Does this look right?

[crunchysock]

Let me start out by saying that I basically know nothing about music. So I just decided a few weeks ago that I was going to learn to play bass. Then after a couple of weeks I decided I should take lessons since I was enjoying myself and wanted to make sure I was doing it right. I just had my first lesson today and really liked the teacher, he's a real cool guy and we clicked. The problem is that when I called the local store and asked about bass lessons I was informed that the teacher is a guitar player but can teach me bass basics. I just want to make sure that if I continue with this guy that I'm learning the right way. So how does this tablature look? I had already been working on the major scale but was informed that my fingering was wrong and I should be doing it this way. I'm not saying my way was right, I just want to make sure his way is and I'm not learning another "wrong way" based on a guitar players ideas that may or may not be different from a bass players ideas. I hope my questions make sense, I'm not knocking anyone I'm just trying to make sure I get the best instruction I can.

[cewillm]

It looks fine. There are many, many major scale patterns up and down the fretboard, and you'll eventually pick them up. I like that your instructor is having you practice notes in the middle of the fretboard. Many students never make it past the fifth fret for months or even years. This will help you memorize the notes on the fretboard faster.

Make sure you play along to a metronome at a slow speed (60-80 BPM), or, even better, something like a drum loop in GarageBand, if possible. Each time you play a note, say its name (and possibly its fret) out loud. Make it your goal to play the G major scale with no mistakes 5-10 times in a row. Watch that right hand and make sure you are alternating fingers, and that both fingers are striking the strings with the same level of force (creating the same loudness). Make sure everything is even and without excess buzzing or noise before ramping up the metronome/drum loop speed.

One other tip is to ignore any instructor or fried that advises you to use the "one finger per fret" left hand technique in the first four frets, such that your index finger is always used to fret the first fret, middle for the second, ring for third, and pinky for fourth. This can cause very awkward finger and wrist angles that will come back to haunt you in a few years. Your goal is to make your left hand as relaxed as possible and keep that wrist angle natural. It looks like your instructor is not promoting this poor technique.

I'm also glad that he is having you use your left pinky as well. Too many new players never use all four fingers and, as a result, never use their pinky. In the future you may come across the Simandl technique that essentially treats your left hand ring and pinky fingers as one in order to keep a natural wrist angle at those low frets, but this is not necessary at your level. It's good to have fretting strength in all four fingers.

One last thing. Your instructor didn't write the G major scale descending (from a high G down an octave). You should always practice your descending scales and also call out the notes – you'd be surprised how hard it is to recite the alphabet backwards at speed!

[crunchysock]

Good to know, thanks for the info and advice, I appreciate it.