CyberfretBass.com: Major scale forms for bass

Site Search
Beginner Bass Lessons
Bass Arpeggios
Bass Scales
Music Theory
Ear Training
Bass Techniques
Bass Chops
Bass Line Creation
Reading Bass Music
Jam Zone
Grooves & Moves
Misc. Bass Wisdom
Bass Tablature
Gear & Tech Info
Business & Career
Bass Links
Store

Online Guitar Lessons
Electric Bass Lessons
Bass War
Guitar Lessons

Major Scale Forms

5 position of a G major scale

A major scale only has 7 different note names. Therefore each degree of the scale is assigned a number from 1 to 7. This number is refereed to as the "scale function". Which is basically just showing how a particular note in the scale relates to the root (1). So in all of the scale positions below you will see a suggested fingering, and to the right you will see the scale functions listed. At the very least you want to know where the root is in the scale form.

G A B C D E F# = G major scale
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 = Scale functions

Note Names

|-A-|---|-B-|-C-|
|-E-|---|-F#|-G-|
|-B-|-C-|---|-D-|
|---|-G-|---|-A-|
|
3rd fret

Scale functions

|-2-|---|-3-|-4-|
|-6-|---|-7-|-1-|
|-3-|-4-|---|-5-|
|---|-1-|---|-2-|
|
3rd fret

Suggested fingering

|-1-|---|-3-|-4-|
|-1-|---|-3-|-4-|
|-1-|-2-|---|-4-|
|---|-2-|---|-4-|
|
3rd fret

|-1-|-2-|---|-4-|---|
|-1-|-2-|---|-4-|---|
|---|-1-|---|-3-|---|
|---|-1-|---|-3-|-4-|
|
5th fret

|-1-|---|-3-|---|
|-1-|---|-3-|-4-|
|-1-|---|-3-|-4-|
|-1-|-2-|---|-4-|
|
7th fret

|-1-|---|-3-|-4-|
|-1-|-2-|---|-4-|
|-1-|-2-|---|-4-|
|---|-2-|---|-4-|
|
10th fret

|-1-|-2-|---|-4-|---|
|---|-1-|---|-3-|---|
|---|-1-|---|-3-|-4-|
|---|-1-|---|-3-|-4-|
|
12th fret

Scale functions

|-2-|---|-3-|-4-|
|-6-|---|-7-|-1-|
|-3-|-4-|---|-5-|
|---|-1-|---|-2-|
|
3rd fret

|-3-|-4-|---|-5-|---|
|-7-|-1-|---|-2-|---|
|---|-5-|---|-6-|---|
|---|-2-|---|-3-|-4-|
|
5th fret

|-5-|---|-6-|---|
|-2-|---|-3-|-4-|
|-6-|---|-7-|-1-|
|-3-|-4-|---|-5-|
|
7th fret

|-6-|---|-7-|-1-|
|-3-|-4-|---|-5-|
|-7-|-1-|---|-2-|
|---|-5-|---|-6-|
|
10th fret

|-7-|-1-|---|-2-|---|
|---|-5-|---|-6-|---|
|---|-2-|---|-3-|-4-|
|---|-6-|---|-7-|-1-|
|
12th fret

Once you have played the 5 forms above, you could just start with the first form again at the 15th fret. This is going to be very important to know once you transpose these scale forms to other keys.

|-1-|---|-3-|-4-|
|-1-|---|-3-|-4-|
|-1-|-2-|---|-4-|
|---|-2-|---|-4-|
|
15th fret

Page 3, Putting together the pieces of the scale puzzle

Page 4, Transposing the scale forms to other keys

Major scale forms for bass jump zone

How to think of scale forms on the bass
Training your ear to hear the root of the scale
Putting together the pieces of the scale puzzle
5 positions of a G major scale
Transposing the scale forms to other keys