and how they affect learning songs. As we know, bass patterns can be moved all over the fret board exactly the same from key to key. If you learn a pattern in one key, you know it in every key. Remember to learn the patterns up from the 8 and down from the 1 also. If you learn the numbers of the scale patterns and the sound of the intervals between the numbers, you are basically off and running. You can hear bass patterns in songs and know what they are. If you take your bass and actually copy the bass notes, you can learn almost any song. Especially if you have a source that will slow down and loop the song. There's no reason to not be able to play them, even if you have to leave out some licks and riffs until you get more comfortable with them.
Go to , Studybass.com,(the free one titled, StudyBass) to get all the patterns. The most important as a rule are the major and minor scale patterns to start, but all are available there. Play the one, then say, the 6 over and over. Note how it sounds. Internalize it. Then, say, the 2 to the five, and on and on. Get them all in your head. It'll be worth your while.