6 Essential Bass Lessons

Bass Lessons – Transferrable Shapes

The best thing about arpeggios is that both of these shapes are transferrable, you can use them on the E string (6th string) and A string. (5th string.)

Try this:

Play a minor arpeggio starting on the 3rd fret of the E string.

  • This is a G minor arpeggio.

Now move this shape across to the 3rd fret of the A string.

  • This is a C minor arpeggio.

This also works for major arpeggios, try this as a challenge:

  • Play a major arpeggio on the 5th fret of the E string.

This is a A major arpeggio.

  • Now move this shape to the 5th fret of the A string.

This is a D major arpeggio.

Why Does This Work?

This works because you are changing the root note of the arpeggio. You can move both of these shapes to the E string and A string. All you have to know is the root notes on each of these strings.

Here they are:

E String Root Notes

bass lessons

A String Root Notes

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What Does This Mean For Bass Players?

As an arpeggio uses the same notes which are in a chord, bass players can use this to their advantage and play arpeggios underneath chords.

For example, if a guitarist was playing a G major chord.

The bassist could play ANY of the notes from a G major arpeggio underneath it, as they would ALL work.

The same goes for minor chords too.

Let’s say a guitarist was playing a E minor chord.

The bass player could play ANY of the notes from a E minor arpeggio underneath it.

bass lessons

Bass Lessons – Tips For Playing Arpeggios

When you want to play specific arpeggios, you don’t have to play every note! The beauty of arpeggios is that you have a choice.

Let’s say you have an A major chord.

You don’t have to play the A root note over this chord.

You could play:

  • The 4th fret of the A string. (The 3rd note in the chord.)
  • The 7th fret of the A string. (The 5th note in the chord.)
  • The 7th fret of the D string. (The octave note in the chord.)

All of these notes are in the chord, so they all work. Experiment with each of these and see what works for you.

Do I need to understand the theory behind chords and arpeggios?

Don’t worry too much about theory. Just concentrate on nailing major and minor arpeggios.

For now,understand that:

  • Major arpeggios work over major chords.

And:

  • Minor arpeggios work over minor chords.

 

bass lessons

Bass Lessons – Learning Scales

Another key part of learning bass is to learn scales. Just like arpeggios, there are two types of scales.

These are:

  • Major scales.
  • Minor scales.

Let’s learn them.

Bass Lessons – The Major Scale

Let’s learn this scale in the key of A.

bass lessons

Here’s what it sounds like:

So just like our arpeggio counterparts, we could use this over an A major chord.

Bass Lessons – The Minor Scale

We’re going to learn this in the key of A too.

bass lessons

Here’s what it sounds like:

We can use this scale over an A minor chord.

Bass Lessons – Using Major And Minor Scales

Another way to add interest to your bass lines, is to use notes from a scale.

Theoretically:

  • Any notes in a major scale work over a major chord.
  • Any of the notes in a minor scale, work over a minor chord.

So, let’s say you’re accompanying a guitarist. He’s playing the chords G major and E minor.

Here’s what you could play over the G major chord.

  • A G root note.
  • A G major arpeggio.
  • A G major scale.

Any of these notes work over a G major Chord.

Here’s what you could play over the E minor chord:

  • A E root note.
  • A E minor arpeggio.
  • A E minor scale.

All of the notes here work over a E minor chord!

The tricky thing when playing the bass is switching between the two, so if at first it seems too complicated. Keep it simple!

Your role as a bass player is to hold the groove. However, if you feel you can expand on what you’re already doing. Try and do it by using scales and arpeggios.

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