Hi guys.

So know i know the C major scale all over the fretboard.
So now i know where all the notes are on the fretboard and came to the thought. Now i know it but what do I use it for? So my notes are limited to C D E F G A B. So should I use only these notes to produce the "happy" major sounding?
I just dont know what to use them for.
Anyone that can help me would be cool.
Thanks!

Try learning G major... ;)

Try learning G major... ;)

sure I will when i find out why I should and how limiting myself to 7 notes is gonna help me ;)

It's not about limiting yourself to 7 notes. In fact, you're not limited b/c you can use all 12 notes. You just have to know how to use them. Knowing which note NOT to play is probably more important than which not TO play.

Ok but why do people use different scales? I meen lets say if I would only play the notes in E minor does that meen it will sound good. But if I would play the notes in E minor and acidently play a note that isnt included in the scale, sound like ****?

Ok but why do people use different scales? I meen lets say if I would only play the notes in E minor does that meen it will sound good. But if I would play the notes in E minor and acidently play a note that isnt included in the scale, sound like ****?

short answer; so if the guitar or piano plays an E minor chord you can play any of the notes in the scale and improvise in that scale

long answer; it all began when....:bassist:

I'll try to give you some advice my friend. OK you have learned the C major scale. It doesn't matter that it was the C major scale it was the fingering that was important. Now you can play any major scale and start at any fret using the fingering you have learned and you have a new major scale. If you know what the notes are at any given fret then you now how the ability to play any major scale using your fingering pattern that you have learned. Keep learning the scales and never stop learning. The scales and modes will give you exercise and the knowledge to play any thing thrown at you. Most music has the chords written above the words and music. By knowing what notes are in the chords/scales you now can play a pattern/riff or walk your bass with this knowledge. If a chord says I am a Fm7 then you know what to play over that series of the song. The principle of this is easy and a little more difficult to learn then some might say but we all will say it is necessary to learn. Get a good book on the scales and modes --I used Mel Bays Complete Book of Bass Essentials By Bunny Brunel. It's for 4 and 5 string all in one book. I've been playing for 10 years and still have it close by for reference. Just make sure you have a system for practicing and don't get bored with just playing scales. It's a major thing to learn but not as important as having the fun that comes with playing bass. Try to get in an hour a day and make half that playing along to songs you like and soon you'll be applying what you have learned about the scales and modes. The thing about modes ---- I have asked several musicians about modes and they looked at me confused. Never heard of them. That surprised me! BUTtttt very important to us bass players. I hope I have helped out a little. I have been at this forum for years and not answered many questions because I was the newbie and still feel that way. But when I saw your question I felt your confusion because I had been there just like you with the same question. Just get some teaching (learning) aids and get a good practice routine established. Ever think about taking lessons? Remember have fun!!!!
bcarll

I'll try to give you some advice my friend. OK you have learned the C major scale. It doesn't matter that it was the C major scale it was the fingering that was important. Now you can play any major scale and start at any fret using the fingering you have learned and you have a new major scale. If you know what the notes are at any given fret then you now how the ability to play any major scale using your fingering pattern that you have learned. Keep learning the scales and never stop learning. The scales and modes will give you exercise and the knowledge to play any thing thrown at you. Most music has the chords written above the words and music. By knowing what notes are in the chords/scales you now can play a pattern/riff or walk your bass with this knowledge. If a chord says I am a Fm7 then you know what to play over that series of the song. The principle of this is easy and a little more difficult to learn then some might say but we all will say it is necessary to learn. Get a good book on the scales and modes --I used Mel Bays Complete Book of Bass Essentials By Bunny Brunel. It's for 4 and 5 string all in one book. I've been playing for 10 years and still have it close by for reference. Just make sure you have a system for practicing and don't get bored with just playing scales. It's a major thing to learn but not as important as having the fun that comes with playing bass. Try to get in an hour a day and make half that playing along to songs you like and soon you'll be applying what you have learned about the scales and modes. The thing about modes ---- I have asked several musicians about modes and they looked at me confused. Never heard of them. That surprised me! BUTtttt very important to us bass players. I hope I have helped out a little. I have been at this forum for years and not answered many questions because I was the newbie and still feel that way. But when I saw your question I felt your confusion because I had been there just like you with the same question. Just get some teaching (learning) aids and get a good practice routine established. Ever think about taking lessons? Remember have fun!!!!
bcarll

Wow thanks man. Yeah its a really hard thing to understand in the start. And there is a teacher in my town but the thing is that I outplay him :hmm: Pretty weird eh, they got a really good drummer teacher but thats another story. And there is no classes for theory in my small town in Sweden. Yeah you are right about books and stuff I should check it out. My only option is to teach myself through internet and asking people like I do now. Cheers!

Wow thanks man. Yeah its a really hard thing to understand in the start. And there is a teacher in my town but the thing is that I outplay him :hmm: Pretty weird eh, they got a really good drummer teacher but thats another story. And there is no classes for theory in my small town in Sweden. Yeah you are right about books and stuff I should check it out. My only option is to teach myself through internet and asking people like I do now. Cheers!

If you are asking other what to do with a C major scale I doubt you outplay anyone. So you learned to physically play a C major and fingering patterns to do it all over the neck. That is nothing until you can make music with it.

Now the real work starts making music. First use it to make bass lines. Get your recorder going lay down some C major chord and then start practicing making bass lines. Which notes work and which don't. Which notes work on strong beats and which on weak beats. Do you know any C major bass lines from bands you like, have you figured out which notes they are using from the scale. Try recording a C7 chord now is your C major scale still working? Is not (and it won't) what note or notes aren't working. Why? So you know or figured all that out well their are 11 more major scales to work on, then the minors, and symmetric scales. We haven't even got into all the different types of chords. Opp's you probably play rock so major, minor pentatonic and Blues scale to add. Then developing your ear so you can hear those sounds. Like what kind of sound is the A note in a C scale give you. When do you like and don't like to use the 6th degree of a major scale, A in this case. Developing your ear as you pratice all this stuff is important. Learn the sound of the things you are learn.

So learning how to physically play something and where the notes are on the neck is the simple part, now you have to learn to make music with it. To really learn to play you need to learn to play over all the chords. So all the basic chord types times twelve keys you have about 100 chords you need to learn play the right scales and make music. Taking one or two chords a week wiil only take you a couple years to learn the basics.

Also don't say you can outplay someone unless you describe their playing and what you are doing beyond them. Just cause you play faster or know a couple hot licks doesn't make you better than anyone. Ever notice when good musicians get together to play they don't talk about who outplayed who, they talk about the musical ideas each were doing.

I don't mean to jump on you so much, just seen too many posts lately of players saying they know everything about XYZ, but then ask question that if they actually knew XYZ they'd know the answer. There's is so much more to learning to be a musician than learning to play the instrument. One of the great things about learning to play Music is you never know it all there is alway something to learn.

If you are asking other what to do with a C major scale I doubt you outplay anyone. Not theoretically but when it comes to teqnicue (spelling) then its another story. And he says he dosnt know any theory so I wonder how he got the job. Well its a small town desperate i think. Anyways thanks for helping me out man.

Not theoretically but when it comes to teqnicue (spelling) then its another story. And he says he dosnt know any theory so I wonder how he got the job. Well its a small town desperate i think. Anyways thanks for helping me out man.

Aren't you the same person who started the thread on "how to play insanely fast?". Have you read all the replies?

What good is technique if you are saying nothing when you play. Bass is an instrument that it's the main job is support the band and the song. 99% of the bass players playing the gigs and the recording are laying down the groove and making the song work. There is a 1% that are flashy players that do all the pyrotechnics. But they too got there start being the bass player who made the songs work, then eventually got the opportunity to step into the spotlight.

Focus on learning to play music. It's like learning to talk. You know the alphabet, your C major scale, now time to learn some words and speak in phrases. In other word play basslines and make music.

Focus on learning to play music. It's like learning to talk. You know the alphabet, your C major scale, now time to learn some words and speak in phrases. In other word play basslines and make music.

+1 to your advice given in this thread, DocBop!

Just to clarify for the thread starter; by knowing the C major scale you don't know ALL of the alphabet, just one piece. You need to learn modes in major and minor keys, understand chord construction, chord progressions, and musical forms in order to have the most tools available to make music.

This is a great example of why bass teachers need to do more than teach bass technique and licks. I have had so many students come to me, after many years of playing and studying at music stores, that don't have any idea what they're doing beyond playing some patterns they've memorized. A C Major scale, without an understanding of harmony, is just a "lick".

Cloud_Connected, it's great that you've got the scale worked out up and down the neck. Many players can't do that! Now, whether or not you care about jazz, learn jazz bass playing! It will teach you about all of the things I've discussed.