Scale Practice Compressed (w/ Photo)

[Staccato]

IMHO, why not practice the most common MAJOR (Rock 'n Roll) keys: D, G, C, A, E, F (instead of all 12).

When you grow bored/tired of Major scales, practice A Minor, and Am Pentatonic. A beginner's time would be better spent researching which minor scales are more common,
or which is on a song that you're learning...

Practice is not all about learning Roots/Fifths, Arpeggios, or Chords!

[J-B'ass]

I'd agree that it's probably worth being the most fluent in the most common keys. However, learning a phrase in all keys does have a value beyond the ability to play it in those keys, for example it will force you to think of it in terms of its intervals and musical content, rather than for example visual clues.

ie a rock bassline learnt through all keys might be thought of as root, fifth, sixth, second, etc. Whereas if you only learn it in the key the song's in, then you're at risk of thinking of like this dot, that dot, that space, this dot, etc.

I guess what I'm saying is it's fine to focus on the most common keys, but don't get dependant on them. Always spend at least some time in every key, even if it's not equal time.

[MalcolmAmos]

Moving to another key being a problem has not raised it's head so far. I visualize the major scale box pattern and just move the box where needed. Yes interval number instead of note name rules my World. But, as I think of my bass line in chord tone intervals, i.e. R-5 or R-3-5-7 or pentatonic scale intervals R-2-3-5-6 for major and/or R-b3-4-5-b7 for minor - this so far has not posed a problem. Because the intervals within the box are always in their same position just waiting.

So a different key just means I move the box, I guess that too takes practice.

Good luck.

[mambo4]

The "movable box" nature of the bass is one of the great things about the instrument. But it breaks down in the lower frets. For a good time, try playing in all 12 keys using the open strings and first fret as much as possible. They really start to develop a unique feel down there, plus you get good at controlling the open string dynamics.

[Staccato]

Very helpful suggestions, thanks.

[BassChuck]

Originally Posted by mambo4

The "movable box" nature of the bass is one of the great things about the instrument.....

So true. Yet it is a blessing and a curse. Its easy to learn one major scale (2-4/124/134) and move it all over the instrument. But that real isn't learning the instrument (fretboard) or much music. One of the reasons non-bass players think the instrument is so easy is because they can play a lot of songs and NOT know the names of the notes.

Learn all the forms of the scale (3 string, 4 string, 2 string, 2 octave etc etc) major, minor and perhaps some modes too, is the way to go. Sing the note you are playing, and say the name of the note (yea, say it out loud... )

[JimmyM]

people who don't practice in all keys usually end up not being able to play in all keys, and i don't care what kind of music you play...sooner or later you'll have to play in all keys.

[monroe55]

Originally Posted by mambo4

The "movable box" nature of the bass is one of the great things about the instrument. But it breaks down in the lower frets. For a good time, try playing in all 12 keys using the open strings and first fret as much as possible. They really start to develop a unique feel down there, plus you get good at controlling the open string dynamics.

+1 to that fact. I used to think I was comfortable on the fretboard till I stumbled across some playing that required using that "lower" area of the fretboard. Now, I set aside @45minutes from my practice routine just for experimenting with the bottom 3 frets and using open strings during scale runs, continuos arpeggio exercises and such. It was like a whole new world opened up down there.