NOTES ON THE BASS
Let’s add two more notes B & E on to the notes we already know.
Now lets practice everything we’ve done so far by playing to the chord sheet below. Remember to use all the muting techniques you’ve learned to keep your playing clean. Use the online metronome below. Pick an easy tempo to start like 40bpm and play a note per click. Use the left-right left-right fingering with your plucking hand. From bar 9 we add our new notes for this level. Don’t go so fast, learn your notes slowly and effectively.
Online Metronome
40bpm 4/4
60bpm 4/4
80bpm 4/4
100bpm 4/4
120bpm 4/4
140bpm 4/4
160bpm 4/4
180bpm 4/4
OCTAVES ON BASS
A very useful pattern to learn on the bass are octave patterns. An octave is a tone on the eighth degree from a given tone. Or put simply the eight number in our major scale number system. When you play a note, and then it’s octave, the second note will be the same note but in the next register.
SCALE PRACTICE
Now it’s time to learn our first scale. The C major scale.
Improvise examples like 1 4 5 in G major and then transpose to the keys you know.
Now we look at the same C major scale that is laid out across the 4 strings. Play this scale up and down (ascending and descending) until it becomes very familiar.
WRITING OUR OWN BASSLINES
Try writing your own basslines just using a C chord. If you count 1 2 3 4, typically on the fourth beat you have the freedom to improvise with some notes on the scale. For example, you could play C, C, C, C A or C, C, C, C G. Any note in the C major scale will work.
