Which is the most useful scale to start with in rock bass? If you were to learn only one scale what would it be?

major, pentatonic, something else?

It's a weird way to look at it but since you ask, I'd say the pentatonic minor, and its sister "blues scale" (add a b5) are most common.

definitely pentatonic minor, in fact some rock bass players only DO learn that :)

Chromatic, That way you're not missing anything.

Chromatic, That way you're not missing anything.

+1 - my first thought exactly...although a blues or minor pentatonic scale WOULD be a good place to start (you probably already play the minor pentatonic all the time without realisingi it...)

Correct me if I am wrong, but aren't all scales derived from the major scale?

Chromatic, That way you're not missing anything.

LOL!

Pentatonic minor... E and A specifically.

In my last band before the one I'm in now, all our songs were built around E-minor. It made jamming out brain-deadeningly simple.

okay thanks guys. looks like the minor pentatonic is the one I will focus on.

Correct me if I am wrong, but aren't all scales derived from the major scale?

The C aeolian, if I recall correctly. Well, not all scales, but a good chunk of them.

It's a weird way to look at it but since you ask, I'd say the pentatonic minor, and its sister "blues scale" (add a b5) are most common.


I would recommend the chromatic scale, the very first scale you will use when learning the bass.

Another vote for pentatonic minor as a place to start, but very quickly the pentatonic major scale should follow. It's not so much just being able to play the scale up and down, but being able to build patterns and licks out of those notes.

Once you understand what the differences are between the two, and how the notes relate to the chords you're supporting, a whole new door of musical enlightenment will open up for you.

Correct me if I am wrong, but aren't all scales derived from the major scale?

No.

Agree on the major pentatonic to follow... actually, glueing them together allows you to move up and down the fretboard and jam out after a while.... once you familiarize yourself with the root chord you're playing in at any given point.

As an aside, I have this general rule with regard to jamming that works for me at least. Goes something like this - with regard to any particular piece that you're playing... "hit a note that doesn't work? next time around, flat it. Still don't work? try going somewhere else instead..."

...and its knowing those pentatonic shapes that helps me figure out what else to try.

The C aeolian, if I recall correctly. Well, not all scales, but a good chunk of them.

Is it aeolian or ionian? C Major = C Ionian...

And yet again, I get to point y'all at the 'chord progression from modes' app I am building. Feel free to look at it and tell me anything and everything you find wrong with it.

The APP (http://www.midnighttoast.com/flash/chordChartGenerator.asp)

this is just a tad bit off topic (or not), but i just wanted to thank you for your last custom title (as you think...) as it has been very helpful to me, and i think the new one will be just as useful (hopefully for you as well)

Correct me if I am wrong, but aren't all scales derived from the major scale?

I'd say no. To me that is just one way of looking at it. Major is just a very common scale so its practical to look at every other as a variation. But if you wanted you can have a key in Minor ( Aeolian ) or even dorian or lydian or something. I just see scales as a pattern from root to octave, they all have unique sounds.

G# Phrygian

Correct me if I am wrong, but aren't all scales derived from the major scale?

Not ALL scales are derived from the major scale and I wouldn't really say that they are. There are a set number of scales 7 of them that share a common tonality, they can be found within a major scale and vice versa.

Correct me if I am wrong, but aren't all scales derived from the major scale?

No, they're not.

There are a lot of asian scales that very popular.

I think why the diatonic major scale is so significant, is because of the tuning system we use in western music.

THe first scale I learned was the minor pentatonic , it is easy and has a small margin of error . But It wouldn't hurt to learn the natural major . I'm currently struggling with the harmonic scale .. :scowl:

Correct me if I am wrong, but aren't all scales derived from the major scale?

+1000000

If you're going to learn any scale EVER, make it the major scale!
Practically every facet of music theory derives from the major scale. You'll have no idea how to play other scales, who's step names are "Root, flat third, flat fifth, etc", because "third" and "fifth" are referring to the third and fifth steps of the major scale.

+1000000

If you're going to learn any scale EVER, make it the major scale!
Practically every facet of music theory derives from the major scale. You'll have no idea how to play other scales, who's step names are "Root, flat third, flat fifth, etc", because "third" and "fifth" are referring to the third and fifth steps of the major scale.

It's common to reference other scales to the major scale. It's an easy way to describe them. But that does NOT mean that they are derived from the major scale.