learning the scales

Graeme Moss · #1 10-08-2006, 05:28 AM

I've recently taken up the bass again and decided to sell my soul to theory. I've now realised there are more scale connotations than there are people on the planet.

I've decided to stick solely with major/minor pentatonic for a while so I don't loose my marbles with too much learning. Do you envisage any problems with doing this?

janekbass · #2 10-09-2006, 09:40 AM

well it depends what you want to get out of playing the bass.

do you want to be able to churn out scale after scale? and know all these things about theory that take time to compute while playing? or would you like a more natural approach and be able to play musically on your instrument.

I don't think there's any need to sell your soul to theory. It's never a bad thing to know more about theory than we do already, but when you come to actually perform on the bass, or any instrument, you should be letting all of that stuff go. Not thinking about scales, modes, licks, theory, anything.....

To get to that point you need to build up a vocabulary of musical ideas. Things that you work on and put away into your subconcious. Things that will come out naturally without you having to think about them at all.

What style of music are you into playing?

nomatter what style it is you can amass this vocabulary though transcription. Whether it be metal bass lines played with a pick, or a saxophone solo by lee konitz, it can all be learnt from a record.

There have been several threads about transcription in this forum and I urge you to check out the post and replies. Some great ideas up there from everyone, and of course you can read my two cents worth on the subject too.

Easy,

Janek

Graeme Moss · #3 10-09-2006, 01:20 PM

Thanks Janek. I want to play rock/blues with some funk thrown in for good measure. I have tried a total natural approach before but could only get to a certain level before I got frustrated without knowing some theory. So I'm combining the two this time. So far with good results but I've started beating myself up with theory instead of it being a slow, enjoyable process. My plan is too get some fretboard mastery on the pentatonic scale and learn some right handed technique to develop my slap technique. Then I will hopefully evolve into other areas. Try and do it bite size rather than learn it all in one go.

Thanks for taking the time to respond

**jumbosilverette** · #4 10-09-2006, 01:43 PM

Graeme, if you have access to a piano I believe theory can absorbed more easily and when you apply it to bass, you'll be so far ahead of other bassists. I'm not advocating learning a new instrument, I'm just talking about chord voicings, progressions, etc. Just the concepts of whole and halfsteps seems so much easier on a piano. I don't know. Just my thought.

Graeme Moss · #5 10-09-2006, 02:36 PM

Thanks for that. I have heard this once before but never gave it much thought. My young son has a keyboard and I'm aware that white keys are whole steps and black half. it does look straightforward and i'll try and put it into context and application. I also have a friend who plays piano so I'll speak to him also, thanks again.

SOA_bassist · #6 01-15-2007, 04:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Graeme Moss

Thanks for that. I have heard this once before but never gave it much thought. My young son has a keyboard and I'm aware that white keys are whole steps and black half. it does look straightforward and i'll try and put it into context and application. I also have a friend who plays piano so I'll speak to him also, thanks again.

I think you are mistaken ( or maybe I am mistaken lol ). Black keys are sharps. for example the white key next to middle C is B but the black key next to middle C is C#

good luck on your study of music theory

Blake Bass · #7 01-20-2007, 09:50 AM

The black key next to middle C is also a Db (D flat), so don't think of all black keys as being sharps.

lamarjones · #8 01-23-2007, 12:24 PM

Janek's response really hits home for me, I have spent some time thinking about how some 'interesting' ideas might progress, and then I find myself on stage trying to connect the dots and being pre-meditatively creative, which actually messes things up more than anything else. This years resolution is to 'let go', and just try to play when I am going for it. I find the better stuff I get out is when I am doing nothing but trying to get out some tasty lines without thinking about 'well I am on the fifth of a minor chord doing a run and that should be phrygian' or anything else that requires my brain to computations. Funny, I am a math nerd and used to always think on the fly computations was where it was at...

A quote for Kai Eckhardt.

On Soloing

"Soloing is part cognitive and part intuitive. The most important thing for a musician to understand, is the function of the rational mind. There are three stages. During the first stage you have to acquire tools. Arpeggios, scales and approach patterns for instance. Work on the fingerings, practice a line - always in all 12 keys - and get solid on the new material at different tempi.

Stage two comes into play when you are able to recall the new material instantly. Then you should focus on a good sound and articulation. Master different dynamics.

During the third stage... you have to forget everything, and just play! The third stage is all about filling the notes with emotion.

-Kai Eckhardt

SORRY FOR THE HIJACK!!!!! but it really was cause Janek just said something that i am in the midst of beating myself up over.