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Bass Guitar Scales Underneath Guitar Chords
There are two kinds of bass guitar players. One type has learned to use a few chords and the root notes yet has not reached beyond that. The other type of bass player learns the right way to properly use bass scales beneath chords and can always come up with innovative ideas regarding what to play. Which type are you?
If you’re a bass player you know about playing the root note of what ever guitar chord the rest of the band is performing. It’s possible you likewise know how to play the triads; or the three notes that comprise the guitar chord the guitar player is playing. Absolutely nothing wrong with mastering and playing those but they are really just the building blocks to what really skilled bassists do which is to play bass scales beneath chords.
If you are playing three note chords,or triads, you’re actually playing notes from either a major or a minor scale. And these kinds of simple scales tend to be a good starting point. Remember that even though a piece of music may be in the key of G, as soon as the band changes to the C chord you need to be playing a C scale, either a major or minor, not continue playing a G scale. While almost all the notes match, the key in this is to try to at minimum start thinking in scales per chord.
If you want it might be easier for you to first learn two simple 5 note scales. They are usually known as pentatonic scales. We have a pentatonic major and a pentatonic minor scale. The pentatonic scales are the three notes that make up the chord plus two additional notes. If the middle note within the chord is a major note you’d be playing the major pentatonic scale, if your middle note is a minor note you’d be playing the minor pentatonic scale. You might also make use of the minor pentatonic scale beneath seventh chords, but I will get into that in another write-up.
Allowed me to offer you a good example. The guitar player is playing a C major chord. These notes are C, E, and G. The right pentatonic scale for playing under this chord will be the major which happens to be C, D, E, G. A. Just five notes. If your guitar player is playing a C minor chord which is C, E flat, and G; you’d probably use the minor pentatonic scale that is C, E flat, F, G, and B flat.
Once you mastered each of the common pentatonic scales, the next stage with your playing is to try to understand both the total major scale and the full minor scale. Each of these scales will usually sound right under particular chords. Also remember that when you use pentatonic scales, it doesn’t matter what key the piece of music is in, just what chord is being used at the time, which determines which scale you need to be playing.
Try using these kinds of simple scales under chords when you perform and you will probably start to discover countless new possibilities for your bass playing.
For a more in depth lesson check out this video: Bass Minor Scale
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