Dorian Pentatonic Blues Bass Line Ideas

In this video bass lesson we’re going to take a look at some blues ideas using the Dorian mode and minor pentatonic scale.

Blues Bass Line – Performance

The video below is just the performance of the entire blues bass line covered in this lesson.

(Video Bass Lesson 1 of 3)

 

Dorian Pentatonic Blues Bass Line Tablature

Here’s the bass tablature for the blues bass line. You can download and print out the tablature for this lower on this page in the “Bass Lesson Downloads” section.

 

Blues Bass Line – Theory & Scales

Here we will take a look at the music theory and scales that make up this blues bass line.

(Video Bass Lesson 2 of 3)

 

The Dorian Mode

The Dorian Mode is build from the 2nd degree of the major scale. So an A Dorian Mode is build from the 2nd degree of a G Major Scale.

The scales and the bass line are played in 1st position. open-notes to the 4th fret range. This uses what I call a “4-Fret Bracket Approach”.

 

 

Minor Pentatonic Scale

The Dorian Mode contains 7 different notes. Pentatonic scales contain 5 different notes.

If you take the 2nd and 6th degrees away from the Dorian Mode you get a Minor Pentatonic Scale. Or what I sometimes call a Dorian Pentatonic in this context.

A Dorian Mode = A B C D E F# G A
A Minor Pentatonic = A C D E G A

 

Blues Bass Line Ideas – Walk Through

This part of the video bass lesson will take you step-by-step through how to play this blues bass line.

(Video Bass Lesson 3 of 3)

 

Bass Lesson Downloads

Below is a PDF with the tablature for this bass lesson. There is also a “Guitar Pro” file with the tablature as well and an MP3 Blues Jam Track you can download.

(Right Click the links below and choose “Save As” or “Save Target As” or “Download Linked Files As”)

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More Modal Blues Bass Ideas

Be sure and check out the sister bass lesson to this one called “Mixolydian Pentatonic Blues Bass Line Ideas“.