There are two kinds of bass guitar players. The first kind just plays root notes and a few chords and never actually progresses in his bass playing. The second kind learns the way to effectively use bass scales beneath chords and can frequently come up with fresh thoughts regarding what to play. Which kind of bass player?
If you happen to be a bass guitar player you understand or know about trying to play the root note of what ever guitar chord the guitar player is playing. You additionally may have figured out how to play the triads; or the three notes that comprise the guitar chord the guitar player is playing. Nothing wrong with learning and using those but they just scratch the surface of what really skilled bassists do which would be to play bass scales beneath chords.
Silvertone LB11 Bass Guitar and Amp Package, Sunburst
- Bass guitar package with everything you need to control the rhytm
- Includes BAXs bass amp, digital tuner, instructional DVD, strings, strap, picks, cable, gig bag
- Sunburst Revolver LB11 bass guitar offers comfortable balance, warm resonance, and fat tone
- BAXs bass amp with 10-watt RMS power, 6.5-inch speaker, 4-band EQ
- Guitar backed by limited lifetime warranty
The Silvertone Bass Guitar Package is loaded with everything you need to bang out some serious bottom. Featuring the Silvertone SSLB-11 “Precision” style 4 – string bass (34″ long scale, 20 fret maple neck with Rosewood fretboard, 1 split “P” style pickup, 1 volume and 1 tone control, chrome die-cast enclosed tuning machines, fully adjustable chrome bridge). The Silvertone Bass Guitar Package also includes the BA-10 bass amp (10 watts RMS, 7″ bass driver, 3-band EQ, headphone jack), GT-8 tuner, gig bag, strap, cable, pickpack, and instructional DVD. Sunburst
Click Here Now to Check Out The Silvertone LB11 Bass Guitar and Amp Package, Sunburst
When you use triads you happen to be really playing parts of either a major or a minor scale. These two scales are usually a excellent place to begin. Always remember that even though a tune may be in the key of G, where the band changes to the C chord you ought to be using a C scale, either major or minor, not continue to be using a G scale. While almost all the notes match, the key to this should be to at least begin thinking in scales per chord.
It might be simpler to think only about five note scales at first. They are usually known as pentatonic scales. There’s a pentatonic major and a pentatonic minor scale. The pentatonic scales include the three notes that comprise the chord plus two others. If the middle note in the chord is a major note you’d be using the major pentatonic scale, if your middle note is a minor note you’d be using the minor pentatonic scale. You should also work with the minor pentatonic scale beneath 7th chords, but we’ll go into that in another write-up.
Allowed me to provide an example. Your guitar player is using a C major chord. Those notes are C, E, and G. The appropriate pentatonic scale to play underneath this chord is definitely the major which happens to be C, D, E, G. A. Just five notes. If your guitar player is using a C minor chord which happens to be C, E flat, and G; you should play the minor pentatonic scale which will be C, E flat, F, G, and B flat.
When you have perfected each of the common pentatonic scales, the next step in your playing should be to learn both the entire major scale and the entire minor scale. Each one of these scales will usually make sense underneath particular chords. Just remember that when you play pentatonic scales, it doesn’t matter what key the tune is in, just what chord is being used at that moment, which always determines what scale you ought to be playing.
Try using these types of basic scales underneath chords the next time you play and you will probably begin to discover unlimited new opportunities for your bass guitar playing.
For a more intense lesson check out this video: Bass Minor Scale

