I have been practicing scale, trying to learn my fret board (playing open through 5th fret on each string and saying the note when I play it),
Using fake chord sheet music, following the chords and pounding roots -- all the root notes can be found in the first 5 frets. Want more than just pounding root notes:
- The 2 of the root is found on the same string and toward the bridge two frets.
- The 3 is up a string and back a fret.
- The 4 is up a string same fret.
- The 5 is up a string and over two frets, or if there is a string down from the root the 5 is on the next string down, same fret.
- The 6 is up a string and over the 3.
- The 7 is up a string and over one fret.
- The 8 is up a string and over two frets.
Major scale box showing scale degree numbers
and the root note on the 4th string.
.....Index....Middle..Ring...Little
G~|---2---|-------|---3---|---4---| 1st string
D~|---6---|-------|---7---|---8---|
A~|---3---|---4---|-------|---5---|
E~|-------|---R---|-------|---2---|4th string
Generic bass lines like Root on the first beat and the 5 on the 3rd beat will work with thousands of songs. Root and it's octave 8 is always safe. The ole R-5-8-5 is an old stand-by for me. Notice the 5 is just below the 8 so this makes an easy four count bass line.
.....using a metronome to play along with and have found some REALLY easy songs to play along with. I try to spend an hour practicing each day. It's hard some days when I am working 12 hour shifts.
Something each day even if it is just reading some standard notation sheet music will get you there. Learning where the notes are on the fretboard can be done with the bass on it's stand while you read the fly specks from the SN sheet music. If you will be playing from standard notation you first have
to identify the fly speck before the music goes off and leaves you. Keep some SN sheet music by your easy chair and get some study time in during the commercials.
This will come in handy:
That's enough for now. Good luck and happy trails.
