15
ULTRABASS
BASS GUITAR PACK
The minor scale
This illustration shows you the
A minor scale
. It also consists of a series of seven consecutive notes. Here, too, the scale begins
again one octave higher on the eighth note (A): A - B - C - D - E - F - G - (A). The difference to the major scale is that the half-tones
are different steps: from the 2
nd
to the 3
rd
notes (from B to C) and from the 5
th
to the 6
th
notes (E to F). This scale begins at the 5
th
fret
(V).
You have probably noticed that the A minor scale basically consists of the same notes as the C major scale. Therefore, the half-tone
steps are also between the same notes (from B to C and from E to F). The scales actually only begin on different notes, which shifts
the half-tone step to different positions in the scale. It is also said that A minor is the
parallel key
to C major.
The major pentatonic scale
Penta is a Greek word meaning five and tonic stands for tone or note. Pentatonic scales comprise five notes per octave. The
major pentatonic scale is a major scale without the fourth and seventh notes, which means that it does not contain any half-tone
steps. The illustration below shows the
C major pentatonic scale
with the following notes: C - D - E - G - A - (C). If you compare
these notes with those of the C major scale you will see that F and B are missing. 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 bass lines, for example.
The chromatic scale
The chromatic scale consists solely of half tone steps and thus comprises all the twelve notes: C - C# - D - D# - E - F - F# - G - G#
- A - A# - B - (C). This scale also begins again one octave higher on the thirteenth note (C).
As this scale only contains half-tone steps, it cannot be classified according to mode (major or minor) and sounds less harmonious.
Positioning the left hand
With the exception of the chromatic scale, the individual notes of the scales are always within a range of four frets. Make sure that
each of the fingers of your left hand is responsible for one of these frets.
In the case of the C major scale/C major pentatonic scale (7
th
position), that means:
7
th
fret (VII): 1
st
finger (index finger)
8
th
fret (VIII): 2
nd
finger (middle finger)
9
th
fret (IX):
3
rd
finger (ring finger)
10
th
fret (X): 4
th
finger (little finger)
...and for the A minor scale/A minor pentatonic scale (5
th
position):
5
th
fret (V):
1
st
finger (index finger)
6
th
fret (VI):
2
nd
finger (middle finger)
7
th
fret (VII): 3
rd
finger (ring finger)
8
th
fret (VIII): 4
th
finger (little finger)
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