Learning Scales and Arpeggios

[ODDBALL]

Hello All,

I want to start learning scales and arpeggios. What is a good way of remembering them? I know I know, practice practice. But is there anything you learned on your own or tought that helped you learn them faster?

Thanks for all the Help.

Shaun

[fearceol]

In Carol Kaye's instruction books she recommends starting on the E string 12th fret. Play your chord/arpeggio. Then do the same on the A string. Then go to the D on the E string and do the same. Continue through the cycle this way working down the neck. Coming up, start on G (E string), then C then F etc. The important thing is to say the chords (not the notes of the chord) out loud as you go.

[So Low Bass]

I’m a one finger one fret guy and use my 4th finger. With that said, for the purposes of setting the patterns, avoid open strings and for the root think

“Second on major, first on minor”.

You can play any one octave major and minor scales and arpeggios anywhere on the fingerboard with this.

[slybass3000]

What I do is play all one octave arpeggios or scales in cycle of fifths.

I'll start in C maj playing the arpeggio or scale in 2nd position then 7th then 14th then 19th if your bass allows it. So I'm scanning my neck from the bottom to the top to play all scales or arpeggios in that key then shift to the next note (F) and do the same in the cycle.

This is a great way to learn your neck with simple stuff.

[Billnc]

Using So Low Bass' fingerings you can work up the neck in one key, i.e. in G you would play, G, then Am, Bm, C, D, Em, F#O. When you have done this (You'll have to incorporate some little finger on the root to do this) stay in position. So you'd go through them all starting 2nd finger 3rd fret G. The Am, D would utilize 4th finger on the root, F#o third finger on the root. Then do this at the 5th fret starting on Am, 7th fret starting on Bm etc.

We posted at the same time Slybass's exercise is good too, important one.

[Funk&Disorderly]

Originally Posted by So Low Bass

“Second on major, first on minor”.

This is exactly what i do. Once you learn the pattern for major and for minor (without using open strings), you can use it anywhere you like on the fretboard.

[JTE]

A. Make sure you know the notes' names (using correct enharmonics) without reference to any instrument. That is, you should be able to figure out all the notes in A major without touching the bass, and know why it's got F#, not Gb in it. Do this for all the major keys.

B. Similarly, be able to determine the correct notes for the main chords- Major triad, minor triad, dominant 7, diminished, augmented, major 7, and minor 7.

C. Be able to harmonize the major scale so you can determine for yourself without using a chart or diagram, what the chords (and the notes in each chord) are for any major scale. That is, you know not only that A has AMaj7, Bmin7, C#min7, DMaj7, E7, F#min7, and G#min7b5, but you know what notes are in each chord, and you know why.

Then pick a scale, play the scale (not from root to root, but from lowest available note to highest available note) over the entire neck. Don't worry about doing this in time at first, just find the notes. Repeat (yeah, practice). Then do the same thing with the I chord for that scale, then the ii chord, etc.

It's best if you sing the notes and name them as you sing them. Sing the pitch BEFORE you play it, that forces your ear to work out the sound for itself. Don't worry if you can't sing (my singing was once described as "a duet with Linda McCartney and Yoko Ono"). It's the process of wrapping your brain around the sound you're after. Let the sound and your ear lead the process, not your fingers.

John

[lowendfriend]

Work thru exercises on http://www.studybass.com

Great site for learning the basics and getting a good starting foundation.

[mambo4]

Along the lines of JTE's post, I'd emphasize
learning how to construct the scales, and how to construct the chords, rather than simply memorizing fingering patterns, key signatures or arbitrary strings of note names. And while you ought to be able to name any note you play, In this case it's usually better to think in intervals and scale tone numbers than note names.

for example: "C, D, E, F, G, A, B " is just an arbitrary string of letters and only informs you about C major.
but "Root, Maj 2nd, Maj 3rd, Perfect 4th, Perf 5th , Maj 6th, Maj 7th" contains useful structural information that can apply to any root scale.