Bass lessons for newbies.

[Bass4God]

It's a little struggle but it I'm still in the game. I too have learned so much from your lessons.

Thank Yoy Sir

[ehargravejr]

Hello everyone...first of all Thanks Aurthur59, your lessons are beginning to get a little clearer, now that I have learned the fingering for a couple major scales...secondly, I'm playing a six string, and the fingerings are a bit different, I've been trying to follow along as if it were a 5 string but i think its making it more difficult for me....Its getting a little better but at times I feel lost, its like I can hear what needs to be played but my fingerrs end up somewhere else, what do you suggest, should i remove the b string for now?...in case you are wandering why I have the 6 string my hands are very big my pinky to thunmb stretch is 10.5 inches, from bottom of my wrist to tip of middle finger is 10 inches....and its very difficult for me to hold 4, and some 5 string basses...Man I don't know what to do

[jlgadson]

can you make them downloadable?

[Bass4God]

aurthur59 what'ts in your bag of lessons for us this weekend. I'm excited to see what you have for us.

[berbie]

Hey, Arthur59.  You done spoiled us now.  We all got our basses in our hands and are watching the computer screen. 

[Bass4God]

Amen to that, I am having lesson withdrawals I need my dose of lessons to keep me going.

[arthur59]

Sorry guys I've been working late hours this week    but don't worry, the next lesson is coming up soon. 

[arthur59]

SATURDAY NIGHT JAM!!   A good bass player react to their surrounding when making music in a group. This interaction can only happen if you are able to LISTEN to the other musicians while you are playing your bass. By transcribing music you will internalize the sound you focus on, and your ears will begin to control your hands. Your ears will hear and your hands execute. The process of developing ear-hand coordination can be a SLOW one.  As your ears improves so will your ability to "HEAR" when playing in a group. Be patient with yourself. Be persistent 


 Here's a two chord progression, first listen to the progression without your bass then pick up your bass and lay down a solid "GROOVE" start with just the root notes then add the fill ins that we worked on from the earlier lessons. You will feel like your part of the band with this track, have fun!

MOV4AC

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[sugerbear]

IT'S GOING FROM THE 1 TO THE 4.  THE "E" TO THE "A". AND I'M GROOVEIN WITH IT. SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE!!!

[Bass4God]

I agree, I'm gruvin' to the gruv.

[berbie]

1 up to 4 then 1 down to 4

[5deep]

Yes! it's starting to come together now! 

[Gemini47]

The answer is 1-7-6 and 2-5-1 in the key of Bb, then it change keys. The interval shape of the key change is a flat 3rd ( minor 3rd ) Db! then its 1-7-6 and 2-5-1...in Db!

Arthur i apologize for chiming in late but i have a question.  The flat 3rd progression change is that what i am hearing around 2:12 minutes into the song?

[arthur59]

Arthur i apologize for chiming in late but i have a question.  The flat 3rd progression change is that what i am hearing around 2:12 minutes into the song?

Yes it is.

[arthur59]

Lets take a look at adding "arpeggios" to our bass lines. Arpeggios are built from scale tones, a major scale has 7 notes 8 if you count the octave 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8  if you take the odd numbers: 1-3-5 from the major scale and played them one note at a time you would be playing a  Major arpeggio, or a major triad.  If you take the odd numbers 1-3-5-7 and played them one note at a time you would have a major 7th arpeggio.

Stay tuned more to come...with video examples     

[DocRoy]

Lets take a look at adding "arpeggios" to our bass lines. Arpeggios are built from scale tones, a major scale has 7 notes 8 if you count the octave 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8  if you take the odd numbers: 1-3-5 from the major scale and played them one note at a time you would be playing a  Major arpeggio, or a major triad.  If you take the odd numbers 1-3-5-7 and played them one note at a time you would have a major 7th arpeggio.

Stay tuned more to come...with video examples 

Keep them coming my friend this is where i need to get better.  looking forward to the video and our next assignment.

[Bass4God]

Bring it on teacher, bring it on. I'm looking forward to it.

[arthur59]

playing inverted arpeggios. What is inverted arpeggios you ask! well it's just taking the notes of the arpeggio and playing them in different order. If we played the "D" major7 arpeggio: D- F# -A -C# ( 1-3-5-7) that's called the "root position"because the "D" is the root note of this major7th arpeggio. Now if we take that root note and place it at end of this major7th arpeggio we would have: F#-A-C#-D (3-5-7-1) this is called "1st inversion." Now if we take that first note after the root and placed it at he end of this major7th arpeggio we would have: A-C#-D-F# ( 5-7-1-3 ) this is called 2nd inversion. now if we played  C#-D-F#-A (7-1-3-5 ) this is called 3rd inversion. Now we have  4 different ways to play a D major7 arpeggio.

This video will deal with the "root position" I'll be playing the D major7th arpeggio with two octave: 1-3-5-7, one octave then 1-3-5-7 two octave. Start at 50 bpm then work your way up to 250 bpm  the real goal is 100 bpm but if you can play it at 250 then drop back down to 100 bpm...    The next video will be on the 1st inversion.
 

MOV4C2

[arthur59]

ROOT POSITION = 1-3-5-7
1ST INVERSION =  3-5-7-1
2ND INVERSION = 5-7-1-3   
3RD INVERSION = 7-1-3-5
ALL = MAJOR7TH ARPEGGIO

EACH INVERSION WILL START AT A DIFFERENT LOCATION ON THE FRET BOARD.

START EACH EXERCISE AT 50 BPM ON YOUR METRONOME OR DRUM MACHINE PLAY IT 7 TIMES STRAIGHT WITH NO MES-SUP BEFORE MOVING TO THE NEXT HIGHER BPM. AT EACH HIGHER LEVEL PLAY IT 7 TIMES BEFORE MOVING TO THE NEXT....
THE GOAL IS TO PLAY IT  7 TIMES STRAIGHT AT 250 BPM... THE TRUE GOAL IS 100 BPM BUT IF YOU STARCH YOURSELF TO 250 BPM THEN WHEN YOU COME BACK DOWN TO 100 BPM  YOUR MUSCLE MEMORY SHOULD BE ON AUTO PILOT AND YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO PLAY THIS EXERCISE AND READ A PASSAGE IN A BOOK AT THE SAME TIME... OR AT LEASE HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH SOMEONE AT THE SAME TIME.            

[sugerbear]

250 bpm!! well if you say so, your the teacher and where the grasshoppers