Discovering how to play bass can seem intimidating at first, but there are ways you can make it simpler. Here are a few helpful strategies.
One useful strategy is to memorize the sequence of open strings (E, A and D). This will make finding any note much simpler as they will likely be two frets either up or down from where they previously resided on the neck.
Strings
As an experienced or beginner bassist, having the necessary understanding of how strings and notes function on your instrument is paramount to successful playing. There are various tools to assist with this learning experience including fretboard charts, Nashville numbering systems and Circle of Fifths which you can use together or separately to sharpen rhythm and sight-reading skills.
An effective bass fretboard chart can be an invaluable aid for beginners, showing where all of the different notes on each string are located and providing their names along with finger positions on the fretboard. Memorizing all these locations and names will enable you to play songs in any key. Furthermore, having such a chart can also come in handy when learning new keys because some chords rely on certain positions of their root chord (sometimes referred to as a “1”) chord; making switching chords seamless!
A bass fretboard chart’s other useful feature is that it lists names of notes with their associated fret numbers for easy reference when trying to locate any note on the fretboard and quickly understand what fret it lies on. Furthermore, these charts include octaves which help bass players tune their instruments.
Tuners can be found both on mobile phones and music stores; another method includes listening to reference pitches and matching them up with string notes on your instrument. No matter which approach is taken, having both a fretboard chart and tuner handy will ensure your bass stays in tune.
Next, practice playing the basic rhythms of a song using your bass fretboard chart and scales. Once you become comfortable playing these basic rhythms, you can begin learning how to improvise melodies that you make up yourself. This process may take time; but with practice comes improvement – Victor Wooten, Jaco Pastorius, Chuck Rainey or Flea from Red Hot Chili Peppers all spent hours practicing scales and rhythms before becoming legendary bass players!
Frets
As part of learning bass guitar, one of your initial tasks will be locating each note on the fretboard. While this task may appear intimidating at first, using a bass fretboard chart makes this task far less daunting. A fretboard chart consists of strings (vertical lines) and frets (horizontal lines), each intersection between them representing different notes on the neck; lower-numbered frets nearer to the nut while higher numbered ones towards the body of your instrument correspond with specific notes on it.
When looking at a fretboard chart, it can be useful to think of each string as being two octaves higher. This makes remembering which notes correspond with which strings easier; every “A” on one string corresponds with a similar “A” on another string, for instance. Memorize this pattern as much as possible so you can navigate your way easily around the fretboard and play any note on any string with ease.
Memorizing the fretboard using scales can also help; each scale always follows a pre-established pattern; for instance, C minor scale starts on B and finishes at G; by memorizing this sequence you can easily find any minor scale on the fretboard and know exactly where it begins.
Notably, when strings are pressed against frets they shorten in their length of vibration and change pitch; this change in pitch is known as tonality and determines each bass guitar note’s unique sound.
Once you’ve learned where the basics notes reside on a fretboard, it is time to dive deeper into music theory. Musicians tend to have mixed opinions regarding this subject matter; nonetheless, most recognize its benefits for becoming an accomplished musician. Bass players will especially benefit from understanding how notes on a fretboard interact and are tuned.
Major Scale
An bass guitar fretboard chart can help you memorize all major scale notes on its neck. Most importantly, remembering that each string pitch is determined by its relative position on the fretboard helps ensure that when moving up and down it you won’t lose your place.
If you haven’t done so already, take the time to familiarize yourself with basic music theory concepts that underlie fretboard charts. Doing this will become much simpler once you know where each note can be found on your bass guitar fretboard.
Musikians may have differing opinions regarding music theory, yet most recognize its worth. Music theory provides us with a means of explaining how sounds relate to each other and create musical ideas through knowledge of this form.
Learning the major scale on a bass guitar fretboard chart should begin with starting on C note (or root note of any key). One fret up from this is B, two frets up is D etc.
Once you’ve mastered these positions, you can move onto more challenging scale patterns. For instance, Bb major scale (shown below) uses green notes as tonic notes* that can easily be moved up and down the bass guitar fretboard in order to play it with any tonic note.
These fretboard patterns can also be used to play other major scales on your bass guitar; all that differs between them is which note is played as the initial chord in each pattern.
Dorian Modal Scale
Pentatonic Minor Scale Pattern. Another great bass scale that’s often used is the pentatonic minor scale, making for easy application across numerous songs. When playing this scale on bass guitar, remember to keep each note half a step above or below its predecessor – this helps avoid sharp or flat notes which would alter its sound and ruin its soundscape.
Chords
As part of learning chords and scales on bass guitar it is imperative that one understands the intervalic relationships between notes. Utilizing a fretboard chart to visualize these relationships quickly can aid your learning of all of their locations on the neck of the instrument. An interval refers to any difference between two notes that rise or lower an octave higher or lower over time – this pattern repeats all along the fretboard, so becoming familiar with it quickly will only strengthen your practice of music!
Below we provide charts displaying all of the chords and scales found on a five string bass guitar tuned to standard B-E-A-D-G tuning. Each open circle represents a root or starting point for your fingers while black dots represent chord- and scale-tones. A black dot indicates that one note exists on more than one string, making playing easier as each string requires different fingers to play; repeating this same note across different strings allows your hands more time for other tasks.
Chords are the foundation of all musical songs and riffs. Understanding basic chord formation will enable you to compose melodies and harmonies of your own. These charts were specifically created for bass guitarists so they can learn fretboard notes while practicing musical content; beginners as well as experienced musicians alike may benefit from using this chart.
A great tool for bass guitar is the Circle of Fifths, which illustrates how to play any musical key on bass guitar. By understanding the circle, you will quickly be able to locate any scale or arpeggio using its degree formula; this saves time searching for specific scales with specific roots such as G Mixolydian while opening up more opportunities on your fretboard!
Utilizing bass guitar fretboard charts will assist in understanding the structure of a bass guitar neck and moving with confidence across its fretboard. Learning new scales or chords can be daunting at first, but with regular practice you will soon become adept at doing it naturally.