Scales and such (please help)

[Hisler]

Hello I would like to ask for some help! I would say I’m an intermediate player by now, I can play some Primus, Chili peppers and a lot of Jamiroquai. I just CANNOT figure out scales and it is holding back my potential.. I know the major and minor scales but I don’t know how to use them! Every single video I watch doesn’t really help.. I would like some help with this please... I AM DESPERATE. Any suggestions or tips at all will be greatly appreciated!!

 

[Jeff Hughes]

For what purpose do you intend to use scales? Perhaps narrowing down your need might help people give you a direction. For instance, are you looking to learn how to solo? To write interesting bass lines? To learn the passing notes between chords?

Memorizing scales up and down the neck can be a useful exercise, but it is not exactly the only key to being a better musician.

 

[Hisler]

For what purpose do you intend to use scales? Perhaps narrowing down your need might help people give you a direction. For instance, are you looking to learn how to solo? To write interesting bass lines? To learn the passing notes between chords?

Memorizing scales up and down the neck can be a useful exercise, but it is not exactly the only key to being a better musician.

I mainly want to be able to jam, I can write bass lines fairly well right now but using scales to do that would help also. Maybe solos later down the line but right now I’d rather focus on the others.

 

[Tommyc]

Use your knowledge of scales to think in chord tones rather than scalular sequences. Try googling Carol Kaye or any number of jazzers and the phrase “chord tones.”

 

[joelns]

Use your knowledge of scales to think in chord tones rather than scalular sequences. Try googling Carol Kaye or any number of jazzers and the phrase “chord tones.”

This is better than scales. When jamming/soloing, etc., you want to play through the changes using chord tones and passing notes. Passing notes are often a half step up or down from your target note.

Learn your chords and chord tones, along with the inversions, and where those notes fall all over the neck. If you hit chord tones, you're always on the right note. Though sometimes a "wrong" note is really right, depending on context.

 

[Hisler]

Use your knowledge of scales to think in chord tones rather than scalular sequences. Try googling Carol Kaye or any number of jazzers and the phrase “chord tones.”

Okay thank you I’ll try that

 

[Hisler]

This is better than scales. When jamming/soloing, etc., you want to play through the changes using chord tones and passing notes. Passing notes are often a half step up or down from your target note.

Learn your chords and chord tones, along with the inversions, and where those notes fall all over the neck. If you hit chord tones, you're always on the right note. Though sometimes a "wrong" note is really right, depending on context.

Wow okay! Thanks a lot!

 

[RSBBass]

I support your idea of learning sales. They are the basis of western music. Knowing some some theory is a huge help. Scales are the base. Chords are made from scales. Get a decent intro to theory and learn your scales and arpegios and you will be on your way to being a monster bass player.

 

[Jeff Hughes]

Don't forget one of the most important notes you can play while jamming...empty space.

 

[CallMeAl]

On any given song, you only have 12 note choices. Scales are a way to narrow down those choices. I don’t look at scales as a string of notes; but the choices available for a given feeling.

Now, it’s up to you to really get to know what each scale means to you, and what each note means individually. What does the 5th scale degree feel like? The 2nd? How about a b2 instead of a 2?

Learning the numbering system is crucial, IMHO. It allows you to see and hear the distance from tonic, and then know what a scale will sound like before you play it. It doesn’t matter what the key is, but I know what a blues scale will sound like.

you have simple songs like blues, or I-V-vi-IV (wagon wheel) where you can just jam on one scale and the tension-release kind of takes care of itself (if you’re listening and choosing accordingly.) then there are more complex forms (like jazz) where you have to “play the changes” and choose various scales/arpeggios as you go.

Great resource below on scales, helping you see how they compare, and chords they go with:
https://ouhorns.ou.edu/Horn_Studio_Site_2015/Syllabus_&_Technique_files/Jazz scale guide.pdf

 

[Hisler]

On any given song, you only have 12 note choices. Scales are a way to narrow down those choices. I don’t look at scales as a string of notes; but the choices available for a given feeling.

Now, it’s up to you to really get to know what each scale means to you, and what each note means individually. What does the 5th scale degree feel like? The 2nd? How about a b2 instead of a 2?

Learning the numbering system is crucial, IMHO. It allows you to see and hear the distance from tonic, and then know what a scale will sound like before you play it. It doesn’t matter what the key is, but I know what a blues scale will sound like.

you have simple songs like blues, or I-V-vi-IV (wagon wheel) where you can just jam on one scale and the tension-release kind of takes care of itself (if you’re listening and choosing accordingly.) then there are more complex forms (like jazz) where you have to “play the changes” and choose various scales/arpeggios as you go.

Great resource below on scales, helping you see how they compare, and chords they go with:
https://ouhorns.ou.edu/Horn_Studio_Site_2015/Syllabus_&_Technique_files/Jazz scale guide.pdf

Okay awesome! That’s definitely something to pay attention too! Thanks a lot

 

[Hisler]

I support your idea of learning sales. They are the basis of western music. Knowing some some theory is a huge help. Scales are the base. Chords are made from scales. Get a decent intro to theory and learn your scales and arpegios and you will be on your way to being a monster bass player.

Thank you! This motivates me a lot!

 

[makanudo]

Something that's helped me immensely is to really really reaaaaally understand and get down the pentatonic scale and after that it's just a matter of adding 2 extra notes to fill any shape out.

 

[Pings Bass]

Arpeggios > scales for the bassist, IMHO. Fluency in scales is super important for the composer, arranger and soloist, but for popular music (rock/pop/r&b etc) the bassist can go far just knowing major and minor triads, plus dominant sevenths, sixths, major sevenths, diminished, half diminished, augmented, and eventually 9ths, 11ths, 13ths (with alterations) if you want to stretch yourself. By the time you get there, scales are easy. The notes between chord tones can really be whatever you want them to be. If it sounds good, it is good.

 

[flannel cat]

check out studybass .com theres a section on chord tones scale tones chromatic tones you might find interesting,,its shed some light for me,hope it helps.Cheers!

 

[HolmeBass]

Arpeggios > scales for the bassist, IMHO. Fluency in scales is super important for the composer, arranger and soloist, but for popular music (rock/pop/r&b etc) the bassist can go far just knowing major and minor triads, plus dominant sevenths, sixths, major sevenths, diminished, half diminished, augmented, and eventually 9ths, 11ths, 13ths (with alterations) if you want to stretch yourself. By the time you get there, scales are easy. The notes between chord tones can really be whatever you want them to be. If it sounds good, it is good.

The thing is, the name of every interval/note in your post is *defined* by the relationships in the major scale. Talking about chord progressions in terms of numbers, the names of intervals, and of chord tones, all comes from the major scale.

None of it makes sense, in a systematic way, until you have internalized the major scale. What’s a fifth? What’s a sixth, or a major 7? All defined by the relationships of the tones in the major scale.

So learning the major scale unlocks musical terminology, fundamental harmonic ideas, and defines how chords are built. Just because the major scale doesn’t necessarily make the best bass lines in every case doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be learned.

 

[Pings Bass]

The thing is, the name of every interval/note in your post is *defined* by the relationships in the major scale. Talking about chord progressions in terms of numbers, the names of intervals, and of chord tones, all comes from the major scale.

None of it makes sense, in a systematic way, until you have internalized the major scale. What’s a fifth? What’s a sixth, or a major 7? All defined by the relationships of the tones in the major scale.

So learning the major scale unlocks musical terminology, fundamental harmonic ideas, and defines how chords are built. Just because the major scale doesn’t necessarily make the best bass lines in every case doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be learned.

Yeah no argument, everybody should know scales. But in terms of what you practice, I think you get more bang for the buck having arpeggios under your fingers every day.

 

[Hisler]

Yeah no argument, everybody should know scales. But in terms of what you practice, I think you get more bang for the buck having arpeggios under your fingers every day.

Awesome! thank you very much

 

[Matty Koff]

Hello I would like to ask for some help! I would say I’m an intermediate player by now, I can play some Primus, Chili peppers and a lot of Jamiroquai. I just CANNOT figure out scales and it is holding back my potential.. I know the major and minor scales but I don’t know how to use them! Every single video I watch doesn’t really help.. I would like some help with this please... I AM DESPERATE. Any suggestions or tips at all will be greatly appreciated!!

IMO the point of learning scales is so that you can hear them and adapt accordingly. If someone's playing out of a major or Ionian you train yourself to respond with notes from the major 7th or major arpeggio.

Major scale right? 7 modes - Ionian(Major), Dorian (Minor), Phrygian (Minor), Lydian(Major), Mixolydian(Dominant), Aeolian(Minor), Locrian(Half-diminished or b7 b5)

If we look at the easiest scale to remember the notes of, C Major.. C D E F G A B, it's Cmaj7, Dm7, Em7, Fmaj7, G7, Am7, Bb7b5. You can play any of those chords and be in the key of C major, even if your playing out of A natural minor.. it could still be called C major.

The modes of the major scale themselves are scales, all with 7 modes, which are the same modes used in the major scale, just from a different starting point.

Being able to recognize those scales as they're being played can tell you which chords you can pull notes from, and you can borrow notes from within the scales to add to your lines as well when changing chords.

I mean.. not all music adheres to playing within a certain key.. but practicing both scales and arpeggios is a good way to develop the ear and to hear the relationship between intervals from the root. After enough time with it you'll be able to hear when you're out of key.

All chords, and pretty much all scales are painted off the basis of the major scale. Like if you were to play a harmonic minor you'd use terms like augmented and diminished to label intervals from the root.

 

[oren]

I think of it like this: You’re playing a song. You’re on a chord, playing one of the notes in the chord. Your target is the next chord, where you will land on one of the notes in that chord. The scale that goes with the chord you’re currently on gives you the most logical choices of notes for getting from one to the other.