|
If you have looked at the basic
scales lesson, then you already know one form of a major scale.
But there are a lot of ways that you can play the notes of a major
scale on the bass. In this lesson you are going to learn 5 very
common major scale fingerings that together cover the entire neck
of the bass.
Major scales only have 7 different notes. So a G major scale
consists of the notes G A B C D E and F#. So in all of the scale
forms that you are going to learn here, after the 7th note, the
note names will just start over again. So after F# you are back
to G.
|
For
more information on the theory behind major scales check
out the lessons below.
Constructing
major scales - this is the starting point for understanding
all music theory.
|
How to think of scale forms on the bass
Technically a G major scale will only go from G to G. That is
a one octave major scale. When looking at scales on the electric
bass you are going to be a little less strict with the definition.
We are going to look at a major scale as all of the possible notes
within a position on the neck. That means that the root of the
scale (the primary note that the scale is named after) will not
always be the first note in the scale form.
For the G major scale form below, you will not only have the
notes from G to G, but also include the notes on the 1st string.
|--A--|-----|--B--|--C--|
-1st string
|--E--|-----|--F#-|--G--|
|--B--|--C--|-----|--D--|
|-----|--G--|-----|--A--|
-4th string
|
3rd fret
In the G major scale form below you do not start on G. In fact
there is only one G note in the whole form. So why do we call
this a G major scale form? You want to think of this as the notes
of a G major scale. Even though you can not neatly play a series
of notes starting and ending on G, these are the notes of a G
major scale. On the bass you have to think a little more loosely
in terms of having to start and end on the root of a particular
scale. You just need to understand where the root is within the
form.
|--B--|--C--|-----|--D--|-----|
-1st string
|--F#-|--G--|-----|--A--|-----|
|-----|--D--|-----|--E--|-----|
|-----|--A--|-----|--B--|--C--| -4th string
|
5th fret
Page 2,
Training your ear to hear the root of the scale 
Major
scale forms for bass jump zone
|
