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Scales Necessary?

#61
MikeTB said:
But by how many scales there are, they have like every set of notes you could play.... so couldn't you just play every thing on you're fret board you can think of and then it would come back as memory when you here any set of notes....:hmm:
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I have no idea what you're talking about. I'm sorry.

Playing and learning scales will train your ear to recognize the various intervals that construct scales. You seem hell-bent to learn songs by ear. Being able to recognize intervals by ear will benefit you greatly in this endeavor. This applies regardless of how many scales there are.

I have a question. Do you want to learn songs by ear so you can sit in your bedroom and play by yourself, or would you like to be able to play with other musicians one day?
 
#62
MikeTB said:
But by how many scales there are, they have like every set of notes you could play.... so couldn't you just play every thing on you're fret board you can think of and then it would come back as memory when you here any set of notes....:hmm:
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I just spent some time with the question, and still have no answer, but another question.

Have you played music before? I don't mean to be insulting, your question really has me wondering.
 
#63
jmattbassplaya said:
Study chords and chord tones. IME, they are much more (immediately) applicable to bass than scales. That said, you shouldn't ignore scales either...
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Boom!! OP, yes, you need to know scales if your goal is to be a decent player. Know them in and out (including modes) if you want to be a better than decent player. As mentioned by JimmyM and many others, knowing what to play over chords is incredibly important and will take your playing to a new level. In no way is it boring to play music when you have put in the time to understand scales, modes, chords, and chord tones...in fact...it is WAY more fun!

Pacman's 'Sure Fire Scale Method' might be good for you to check out.

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f22/pacmans-sure-fire-scale-practice-method-50170/
 
#66
Ok i got a few answers here so first Kedo

I've been playing for a year, I've learned nearly a hundred songs, (with tabs ;) ) I have a band, (Of sisters and brothers) that i play with at a few community, gigs. Bass is my first instrument.

Miltslackford,

My style of music is: pop, rock, a little punk, my band likes some country,
and oldies are always, great ;)

Sorry If my last post was a bit confusing, I'm just not sure how scales can help when the musician, can use the notes in the scale in any order they want so In order, to recognize the scale in the song you got to play, the scale in every witch, and way that you can.... right?

Hope I'm not just making you all more confused:D

Michael
 
#67
mbeall said:
Deferring to the popular analogy these aren't exact parallels but try and think of it like this.

You speak and write and read the English language, how did you learn it?

Scales are like the alphabet.
Chords and melodies are like words and sentences.
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I see it more like ... note like ABCDEFG are the alphabet of music ... Scale/Arppeggio/Chord are like verb tenses. So the melody is a sentence and chords just tells you in which verb tense you are.
 
#69
MikeTB said:
Ok i got a few answers here so first Kedo

I've been playing for a year, I've learned nearly a hundred songs, (with tabs ;) ) I have a band, (Of sisters and brothers) that i play with at a few community, gigs. Bass is my first instrument.

Miltslackford,

My style of music is: pop, rock, a little punk, my band likes some country,
and oldies are always, great ;)

Sorry If my last post was a bit confusing, I'm just not sure how scales, can help when the musician, can use the notes in the scale, in any order they want so In order, to recognize the scale, in the song you got to play, the scale in every witch, and way that you can.... right?

Hope I'm not just making you all more confused:D

Michael
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Mike I think you should watch this video, and follow what this guy says.

Link Removed

If this doesn't work out for you I would suggest getting a real teacher if you want to understand how to implement scales.
 
#70
miltslackford said:
The only thing that is boring is doing something when you don't know why.

And playing music with this attitude won't make you a great bass player.

If you know why you're doing it, if it's clear, then you can only feel excitement about reaching you goal.

Do you have any examples of these bass method books? - I have several, but I haven't seen any with scales in the front. If you have titles I would like to see them as I haven't come across them and I'd be interested to see the methods.
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Well all I was told was the major scale is the backbone of western music, learn it and learn it good and that was enough for me. Wasn't bored at all. Loved every minute of it. In fact I can't remember being bored with learning ANYTHING on bass no matter how apparently monotonous....

Some have a passion for bass. Others want to tinker around and fluff out a few tunes.


As far as books go. "Progressive bass guitar method" (I think "progressive" is the company). Or "the improvisers bass method" by chuck sher (sher music co)

Theres a couple I can remember the names of anyway.
 
#71
LayDownABoogie said:
Well all I was told was the major scale is the backbone of western music, learn it and learn it good and that was enough for me. Wasn't bored at all. Loved every minute of it. In fact I can't remember being bored with learning ANYTHING on bass no matter how apparently monotonous....

Some have a passion for bass. Others want to tinker around and fluff out a few tunes.

As far as books go. "Progressive bass guitar method" (I think "progressive" is the company). Or "the improvisers bass method" by chuck sher (sher music co)

Theres a couple I can remember the names of anyway.
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We're all different, - I'm like you, I just learn music theory because it's there. If everyone were like you and me teaching would be easy...!

Thanks for the references I will check those out. I've come across the 'Progressive series' before. I have one for fingerpicking guitar. The improvisers bass method sounds interesting. Thanks!
 
#72
MikeTB said:
Ok i got a few answers here so first Kedo

Sorry If my last post was a bit confusing, I'm just not sure how scales, can help when the musician, can use the notes in the scale, in any order they want so In order, to recognize the scale, in the song you got to play, the scale in every witch, and way that you can.... right?

Hope I'm not just making you all more confused:D

Michael
Click to expand...

:confused:? I am not able to comprehend what you have written. Best advice is to find a local instructor; if only for a few lessons.
 
#74
Scales are crucial to playing bass. What is the role of most bassists? To anchor the harmonic structure and harmonic movement of a group of other instruments. Thus, a bassists studies how scales (melodic) supports chords and chord progressions (harmony). If one cant understand how to relate scales to chords to create music and anchor a bands harmony, then a great bassist does not come to mind. In my honest opinion, this "basic" music theory is at the heart of being a bassist and speaking the language.
 
#75
^^^ what he said, too ^^^

if you master the scales, your ear automatically becomes sharper (no pun intended) ...and you'll easily be able to figure out what other bassists are doing within songs, if that's you're goal

outside of that- and not caring about what other bass players are doing ( like me )... mastering the modes/scales will move you into your own style... you'll be able to find yourself as a bassist, what you're capable of, and a style that will be your own
 
#76
What note the 7 in C7 relate to?
What note does the 7 in Cmaj7 relate to?
What note does the 7 in Cmin relate?

If you have to relate these numbers and any others from any given chord to a scale to get the chord voicing, then you have to learn scales....and i would say learns scales first.

Once learned you just reference them..it is not hard and it is not complicated, but it will tell a new player that Bb is the 7 in Cmin and is the same note a Cmin7 and C7.
But B is the note in Cmaj7 and C major, and they will know if they look to an Eb Major or Am scale why this is so......scales stop so much confusion once learned.

Yet there are those that seem to think that chord tones get learned first. Fact is if you learn a chord tone as 1-3-5-7 etc, you need a parent scale to relate those numbers to avoid confusion.
But again some will elaborate things further than they need to be by jumping ahead using their experience and understanding rather than that of the pupil or student.
Yes it all comes together eventually, but it is how it comes together and for what purpose it will be used that matters.
So stay in the moment and do not jump ahead with senarios that do not apply.

Treat scales the same way and learn them for what they are, then work on their applications and uses if need be to your own desired level, try not to see so far ahead you cannot see what is in front of you.
 
#77
Yes of course you need to know scales, even to be a mediocre bassist. If they bore you, run through a couple a night then just improv basslines off them. Oh and get a drum machine, it makes solo practice much more interesting. Old casio keyboards have hundreds of drum loops and you can pick them up for peanuts.
 

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