Help for excercises; Speed, Dexterity and an inactive pinky

[AddSomeRiddim]

Really sorry if there is a thread about this already but when I had a quick look through the archives very few seemed applicable.

I'm relativity new to bass and have managed to get the basics and am eager to go dive into the various techniques but before all that I have two things I want to greatly improve; speed and finger dexterity.

I tend to lose accuracy when playing fast and it's getting pretty agitating as well as the inability to stretch as far I'd like to. I have a really bad habit of not using my pinky which I would love to be able to change.

Sorry if a bit long winded but anyway, Are there any exercises/tips that anyone could recommend because I would hate to shoot forward without the proper foundations of playing.

Any help is much appreciated.

[MalcolmAmos]

Originally Posted by AddSomeRiddim

............. Sorry if a bit long winded but anyway, Are there any exercises/tips that anyone could recommend because I would hate to shoot forward without the proper foundations of playing.
Any help is much appreciated.

There are certain things we need to get into muscle memory. Print this off and use it as reference material. There is enough basic information here to keep you busy for several months.

Scales: To get our fingers doing the right thing and scales to get our ears knowing the good notes from the bad ones. IMO scales are a right of passage thing. Not music just exercises, however, with out them we would never get to music.

Chord Tones: Scales are for melody and as our instrument is an accompaniment instrument we provide harmony, movement and rhythm by playing the notes of the chords being used in the song. Thus we need to get chord tones (the notes of the chord) into muscle memory. See a Cmaj7 chord and know that a bass line of R-3-5-7 will work. See a Cm7 chord and know that a bass line of R-b3-5-b7 will work - then rely upon what we have stored in muscle memory to pull out that bass line and use it in the song. So - get some scales and chord tones into muscle memory.

Here are some things you should be working on. Of course IMO.

Bass Patterns based upon the Major Scale box.

Major Scale Box. 

G|---2---|-------|---3---|---4---| 1st string
D|---6---|-------|---7---|---8---|
A|---3---|---4---|-------|---5---|
E|-------|---R---|-------|---2---|4th string

Place the root (R) on the C note 4th string 8th fret and the C major scale await you.
Place the root (R) on the C note and play the R-3-5 and you have just played the notes of the C major chord aka C arpeggio. Chord progression for this song is G-C-D. Place your box root on a G on the 3rd string. Where is your C? Where is the D? The next song's progression is C-F-G. Place your box root on a C on the 3rd string. Where is your F? Where is your G? Yep, piece of cake.

Basic Chords
Major Triad = R-3-5
Minor Triad = R-b3-5
Diminished Chord = R-b3-b5

7th Chords
Maj7 = R-3-5-7
Minor 7 = R-b3-5-b7
Dominant 7 = R-3-5-b7
½ diminished = R-b3-b5-b7
Full diminished = R-b3-b5-bb7
Up to the sevens is all you need right now leave the 9, 11 and 13 to the other instruments. You get the bottom end.

Scales The ones I have in bold print are the ones to start with. Want C major scale place the R (root) on the 4th string 8th fret and then play the major scale pattern. The C major scale await you. Want the A major scale - start on the 4th string 5th fret. G major @ the 4th string 3rd fret, etc.

Major Scale = R-2-3-4-5-6-7 - place the root then run the box pattern. Move the root & get another scale.
Major Pentatonic = R-2-3-5-6 Major scale without the 4 & 7. Playing over a C chord use the C major pentatonic. When the progression moves to the F chord play the F major pentatonic, etc. Yep, the pentatonic will give you three chord tones and two safe passing notes. Neat! Pentatonic or chord tones. Pentatonics are a little more melodic than chord tones - you decide which fits this specific song.
Major Bebop = R-2-3-4-5-b6-6-7 Major scale with a b6 added
Major Dominant Bebop = R-2-3-4-5-6-b7-7 Major scale with both b7 and 7
Natural Minor Scale = R-2-b3-4-5-b6-b7 Major scale with the 3, 6 & 7 flatted
Minor Pentatonic = R-b3-4-5-b7 Natural minor scale without the 2 & 6
Blues = R-b3-4-b5-5-b7 Minor pentatonic with the b5 blue note added
Harmonic Minor Scale = R-2-b3-4-5-b6-7 Natural minor scale with a natural 7
Melodic Minor Scale = R-2-b3-4-5-6-7 Major scale with a b3
Minor Bebop = R-2-b3-3-4-5-6-b7 Dorian with a natural 3 added
That’s enough to get you going. When you can do the ones in bold in your sleep, move on to Chord Tones and start building some bass lines.


Generic Notes: - notes you can use in building your bass line.
The root, five and eight are generic and fit most any chord. Remember the diminished has a flatted 5. Just the root by itself may fit this song. If you need more add the 5, if more is needed think of the 8. After the 8 the correct 3 and 7 enter the picture. You only need one chord tone for harmonization so just roots work, however, two notes harmonize better than just one. The 5 is begging to be that second note. Root on 1 five on 3.
The 3 is generic to all major chords. See a major chord R-3-5-8 is a generic bass line that will work.
The b3 is generic to all minor chords. See a minor chord R-b3-5-8 is a generic bass line that will work.
The 7 is generic to all maj7 chords. R-3-5-7.
The b7 is generic to all dominant seventh and minor seventh chords. R-3-5-b7 or R-b3-5-b7.
The 6 is neutral and adds color, help yourself to 6’s. I like R-3-5-6 for major chords. Has a great sound.
The 2 and 4 make good passing notes. Don’t linger on them or stop on them, keep them passing.
In making your bass line help yourself to those notes, just use them correctly.
Remember roots, fives, eights and the correct 3 and 7 will play a lot of bass.

That will keep you busy for a couple of months, if not longer. Print this and keep it as reference material.

I expect you to have questions. Just ask.

[AddSomeRiddim]

Originally Posted by MalcolmAmos

There are certain things we need to get into muscle memory. Print this off and use it as reference material. There is enough basic information here to keep you busy for several months.


That will keep you busy for a couple of months, if not longer. Print this and keep it as reference material.

I expect you to have questions. Just ask.

Sorry about the long time in replying.

Big thank you for this I'm having a read over it and am sure I will have questions.

At the moment I'm going over Diatonic and Pentatonic scales - Major and minor- (just new to this theory malarkey ) but I have a question:

How do I create a Pentatonic minor from the scale? Is it just by using the Root + minor 3rd and Perfect 5th like for the diatonic?

Again thank you very much for the information I'll get round to the other scales as well.