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Gospel Instruments => Bass Guitar => Topic started by: Gospel Musick Player on April 11, 2008, 12:42:29 PM

Title: Not respected that much I know but.....How do you transpose on a bass guitar?
Post by: Gospel Musick Player on April 11, 2008, 12:42:29 PM
I think you use the tuners to take it to another key but I'm not sure is that correct???? Meaning if I only play Eb and want to take it to Ab.
Title: Re: Not respected that much I know but.....How do you transpose on a bass guitar?
Post by: dhagler on April 11, 2008, 12:50:09 PM
A-flat is one string up from E-flat, same fret.  For example, on a 5-string bass E-flat is the 4th fret on the B string.  A-flat is the 4th fret on the E string.
Title: Re: Not respected that much I know but.....How do you transpose on a bass guitar?
Post by: under13 on April 11, 2008, 12:55:40 PM
I'm not really a bass player, but I would say you should try to stop memorizing songs, and just feel them. Its not always easy, but it you have to do it sooner or later.
I guess you could use a capo, but you would only be cheating your growth as a musician. I suggest You  get very familiar with the location of the notes on the neck. if you use a capo, the notes will be in different places, and thats not good for your progress.
Title: Re: Not respected that much I know but.....How do you transpose on a bass guitar?
Post by: ddwilkins on April 11, 2008, 12:57:39 PM
I think you use the tuners to take it to another key but I'm not sure is that correct???? Meaning if I only play Eb and want to take it to Ab.

Never tune up higher on your stings. Meaning don't tune your E string up to an A for instance. This will kill your neck. It will warp. I made this mistake when I first started playing. You can tune down but only a whole step to get a good tone.
Title: Re: Not respected that much I know but.....How do you transpose on a bass guitar?
Post by: under13 on April 11, 2008, 01:02:09 PM
Never tune up higher on your stings. Meaning don't tune your E string up to an A for instance. This will kill your neck. It will warp. I made this mistake when I first started playing. You can tune down but only a whole step to get a good tone.
And couldnt that cause a string to pop?
Title: Re: Not respected that much I know but.....How do you transpose on a bass guitar?
Post by: ddwilkins on April 11, 2008, 01:09:22 PM
And couldnt that cause a string to pop?

Yes it could.
Title: Re: Not respected that much I know but.....How do you transpose on a bass guitar?
Post by: uriahsmusic on April 11, 2008, 01:28:10 PM
YOU WOULD GO TO Ab ON THE NECK AND PLAY THE PATTERN FROM THAT POINT.....THERE IS NO TRANSPOSE SYSTEM ON A BASS....UNLESS YOU INTEND TO TUNE THE BASS FOR EVERY DIFFERENT KEY.

SORRY BOUT THE CAPS...IM IN A RUSH! ;D
Title: Re: Not respected that much I know but.....How do you transpose on a bass guitar
Post by: betnich on April 11, 2008, 01:57:44 PM
I'm not really a bass player, but I would say you should try to stop memorizing songs, and just feel them. Its not always easy, but it you have to do it sooner or later.
I guess you could use a capo, but you would only be cheating your growth as a musician. I suggest You  get very familiar with the location of the notes on the neck. if you use a capo, the notes will be in different places, and thats not good for your progress.


A Bass Capo? Never seen one of those, lol...
Title: Re: Not respected that much I know but.....How do you transpose on a bass guitar?
Post by: under13 on April 11, 2008, 01:59:32 PM
A Bass Capo? Never seen one of those, lol...

I thought you could use a guitar capo. I never actually used one, so I didnt know
Title: Re: Not respected that much I know but.....How do you transpose on a bass guitar?
Post by: ddwilkins on April 11, 2008, 02:00:31 PM
I thought you could use a guitar capo. I never actually used one, so I didnt know

just learn the fretboard.
Title: Re: Not respected that much I know but.....How do you transpose on a bass guitar?
Post by: under13 on April 11, 2008, 02:07:16 PM
just learn the fretboard.

Yup. Like I always say, We should know where the notes on the key/fretboard are, just like a singer knows where the notes are in thier vocal range. Our instruments should be an extension of our limbs.
Title: Re: Not respected that much I know but.....How do you transpose on a bass guitar?
Post by: Fingers! on April 11, 2008, 03:21:06 PM
I'm not really a bass player, but I would say you should try to stop memorizing songs, and just feel them. Its not always easy, but it you have to do it sooner or later.
I guess you could use a capo, but you would only be cheating your growth as a musician. I suggest You  get very familiar with the location of the notes on the neck. if you use a capo, the notes will be in different places, and thats not good for your progress.

Wow.  Up till now, it never occurred to me that a capo is the exact equivalent to the transpose button.
Title: Re: Not respected that much I know but.....How do you transpose on a bass guitar?
Post by: Torch7 on April 11, 2008, 04:15:35 PM
Like Uriah is saying....just move to that note on the fretboard.

The beautiful thing about the bass is it is perfectly tuned... If you can play the pattern in Ab, the same pattern applies if you move your hand to antoher position on the bass, so if its in Ab, move your hand to Eb as the root position and the same pattern applies.

You don't have to learn the entire fretboard, just learn scale patterns & Intervals, down to the 4th or 5th fret, and you can find your way from there as you are still learning.
Title: Re: Not respected that much I know but.....How do you transpose on a bass guitar?
Post by: Torch7 on April 11, 2008, 05:03:51 PM
Wow.  Up till now, it never occurred to me that a capo is the exact equivalent to the transpose button.

Capo's essentially makes it as if the capped of notes are the open string position.  A co-worker of mines who plays guitar at his church, explained it to me a few months ago, and I had that same Eureka moment... Fingers!  The lightbulb came on...LOL!
Title: Re: Not respected that much I know but.....How do you transpose on a bass guitar?
Post by: Maestro87 on April 13, 2008, 07:38:47 PM
Piggy-backing off of what Torch7 said, learn your number system.  It will greatly help you.  When you learn how everything flows together then all you have to do is re-set your pattern into the new key and go.
Title: Re: Not respected that much I know but.....How do you transpose on a bass guitar?
Post by: Steelpulz on April 13, 2008, 09:58:26 PM
The best way is to know the progression of the song and your fretboard. However, sometimes that doesn't happen. Antoher way is to fool yourself. Start playing the song in the new key while imagining that you are playing in the old key. This technique works well for me, especially if I don't play any open strings.