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14

ULTRABASS

 

BASS GUITAR PACK

Shuffle

If you play a piece of music with a triplet feel (e.g. in eighth triplets) and you leave out the second note in each triplet (e.g. eighth-note

rest), the result is a driving, lively rhythm—what is known as a ternary rhythm, or 

shuffle

.

By comparison, the binary rhythm (without triplets) sounds somewhat more static and less vibrant. Rhythm example 3 shows this

playing style in a few passages, and you can find a shuffle blues in the chapter titled “EXAMPLES OF MUSICAL STYLES”.

SCALES

Scales  are  simply  sequences  of  individual  notes  that  (in  most  cases)  can  be  assigned  to  a  certain  key.  They  can  be  used  to

accompany  pieces  of  music  written  in  the  respective  key.  Probably  the  best-known  scales  are  called  the 

major  scale

  and  the

minor  scale

.  The  difference  between  these  scales  depends  on  the  order  of  half-tone  and  whole-tone  steps,  which  is  what

produces the individual characters of the scales.

Explanation:

half-tone step

 is the shift from one fret to the next fret up (or the next fret down): e.g. the shift from E (D string, 2

nd

 fret) to F

(D string, 3

rd

 fret) or vice versa. This interval is known as a 

minor second

.

whole-tone step

, on the other hand, describes the shift from one fret to the next-but-one fret up (or down): e.g. the shift from

F (D string, 3

rd

 fret) to G (D string, 5

th

 fret) or vice versa. This interval is known as a 

major second

.

Intervals

At this point we would like to explain what intervals are, so that you don’t have any difficulties with certain terms in the chapters that

follow. An interval indicates the difference in pitch between one note and another. There are many different intervals, as there are

also  many  different  notes.  The  following  illustration  always  shows  the  interval  between  the  individual  note  and  the  keynote  C

(

tonic

).

Major and minor

What is the actual difference between a major scale and a minor scale? The deciding factor is the interval between the first note

(keynote) and the third note (third) in the scale. If this interval equals four half-tone steps (or two whole-tone steps), it is called a

major third

. This is characteristic of a major scale, which, as a rule, has a bright, happy expression. If the interval consists of only

three half-tone steps (or one half-tone and one whole-tone step), however, it is what is called a 

minor third

, which is characteristic

of a minor scale. Minor scales generally sound more melancholy and sadder than major scales.

The major scale

The  following  illustration  shows  you  the  fingering  diagram  for  the 

C  major  scale

.  This  scale  consists  of  a  series  of  seven

consecutive notes, with the scale beginning again one octave higher on the eighth note (C): C - D - E - F - G - A - B - (C). What is

characteristic of the major scale is that the half-tone steps are from the 3

rd

 to the 4

th

 notes (E to F) and from the 7

th

 to the 8

th

 notes

(B to (C)). The Roman numerals in all the following fingering diagrams are for orientation purposes and indicate the fret you are

playing at. In the following example the fret indicated is the 7

th

 (VII).

All manuals and user guides at all-guides.com

Содержание Ultrabass

Страница 1: ...All manuals and user guides at all guides com a l l g u i d e s c o m ...

Страница 2: ... PACK High quality electric bass guitar Adjustable bass guitar strap High quality lead approx 3 m 3 plectrums Beginners book for the bass guitar Padded gig bag BASS PACK CONTENTS All manuals and user guides at all guides com ...

Страница 3: ... 11 Dotted notes 11 Rhythm exercise 1 12 Triplets 12 Rhythm exercise 2 13 Rests 13 Rhythm exercise 3 13 Shuffle 14 SCALES 14 Intervals 14 Major and minor 14 The major scale 14 The minor scale 15 The major pentatonic scale 15 The minor pentatonic scale 15 The chromatic scale 15 Positioning the left hand 15 Scale practice 1 16 Scale practice 2 16 D major scale 16 G minor scale 16 Scale practice 3 16...

Страница 4: ...gardless of the type of bass guitar you play the basic component parts are always the same The following illustration shows you what the parts are called Please take the time to familiarize yourself with them All manuals and user guides at all guides com ...

Страница 5: ...ich makes playing easier A few general tips Check your posture and the position of your arms and legs at regular intervals to avoid tenseness Experiment with your posture until you feel comfortable Try to keep your head straight otherwise you will develop tenseness in your back If your bass is hanging too low when you re playing standing up it might put too much strain on your left wrist Or it mig...

Страница 6: ...he neighboring string to be tuned We ve summarized this for you as follows 4 string 5th fret open 3rd string 3 string 5th fret open 2nd string 2 string 5th fret open 1st string Simply keep to the following diagram Keyboard instruments You can also tune your bass using a piano or a keyboard The only thing you need to know is which keys on the keyboard correspond to the bass strings To find out look...

Страница 7: ...e with the metronome one stroke to one tick of the metronome Once you feel confident playing at this tempo you can begin to increase your speed gradually Playing with your fingers Many bass players prefer to pick the strings with their fingers In this case you should use the index and middle fingers of your right hand and pick the string alternating from one finger to the other To do this rest you...

Страница 8: ...ear the end of the fingerboard Your other fingers should be curled near the bottom G string You can use your little finger here to rest your hand on the body of the guitar Then pick one of the two bottom strings but not both at the same time with your index or middle finger by slipping your fingertip under the G or D string and plucking it upwards with as little contact as possible and without exe...

Страница 9: ...should actually be played This has to be marked separately In this book we will be using a diagrammatic form of notation known as tablature in the following exercises apart from the rhythm exercises in the chapter titled RHYTHM The tablature for the bass guitar consists of four lines with the bottom line representing the E string and the lines above it representing the A D and G strings As in a fi...

Страница 10: ...as in the previous blues Reduce the tempo if you have any problems with the speed to begin with Shuffle Blues This is a blues with a ternary rhythm For further information about this read the chapter titled RHYTHM Start with a slow tempo here too so that you achieve a steady rhythm and get used to the shuffle playing technique If it doesn t work out straight away just play this piece in eighth not...

Страница 11: ... a measure can be divided If a 4 4 measure contains only one note that covers the entire length of the measure four beats then that note is known as a whole note It is four quarter notes long w q q q q If you play two equally long notes in a 4 4 measure one of them beginning on the 1st quarter beat and the other beginning on the 3rd quarter beat then you are playing two half notes Each of these no...

Страница 12: ...te into two eighth notes but into three the result is what is known as a triplet This is indicated in standard notation or in tablature by the addition of a 3 above or below each group If a whole note is divided not into two but into three half notes the result is what is known as a half triplet A 4 4 measure would therefore contain a half triplet or three separate half notes If a half note is div...

Страница 13: ...s also the whole note rest equal in length to a whole note i w the half note rest equal in length to a half note h the quarter note rest equal in length to a quarter note r q the eighth note rest equal in length to an eighth note ä e and the sixteenth note rest equal in length to a sixteenth note x There are of course even shorter rests just as there are even shorter note values However we don t i...

Страница 14: ...intervals are so that you don t have any difficulties with certain terms in the chapters that follow An interval indicates the difference in pitch between one note and another There are many different intervals as there are also many different notes The following illustration always shows the interval between the individual note and the keynote C tonic Major and minor What is the actual difference...

Страница 15: ...Here it is the sixth note C on which the scale starts again one octave higher The minor pentatonic scale The A minor pentatonic scale also comprises five notes derived from the A minor scale whereby the second and sixth notes B and F have been removed A C D E G A The scale begins again one octave higher on the sixth note A Use the notes in the major and minor pentatonic scales for playing simple b...

Страница 16: ...hat way you can train your right hand to be independent Scale exercise 2 Shift the scales on the fingerboard so that you begin with different notes That way you will learn to play the scales confidently in different positions As soon as you change the position and with it the keynote you change key For example if you shift the C major scale two frets upwards the first note in the scale is at the 1...

Страница 17: ... the scale We ll start with the C as the tonic Now if we look for the third above the tonic among the other notes in the scale we come to the E the 3rd note This is a major third because it involves two whole tone steps Now we have to look for the next third above the E We find it one half and one whole tone a minor third above the E on the G it is the fifth above the tonic C This order of thirds ...

Страница 18: ...e following example you will find seven fingering diagrams showing you one way you can play these chords C major C D minor Dm E minor Em F major F G major G A minor Am B minor diminished Bm 5 All manuals and user guides at all guides com ...

Страница 19: ...on the type and gauging of the strings Rule of thumb If your bass sounds dull it s time to change the strings Technical specifications and appearance subject to change without notice The information contained herein is correct at the time of printing The names of companies institutions or publications pictured or mentioned and their respective logos are registered trademarks of their respective ow...

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