Bass Guitar Scales Improv Help !?

[MNRJ]

I've started playing bass for over 3 weeks now. learnt a couple songs, some hard, some easy. last week i had lernt the major and minor scales from my teacher. now i did ask him, 'using scales you could imrpovise if you knew what key you were in?', and he said 'yes i'll show you and demonstrated'.

My question to you guys is ' which scales would you use to imrpovise on different songs (i know theres plenty but tell me them)
Also ' How would i go about imrpovising, because learning songs is Okay for me, i want to take Music A level and really want to imrpovise to show my skills and to make my own funky basselines.

Thanks A Mill
=]

[ThaSweet]

Take a step back... breath and relax...

After 3 weeks .... I can't believe you've mastered your scales...
If so.... much respect !!!!

Try using some root notes/arpeggios on different songs.

Take one step at a time .... I think it's a bit to early thinking about improvising.

[Billnc]

Study chords, scales and most importantly arpeggios (chord tones). I doubt you'll know what tenths are, but you can play them (root and third of the chord i.e. G on the 4th string 3rd fret and B on the first sting 4th fret at the same time) then play the major scale, play the tenth again then the chord tones. This will help you hear chords.
A little every day. I feel this exercise is probably the most important one any musician can do.

Improvise using one or two notes and gradually add notes. Do the same thing up and down each string and groups of two strings. Keep it simple.

[jacofox]

Learn Modes...look them up on the Internet if you don't know what they are or ask your teacher

Also, learn your blues scale...possibly even easier to play than the major and minor, heaps of fun too

Lastly but not least importantly, make sure you can play your major and minor scales all the way up an down the fretboard using different finger ...

You probably won't be doing these things flawlessly for a while...if you can, props, but otherwise, it's gonna take a bit of patience and practice time...

[Spin Doctor]

Originally Posted by ThaSweet

Take a step back... breath and relax...

After 3 weeks .... I can't believe you've mastered your scales...
If so.... much respect !!!!

Try using some root notes/arpeggios on different songs.

Take one step at a time .... I think it's a bit to early thinking about improvising.

I vote for this, rather than all the other advice. Not to be funny, but at 3 weeks, you have no idea what you don't know.

Just do what your teacher tells you. Don't try to impress him with your knowledge because, honestly, you don't have any, yet. Don't try to dictate the curriculum to him. I think it's weird how students always try to tell a music teacher what to teach, but in Calculus class, it would never enter your mind to do that.

Buy a digital recorder, record your lessons. Review them later, because there will always be stuff you missed the first time around because during the lesson, you are dealing with whatever the teacher is showing you. Don't talk and carry on unless you have a question or he asks you one. It will all come together later, I promise. As long as you work at it, anyway...

[redname]

Originally Posted by Spin Doctor

I vote for this, rather than all the other advice. Not to be funny, but at 3 weeks, you have no idea what you don't know.

Just do what your teacher tells you. Don't try to impress him with your knowledge because, honestly, you don't have any, yet. Don't try to dictate the curriculum to him. I think it's weird how students always try to tell a music teacher what to teach, but in Calculus class, it would never enter your mind to do that.

Buy a digital recorder, record your lessons. Review them later, because there will always be stuff you missed the first time around because during the lesson, you are dealing with whatever the teacher is showing you. Don't talk and carry on unless you have a question or he asks you one. It will all come together later, I promise. As long as you work at it, anyway...

hi spin doctor,
i know this is kind of weird but is there any digital recorder to recommend? i'm really afraid to get one that's unable to pick up the low frequency of the bass.

i'm using it for lessons to record bas and speech also

[JTE]

Originally Posted by MNRJ

I've started playing bass for over 3 weeks now. learnt a couple songs, some hard, some easy. last week i had lernt the major and minor scales from my teacher. now i did ask him, 'using scales you could imrpovise if you knew what key you were in?', and he said 'yes i'll show you and demonstrated'.
=]

First, welcome Talk Bass! Second, please accept my aplogies if English isn't your native language, I can't tell from your profile. But, in three weeks you've not "lernt" scales at all. If your mastery of the scales is as good as your use of written English, you don't know them in any way. The past-tense of "learn" is "learned".

To say you have learned a scale means at minimum:
A. You know the way the scale is constructed- that is you know the whole-step and half-step formula for building the scale.
B. From that you can work out for yourself (not looking it up on a chart) on paper and in your head the correct notes with the correct enharmonics. That means you can figure out that the key of E has a F#, C#, G#, and D#, and you understand why it's called F# and not Gb.
C. You know what it sounds like- when playing it you can hear the pitch of the next note in your head before you play the note.
D. You can play the scale ascending and descending across at least two whole octaves at a steady tempo.

Note that the last one is the LEAST important part of learning a scale.

Originally Posted by MNRJ

My question to you guys is ' which scales would you use to imrpovise (sic) on different songs (i know theres (sic) plenty but tell me them)
Also ' How would i go about imrpovising (sic), because learning songs is Okay for me, i want to take Music A level and really want to imrpovise (sic) to show my skills and to make my own funky basselines (sic).

Thanks A Mill
=]

To improvise on different songs requires that you understand the harmony of the particular song. That's a process of learning chords and learning the ways chords relate to each other to get notes that work well. It's a learning process, not something you'll get in a few months. There are a lot of different scales, and they have different applications. To say "use this scale with these songs" would be a huge disservice to you in the long run because it would all be very dogmatic and rule-bound, which theory is NOT. So be patient and work with your teacher to learn. Give your teacher the time to develop their lesson plan for you- make sure you have the basic building blocks and a firm foundation before you start to build a skyscraper.

And have fun with the journey!!!

John

[AmadeusXeno]

Originally Posted by jacofox

Learn Modes...look them up on the Internet if you don't know what they are or ask your teacher

When it comes to improvising I like to use the Modes. What Scales or Modes to use depends on the song or music piece. With time and practice you'll get the hang of it.

[Spin Doctor]

Originally Posted by redname

hi spin doctor,
i know this is kind of weird but is there any digital recorder to recommend? i'm really afraid to get one that's unable to pick up the low frequency of the bass.

i'm using it for lessons to record bas and speech also

I use the Sony PCM-M10. It makes awesome recordings and picks up every freq clearly and distinctly. It cost $250, so may or may not be outta your price range, but I love it. I use it for recording band rehearsals, at home practice, lessons, and whatever needs to be recorded. Easy to use, batteries last a long time and comes with an AC adapter. Some recorders don't come with them. It's been worth every nickle to me.

[Billnc]

Originally Posted by JTE

. To say "use this scale with these songs" would be a huge disservice to you in the long run because it would all be very dogmatic and rule-bound, which theory is NOT.

John

Yet another good post John.

Music theory is not something you "get" or need to understand like chemistry. It is not a set of rules, but a guideline. It offers us various ways to manipulate tonal material or convey information to other musicians.

Many of the greatest improvisers really know their theory, but look at music very simply.

[TSkills]

Originally Posted by redname

hi spin doctor,
i know this is kind of weird but is there any digital recorder to recommend? i'm really afraid to get one that's unable to pick up the low frequency of the bass.

i'm using it for lessons to record bas and speech also

I love the TASCAM line of recorders. I think they do a great job via mic or plug-in, very portable, and very affordable.

[mambo4]

Digital recorders: I use a zoom h2 and I love it.
Scales/modes for improv: listen to JTE.