Once you learn your basic scales on the bass going just going up and back down, the next step is to play them in what are called 3rds. In this video bass lesson I will show you the basics of playing bass scales in 3rds.
(Video Bass Lesson)
The Interval of a 3rd
If you were to give a number to each degree of a major scale, the distance from 1 to 3 is what is referred to as an interval of a 3rd.
Major Scale Played in 3rds
If you were to play a major scale but skip from 1 to 3, then 2 to 4, then 3 to 5, you are playing the scale in 3rds. The example below is an A Major Scale played in the 3rds both ascending and descending. Coming back down the 3rds are just played in reverse order.
The Bread and Butter of Music
If we were to break music down into it’s most basic form, the majority of melodic or bass line movements are either going to be up and down in a scale, or the interval of a 3rd. The larger leaps give the interest and spice, but it’s the scalewise motions and 3rds that happen most of the time. That’s why after you learn your basic scales up and down, 3rds are an essential scale pattern to practice next.
