bass book!

[beelzelboss]

So I'm looking to get into music theory, but I don't want just a straight music theory book.

I want one that a beggining bass player would get. Something that starts from the beggining to teach me theory, how to apply it to bass, and also how to sight read at the same time.

I have Hal Leonard's bass method book, and while its a wonderful book, I need something more music theory based.

I also am thinking of getting a book in another instrument that has complicated music, and then transpose it to bass and then play it. Sounds like a good idea to work on sight reading and such?

[SLaPiNFuNK]

The Complete Electric Bass Player by Chuck Rainey Volume ONE

edited to add: It touches on scales and theory.

[beelzelboss]

Originally Posted by SLaPiNFuNK

The Complete Electric Bass Player by Chuck Rainey Volume ONE

edited to add: It touches on scales and theory.

Does it really get into theory. I at least want to learn about circle of fifths. I guess I need a book that teaches how to make baselines starting from scratch. I can already kind of read music, and I'm looking back over my other books on sight reading.

[MalcolmAmos]

Here is a little something (cut and paste) that is dirt simple music theory in six steps. It starts with the Major scale as that is what all our music in the Western World revolves around, so it makes since, IMHO, to start there. It ends with melody, sooner or later we have to get to melody.

This will be pure theory, not specific to the bass. If you understand these basic facts taking it to your bass is not a big step. You mentioned using another instrument to speed up your understanding, I recommend the keyboard. Seeing theory on the keyboard is much easier than on four or six strings.

This will not get into reading standard notation, I've always thought of that as being a separate skill not actually part of music theory. Necessary, but separate.

Have fun.

This is one of the better music theory forums iBreatheMusic Forums - Powered by vBulletin - the articles you will find here (button in the upper part of this screen) are well done, however, may be over your head as they take for granted you already know the basic facts of music theory. So..... I'm going to send you to several places first then come back here after you have built a firm foundation.

Take it one step at a time and music theory will make since. If you skip around before you have built a firm foundation you will keep running into stone walls.

First: As everything we do starts with the Major scale let's start there. iBreatheMusic.com - Chord Scales - Part 1: The Major Scale by Gunharth Randolf Notice at the end of each lesson - bottom of the page - is a button to proceed to the next lesson.
Or do a Google using this key word -- WWHWWWH -- that will send you to several papers on the Major scale and how it is formed. The following chart helped me see the entire Major and Natural Minor scale, i.e the big picture on one sheet of paper:

Major Scale Chart
C D E F G A B...............Notice the C scale has no Sharps
G A B C D E F#.............and the G scale has one, the F#
D E F# G A B C#...........and the D scale keeps the F# and
A B C# D E F# G#.........adds the C#. Then the A scale keeps
E F# G# A B C# D#.......everything and adds the G#. See how
B C# D# E F# G# A#.....it builds on it's self.
F# G# A# B C# D# E#
C# D# E# F# G# A# B#
F G A Bb C D E.............Look what happens with the flat scales
Bb C D Eb F G A...........F has one the Bb, then the Bb scale keeps
Eb F G Ab Bb C D.........it's self and adds the the Eb. Same thing
Ab Bb C Db Eb F G.......the sharp scales did...
Db Eb F Gb Ab Bb C
Gb Ab Bb Cb Db Eb F
Cb Db Eb Fb Gb Ab Bb

Memory pegs:
See God Destroy All Earth By F#irey C#haos. Order of the scales with sharps.
Fat cats go down alleys eating birds. Order of the sharps.
Farmer brown eats apple dumplings greasily cooked. Order of the scales with flats.
The key signature is showing three sharps. What scale has three sharps? C has none, G has one, D has two, A has three. Which sharps? Fat = F#, Cat = C# and Go = G# so the A major scale has three sharps, F#, C# and G#.

Natural Minor Scale Chart
A B C D E F G ................Notice how the 6th column of the
E F# G A B C D................Major scale becomes the 1st column
B C# D E F# G A..............in the minor scale and how the 7th
F# G# A B C# D E............column of the Major scale is now the
C# D# E F# G# A B..........2nd column in the minor scale. And
G# A# B C# D# E F#........yep, the 1st column in the Major scale
D# E# F# G# A# B C#......is now the 3rd column, etc. etc.
A# B# C# D# E# F# G#....Ask your self why? Hint, think relative minor.
D E F G A Bb C
G A Bb C D Eb F
C D Eb F G Ab Bb
F G Ab Bb C Db Eb
Bb C Db Eb F Gb Ab
Eb F Gb Ab Bb Cb Db
Ab Bb Cb Db Eb Fb Gb

As scale charts are hard to find I recommend you print this off and keep it handy. And while we are at it http://www.thecipher.com/fretspell_guitar.pdf will give you a guitar fretboard chart showing where the notes are on your fretboard. Print this off you will refer to it all the time. if you play a 4 string bass ignore the top two strings (the E & B) or here is the 4 string bass fretboard.
http://www.guitarhangout.com/wp-cont...itar-notes.jpg.

Second: After you understand how the specific notes got into each scale I'd suggest some time with how the specific chords get into each key. When we use the word key we are speaking of a range of sound. That range of sound contains one specific scale and the chords made from that scale. To find which chords are in a key you could apply the key structure formula to the specific scale you have in mind. Let's take the E scale and figure what chords are in the key of E.

Scale interval....... .... 1, .2,..... 3, ...4, ....5,.. 6,...7,.........8 new octave
E Scale......................E, F#,... G#,. A, ....B, .C#, .D#,...... E
Major key Formula ......I, ii,...... iii,.. IV,... V, .vi, ..viidim,... I
Chords in the key of E..E .F#m, G#m, A,.... B, C#m, D#dim,. E

Notice the formula I, ii, iii, IV, V, vi, viidim -- the upper case numbers become Major chords and the lower case numbers become minor chords. You have three major chords, three minor chords and one diminished chord in every Major key. For the specific notes in the chord go here; http://www.looknohands.com/chordhous.../index_rb.html

Formula for the natural minor key is:
i, iidim, III, iv, v, VI, VII. Notice the three major, three minor and one diminished chord -- same number of major, minor or diminished chords as the Major Key had.

For a chart of the chords found in the major keys go here Commonly Used Chords For Each Key - how to choose them. Using the key formula for the natural minor key (i, iidim, III, iv, v, VI, VII) make your own chart for the natural minor chords.

Third: It's now time to learn how to use our scale chart and make those chords, i.e. how to make those powerchords your asking about. Chord Formulas.
Or write out the scale and take every other note, for example E scale = E, F#, G#, A, B, C#, D# -- what notes are in the E chord? E - skip a note G# - then skip a note to get B. So E-G#-B are the notes found in the E major chord. Notes for the F# chord do the same thing I bet you get F#, A, C# which is the F#m chord spelling. Skip a note gave you the major AND the minor chord spelling. Learn both methods, because knowing the interval (1-3-5) is sometime more important than knowing the actual notes involved.


Forth: Time to learn what to do with those chords, i.e. how to put them into a chord progression. Go here Ricci Adams' Musictheory.net then Lessons and Common Chord Progressions. Pay attention to what chords like to move to which other chords, i.e. why does the ii and IV like to move to the V or viidim chord. Build an understanding of how lyrics and chord progressions work together to form verses.

Fifth: Scale patterns next. As a beginner (to music theory) scale patterns right at first will get you playing your scales. If you use the pattern the pattern will place the notes of the scale under your fingertips automatically, if you stay within the scale. Go here Cyberfret.com - basic guitar scales - print for the patterns to the Major and minor scale -- the Major and minor pentatonic scale and the Blues scale. This will help you play melodies, tunes, songs, etc within the same scale/key that the vocalist and rhythm section is using . If you use a 4 string bass ignore the top two strings or here are the 4 string bass patterns. CyberfretBass.com - Basic scales for electric bass Scales are a right of passage thing, running our scales will get our fingers knowing where to go on our fretboard and also let our ear recognize the good notes from the bad notes. No matter what instrument we play scales must be a part of our practice routine.

Sixth: Melody - saved this for last. Melody notes are comfortable over chords that have some of the same notes. In other words, when the melody moves on to new notes - not found in the old chord -- your ear will tell you something is not right. When that happens it's time to change chords -- find a chord that does contain some of the melody notes now being used. Yep. That's it. This chart will help.

If you are trying to harmonize the ........
1 degree of the scale try I, IV, vi or ii7 chords of that key, as they will have the 1st degree note in their makeup.
2 degree of the scale try V, ii7, iii7 chords of that key.
3 degree of the scale try I, vi, iii chords of that key.
4 degree of the scale try IV, ii, v7 chords of that key.
5 degree of the scale try V, I, iii chords of that key.
6 degree of the scale try IV, ii, vi chords of that key.
7 degree of the scale try V7, iii, Imaj7 chords of that key.

That's why people tell you to play chord tones. That's why pentatonic scales played over the chord changes work so well. Keep this in mind as you travel on down your music road. Here is a great paper on how to write melodies: http://www.archive.org/details/exerc...melo01goetgoog
This site talks about wave action. Melody

In the following video watch his right hand. Copy down the hints that appear on the screen. His left hand is a great example of one bass line riff being used over the entire song.
‪Peace Piece (Bill Evans) - solo jazz piano‬‏ - YouTube


Here is a site that will answer questions for you. Guitar Lesson World - Lessons It and Ricci Adams' Musictheory.net should answer most of the question that might come up. And of course ask them here, someone will always be ready to help.

The above will keep you busy for several months --- keep doing what you are now in your practice session, but, schedule some extra time each day to go over the above. When you understand the basics there are some great articles waiting for you on this site. iBreatheMusic.com - Article Browser
IMHO music theory should be learned in a specific order - like I've given you - some of it will not be clear today, but next week you will read something unrelated and everything will clear up. Just keep plugging along.

Good luck.

[JTE]

Theory by definition is NOT specific to any instrument. You need to understand the depth of it and not try to pigeonhole it into one instrument.


Play, Learn, Music, theory, instruction, books, piano

I highly recommend Edly's "Music Theory For Practical People" for a lot of reasons, including...
A. It doesn't assume you play keyboards
B. It doesn't assume all the interesting music is either western classical music or jazz
C. It doesn't assume you know how to read music although he makes a great case for understanding the language of music
D. He goes out of his way to explain examples for bass instruments as well as treble
E. He's got a great light-hearted but intelligent and serious manner
F. The graphics are excellent- much like the diagrams I used to make by hand for students 30 years ago, except the ones in this book are legible
G. It's organized in a logical manner so you're not jumping from topic to topic

John

[beelzelboss]

I had the one book last mentioned, and indidnt like it that well.

So now I have a lot of reading to do. The reason I want a book that covers both, is yes to make it a bit faster, but really so I can learn to apply it.

But thanks for showing me all of those links, I'm excited to read it all!

Now... how would I go about practicing everyday?

[Mike Dimin]

Originally Posted by beelzelboss

So I'm looking to get into music theory, but I don't want just a straight music theory book.

I want one that a beggining bass player would get. Something that starts from the beggining to teach me theory, how to apply it to bass, and also how to sight read at the same time.

I have Hal Leonard's bass method book, and while its a wonderful book, I need something more music theory based.

I also am thinking of getting a book in another instrument that has complicated music, and then transpose it to bass and then play it. Sounds like a good idea to work on sight reading and such?

check out my book The CORE Method here: