A Belgian newbie

[maltje]

Hi B-players.
I'm maltje from Belgium.
I bought my first bass just last week.
I hope I get some nice sounds out off it,but I find it difficult.
My fingers are not that fast and long.
A problem for base players?
If somebody got some very very easy songs to start with,please leave a message.
Kind regards

 

[MalcolmAmos]

Welcome. I have little hands, so I have to adjust, just keep in mind that you too may have to adjust and slide a little more than normal. But, do not let little hands keep you from playing.

Very easy songs, first things first. I know of no instrument that does not start you out running your scales first. Why? So your fingers get to know where the notes are on your fretboard and your ears start recognizing the sound of the "good" notes. So get a metronome, the Internet is full of free ones, and start finding a scale pattern you like and get the major and natural minor scale under your fingers. Here is a pattern I use all the time and this fretboard chart of the notes will come in handy. Learn the notes on the 4th string up to the 12th fret. Why? So you can place your pattern. Read on.....

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
Notice the box takes place over 4 frets and you have 4 fingers, the R is to be fretted with your middle finger, the 2 with your little finger, etc. Yes the 3 with your index finger, see what you can do with that. Get that into muscle memory and you will be able to play thousands of songs. You may recognize that box pattern with dots instead of numbers, the numbers are the scale degrees numbers. Dots tell me nothing -- numbers let the box come alive.
​

Lets start with the C major scale. Find the C note that is on the 4th string 8th fret. Put the box's R over that C note, then play the spelling for the major scale. That spelling is R-2-3-4-5-6-7-8. Are you playing with a metronome? Do so. After the C major scale is flowing and you are getting good sounds try the G major scale. Come up for air and ask specific questions.
Scales

• Major Scale = R-2-3-4-5-6-7 Home base
• Major Pentatonic = R-2-3-5-6 Leave out the 4 & 7
• Natural Minor Scale = R-2-b3-4-5-b6-b7 Major scale with the 3, 6 & 7 flatted. You flat a note by moving one fret back toward the nut. I catch my b3 right after the 2. Yes the b7 is right over the 4.
• Minor Pentatonic = R-b3-4-5-b7 Leave out the 2 & 6.
• Blues = R-b3-4-b5-5-b7 Minor pentatonic with the blue note b5 added.

Let the major scale be your home base then change a few notes and you have something different. No need to memorize a zillion patterns. Let the major scale pattern be your go to pattern - then adapt/adjust from there.

Bass guitar for dummies is a good get started book.
You may be having trouble getting sharp sounds, i.e fret buzz has entered your life. Ask, what to do someone will answer.


Have fun.

 

[maltje]

Thank you.
I know a lot a bout notes and stuff.
I play violin for a lot of years.
I do not realy under stand your explanation due to my bad english.

Kind regards

Welcome. I have little hands, so I have to adjust, just keep in mind that you too may have to adjust and slide a little more than normal. But, do not let little hands keep you from playing.

Very easy songs, first things first. I know of no instrument that does not start you out running your scales first. Why? So your fingers get to know where the notes are on your fretboard and your ears start recognizing the sound of the "good" notes. So get a metronome, the Internet is full of free ones, and start finding a scale pattern you like and get the major and natural minor scale under your fingers. Here is a pattern I use all the time and this fretboard chart of the notes will come in handy. Learn the notes on the 4th string up to the 12th fret. Why? So you can place your pattern. Read on.....

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
Notice the box takes place over 4 frets and you have 4 fingers, the R is to be fretted with your middle finger, the 2 with your little finger, etc. Yes the 3 with your index finger, see what you can do with that. Get that into muscle memory and you will be able to play thousands of songs. You may recognize that box pattern with dots instead of numbers, the numbers are the scale degrees numbers. Dots tell me nothing -- numbers let the box come alive.
​

Lets start with the C major scale. Find the C note that is on the 4th string 8th fret. Put the box's R over that C note, then play the spelling for the major scale. That spelling is R-2-3-4-5-6-7-8. Are you playing with a metronome? Do so. After the C major scale is flowing and you are getting good sounds try the G major scale. Come up for air and ask specific questions.
Scales

• Major Scale = R-2-3-4-5-6-7 Home base
• Major Pentatonic = R-2-3-5-6 Leave out the 4 & 7
• Natural Minor Scale = R-2-b3-4-5-b6-b7 Major scale with the 3, 6 & 7 flatted. You flat a note by moving one fret back toward the nut. I catch my b3 right after the 2. Yes the b7 is right over the 4.
• Minor Pentatonic = R-b3-4-5-b7 Leave out the 2 & 6.
• Blues = R-b3-4-b5-5-b7 Minor pentatonic with the blue note b5 added.

Let the major scale be your home base then change a few notes and you have something different. No need to memorize a zillion patterns. Let the major scale pattern be your go to pattern - then adapt/adjust from there.

Bass guitar for dummies is a good get started book.
You may be having trouble getting sharp sounds, i.e fret buzz has entered your life. Ask, what to do someone will answer.


Have fun.

 

[maltje]

After searching the net,I think I understand da bit more.
But when do you know to play 3 notes of a chord or 4 or 5?
So the ground note and fifth,or ground note tirth,fight and octave,....

kind regards.

 

[MalcolmAmos]

After searching the net,I think I understand da bit more.
But when do you know to play 3 notes of a chord or 4 or 5?
So the ground note and fifth,or ground note tirth,fight and octave,....

kind regards.

Good question. Your song will have a time signature, let's say this song is in 4/4 time. So each measure will have 4 quarter notes or rests in it. That dictates how many sounds you make.

A chord is made of every other note in a scale. This normally ends up being the R-3-5 & 7 of the scale. Now which one and how many do you use? As many as needed. Read on...

Start out pounding out just the root note of the chord to the beat of the music, i.e. R-R-R-R. Need a little more to keep it interesting - insert the 5 for a R on the first beat and 5 on the third beat. Or use R-5-R-5 or R-R-5-5. My point it's left up to you and the music will dictate what is needed. I know, I never liked getting that answer from the old guys, but, it is a feel thing. It's art not science.

I suggest you get some of the chord tone possibilities into muscle memory, i.e. think of chord tones as little scales and work with them till they are in muscle memory. Once there when you see a Dm7 chord the R-b3-5-b7 automatically flow from your fingers. Yep it will take some time.

Here is something to work with:

Generic Notes - for your bass line.

• The root, five and eight are generic and fit most any chord. Remember the diminished has a flatted 5. So R-5-8-5 can be an old friend.
• The 3 is generic to all major chords. So R-3-5-3 will fit under any major chord.
• The b3 is generic to all minor chords. And R-b3-5-8 will fit under any minor chord. Why the 8? Well the 8 is just another root in the next octave.
• The 7 is generic to all maj7 chords. Yep, R-3-5-7 fits nicely.
• The b7 is generic to all dominant seventh and minor seventh chords. G7 = R-3-5-b7 or Gm7 = R-b3-5-b7.
• The 6 is neutral and adds color, help yourself to 6’s. Love the sound of R-3-5-6 with a major chord.
• 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.
• Roots, fives, eights and the correct 3 & 7 will play a lot of bass.

Understand these full chord tone bass lines work great with jazz or anytime you need a "full" chord tone bass line. Now with Country, Rock, Praise, etc. roots or roots with a five is usually all that is necessary. The music dictates what you use. Helps to have some sheet music so you can let the songwriter tell you how he/she wanted the song to be played.

Now that we have gotten to chord tones you will be needing this:

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

Have fun.

 

[Dug2]

check out study bass also. many good people with good info to help you here.
enjoy

 

[MalcolmAmos]

+1. www.studybass.com Yes a wealth of information can be found on this site. Time spent here is time well spent.

 

[maltje]

After trying a lot,here is another question.
When I play a E on the D string and then want to play 5th en 7th ,I play the fifth on the G string and have to move fast my finger 3 places further on the g-string?

Kind regards

 

[MalcolmAmos]

After trying a lot,here is another question.
When I play a E on the D string and then want to play 5th en 7th ,I play the fifth on the G string and have to move fast my finger 3 places further on the g-string?

Kind regards

Like to help, but, not sure what you are attempting.

Link Removed
I think you are asking.....

If I want E's 5th (the B) it's up a string and over two frets - or down a string same fret.
And because we only have 4 strings the 7th of E is the D# and that is found at the 8th fret of the G string. Or A string 6th fret, but, I believe this is an octave from the D# on the G string... I live with the following:

• The 2nd of any note is same string over two frets.
• The 3rd of any note is up a string and back one fret.
• The 4th of any note is up a string same fret.
• The 5th of any note is up a string and over two frets, or down a string same fret.
• The 6th of any note is up two strings and back a fret.
• The 7th of any note is up two strings and over one fret.
• The 8 or octave of any note is up two strings and over two frets.
• Over means toward the bridge. Back means toward the nut.

Did that help? If not rephrase.

 

[maltje]

Thanks,I going to try that.
The difficult thing is hearing when playing what.
I have now Riffstation,a very good chord program but I have to search for more then the root to play.
Not always easy,but no problem.

Kind regards

 

[MalcolmAmos]

Thanks,I going to try that.
The difficult thing is hearing when playing what.
I have now Riffstation,a very good chord program but I have to search for more then the root to play.
Not always easy,but no problem. Kind regards

Want to add the 5? It's up a string and over two frets.
Want to add the 8? It's up two strings and over two frets - right over the 5. So the R-5-8-5 becomes an easy pattern. Notice it's almost always generic, i.e. works over major and minor chords - roots, 5's and 8's make a pretty good bass line in any order you play them. R-R-R-R, R-R-5-5, R-R-8-8, R-5-8-5, R-5-R-8.

 

[maltje]

Hi again
I'm still having some pain playing bass,but I think it is because I'm not use to it.Hopefully it is going better after a while.
Now I have a question just to put me on the way:I have read a lot about chords and stuff.
It is about the song "lonesome day blues" from Bob Dylan.
It is build from 3 chords Ab-Eb & C#.It has a blues rhytm.What can I play to make it a little more difficult.Playing the root of this 3 chords is easy.
Is it just r-5-8 ? it is not always sounds good.What do you think?


Kind regards

 

[BazzTard]

add the third to start with

 

[maltje]

I play E on the fourth string then G#,B and C#.
If E is the root what are the other notes then?
3,5 and 6?

kind regards