, use a see-saw rocking motion to play the octave notes
individually where only one note is ringing at a time. It's not that you can never
play octaves at the same time. It's common to do so. But, playing them
independently takes a little more work and is more common.
You will find that octaves are used in all styles of bass playing and styles of
music. Some of the most obvious places you can hear octaves are in slap
basslines and in disco basslines. But, as I said, octaves are used in everything
under the sun.
Roots and fifths are conveniently the same pattern for almost every chord. It
doesn't matter if it's a major chord, minor chord, or a power chord. You can
apply this pattern pretty broadly when creating basslines. If you know the root
note to play, you can use the fifth, too. It almost always works.
The fifth below any root note is always on the next lower string, on the same
fret.
When you combine the octaves of the root notes and the octaves of the fifths,
you have a lot you can play with for nearly any chord.
Study the diagram which includes the octaves. Notice for any root note there is
a fifth a string below. Notice how the 5ths are octaves of each other.
When playing the lower 5th, always use the same finger you used on the root
note.
You'll most easily recognize root-fifth basslines in styles like country, polkas,
tejano, and tuba basslines. Those are just very obvious uses. Don't think for a
minute that these are the only uses of roots and fifths. They are absolutely
everywhere in every style from Classical music to metal. The root and fifth
pattern is critical to bass playing. You must have a thorough grasp of these
patterns regardless of what you intend to play.
Obviously bass players play a lot more than just roots and 5ths. There are 12
notes in all and they are all fair game if you can place them correctly. We can
add a new dimension to these basic bass patterns just by adding one frequently
used note to them. Though it's only one more note added to the root/5th
foundation, it greatly increases the possibilities of the basslines you can create.
Some chords have a flat 7th in them, others don't. On those chords which do,
you can always apply the flat 7th. On those chords which don't, many times you
can still apply the flat 7th and it will sound good. But, you have to be careful.
Listening, experience, and more knowledge of chords and scales will teach you
when to apply this note.
The 7th is the seventh note of the major scale. To flat a note means to lower it
by one note (meaning one fret lower). Therefore a flat 7th means one note
lower than the 7th.
The flat seventh is easy to locate on the bass fretboard. The flat 7th is always
two notes, or frets, below any root note. In the first fretboard example above,
the root is A on the 5th fret of the E-string and the flat 7th is the note G two
notes lower.
You can also find it two strings above on the same fret. In the second fretboard
example above, the same root note A is shown with its higher flat 7th. (Notice
how this higher flat 7th is just two notes below the octave of the root note
which is ghosted in.)
When you add the flat 7th to the root, fifth and octave patterns, you get a
number of new note patterns to play. You can shift these patterns around to
any root note on any string.
The third example just above shows a flat 7th on a string below the root
fingered with the 1st finger. This flat 7th is still two notes below the root note.
It's only on a lower string. This fingering may confuse you in the beginning, but
eventually you might find it very useful.
There are many other notes in addition to the root and fifth which you can mix
in to your basslines. As you learn more basslines, you will see how the strongest,
most supportive sounding basslines have that all-important root/5th anchor in
them somewhere often at key points in the line.
The sixth can be applied to virtually any major type of chord. It can also
work on some minor chords. Remember, your ear is always the final judge (or
the ear of whomever is paying you). Sometimes the sixth may not be the best
note choice. Always listen!
We can combine our new friend the sixth with the root, fifth and octave
patterns learned in previous lessons to create larger note patterns. See if you
can cobble together your own R-5-6 patterns. And don't forget you can shift
these note patterns to a root note on any string and any fret.
Forward Motion
Hopefully by now I've beat into your brain your responsibility of defining and
supporting the sound of each chord as it goes by in a song. You probably realize
there is a lot more to playing the bass than just that.
Approach Notes
One way of creating forward motion is by using notes that lead
into, or approach, the main notes which you are playing. Basically the approach
note creates a little bit of tension which pulls you into some other note.
In this lesson we will talk about chromatic approach notes.
For example, if you were approaching the note C you might approach it from
the note C# (one note above), or from the note B (one note below).
Passing Tones
Many times when two main notes are separated by one note you can use the
note inbetween to connect them. In this instance we'd call the chromatic note
a PASSING TONE. It works in the same way chromatically leading from one place
to another.
For instance, if you were going from the note C to the note D you could use the
note C# to smoothly connect them.
The chromatic approach note is usually a very weak, unstable note to play. If
you emphasize it in the wrong place rhythmically, you can really upset things.
Most often these chromatic notes fall in weak places like inbetween the beats,
or on beats 2 & 4. Rarely do they fall on beats 1 & 3 where your ear expects to
hear strong supportive notes like the root and fifth instead. Once again, the
rule is listen and let your ear be the judge!
A lot can come from learning these patterns in the beginning. I chose these bass
patterns for several reasons:
What is Rhythm?
The word rhythm is believed to come from the Greek word Rhein meaning to
flow orstream. Rhythm is when things happen in the flow of time. In
music, RHYTHM is about when notes, chords, and other musical sounds begin and
end.
Rhythmic Evolution
One theory of mine is that styles evolve partly because the audience gets bored
with the current rhythms in music.
As you study music you will notice every style has its own set of unique rhythms.
The rhythms are part of the language of each musical style. To master a style,
you need to master its rhythms.
As you see music evolve in your lifetime (and maybe complain about it), look at
the rhythms. My guess is that's why a style will stick. Rhythm is, and will always
be, a large part of the evolution of music.
As you learn and grow musically, any time something doesnt seem to be
working the first thing you should question is the rhythm. A lot of times it is the
rhythm which needs work or changing.
The rhythm section is the backbone of the band. Much like the rails for a train,
the rhythm section provides a steady, seamless track for the rest of the band to
ride along. In fact, when things completely fall apart in performance musicians
call it a TRAIN WRECK. If the rails are bad, the train is going nowhere.
What is a Metronome?
A METRONOME is a device that provides a steady beat. A metronome makes a
pulsing click sound that can be set at various speeds.
Most metronomes nowadays are digital and run on batteries. They are highly
accurate. The older style metronomes use a pendulum that swings back and
forth making a click with each swing. Pendulum-style metronomes are usually
wound like watches used to be.
Buying a Metronome
I recommend purchasing a digital quartz metronome. Ive always liked Seiko
metronomes, but there are many choices. Make sure you listen to it and that it
makes aclicking sound, not a beeping sound. That will be important in coming
rhythm lessons. I also prefer the metronomes with dials rather than push
buttons.
The metronome will help you learn to keep a steady pace. Keeping a steady
beat is a critical skill for bassists and musicians. Good music almost always
requires a consistent pulse. Think of a metronome as your rhythmic training
wheels.
Beginners will often slow down on difficult parts and speed up on easy ones.
You cantdo that. The beat must be consistent throughout. This is where the
metronome will help.
If you are running through some music for the first time, you dont have to start
with the metronome. Get familiar first, then work out the rhythm with the
metronome guiding you.
There are other ways to count with the metronome, too. The click can be
interpreted any way you want. You could set the click faster and count two
clicks per beat. Or, you could set it slower and let it click on every other beat.
Metronomes are very versatile. Ill be showing you a number of ways to use
them to develop your sense of rhythm. How to play with a metronome will
become more obvious as we play and practice rhythm.
Metronome Tempo
Metronomes allow you to select the tempo. TEMPO is the rate, or speed, at
which the beat occurs. Tempo is often expressed in Beats Per Minute (BPM).
A slow song might have a tempo of 60 bpm. A rock song may range from 100-
200 bpm. A really fast jazz tune may hit 300 bpm or more.
Emphasized Beats
Many of the newer metronomes have features that emphasize the first beat of
each bar with a louder click. Dont use it. As a bassist you need to develop a
strong internal sense of where beat one is. You cant let the metronome give
you the answer. You need to learn to feel the beat and develop confidence you
know where beat one is. The emphasized beat may seem like a useful feature,
but it is a crutch and you are only delaying your progress in developing this
essential skill.
You should never rely on another musician like the drummer to help you feel
where the beat is. Your internal clock needs to be independent of everyone
elses. Everyones independent sense of the beat should then be synchronized
when playing together. Everyone should lock in with each other.
Ideally if one person is thrown off rhythmically, it should not upset everyone
elses rhythm. Additionally, that will make it that much easier for the person
who does slip off the beat to jump back into the music.
Clapping with the Metronome
One of the best ways to check your rhythmic accuracy is to clap with a
metronome. Yes, it is very boring to do. But, every clap will give you instant
feedback about your rhythmic accuracy. It really works. Just doing it a few
minutes a day will really help you improve your sense of time.
This takes a good bit of practice. Youre probably not going to be 100% accurate.
Youre not a robot. But, you should shoot for accuracy in the 90%-99% range. If
youre slightly off one out of every ten claps and can jump right back in time,
youre doing pretty well.
Start with a tempo around 60-70 bpm. You can do this exercise at any tempo.
Youll find slower tempos are often more challenging since theres a wider
margin of error between the beats.
Start by clapping on every other click of the metronome. It doesnt matter how
you count the beat for this exercise. Once you can make every other click
disappear consistently, try clapping on every beat.
Whenever you drift off the beat, stop clapping and listen to a few beats to get
your rhythm back in line.
Most of the time the student is trying too hard and slightly anticipates the beat.
If youre doing this you need to relax and focus. It may even help to try and
consciously delay your clap a bit. Try and clap a little later than you want. With
practice you will align your sense of time to the click.
Rhythmically Challenged
This exercise can be very frustrating. I remember when my teacher showed me
this exercise. He said I needed to work on my time. As a know-it-all teenager I
thought he was crazy. My time was just fine, I thought. When I tried to do the
exercise at home, sure enough I could hear every click! I kept clapping harder
and harder until my hands turned red. Click, click, click I heard. Finally I gave
in that my time was horrible.
But, the metronome doesnt lie. And it has nothing to do with how loudly you
clap. So, I worked at clapping with the metronome and it made a huge
difference in a short amount of time. Having the constant feedback of the
metronome really helps. It keeps you rhythmically aware.
I highly recommend clapping with the metronome. I know its not exciting to do.
Just 5 minutes a day for a few weeks works wonders.
Its not super exciting to practice, but it helps a lot. If you cant manage to
play a stream of notes steadily, any other rhythms are going to be shaky and off.
No one wants a bassist with bad timing.
Playing on every click will insure you are playing the notes evenly. Most
beginning students think they are playing notes evenly when they are not. You
can record yourself or ask another musician or your teacher if your notes sound
evenly spaced.
You should also focus on playing the notes with a consistent volume. One finger
or pick stroke should not be louder than the other. It takes time and practice to
gain control. Again, you're not a robot so don't expect absolute perfection all of
the time. With work, you can get pretty consistent however.
You'll find that when you play with others some people tend to rush or drag.
You have to learn to not let their bad time influence yours. You don't want your
70bpm ballad accidentally speeding up to 100! This is where having a strong
internal sense of rhythm is going to help you. It's best when everyone has it, but
a lot of times others will lean on you.
In Summary
As simple and boring as this stuff is to practice, it will pay off in everything you
ever play. Work on it a few minutes a day until you can keep it going for long
stretches of time without making any mistakes. Eventually you'll get to where
this doesn't require any of your attention when you play.
What is an Interval?
An INTERVAL is the distance between two notes. An easy way to understand what
is meant by distance is to think of two notes on the same string. How far
apart the notes are is the interval between the two notes.
Any pair of notes creates an interval. Each interval has a unique name (some
have several names). And, each interval has a unique sound. In this lesson
category well be learning all about intervals.
Half-Steps
Intervals are measured in half-steps. A HALF-STEP is from one note to next
adjacent note. Half-steps are the smallest distance between two notes.
For example, from the open note E a half-step above is the note F on the 1st
fret. The distance from E to F is one half-step. Going the other way E would be
one half-step lower than F. (Remember the terms higher and lower always refer
to pitch.)
Each scale and chord used in music has a unique pattern of intervals. Its this
arrangement of intervals that gives the note pattern its individual sound and
sets it apart from the other note patterns.
Luckily, the basic intervals you most need to learn are pretty easy.
I highly encourage you to learn them.
Most of the time people refer to ascending intervals when talking about
intervals within scales and chords. Ill continue this section with basic
ascending intervals which will be a great aid in learning bass scales and chord
tones.
Basic Intervals
Scale and chord patterns are often described by their unique interval pattern.
Most of the time this set of intervals falls within the span of one octave.
(See octaves.) It is a good idea to memorize the names and fretboard patterns
for these basic intervals to help you in memorizing all the different scale and
chord patterns.
You should play these intervals on your bass as you read about them. It's not as
much to learn as it looks, but I always like to be thorough in my explanations.
The minor 2nd interval is abbreviated m2. A lower case m means minor.
A minor second above C is Db. You could also name the note C# which is the
same note as Db. For simplicity in this lesson I will mainly use the flat name for
notes. You could use either flats or sharps.
In the fretboard diagram notice the two ways you can play the same interval.
The interval of D two half-steps above C is always a major second regardless of
fingering.
Most scales are made of a series of minor and major seconds (that is, half-
steps and whole-steps).
Again, Ive drawn two ways to play the same interval. Listen and youll see they
are the same note.
Most chords are built from combinations of major and minor thirds.
The bass is tuned in perfect 4ths from E to A is a 4th, from A to D is a 4th, and
so on.
This interval can also be called a diminished fifth. To diminish means to take
away or make smaller. A DIMINISHED FIFTH INTERVAL is a smaller fifth. (The fifth is
coming up next.)
There is yet a third way to name this interval. It is often called a tritone.
A TRITONE is the same as 3 wholetones (6 half-steps).
There are names for intervals spanning beyond an octave. Those will be covered
in a later musical intervals lesson.
Subdividing The Beat
After youve developed your ability to maintain a steady pulse, the next step in
your rhythmic development is learning to subdivide the beat.
Subdividing the beat means to play at the rhythmic points in-between the beats.
This is an essential skill for all musicians and a critical one for rhythm section
players like bassists. If you can't correctly play the subdivisions of the beat, you
will cause unending problems for everyone in the band.
Nearly all good basslines, regardless of style, contain rhythms falling in-
between the beats. If you want to groove, you need to develop a strong sense
of where these divisions of the beat fall. This will take practice, time, and
experience. Its frustrating for many in the beginning. Be patient and practice.
Eventually you will feel these subdivisions without a thought.
Most music is played in 4/4 time, or Common Time. (See time signatures.)
[Note: I will use this time signature of 4/4 for the coming examples even though
these subdivisions apply to all time signatures in the same way.]
Each beat is a quarter note and there are 4 quarter notes in a whole measure,
or bar, of 4/4 music.
When you evenly divide the quarter note beat in two, you get two eighth notes.
When you evenly divide the quarter note beat in four, you get four sixteenth
notes.
Another common way to divide the beat is into three evenly spaced notes.
These are called eighth note triplets. Triplets are grouped together with a
beam or bracket and have the number 3 written over or under them.
Nearly every time I have a student struggling with a rhythm it clears up as soon
as they count the rhythm out loud. Until they've absorbed it, often it falls apart
as soon as theystop counting. Count the rhythm, absorb and master it, then set
it free in your subconcious.
Since this is how most people learn it, its a good idea to know it that way, too.
A musician might communicate to you, Play that B-flat on the and of 2. That
would mean to play it on the eighth note falling between beats 2 and 3.
Similarly, 16th notes are traditionally counted 1-e-and-a-2-e-and-a-3-e-and-a-
4-e-and-a and so on dividing each beat into 4 syllables.
You might discover counting rhythms this way is a little awkward. You might run
out of breath. Many people teach rhythm counting another (in my opinion
better) way that is less awkward.
Doom is the beat where you'd be counting 1, 2, 3, 4. Just vocalizing the beat
youd say, Doom-doom-doom-doom.
Tek is the and, or eighth note, between each beat. To count all eighth
notes youd say, Doom-tek-doom-tek-doom-tek-doom-tek.
Finally, you can add ba and ah for the 16th notes between the dooms
and teks. To count sixteenths youd say, Doom-ba-tek-ah-doom-ba-tek-ah-
doom-ba-tek-ah-doom-ba-tek-ah.
As you study more rhythms youll start to recognize their sound and feel from
the nonsense syllables you learned to vocalize. You'll see this really helps with
complicated and syncopated rhythms.
You need to learn to feel where those eighth note divisions fall and be able to
consistently play them. This requires knowing where the beat is, knowing where
the subdivisions are, and developing the technique to play them on your bass.
First, because this is where most people go wrong, I want to point out what
triplets arent before I explain what they are.
A triplet is not simply any grouping of three notes. Students are often confused
thinking that when 3 notes are played close together, or if they are beamed
together in written music, that they are triplets. Thats not necessarily so. A
triplet is a specific rhythm, not a note grouping.
The most common example is the 8th note triplet. An EIGHTH NOTE TRIPLET rhythm
is 3 notes played in the space of 2 eighth notes. You may find it easier to think
of the eighth note triplet as being 3 notes dividing a quarter note (since 1
quarter note = 2 eighth notes).
Other triplets exist, too. The next most common is the quarter note triplet.
A QUARTER NOTE TRIPLET is three notes dividing the space of two quarter notes
(the same space as a half note).
Again, a triplet is not just 3 notes grouped together, but a specific rhythm
consisting of three equally spaced notes.
Depending on what the music calls for, it's possible for one or two of the notes
to be a rest.
A lot of people ask whether they need to pluck triplets with 3 fingers instead of
just two. Some people do that, but its certainly not necessary.
After playing steady 8th triplets comfortably, youll want to be able to go freely
between other rhythms and the triplets. As with everything, practice enough
and it will become automatic. No one can do it for you!
Unless youre told to do otherwise, in most styles you are expected to play 8th
notes straight.
Shuffle eighth notes alternate a long note and a short note. The long note falls
on the beat and the short one in-between on the upbeat.
You are essentially playing the eighth note triplet, but not playing the middle
note of the triplet. You may think of the first two notes of the triplet as being
tied together or, just missing the middle note of the triplet.
In jazz you're always expected to swing 8th notes unless it is a Latin tune (i.e.
Bossa Nova, Samba) where you use straight 8th notes. The swing rhythm is a
defining element of jazz.
A common marking for shuffle 8th notes is a little equation written at the
beginning expressing 2 eighth notes are to be played like a triplet with the first
two notes tied. Or, the first two 8th notes of the triplet are written as a
quarter note. (See Shuffle Markings diagram.)
Scales are simply a way of categorizing and identifying particular sounds found
in music. They help organize what you and others hear in music. Practicing
scales on bass will help you learn where to find particular sounds on the
fretboard and mentally organize your understanding of music.
Some of these ways of learning a musical pattern may take five minutes of
study, while other may take years. There is a lot to know. If it didn't take time
and effort,everybody would be a great musician! Be patient with yourself.
Lets look at these ways of knowing scales and other note patterns...
By Sound
Learning the sound a pattern makes is the most important thing to pick up.
After all, in music the sound is the final result we are seeking.
For many people learning the sound a pattern makes is what takes the longest.
The more you play and practice, the more the sounds of music start popping
out at you. You have to listen to what you play and practice in order to absorb
it. Playing bass is not just about wiggling your fingers. It's about making sound.
Training your ear will be a big part of your musical development.
By Interval Construction
An interval is the distance between two notes. (See musical intervals.) Each
scale has its own unique pattern of intervals. This is really the key to each
scales sound. A scales intervallic makeup is what makes it sound the way it
does. The better you know intervals, the easier it will be to learn scales and
other patterns. Make sure you learn the basic musical intervals.
Sometimes the same scale can be named two different ways. For example, C#
major and Db major contain the same pitches. The difference is one uses sharps
to name the notes while the other uses flats. Eventually, you should know
scales like this both ways.
By Note Name
One important way of knowing a scale is by knowing the note names of the
notes within the scale. For example, you should learn that the C major scale
contains the notes C, D, E, F, G, A, and B.
Why would you want to know all the note names of a scale?! There are many
reasons. The main reason is it will help you find your way around the fretboard
a lot faster. It will make reading music easier. And, it will make improvising
easier.
Learning all the note names of scales might seem like an insane amount of stuff
to memorize. But, its only the first few scales that require some work. After
that youll experience the snowball effect of learning. Youll start to think, Oh,
this scale is just like the C major scale with only one different note. Most
scales are just one or two notes different from a few simple scales. So, dont
fear learning all of those note names for each scale. It keeps getting easier and
the payoff is huge. Ill be showing you some ways to memorize the note names
of scales as we progress.
By Finger Patterns
When you learn a scale you need to be able to physically play it and locate it on
the fretboard. All scales and note patterns form patterns on the bass fretboard.
Usually when people talk of learning scales, this is the part on which they focus.
Its critical to remember scales are not just finger patterns. Dont get trapped
in that frame of mind. Think of them as sound patterns. The finger patterns
merely help you access the sound of the scale or pattern. The scales you learn
would sound the same on other instruments, too.
Learning musical patterns on string instruments has advantages and
disadvantages. The biggest obstacle is the many ways the same pattern can be
played. On piano there is one place to play one specific note. On a 4-string bass
there might be four. Its like stacking four piano keyboards on top of one
another. Think of the possible combinations of playing a group of 7 notes on 4
pianos.
Another problem with string instruments is the note names are not obvious. On
piano all C's look the same and are a breeze to find. On the bass fretboard
nothing distinguishes the individual notes. This makes learning the note names
more memory intensive.
One advantage of the bass is every pattern is movable up and down the
fretboard and on other strings. This makes the physical motions of playing each
scale or pattern easier to master and remember. However, this often becomes
a crutch for musicians and they often avoid learning patterns in the many other
ways I outlined above. Sometimes an advantage creates a disadvantage and vice
versa.
Becoming Fluent
With practice all of this starts to happen with hardly a thought at all just like
when you speak any language with fluency. Its not as though youre thinking
about all of these aspects with every note you play. Youd go crazy. But, when
you are initially learning, all of these approaches help you get to that
instinctive, automatic state.
Learning music is similar to learning any task. Think about learning to drive a
car. You learned what cars do just from watching they go and stop. You see
other people use foot pedals to make a car go and stop. You learn the gas pedal
makes the car go and the brake pedal makes it stop. Then you learn to
sensitively use these pedals without even looking. It all becomes automatic.
You dont think about all of these fine points before you slam on the brakes to
avoid hitting a cat. You just do it because you know it. But, it took all of that
initial learning you don't even remember doing to get there. Now think how
much more complex driving is beyond the gas and brake pedal alone.
If you study the right things with enough consistent practice, the same
automatic behaviors and fluency will happen with music, too. But, you have to
do the work.
In Summary
I believe the more ways you learn about scale patterns, chord patterns, and
other note patterns, the better off you'll be and the more creative you'll be.
There are reasons why all of these musical concepts exist. Don't fear learning
them.
Scales Up and Down
Most of the time scales are thought of as a series of notes to be played up and
down from low to high and back. Scales are numbered using SCALE DEGREES. For
example, the scale degrees of a seven-note scale would be: Root, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,
and 7.
A scale covering a one-octave range is often practiced up and down like this:
Root-2-3-4-5-6-7-Octave of root-7-6-5-4-3-2-Root
Thats the first way you should practice a scale. Its also a good idea to start on
the high note, go down and then back up to the high note.
Mixing Up Scales
In music, scales are rarely used going straight up and down. This is only a
starting point for getting comfortable with playing a scale and learning it.
Instead music uses the notes of scales in various combinations. Sometimes the
notes of scales get played in order; other times notes get skipped and
reordered. To really learn a scale you need to practice jumping from any one
note to any other note within the scale. Its important to practice scales not
only up and down, but in other patterns and combinations as well. Which brings
us to...
Scale Sequences
One of the best ways to practice scales is by practicing sequences. A SEQUENCE is
a repeated melodic pattern played on different notes. When practicing scalar
sequences you would play the melodic pattern off of each note of the scale.
For example, using a seven-note scale you could practice a 3-note sequence
like this:
play three notes up the scale / go to the second note of the scale, play three
notes up the scale / go to the third note of the scale, and so on...
Or, you could practice skipping notes in the scale like this:
You can create any pattern of any length and use it as a sequence to familiarize
and challenge yourself in playing a scale.
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. Youll find the
more ways in which you practice a scale, the more ideas youll have at your
fingertips.
When you practice a scale, first learn to play it up and down. Then, try playing
the scale with various sequences. Ill be showing you sequence patterns along
the way. If you are confused about sequences, you will play and understand
them soon enough.
One-octave scales also fit in with how I teach scales covering the entire
fretboard. The better you know the one-octave scale patterns, the easier
learning the scale all over the neck will be.
Knowing the one-octave scale well will make learning larger scale patterns
easier.
Remember that scales are just a set of notes. If the note "B" is in a particular
scale's set of notes, then any note "B" on your bass is in that scale.
Chromatic means from one note to the very next, or in half-steps. The
chromatic scale is constructed entirely of half-steps no notes are skipped.
Most importantly, learning the chromatic scale will help you understand the
way notes are arranged on the fretboard. That is the main reason I am
beginning with this scale.
If you are in 1st position your first finger is on the 1st fret, 2nd finger on the
2nd fret, 3rd on the 3rd fret, and 4th on 4th fret.
In third position your first finger plays notes on fret 3, 2nd finger on fret 4, 3rd
finger on fret 5, and 4th finger on fret 6.
Play the E chromatic scale as shown in the diagram. Make sure you finger it
one-finger-per-fret. Dont just use one finger!
Play the G chromatic scale as shown in the diagram. Hover with your mouse
over the notes in the diagram to see my suggested fingering.
You can use this fingering for any chromatic scale starting on any fret. You can
even move it up to the next string. (See the C chromatic scale example.)
You should practice it all over the fretboard using this fingering. Dont concern
yourself with playing it fast. Focus on accuracy, a good, clear tone, and smooth
shifting.
Whole-step/half-step construction: H H H H H H H H H H H H
Intervallic construction: Root, m2, M2, m3, M3, P4, A4, P5, m6, M6, m7, M7, P8
Chords are essential. I urge you to be very thorough in reading this and other
lessons I add in this category.
What is a Chord?
A CHORD is a group of notes played together at the same time. Bassists dont
play chords as often as guitarists or pianists do. This is because playing several
low-pitched notes at the same time can sound muddy. Playing chords on bass
can sometimes fill up too much sonic space competing with the rest of the band.
It can be done, but must be done with care.
Instead of playing chords directly, bassists outline the notes of chords. Bassists
emphasize the individual notes that make up chords. By outlining the notes of
chords a bassist implies the sound of a particular chord.
I always explain to students its like guitarists say a whole word (e.g. dog),
while bassists spell it out (e.g. D O G). We get the same point across, but
in a different way.
If you studied some of the common bass pattern lessons, youve already learned
some important notes that outline chords. The root, fifth, and seventh are all
notes from common chords.
You will play and practice arpeggios up and down a lot. A healthier perspective
on thinking about chords and arpeggios is thinking about the notes as a specific
set of notes. I will usually refer to this set of notes as chord tones. CHORD
TONES are the individual notes that make up a particular chord. C, E, and G are
the chord tones for a C major chord. No order of notes from low to high is
implied when I say chord tones.
A CHORD PATTERN is a pattern of chord tones on the bass fretboard. I will start
you off with easy chord patterns and eventually teach them to you all over the
fretboard.
Chords usually have fewer notes than scales. Most chords contain 3 or 4
different notes. Most scales contain 7 notes.
In Summary
If you havent guessed by now, studying chord tones is going to be a major part
of your studies as a bass player. The better you learn about chord tones, the
stronger your basslines will be. The stronger your basslines are, the more
people will want your bass playing services.
Practicing scales and modes with no understanding of chord tones will lead you
to many dead ends in understanding music, the bass, and how to create your
own basslines. As a bassist, you need to give a lot of attention to studying chord
tones.
My Main Point
In this article I really want to drive home one point:
Dont get too caught up in learning scales and modes before learning about
chord tones.
Dont misunderstand me. Scales are important, too. Theyre very important.
You need to learn about both to be an effective bassist and musician. You need
to learn how scales and chords interact and relate. Just remember that chord
tones are primary. Songs revolve around chords and chord progressions. Even
melodies, despite having scalar qualities, have a strong connection to chord
tones.
The better grasp you have of chord tones, the better you will understand all
other note patterns. I wish this wasn't such an oversight in instructional
material, but it is.
One of the first basslines many books and teachers teach is the classic boogie-
woogie bassline. (We will fully learn this bassline when we discuss blues bass.)
This explanation is not wrong; its just a bit incomplete. Sure enough, all the
notes of the bassline are contained within the scale. But, the explanation
misses the critical point of how the notes of the chord are the heart of the
bassline.
Since the bassists role is partly to outline chords, I think this is a large piece of
the puzzle to skip especially right at the beginning when you're trying to
learn what's important to study. Students excitedly think, "Hey, I need to learn
scales to make basslines!" Learning scales won't hurt you, but you need to learn
the chord tones first and then how the scales apply to them.
The reason the boogie-woogie bassline has been repeatedly used over the past
one hundred years or so and is still being used today is because it successfully
outlines the chord tones. That's what makes it a strong, supportive bassline.
You will notice the basslines and patterns that get used over and over always
have this trait in common. Don't just believe me. You should study, analyze,
and discover this in your favorite basslines.
This approach is giving you the right notes, but it's also giving you some notes
that require special handling. That's not the way I teach and I hope you work
through my lessons and prove it to yourself.
Next, this approach of teaching scales works fine for most other instruments
like guitar and piano. As a result, it trickles down to bass teaching. But, bass is
a unique instrument playing a very critical role of supporting the chords. Other
instruments won't sound as weak if they don't support the chords as well.
In Summary
Both chords and scales are essential to learn to become an effective bass player
and musician. Effective bass players outline chords well. No matter what path
you take, your ear will eventually lead you to defining the chords in your
basslines anyway. Its what sounds right.
I feel its important that you not be misguided in your learning efforts. There's
no reason to delay your progress and point you in the wrong direction at the
start. Focus on chord tones. Youll have an easier time making sense of music
and the bass if you do.
What is the Major Scale?
The major scale is the scale on which most music is built and revolves around.
It is the scale most familiar to people. You may have heard someone sing Do,
Re, Mi, Fa, So, La, Ti, Do. This is the major scale.
The major scale contains seven different notes. When we talk about the major
scales notes they are identified as Root (R), 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7. The numbers
used to identify the notes of a scale are called SCALE DEGREES. Scale degrees are
important to memorize whenever you learn a scale or pattern.
To play the scale going up, play the notes in order: Root, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, octave
of the root.
To play the scale going down, start on the high root note and reverse it: high
root, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, R.
This major scale fingering is very versatile. It can be moved around to anywhere
on the fretboard with the low root note on either the E-string or A-string. This
means you can play every major scale there is.
For example, to play a G major scale youd start the root on G. (See G Major
Scale diagram.)
Or, to play the D major scale youd start the patterns root on D. (See D Major
Scale diagram.)
You should practice the scale by playing it up and down and in all areas of the
fretboard.
The major scale is built with the whole-step and half-step series: W W H W W W
H
A half-step occurs between the 3rd and 4th notes of the scale, and again
between the 7th and octave root of the scale. All other notes are a whole-step
apart.
Every major scale has its own unique set of notes, but with the same intervallic
structure. Since there are 12 notes in the musical alphabet, there are 12 unique
major scales. One major scale based on each of the 12 notes.
If a piece of music is built around the C major scale, the melody and chords
would contain various combinations of the notes C, D, E, F, G, A, and B the
notes of the C major scale. We would say this piece of music is in the key of C
major.
Youll remember that one of your biggest responsibilities is to define the sound
of each chord played in the music. As you study music you will see that chords
and scales are linked in a number of ways. Knowing the scale will help with
knowing the related chords and vice versa.
Another important reason for learning the major scale is most of the other
common scales and patterns used in music are described in relationship to the
major scale.
Yet a third reason is many other scales are directly derived from the major
scale. You will hear a lot of talk of the modes of the major scale. Modes will be
discussed more in future lessons. Just as a quick preview a mode is a scale
obtained by starting and ending on the other notes of a parent scale. For
example, the first mode of the C major scale is C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C.
The second mode would be D, E, F, G, A, B, C, D the same notes but now
from D to D. Similarly, the other modes would be from E to E, from F to F, G to
G, and so on. There are seven modes for each major scale since there are seven
possible starting points (notes) in each major scale.
Major Scale Details
Whole-step/half-step construction: W W H W W W H
Intervallic construction: Root, M2, M3, P4, P5, M6, M7, P8
C major scale spelling: C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C
What is a Triad?
A triad is a chord that contains 3 different notes. There are several types of
triads. Triads are the most basic chords and are very common in every style of
music.
The MAJOR TRIAD is comprised of a root, major 3rd, and perfect 5th.
(See intervals.) We would refer to these notes simply as the root, third, and
fifth of the chord.
The major triad is the only chord built from this unique combination of intervals.
This fingering (see the major triad diagram) begins with your 2nd finger on the
low root note. Play the third of the chord with your 1st finger, the fifth of the
chord with your 4th finger, and the high root note with your 4th finger.
12 Major Triads
The major triad pattern can be started on any of music's 12 notes. For a D
major triad, youd start the root note on D. Its notes would be D, F#, and A.
For a G major triad, youd make G the root note. Its notes would be G, B, and D.
There are 12 major triads all sharing the same structure, but containing
different notes.
Chord symbols are written above the staff and notes of the written music. The
chord is written above the beat where the chord change takes place. This is
most often beat 1. But, chords can change anywhere within the measure.
Many basslines emphasize the notes of the major triad by simply going up and
down the notes of the triad.
When creating a bassline the notes of the triad do not need to be played in any
particular order. And, you dont necessarily need to play all of the triads notes
to imply its sound. For instance, you might only play the root and the third.
Any of the notes of the triad can be repeated in your bassline, too. You might
play a root, 3 fifths, and 1 third in your line.
Even more is possible with where you place the notes rhythmically. Most often
basslines emphasize the root of the chord on beat 1. Everything else is open
territory.
Even though the triad only contains 3 notes, it is ripe with possibilities. When
you combine all of the possible ways of ordering and repeating the notes along
with the rhythmic possibilities for placing the notes, you will realize the
possibilities are infinite. Experiment and try to create your own basslines
outlining the notes of any major triad or a series of them.
There are several varieties of seventh chords. When notated, chord symbols for
seventh chords have the number 7 in them somewhere. Emaj7, E7, E7+ are all
different types of seventh chords. The first seventh chord we will look at is the
major seventh chord.
Building the chord from stacked thirds is the same as the major triad plus
another major 3rd. The root to the 3rd is a major 3rd. The 3rd to the 5th is a
minor 3rd; and the 5th to the 7th is a major 3rd.
Since this chord has four notes in it, it is a little denser and fuller sounding. The
major seventh chord has a bright, pretty sound to it.
You will come across this chord a lot in jazz. You will also run into it in rock and
other pop music. Since it has a prettier sound, it sees less use in heavier styles,
blues, and funk. Its not forbidden however.
Depending on the style, this chord is less common than other seventh chords we
will learn, but it will help you understand those chords and their construction
better. Its good to learn, and its easy.
Just as with all patterns, you can move the major 7th pattern anywhere on the
fretboard. It can be built on any of the 12 notes of the musical alphabet.
You may see other chord symbols, too. Sometimes you will see M7 where the
capital M stands for major. This is a poor symbol since it can be easily confused
with a lowercase m used for minor. Avoid writing this way. Other times you
might see a triangle followed by a 7 like C7. This is also hard to read and
should be avoided.
Applying the Major Seventh Chord
The 7th of the major 7th chord is not a very supportive, foundational note. Its
not a note you would typically sustain through the entire chord in a bassline.
Instead, you will more often use this note in passing while supporting the sound
of the base major triad.
Often times you might not play the 7th of this chord at all in your bassline.
Usually the other instruments in the group will play the 7th in their parts to
create the sound of the major 7th chord even if you just stick to the basic triad.
If youve studied the major 7th chord pattern, the dominant 7th is different by
only one note the 7th. The dominant 7th chord uses a flatted 7th; that is, it
uses a 7th which is a half-step lower than the 7th used in the major 7th chord.
It is a major triad with the addition of a flatted 7th. You should recognize this
as the same 7th we used in the root-5th-flat 7th pattern in the common bass
patterns category.
The stacked thirds construction is a major 3rd (root to the 3rd), plus a minor
3rd (3rd to the 5th), plus a minor 3rd (5th to the 7th).
When a musician says a chord is a seventh chord they are almost always
implying it is a dominant 7th chord. Otherwise they will specify if it is some
other type of seventh chord (e.g. major seventh, diminished seventh, etc.). A
musician would say the above chords' names as "C seven" and "A flat seven"
when communicating to other musicians.
The tense sound of this chord comes from the discordant relationship between
the third and seventh.
You may recognize the sound of the riff to the song Pretty Woman as outlining
the notes of the dominant 7th chord. [Play: Root-Root-3-5-b7] Notice the
tension produced by the sound of the flat 7.
Since a big part of music is about taking the listener somewhere, knowing how
to use this chord well and understanding its place in music is a critical part of
playing and creating music and playing the bass.
Similar to the other chord patterns weve looked at, you can practice the
dominant 7th pattern up and down each fret and all over the fretboard of your
bass.
Dominant 7th Details
A mode, you may remember from the major scale lesson, is a scale derived
from another scale. The mixolydian scale starts on the 5th note of the major
scale and ends on the fifth note. For instance, the C major scale is C, D, E, F, G,
A, B, and C. The fifth note of C major is G. Therefore the 5th mode of C
major is G mixolydian: G, A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. Its the same group of notes
only starting and ending on G, the 5th.
The structure of the mixolydian mode is only different from the major scale by
one note the 7th. Compared to the major scale the mixolydian mode has
a flatted 7th.
Although it is only the difference of one note, the overall sound of the scale is
very different. You will notice the sound of this scale contains tension and feels
unresolved. Its like a grittier version of the major scale.
The mixolydian scale works with the V chord (see diatonic chords in
the harmony section), since it starts on the fifth note of the key. In this way,
the mixolydian scale is said to go along with the V chord in a major key. Later
we'll discuss modes applied to chords more thoroughly.
The mixolydian scale will work a lot of the time on dominant 7th chords
especially in rock, blues, funk, soul, and R&B. Keep in mind that this is not
the only scale you can apply to the dominant 7th chord (especially when it
comes to jazz). There are many others! I stress this because I see a lot of books
and lessons that, to beginners, make it seem like this scale always fits every
dominant 7th when it doesnt. As usual, it always comes down to what sounds
best, not what you might think is theoretically correct.
Whole-step/half-step construction: W W H W W H W
Intervallic construction: Root, M2, M3, P4, P5, M6, m7, P8
C mixolydian scale spelling: C, D, E, F, G, A, Bb, C
This scale is very versatile, is easy to play on the bass, and contains a very
pleasing-to-hear group of notes. Thats why it is such a commonly used scale.
Just as with the major scale pattern, you can play this fingering anywhere on
the fretboard.
Begin your fingering on your 2nd finger and apply the one-finger-per-fret rule:
When creating your own basslines you always have to use your ear to judge
when applying a scale to a chord works and when it doesnt. Hopefully youve
read chord tones are primary. In a way the major pentatonic scale is a slightly
modified major triad. I think the popularity of this scale is more evidence
that chord tones are the real key to understanding music. Youll notice most
basslines applying the major pentatonic scale still heavily emphasize the basic
underlying major triad. Dont get too caught up in scales without first knowing
the chords they complement.
The third is what gives major-sounding scales and chords their brighter,
cheerier sound, and what gives minor scales and chords their darker, sadder
sound.
Similarly, most chords and arpeggios usually contain 3 or 4 different notes like a
Root, 3rd, and 5th (triads), or a Root, 3rd, 5th, and 7th (seventh chords).
All of these scales and chords contain that important note the 3rd in them.
Compared to major scales and chords, minor scales and chords have different
3rds.
All major-sounding scales and chords contain major 3rds while all minor-
sounding scales and chords contain minor 3rds.
Remember, its the distance between the notes that forms the interval and its
unique sound. (Please review intervals if you are still confused on this. Intervals
are essential to understanding scale and chord construction.)
Lets compare a few examples of major and minor scales and chords:
Notice the third of the major scale (C#) is one note lower in the minor scale (C).
Again, flatting the third makes the scales third a minor third interval instead of
a major third. This gives them their major and minor sound qualities.
You will notice there are actually three different notes between a major scale
and a natural minor scale which start on the same note. While there are 3
different notes, the essential note giving these scales their major or minor
sound quality is the 3rd. As you continue studying scales you will learn there are
many different major-sounding scales (e.g. Major, Major Pentatonic, Mixolydian,
Lydian) and many different minor-sounding scales (e.g. Natural Minor, Harmonic
Minor, Melodic Minor, Minor Pentatonic). Regardless of what other notes differ,
it is the 3rd that gives a scale its "major-ness" or "minor-ness".
Notice the third of the minor triad is one note lower, or flatted as we
musicians say. Flatting the 3rd creates a minor 3rd interval giving the minor
triad its minor sound.
For instance, remember the dominant 7th chord? It contained a major 3rd,
perfect 5th, and minor 7th. Despite having a minor 7th, this chord has a major-
sounding quality to it because it has a major 3rd.
The natural minor scale is a seven-note scale (dont count the octave). Like the
major scale it contains a Root (R), 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th.
C Major Scale: C D E F G A B
Most of the easier minor scale and chord pattern fingerings begin on your first
finger. The initial major patterns you've probably already learned and practiced
(major scale, major triad, etc.) begin on your second finger. Starting on finger
one may take some getting used to, so pay attention. This fingering works
anywhere on the fretboard of the bass when begun on the E-string or A-string.
To finger the natural minor scale, begin on the E-string or A-string and play
fingers 1, 3, 4. Shift to the next higher string, play 1, 3, 4. Shift one string
higher and play 1 and 3. To descend the scale, play the same fingering
backwards.
The location of the two half-steps between the 2nd and 3rd degrees, and the
5th and 6th degrees, is what gives the natural minor scale its unique sound. It is
the only scale that has this unique series of whole-steps and half-steps.
Compare it to the major scales whole-step/half-step construction.
The natural minor scale is constructed with the intervals: M2, m3, P4, P5, m6,
m7, and P8.
Whole-step/half-step construction: W H W W H W W
Intervallic construction: Root, M2, m3, P4, P5, m6, m7, P8
C natural minor scale spelling: C, D, Eb, F, G, Ab, Bb, C
The minor triad is constructed with a root note and the intervals of a minor
third and perfect fifth. (See intervals.)
If you look at the minor triad as a pair of stacked thirds, youd have a minor
third interval from the root to the third and a major third interval from the 3rd
to the 5th.
The Minor Triad vs. the Major Triad
The minor triad differs from the major triad by one note the third. The minor
triad has a flatted, or lowered, third. The three notes of a minor triad are then
described as: root, flat 3rd and 5th.
Again, flat third means it is one note lower than the third of a major
triad not that it is spelled with a flat note name. The flat third could be spelled
with any possible note in the musical alphabet. For instance, an A major triad is
spelled A C# E. If you flat the third you get A C E an A minor triad. The C is a
flat third in comparison to the C#.
The flatted third of the minor triad gives this minor chord its darker, sadder
sound.
12 Minor Triads
Just as with the major triad, there are twelve minor triads, too. You can build a
minor triad on each of the 12 notes we use in music.
If you wanted to play a G minor triad youd play the pattern starting on the
note G. It would contain the notes G, Bb and D. Starting on an E root note gives
you an E minor triad. It would be spelled E, G and B.
You can shift this pattern all over the fretboard to start on any note giving you
all 12 minor triads.
The most common chord symbol for a minor triad is the root note followed by a
lower case m. An A minor triad is notated Am. A C# minor triad would be
notated C#m.
An alternate chord symbol meaning the same thing is the root followed by a
dash (-). For instance, A- or C#-. This can be hard to read in low light situations
and I encourage you to not write it like this.
Other common minor chord symbols are a root followed by mi or min. Both
of these are common and easy to read since they unmistakably mean minor.
You will run into all of these variations that mean the same thing a plain old
minor triad. Choose the suffix you like best when writing your own chord charts.
Always strive to make them clear and legible.
Just as with the other chords found in this section, you can construct very
supportive basslines by outlining and emphasizing the notes of the chord. The
chord tones are always the main notes to emphasize.
Though this rule can be and often is broken, in the early stages of crafting
basslines you will want to emphasize the chords root on beat one of the bar.
You wont ever go wrong doing that. From there you can mix up the other notes
of the chord however you like.
The minor 7th chord is the most common minor-type seventh chord youll come
across. Its used frequently in rock, funk, jazz, and most everywhere else.
Many times youll find minor 7ths as the main, foundational chords when youre
in a minor key. More often youll see them, like minor triads, mixed among
other types of chords.
If you examine the thirds construction of the minor 7th, youll see it is built
from stacking a minor third (root to 3), major third (3 to 5) and minor third (5
to 7) on top of any root note.
Play:
Be mindful of reaching all the way to the fret with your 4th finger on the flat
3rd. The tendency is to not reach and get some fret buzz.
Just as with the minor triad, there are a number of other suffixes indicating
minor. The minor 7th may also be indicated by C-7, Cmi7 or Cmin7. These all
mean the same thing. Again, Im not a fan of the dash because it can be hard to
see (and I have pretty good eyesight).
A lot of times you can use this chord pattern over a plain old minor triad
without disrupting the basic minor sound being played by the rest of the band.
Even though the triad doesnt have a 7th, it can still work. Follow what sounds
good.
The scale contains 5 notes (dont count the octave). It is a minor-sounding scale
because of its flatted third. Remember, the flatted 3rd is what makes chords
and scales have a minor quality.
This scale is popular because it is easy to play falling comfortably under your
fingers. And, its sound is very pleasing. The notes of the scale go together so
well its hard to play something bad with them. (Unless your rhythm needs work,
of course.)
If youve learned the minor 7th chord pattern, youll notice this scale only has
one note in addition to the minor 7th chord the 4th.
In my customary style I always have to point out how chords need to come
before scales in your thinking as a bassist. This minor pentatonic scale is really
a minor 7th chord with an extra note (the 4th). The reason this scale is so
strong sounding and gets used so much is because its doing the chord-
emphasizing for you. Unfortunately, since its a scale it gets beginners
thinking scales are where its at, rather than chord patterns. Study your bass
chord patterns!
The minor pentatonic scale can also be applied over dominant 7th chords. We'll
examine this concept in future lessons. Playing the minor pentatonic over a
dominant chord results in a bluesy sound found often in rock, blues, funk and
jazz. This bluesy sound comes from the clash of the scales minor 3rd played
over the dominant chords major 3rd. Many times it is the bass player who
holds down the dominant sound while a soloist (guitar, piano, etc.) applies the
minor pentatonic sound. But, bassists get to do it in riffs, solos and fills, too.
Since the minor pentatonic scale can be applied over minor chords and
dominant 7th chords, it should be no surprise it is so widely used. Rock, blues,
jazz and funk all make heavy use of minor and dominant chords and, as a result,
the minor pentatonic scale.
The minor blues scale is a six-note scale (not counting the octave). If youve
studied the minor pentatonic scale, you will see the minor blues scale is the
same scale with only one added note the flatted 5th.
From any root note the minor blues scale is built: 1-1/2 W H H 1-1/2 W
Again, notice you are only adding a note in-between the 4th and the 5th. You
would call this note the flat 5th or, less-commonly, the sharp 4th. The
interval between the root and the flat 5th is called a diminished 5th.
Blue Notes
The minor blues scales bluesy sound comes from the blue notes it contains.
The flat 3rd, flat 5th and flat 7th notes are referred to as BLUE NOTES. When
played over major chords, these blue notes clash in a pleasing way creating the
distinct blues sound.
In typical blues basslines you rarely use the minor blues scale for extended
periods of time. Instead, youll most likely use a blue note here and there while
emphasizing the major-type chords found in the standard blues chord
progression.
In the blues youll probably use the scale lightly in a blues bassline, in bass fills
or more heavily in a bass solo.
In other styles like rock and funk, youll use this scale much like you might in
the blues, but youll also encounter a lot of riffs applying this scale. The minor
blues scales darker sound works really well for heavy sounding riffs. With more
syncopated rhythms the minor blues scale can create some great funk grooves.
What is a Tie?
A very common musical marking you will
see is called a tie. A tie is drawn as an
arc-shaped line connecting two identical
notes.
Youll remember that all the rhythms in a bar must add to the correct number
of beats in the time signature. Sometimes the last note in one bar is sustained
into the next bar.
This is called "playing across the barline" and is very common in many styles of
bass playing and music.
Another reason for using ties is to make reading rhythms in music a little easier.
Using ties often makes seeing where the beat falls clearer.
A repeat symbol is drawn with a double barline and two dots surrounding the
middle line of the staff. Most often youll see two repeats symbols one
marking the beginning of the section to repeat and one marking the end. If no
beginning repeat symbol is written, it means you go back to the very beginning
of the music and repeat from there.
In standard practice, the reader should just repeat once unless there are
instructions to repeat more times. (i.e. Repeat 3x or 3x)
What Are First and Second Endings?
Sometimes a repeated section has two different endings. The first time through
you play the first ending and the second time through you play the second
ending. This happens a lot in music and there is a common way of notating it.
For each ending, a bracket is drawn above the endings bar (or bars) along with
an ending number (i.e. 1, 2, etc). On the first pass through the music youd
play to the repeat sign of the first ending. Then youd go back to the beginning
of the repeat section, play to the bar before the first ending and skip to the
second ending.
Using repeats also makes it easier for the music reader. Once the part has been
read, the reader knows what to expect on subsequent passes. So, the reader
doesnt have to concentrate quite as much. (Or, the reader can focus on fixing
his or her mistakes the next time through the section. Ha!)
Another way of notating chords is with a chord symbol. Chord symbols may look
like:
A CHORD SYMBOL describes the notes that make up a chord without specifically
telling you what notes to play.
Chord symbols are written above the top staff of the written music.
A chord symbol has two basic parts to it the chords root note followed by the
chord quality. The root note is the main note on which the chord is built. The
quality indicates the type of chord (i.e. major, minor, dominant, diminished,
etc.).
With time, experience and study musicians (especially bassists) should know
what notes are in various chords and what chord symbols are used to identify
them.
So, bassists often read chord symbols in written music and make up or
improvise a bassline that matches the chords of the song instead of playing a
specific, written out bassline.
Chord symbols are written directly above the beat or rhythm where they
change in the music. Again, this can happen anywhere and depends on what is
called for in the song.
Commonly you will see a bass clef staff with chord symbols written above and
slashes marking the beats of each bar. These are not rests. The slashes mean
make something up based on the chords and the style of music. When we
accompany (or complement) other musicians it is called "comping" and so you
might call these slashes "comping slashes".
Other times you may see a combination of written notes and slashes. This would
mean improvise except for these key parts where you need to play these
specific notes and rhythms.
Lead Sheets
Another written form you may see is what is called a lead sheet. A LEAD SHEET is
song written in shorthand. It includes the essential parts of a song the melody
(usually written in treble clef), the lyrics, and the chords (a.k.a. the harmony).
Everything else is left up to the performers to improvise based on the melody
and chord changes.
Lead sheets are the common notation used in fakebooks. A FAKEBOOK is a book
of songs in lead sheet notation where the performer is to fake his or her way
through a song only using the melody and chords as a guide. Knowing what to
play comes from experience, knowledge of specific styles, and really knowing
your chords, scales and rhythm.
N.C.
Occasionally youll see the chord symbol N.C. The symbol N.C. means No
Chord. That means there is no specific group of notes being played at the
same time.
I think N.C. is often used inappropriately. Many times a riff to a song is based
on the notes of a chord or harmony, but the notes of the chord arent played
simultaneously. A lot of times this is marked with N.C. While its true an actual
chord is not being played, a harmony is still present and being implied by the
notes of the riff. In this case Id always indicate the chord symbol for the chord
implied by the riff when writing the music. N.C. doesnt really aid to
understanding the harmonic content of the song.
Lyric sheets are hard to read because they lack any rhythmic information.
Instead, you have to be familiar with the song enough to follow the lyrics and
know when to change chords at the correct time.
Summary
As a bassist youre going to read a lot of chord symbols. Make sure you
understand what all the chord symbols represent and when the chords change.
When you read music containing both chord symbols and a written bassline,
study how the two fit together. Analyze the notes of each chord in relation to
the notes in the bassline. The more you do this, the more youll understand
what you can play when youre only given a chord symbol and expected to
fake your way through the music.
When discussing slash chords musicians will typically say, "Play G slash B," or
"play G over B," or "play G with a B in the bass." These descriptions all mean the
same thing.
An often seen chord progression is: G - G/B - C. In this progression the G chord
is being played by the entire group on the first chord G. But, on the G/B chord
the band continues playing the G chord while the bass player is to stress the
note B which makes a smooth, chromatic transition to the root of the C chord.
So, the bass would emphasize the notes G, B, then C on each of these 3 chords.
Though it's not required, very often the alternate bass note of a slash chord is
another note from within the chord. In the previous example of G/B the note B
is the third of the G major triad (G, B, D). Or, in Am7/G the note G is the 7th of
the A minor seventh chord (Am7 = A, C, E, G).
Pitches relate in many ways. Groups of pitches can be played at the same time
formingchords. Or, groups of pitches (chords) can be played successively
forming chord progressions. And, individual pitches can be played successively
forming melodies. Harmony is the theory behind all of these musical
relationships.
The more you learn about harmony, the less random chords and melodies will
all appear. As you start to see, hear, and memorize the common patterns found
in harmony, you will have an easier time learning songs and basslines,
composing, and improvising. You may even be shocked at how many songs use
the very same harmony. There's not as much harmonic variety as you'd like to
think.
Harmonic Logic
As you study harmony you should eventually discover the best sounding
harmonies always have some sort of strong, internal logic to them. By that I
mean there are certain key elements that, when present, create strong
harmonies, and when absent, create weak harmonies.
With study, you will understand how to create and control harmony. In fact,
you will realize just how much control the bass has over the harmony in a group.
If you want to do anything creative with the bass or music, you need to study
harmony.
Chord Progressions
A chord progression is a succession of chords. Progress means to move forward.
A large aspect of playing the bass deals with defining the sound of the chord
progression as it moves forward.
The bassists job especially revolves around the root movement of the chord
progression. Defining each chords root is one of the bassists most rudimentary
responsibilities. Beyond defining the root, bassists typically strive to create
interesting connections between the roots of each chord in the progression. The
better a bassist understands harmony, the more interesting and effective his or
her basslines and solos will be.
Harmony is a vast subject. You will see the most common harmonic
relationships are very simple and easy to learn. And, as you study more
advanced harmony, you will see they are built on the same principles as the
simple harmonies you first learned.
A song played in the key of C major revolves around the seven notes of the C
major scale C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. That means the fundamental notes making
up the songs melody, chords, and bassline are all derived from that group of
notes.
A song in the key of F major uses the notes of the F major scale F, G, A, Bb,
C, D, and E.
Similarly, a piece of music can be in a minor key and revolve around a natural
minor scale. For example, a song in the key of D minor uses the notes of the D
minor scale D, E, F, G, A, Bb, and C.
Any major scale or natural minor scale can serve as a key for a piece of music.
I think of keys and the tonic like gravity on Earth. All objects are constantly
pulled toward Earth until they come to a state of rest on its surface. Objects
can move away from Earth, but eventually come back down.
When you play music, the music is constantly being pulled toward the tonic, or
root of the key, wanting to come to a state of rest or completion. The tonic is
the most resolved note in a key. The tonic is a keys center.
Moving away from and back to the tonic resting point of the key is partly what
makes music interesting and why it has a pleasing effect on us. Continuing the
gravity analogy, music momentarily defies gravity, but then comes back down.
Its exciting much like a pole-vaulter, basketball player, or juggler might be.
Tonality
When music has this centered sound to it, it is said to be TONAL (pronounced
TOE-nul), or possessing TONALITY. Almost all music to which we listen is tonal.
When a piece of music lacks a tonal center it is said to be ATONAL (pronounced
AY-toe-nul). Most people don't like the sound of atonal music.
Skilled musicians and composers have learned to use these outside/off key
notes without upsetting the tonality of the music. Outside notes occur in most
styles of music to some degree. You will hear the use of outside notes heavily in
many jazz solos. Or, you might find them used in heavy metal riffs. Or, you may
find them in a simple pop song.
Three of the major keys can be named 2 different ways one way with sharp
note names, and the other way with flat note names. This results in 15
different major key spellings.
As an example, the keys of Gb major and F# major contain the exact same
notes. The former is spelled using flat note names (Gb, Ab, Bb, Cb, Db, Eb, and
F), while the latter is spelled with equivalent sharp note names (F#, G#, A#, B,
C#, D#, and E#). There will be times when choosing one spelling over another is
preferable. (More on that later.)
In total, there are 24 keys and 30 ways to spell them. In the next few lessons
covering the circle of 5ths, I will show you how you can start memorizing all 30
key spellings. It sounds far scarier than it is, but it will take some effort.
Memorizing the circle of 5ths diagram is worthwhile. Its not as hard as it seems
once you understand the logic behind the circle.
In this lesson we will just examine the idea of fifths and fourths on the circle. In
following lessons, we'll apply it to keys, chord progressions, and the like. (If
youre still unsure of the basic musical intervals, you should review them before
proceeding.)
Next, a perfect fifth above D is A, and so on. Clockwise, the circle moves
through all 12 notes of the musical alphabet going in 5ths finally returning to C.
You will notice at the bottom of the circle three of the notes (B, F#, and C#)
have two spellings each. The same pitch can have multiple spellings. These are
called ENHARMONIC NOTES. On the circle B and Cb are enharmonic equivalents. F#
and Gb are equal. And, C# and Db are the same note. If you are confused about
this, read over the musical alphabet lesson.
Learn to recite the notes on the circle from memory. Be able to start on any
note (not just C) and go all the way around the circle in both directions. You
already know four of them your bass is tuned in fourths: E A D G. Backwards is
G D A E fifths! This is something you can practice in your head without your
bass.
All you really need to remember is BEAD GCF. The cycle of fourths is BEADGCF
with natural notes, followed by BEADGCF with flats. Notice Fb would be
equivalent to E. Somewhere you have to flip to the enharmonic equivalent in
order to go all the way around.
While the structure is always the same, the specific notes in each major scale
are different. Each major scale/major key has a unique set of notes.
In music we uniquely identify each major key by the number of sharp notes or
flat notes it contains.
The circle of fifths and fourths logically orders the keys making it easy to learn
how many sharps or flats occur in each key. In this lesson I'm going to show you
how to memorize the number of sharps or flats in each major key using the
circle of 5ths and 4ths. Each note on the circle will serve as the root note for a
one of the 12 major scales.
To get to the next key, go up a 4th from F. That will bring you to the key of Bb
major on the circle. Bb major contains 2 flats Bb and Eb. Bb major has the
notes Bb, C, D, Eb, F, G, and A. Again, play the scale and spell it out.
The pattern is always the same: each time you move to the next key a 4th
above, you add 1 flat. The same pattern continues all the way around the
circle until there are no more notes left to flat. (In the key of Cb major, all 7
notes are flat.)
Clockwise the keys move in 5ths. Again, if you know your intervals it is a
perfect 5th above. Or, you may recognize the pattern from the root and fifth
lesson. An easy way to find the fifth is to count up the notes of the major scale
starting on the root. From the root C youd go C, D, E, F, G. G is a fifth above C.
Each time you go to the next key a fifth higher, you add 1 sharp.
C major contains 0 sharps or flats. A fifth above C is G. The next key on the
circle is G major and it contains 1 sharp F#. G major is spelled: G, A, B, C, D,
E, and F#.
Moving a fifth up from G brings you to the key of D. D major contains 2 sharps
F# and C#. D major is spelled: D, E, F#, G, A, B, C#.
The pattern of adding one sharp each time you move up a fifth continues all the
way around the circle until there are no more notes to sharp. (The key of C#
major has all seven notes sharped.)
Enharmonic Keys
At the bottom of the circle of fifths diagram you will notice 3 keys each spelled
two different ways. These keys use the same pitches, but one spelling uses
sharps while the other spelling uses flats. Sometimes choosing a spelling in flats
is preferable to a sharp spelling. At a later time we will look at why one might
be preferred to the other. You should memorize all 15 major key spellings.
Summary
Now you know how to determine how many sharps or flats are in each key, but
how do you know which ones are sharp or flat? That's where you need to learn
one more piece of information the order of sharps and flats.
Once you have memorized how many sharps or flats are in each key in
combination with the order of sharps and flats, you will be able to spell the
notes of each key. Since you're always playing in some key, knowing your keys
in this manner will always be of great benefit.
Once you have memorized how many sharps or flats are in each key in
combination with the order of sharps and flats, you will be able to spell the
notes of each key. Since you're always playing in some key, knowing your keys
in this manner will always be of great benefit.
The order of flats is a sequence of seven flat note names. This order tells you
which notes are flat in a key containing flats. If a key has one flat, it only
contains the first flat from the order of flats Bb. If the key has two flats, it
uses the first two flats from the order of flats Bb and Eb. A key with 5 flats
would contain the first 5 flats from the order Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, and Gb.
With that bit of information you can spell any key containing flats...
The key of F has 1 flat. That means the flat must be the first flat (Bb). All the
other letter names are natural notes. Now, starting on the root of the scale F,
we can spell the key of F major F, G, A, Bb, C, D, and E.
As another example, the key of Ab major contains 4 flats. It would use the first
4 flats of the order of flats Bb, Eb, Ab, and Db. Starting on the root Ab, the
key of Ab major is spelled Ab, Bb, C, Db, Eb, F, and G. It contains those 4 flats
and the rest of the notes are natural.
The order of sharps works the same way as the flat order...
The key of G major contains 1 sharp. It has to be the first sharp F#. Starting
on G we can spell the G major scale: G, A, B, C, D, E, and F#.
The key of A major contains 3 sharps. Those sharps would be F#, C#, and G#. A
major is spelled: A, B, C#, D, E, F#, and G#.
If you've memorized the notes on the circle of 5ths and 4ths, you will notice
flats go in 4ths starting on B and sharps go in 5ths starting on F.
Sometimes people like to make sentences to remember the notes. The classic
memory aid works both directions:
When we spell scales, we can't skip letters and we want to avoid having two
letters such as a B and a Bb in the same scale. That would cause trouble with
reading music and just be confusing.
For instance, the key of Gb major could be improperly spelled Gb, Ab, Bb,
B, Db, Eb, and F. Notice there are then two B notes and no C. Properly spelled
it is Gb, Ab, Bb, Cb, Db, Eb, and F.
You also can't mix sharps and flats in a key spelling. It's always one or the other.
Every major scale has a relative minor scale, and every minor scale a relative
major.
For example, the C major scale and the A minor scale are relative scales. C
major contains the notes C, D, E, F, G, A and B. The A natural minor scale
contains the notes A, B, C, D, E, F and G. They have the same exact group of
notes only their root note is different.
Don't let different fingerings for the same set of notes confuse you. There are
lots of ways to play the same group of notes across the fretboard.
If youve studied the circle of fifths in the harmony section, youll notice the
relative minor scales listed right beneath the major scales. Theyre the same
set of notes and have the same key signature.
Not only are the notes the same between relative scales, but so are
the diatonic chords.
Youll also see that many songs bounce back and forth between the major key
and its relative minor or vice versa.
So, knowing the scale relations will really simplify memorizing a lot of essential
stuff, and help you understand keys, chord progressions and songs better.
For example, E is the sixth note of the G major scale (G, A, B, C, D, E, F#). E
natural minor is the relative minor of G major.
For example, F is the third note of the D minor scale (D, E, F, G, A, Bb, C). F
major is the relative major of D minor.
All major and minor pentatonic scales work in the same way.
Memorizing the keys takes some work. There arent many useful shortcuts. You
just have to spend time reviewing them every chance you can. Pick a key or
two and focus on them. Start with the keys you find yourself playing in most
often. If you work with guitarists a lot, they tend to use a lot of sharp keys (G,
D, A, E, B). Horn players favor flat keys (F, Bb, Eb, Ab, Db).
Think about the note names as you practice your scalesdont just think about
finger patterns. Work on reading music. Itll force you to concentrate on the
note names, not fret numbers. Recite the note names of keys whenever you
have down time standing in line somewhere, in the shower, etc. All of this will
help you memorize the keys.
A few relative scales are easy to remember once you get going. If you already
know G major and E minor are relative, you should notice Gb major and Eb
minor are relativethey're just a half-step down. Likewise, C major/A minor
gives you Cb major and Ab minor and C# major and A# minor. They're just offset
by one note. See which others you can find.
When we use the musical term diatonic, we mean the notes being used all
come from the key. In that way the terms diatonic and key mean much the
same thing.
For instance, the key of C major contains the seven notes of the C major scale
C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. Any music said to be diatonic and in the key of C only
uses combinations of those 7 notes from C major.
If a melody is said to be diatonic and in the key of C, it only uses the 7 notes of
the C major scale/key.
If a chord progression is said to be diatonic and in the key of C, all of the notes
used to build the chords would come from the notes of the key of C major. So,
an F major triad would be a diatonic chord in the key of C because F major
contains the notes F, A, and C all notes within the key. An F minor triad
contains the notes F, Ab, and C. Since the key of C does not contain an Ab, F
minor is not a diatonic chord in the key of C.
Diatonic Harmony and Music
A lot of music is purely diatonic. Purely diatonic music has a simple,
straightforward sound to it. For instance folk songs and nursery rhymes are
often strictly diatonic.
More often, songs are mostly diatonic only straying from the notes of the key
once in a while.
In order to fully understand music containing non-diatonic notes, you first need
to understand basic diatonic harmony. DIATONIC HARMONY is the study of how
notes within a key relate to one another.
In Summary
This lesson is just to give you a quick introduction to the concept of diatonicism.
In the coming harmony lessons well start to apply the concept so you gain a
working knowledge of simple diatonic harmony.
You should think of diatonic chords as a family of chords all tied to one another
by the notes of a key. They all sort of share the same gene pool.
Weve established that each key contains seven different notes. It is possible to
build a chord on each of the seven notes in every key. Each note of the key
serves as a root note for a chord. Therefore each key has 7 basic diatonic
chords.
For example, these would be the diatonic chords in the key of C major and in A
major:
I ii iii IV V vi vii
Key of C C Dm Em F G Am B
Once you have memorized these diatonic chords and another musician says to
you the verse is one-four-five in C, youd know the chords were C, F, and G.
If they said lets change it to the key of A, youd know to change to A, D, and E.
Again, this is a preview of where were going with this. Dont be too concerned
about memorizing it all just yet or if there are some things you dont
understand. I only want you to get the concept of numbering the chords in a
key.
Most chord progressions closely adhere to the set of 7 chords in one key. Not
surprisingly, there arent that many different chord progressions that can result
from this small group of chords. As a result, many of the same chord
progressions get used over and over though they can occur in different keys.
Heres the same I V vi IV progression in the key of A. The numbers are the
same, but now the chords are A E F#m D.
You should be able to hear these two examples sound the same, but they also
sound slightly different. The only difference is the key. Since each key has the
same intervallic structure, the distances between the chords and the types of
chords (major, minor, etc) are always the same.
After a while many of these progressions will start sounding familiar to you.
Youll be able to hear whether youre on the I chord or the V chord. You might
not know what key its in, but youll hear the relationships among the chords.
After that, once you understand how to play on one common chord progression
well in this way, you will understand it in all of the other keys, too.
So, learning chords and progressions by their number names improves your ear
and reduces your workload of learning chord progressions. I promise it will
really simplify things and make you a better musician.
In Summary
Now you should have a basic idea of how musicians number chords within keys
and why. In upcoming harmony lessons I'll gently ease you into learning and
memorizing the diatonic chords thoroughly. They're essential and not all that
difficult.
The I chord is built on the first note of the key. The IV chord is built on
the fourthnote of the key. And, the V chord is built on the fifth note of the key.
When we use simple triads (see chords) in a major key, all three of these chords
aremajor triads.
You should notice the notes of each triad fit within the key. Remember, thats
whatdiatonic means within the key. C major is made up of the notes C, E, and
G. F major is F, A, and C. And, G major is G, B, and D. The key is what binds
the chords together into a small family.
Songs have used the primary chords for centuries. It doesnt matter if its J.S.
Bach or The Ramones. Everyone uses the I, IV, and V chords. If you pay
attention to it, you'll recognize it and music will get a little easier to
comprehend.
For instance, in D Major (D, E, F#, G, A, B, C#) the chords would be D, G, and A.
In Ab Major (Ab, Bb, C, Db, Eb, F, G) theyd be Ab, Db, and Eb.
At first most people recognize the pattern of root notes for each chord from
the one octave major scale pattern. For example, in the key of C, the roots are
C, F, and G.
As you advance you will start to see other ways of playing and locating the I, IV,
and V chords on the fretboard. You might see it moving to a lower IV chord root
and lower V chord root note. Then building a major triad off of each root.
Or, you might see it moving to a higher IV chord root and a lower V chord root.
Major Key I IV V
C C F G
G G C D
D D G A
A A D E
E E A B
B B E F#
Cb Cb Fb Gb
F# F# B C#
Gb Gb Cb Db
C# C# F# G#
Db Db Gb Ab
Ab Ab Db Eb
Eb Eb Ab Bb
Bb Bb Eb F
F F Bb C
When speaking of the blues, non-musicians are usually thinking of the musical
style of the blues. Musicians think of the blues not only as a musical style but
also as a musical influence and sound, and a song form. I'll explain the
differences:
The blues can be, and is, played on any instrument or with any combination of
instruments. Typical blues bands consist of a singer, guitarist, bassist, pianist,
and drummer.
Another key feature of the blues style is the unique harmonies, rhythms, and
inflections it uses. The blues sound is hard to describe in words, but you know it
when you hear it.
Another common misunderstanding is that the use of the blues scale makes
something the blues. Again, the blues scale has bluesy sounds, but is not
necessarily the blues style or doesn't make something a blues song. It's simply a
sound derived from the blues.
A SONG FORM is a structure, or formula of sorts, for a composition. All art forms
have classic structures used as launching points for compositions. For example,
playwrights write 3-act plays, poets write sonnets, painters paint still lifes, and
dancers might dance a Cha-Cha. Music is no different and has many types of
structures, or song formsas we call them.
Part of your development as a musician is learning about and using song forms.
A lot of people might think, Use a formula?! How uncreative! You have to
realize a song form doesnt tell you what to play or write, it simply helps
you organize what you play or write.
I dont want to dive too deeply into the importance of structure in music in this
lesson, but its very important for creating pleasing music. A multitude of song
forms have evolved over hundreds of years and are used over and over for a
reason. And, theres nothing stopping you from deviating from or creating your
own structures. But, its highly likely that they wont amount to much if you
havent mastered and understood classic song structures used throughout music
history. There's a lot to be learned from musical forms.
The blues isnt just about the blues. Jazz, rock, country, soul, R&B, funk, and
even ska all descended from, developed out of, and were influenced by the
blues. The blues has served as the backbone of all these styles and probably for
many styles yet to come.
Ill give you an analogy in the world of art. For some reason new artists are
avoiding learning the basic skill of drawing the human figure. (Some art
departments dont even offer the class anymore!) They want to paint abstract
paintings and think that skill is useless and a waste of time to study since it's
not exactly what they plan to paint. But, when someone has skipped over this
essential skill (and probably others), even in his or her abstract artwork you will
clearly see a lack of form, basic artistic sense, and skill. Something is missing
and the same sort of thing happens to musicians especially those without any
guidance. So, even if you don't plan on playing the blues outright, the skill is
still essential.
Hopefully you dont need any more convincing about how important it is to
learn the blues, but Im going to offer one more big reason:
Thoroughly studying the blues means to thoroughly study the I, IV, and V chord
relationship. By practicing the blues you will practice the harmonic foundation
of millions of non-blues songs, too. Hopefully you can see the incredible value
in that!
Still another reason is that many, many songs are just variations of the blues.
Once you learn the blues you'll have a head start on learning numerous other
songs.
In Summary
I cant stress enough how essential learning the blues is to your musical
development. Ive never heard anyone regret learning it. I suggest you give it a
lot of time and attention. It will really anchor and guide your playing and
creating of music for your entire lifetime just like it did for many musicians
before you.
As youll see in forthcoming blues bass lessons, the basics of the blues are not
that difficult to learn. And, one can really explore a lot of bass playing and
music with the blues as a vehicle.
What is the Blues Form?
As I mentioned in about the blues, a song form is a structure, or a kind of
formula, for a piece of music. The blues form is a specific song structure used
in the blues as well as other styles inspired by the blues like rock, jazz, R&B,
etc.
There are many variations of the blues. First Im going to teach you the most
common form that confuses students the least. Later in the lessons well look
at the many other variations.
You should remember a bar is the same as a measure. Most often in blues you
will count 4 beats to each bar 4/4 time.
In a blues song this 12-bar cycle gets repeated over and over through the course
of the tune. A blues song might play through it 20 times. It will depend on the
specific song.
The blues can be played in any key. In whatever key you are in, 12-bar blues
uses the same basic sequence of I, IV, and V chords. It is most easily thought of
as three 4-bar sections the first 4, the middle 4, and the last 4 bars.
And the last 4 bars go V, IV, I, V. Then you repeat the whole thing again.
For the blues in any other key, wed do the exact same thing. Blues in C would
plug in the chords C, F, and G into the 12-bar blues structure. Blues in E would
use E, A, and B. And, so on. There are 12 major keys; you can play the blues in
any one of them.
In the next few lessons in this blues bass lesson category I will show you how
common patterns and actual basslines are created and applied to the skeleton
of the 12-bar blues form. There are countless possibilities using varied rhythms
and note patterns. You are only limited by your technique and imagination.
You'll remember you can play and find fifths both above and below any root
note or octave of a root note. Your friends, roots and fifths...
Be Creative!
See if you can change the rhythms and/or order of notes to create your own
root and fifth basslines on the blues. You are practicing these ideas in all the
other keys, arent you?
The flatted 7th note of the dominant 7th chord is a key component of the blues
sound. And, subsequently, the flat 7th is a big component in rock, jazz, funk,
and many other styles.
That is why the R-5-b7-8 pattern works perfectly over each chord in the blues
it outlines the strong chord tones of each chord. Remember, outlining the notes
of chords is your big responsibility as far as what notes to play when creating
basslines. Scale notes and other notes revolve around and serve to enhance
those supportive chord tones.
Mix It Up
Something important for you to do is create your own basslines applying these
patterns Im showing you.
The nice thing about the R-5-b7-8 pattern is you cant play a bad note. As long
as you emphasize the root (or any octave of the root) on beat 1 of each bar and
play with steady rhythm, youll have a pretty solid bassline.
The more often you make up basslines, the larger your own catalog of ideas will
grow. Plus, you will start to hear these ideas in your mind and your fingers will
get comfortable executing them.
The major triad is the simplest and most common chord in music. You should
remember it consists of three notes a root, third and fifth.
In this short lesson you're going to only use the notes of the major triad.
In the basic blues progression (the blues form) we use three chords called the I,
IV, and V chords. In this simple lesson all you will do is outline the notes of each
major triad.
Could you play this line in the key of G? Or, the key of Bb? Find the I, IV, and V
chord in whatever key youre practicing, turn on your metronome and play!
You should recognize that youre only adding one note to the major triad the
flat 7th.
A lot of blues basslines will emphasize and revolve around the chord tones for
each dominant 7th chord. Even if other non-chord tones are involved,
the chord tones are the backbone of the bassline.
The Exercises
In the exercises there are two basslines that strictly stick to chord tones. As a
result, you can really hear the chords in the bassline alone. If you played the
basslines without accompaniment there would still be no doubt as to what the
current chord is and that you were playing the blues progression. Your job as a
supportive bass player is to lay down the time (rhythm) and lay down the
harmony.
Just as with the other blues basslines so far, you should practice them on your
own at various tempos and in other keys.
Be Creative!
I can never emphasize practicing your creativity enough. See what you can
come up with on your own applying these same ideas. Experiment with
different rhythms, repeated notes, changing the order of the notes, etc. Do it
even if you think it stinks!
A MAJOR 6TH CHORD consists of a root, 3rd, 5th, and 6th. You can just think its a
major triad with an added 6th. You will always find the 6th of a major 6th
chord a whole-step (2 notes) above the 5th.
A major sixth chord is notated with the number 6 after the root note. For
example, C6 or Eb6.
In variation 1 the first two 4-bar sections are the same as we learned before. In
the last 4 measures the first two bars (bars 9 & 10) stay on the V chord while
the last two bars (bars 11 & 12) stay on the I chord. The form then looks like
this:
Most importantly:
Don't get lost.
Don't forget to practice these forms in all keys.
Don't forget to practice them in different areas of the fretboard.
You might also notice that strong chord tones fall on beat one of each bar the
root and the flat 7th. When you listen to music your ear considers notes falling
on beat 1 as very important. Youll rarely find a non-chord tone on beat one of
a well-crafted bassline.
Next, youll notice that the all-important 5th falls on beat 3 of both bars. Beat
3 is a strong place for landing chord tones, too.
More importantly, this bassline contains all of the qualities of a perfect bassline.
Its memorable, melodic, and catchy. It sets the pulse. And, it successfully
supports the sound of each chord in the tune.
You can learn a lot about bass playing from this simple little pattern.
Blues Form Variation 2
This is one of the most common blues form variations and will probably sound
the most familiar to you. It only differs from the first blues form variation by a
single chord in bar 10.
This is an important variation to master and memorize. You should never get
lost in it.
The next four bars are two bars of the IV chord followed by two bars of the I
chord.
In music we use the term DIMINISH to mean make smalleror lower. The
diminished triad has a diminished 5th meaning it has a flatted, or lowered,
5th (in comparison to the typical perfect 5th found in most chords like the
major and minor triads). The flat fifth is what gives the diminished triad its
name and plays an essential part in its sound.
The diminished triad is a very tense and unstable sounding chord. As a result, it
doesnt get used anywhere near as much as the major and minor triads or the
major, minor and dominant 7th chords.
You will most encounter this triad in gospel, jazz, blues, some rock tunes, and
Classical music. You will hear it on songs with more complex chord progressions
or prettier chord progressions. Using this chord is mysterious to a lot of people
and unfortunately its use gets over-looked in a lot of modern-day chord
progressions.
Though its less common, the diminished triad is still essential to learn and
understand. Don't ignore it.
Root to 3rd = m3
3rd to 5th = m3
Another common way is with a degree symbol (o). A diminished triad with a C
root note could also be notated Co. This can be harder to read on charts and
you should avoid writing it this way if you can. But, you should recognize it if
someone else writes it that way.
For bass players its particularly important to not play the wrong 5th on a
diminished triad. Since bassists are used to stressing the roots and fifths of
chords so much, its a common mistake to play a perfect fifth rather than a
diminished 5th. Hitting the wrong 5th on this chord will ruin the sound and
function of this chord most times.
You'll encounter the minor 7 flat 5 chord most often in jazz. It's a rare chord in
rock, blues, R&B, and many other popular styles, but it may come up and
knowing it is important.
Another way to think of its construction is it is simply a minor 7th chord with a
flatted fifth. (Hence the name!)
If you examine the thirds construction of the minor 7(b5) chord, youll see it is
built from stacking a minor third (root to 3), minor third (3 to 5) and major
third (5 to 7) on top of any root note.
Play:
Another harder to read symbol for this chord might be a degree symbol with a
slash through it: . This symbol is derived from the half-diminished name. A
diminished 7th is often notated with a circle, so marking a slash through it
makes it "half-diminished."
For example, the C minor 7 flat 5 chord could be notated any of these way:
Cm7(b5), Cmi7(b5), C-7(b5), or C.
The diminished 7th is a very dissonant chord. Dissonant chords are rarely played
for long stretches of time by themselves. Diminished 7th chords function most
as transitionary chords. The tense sound created by them have a tendency to
move the music forward by resolving to another chord.
Diminished 7th chords contain a new type of 7th we have yet to encounter. So
far we've discussed two types of 7ths: the plain old 7th (i.e., the major 7th
interval found in a major seventh chord), and we've discussed the flatted 7th
(the minor 7th interval found in dominant 7th chords and minor 7th chords).
The diminished 7th chord contains a third type of 7th called a double-flat 7th,
or diminished 7th interval.
To understand the double-flat 7th, consider the minor 7(b5) chord (also called
the. half-diminished chord). It contained a flatted 3rd, flatted 5th and flatted
7th. In order to get the 7th of the fully-diminished 7th chord, we must flat the
7th again. Therefore, the fully-diminished 7th chord contains a double-flatted
seventh. That doesn't mean the double-flat 7 must be spelled with two flats. It
only means it is two half-steps below a normal, major 7th. The correct interval
name for a double-flatted seventh is adiminished seventh interval. It looks and
sounds just like a major sixth interval, but to be theoretically correct, we must
call it a diminished 7th interval.
Double flats (and their counterparts, double sharps) can be confusing at first
and will seem illogical. If a major 7th is the note B, a minor 7th is called Bb
since it is one note lower. Lowering the 7th again would give us Bbb (B double-
flat). B double-flat is the very same note as A. So why not call it A? Well, you
can and you would get the same result sound-wise, but theoretically an A is a
6th. The seventh chord needs a 7thin this example, some sort of B. So, we
end up with a Bbb instead of A even though A is a simpler spelling. It's
important to understand because you may encounter it in written music. But,
using the simpler spelling probably won't lead to any fist fights on the
bandstand. Many times, in written music, the simpler spelling is used to make it
easier to read.
So, while you can name diminished 7th chords with any of the 12 notes, there
are only 3 four-note sets.
Play:
Another fingering/shape for the diminished 7th chord begins on your 3rd finger.
This fingering contains the exact same notes as the previous fingering. The
notes are located in different spots on the fretboard, however.
Play:
A diminished 7th chord built on the root note C would be notated Co7, or Cdim7.
Built on an F# root, it would be F#o7, or F#dim7.
A Shift slide is where you pick once, slide up or down and pick again when you reach your target note.
A Legato slide is where you pick, slide and then DON'T pick at your target note; most of what people
call 'slides' are the legato version.