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Creative Bass Lessons

  • Bass lesson one
  • Bass lesson two
  • Bass lesson three
  • Bass lesson four
  • Bass lesson five
  • Bass lesson six
  • Bass lesson seven

Welcome to the Creative Formula for the Bass Guitar.  Its great to be back with a new program.  Today we are going to take a look at the G minor scale and its relationships to the Bb major scale, C minor, F# major and Eb major.  First in line is the action of the G minor and how it plays out with a smooth sound. I personally like the connection from one G to the octave G on the twelve fret of the bass.  Octaves keep the audience excited when played as riffs and fillers in song patterns.  With the G minor scale I also like to inject chromatic tones in between the scale degrees.  For example:  (G A Bb D D Eb F)-- (G G# A Bb C C#)--(D Eb E F# G).  The chromatic influence is so important to the life blood of a solo because I use the pattern as building blocks for major and minor chord arpeggios, augmented and diminished scales.   For example : (G Bb D F)--(Bb D F A)--(D F A C)--(F A C Eb).  Start with the arpeggios of the scale in its natural format and then embellish their strong points across the fretboard. Also in G minor add tonal colors and variety by using open strings to surprise your listener and to keep them on the edge of their seats.  Double your style by expanding rhythmic sounds that start at different accent points, like up beats.

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Today's lesson will be on the Ab major scale and its relationships to Db, Eb major.  Also keep in mind the definite style of the approach that is involved when learning this type of maneuver you can add several elements to your bass tone correspondence when using this type of expression.  I like to use the F minor scale in its three forms the natural, harmonic, and melodic to exhaust the solo performance entitles.  For example: ( F G Ab Bb C Db Eb F) the notes in  the minor scale.  Now with the creative formula I take each degree of the scale and set my improvisational table based on the chordal arpeggio of each degree for example:  (F  Ab C Eb)---(G Bb D F)--(Ab C Eb G)--(Bb D F Ab)---(C Eb G Bb)---(Db F Ab C)--(Eb G Bb D)--(F Ab C Eb)

Now lets take a look at some key points that I put into action when I devise a solo pattern or assemble my bass riffs.  The second degree is the arpeggio to the melodic minor scale with the D natural, and the  fourth degree is the arpeggio from the mixolydian scale in a minor oppose to the mixolydian, scale in a major.The idea method is to link the F chromatic scale with one of the scale degrees of tone colors when applying double stops.  For example:  run the F scale and the C scale right up the fretboard together, or the G mixolydian scale  with the D major scale.

The contextual form and the theory of my solos are based on personal style and scales. In the process I get a extension that falls in between a chord and arpeggio structure. A melodic adjustment opens up unlimited creativity. The scale in its natural state starts in a motion to continue a standard flow of major and minor runs. This fashion of chordal harmony such as thirds, fifths, and sevenths builds a strong foundation for your force centers.Extensions are used because of the cycles of fifths and its rules for progressions. Scales are also correlated to family chord centers. A melodic sentence is familiar even when it is played in opposite directions. Play across the neck for scale development, and play up and down the neck of the Bass Guitar for chord inversions. In this form of improvisation, the scale degree is an important factor. This process of intervals are part of my solo style because I start with a series of scale tones selected carefully and with the understanding of harmony and rhythm in mind.
For example: (A C E G Bb—A E G B D--- E B D F A---
G G# B D F--- C C# E G Bb) (F Ab C E G)
D Eb A Bb C---
Next I like to take a look at the composite of the melodic minor scale from the raise sixth degree and the raise seventh degree.

Today I like to take a look at some power riffs and the science of improvisation for movement up and down the neck. First lets look at the F major scale and its relationships to A minor , Bb major, C dominant, this a the foundation for a walking bass line.
In the key of F, covers the whole neck especially the whole tone scale, the blues scale, and my favorite the minor approach. Another method for study is the widely used exercise to exhaust the entire scale and its relationships to one another. For example:
(F G A Bb C D E F)---- (Bb C D Eb F G A Bb)---(C D E F G A Bb)
and also (G Ab Bb C D E F G).

We can also develop our
power riffs from the scale degrees in their natural position in a walking bass line fashion. This means the an walking bass line can help the artist cover a wide array melodic ground. Connect the notes together “F” to “F”, “Bb” to “Bb” and C
(F-G-A-Bb-C-D-E-F) (Bb-C-D-Eb-F-G-Ab-Bb) (C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C).

C major scale advance

Today I would like to take a look at the C major scale and take
a different approach or something I call C major advanced.

Lets call out the scale from the 3rd fret of the A string.
C- D- E –F- G -A -B -C/C- D –E- F -G –A- B- C. Explain: C to D is a major second, C to E is a major third, C to F is a perfect
fourth, C to G is a perfect fifth, C to A is a major sixth,
C to B is a major seventh, C to high C in an octave. If we use the compound jazz format C to D above high C is a ninth, C to E above high C is a flat eleventh, C to F above high C is a eleventh, C to A above high C is a thirteenth.
C to Bb above high C is sharp thirteenth, C to Db above high C is a flat ninth, C to D# or Eb is a sharp ninth, C to F# above high C is a sharp eleventh, and let’s not forget the all so wonderful C to Bb our dominant seventh.
With this knowledge of scale degrees and application of interval analyses you can develop your bass lines from the chords in the song patterns and the accidental notes in the chord. For example: C7 chord your bass line could start from the flatted seventh of the C major scale which is Bb. If a chord change has a C13th
you could start your bass line from the A note above high C in the major scale.
Today’s lesson is about to begin in a special way and in a new approach to the future of the electric bass guitar and its fundamentals toward establishing a firm foundation. In D minor, some of my golden nuggets that were acquired in my adventures on the Bass Guitar are measure by the classical music. The Masters of Composition like Mozart, Bach and others that inspire the course of study will make you a prominent musician. The key of D minor falls right in the middle of the fretboard making it easy to slap the bass and also execute
An array of skills and difficult maneuvers that enlighten your audience and the congregation (D F A)* (A C E) *(G Bb D)* (Bb D F)
(C E Bb) *(C# E G). Keep in mind "D" minor has a great choral or modal possibilities to lock in to your voice basically because its so close to the key of C major were most of your folk songs are written in that key, human voice or the human personalities for example: if you have a standard song like “Misty” you have twelve keys in which to sing the song in or twelve different people will have a choice of twelve keys to sing the song. Also
With the Bass, I like to use distinct fingering up and down the neck, like open strings, string skipping, counter clockwise motion, diagonal and horizontal positions. This adds perspective using the twelve tone system for your most exclusive power riffs. People are drawn closer to your creative aspirations when they are mesmerize by your skills. Another golden nugget that I acquire from the key of "D" minor is the note “D” is the clone of the human heart beat for example put a microphone to your chest and listen to your heart beat through the PA system and hit the note D on the Bass, give or take a half step this O’ wife’s tale holds to be very close to the truth.

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This solo table shows the melodic and harmonic qualities in the system. The science of this theory is hidden or superimposed in one single motion. The notes in the triad are arranged in a series within its scale octave to octave.
keep in mind these triads are products of scale development in motion. These notes can spring board melodic and harmonic creations to build your figures on in a spontaneous situation. Solo fashions and its functions will change over every new chord to mix up the sounds.
Major scale tones and inversions are design to enhance tonal patterns. The program is used for the development of improvisation for the bass guitar. This brings to mind the three fold composite with its overlay, 1. the note 2. scale 3.chord, and the overlay is 1. melody 2.harmony 3. rhythm
And the projection is 1. medium 2. song progression 3. variation.
C D E F G A B C
D E F# G A B C# D
E F# G# A B C# D# E
F G A Bb C D E F
G A B C D E F# G
A B C# D E F# G# A
B C# D# E F# G# A# B
C D E F G A B C




  There is three forms of minor scales, the first is the natural  minor or pure minor scale.   Example:  (A B C D E F G A) with the half steps falling on the second and third degree of the scale and also on the fifth and sixth degree of the scale. B diminished arpeggio and C major from the relative major.
Next is the harmonic minor scale with the raise seventh degree making theG natural a G# for example: ( A B C D E F G# A) adding a different tone color a cross between a major scale and minor scale.   The third form of the minor series is the melodic minor form which a raise sixth degree and a raise seventh degree ascending and a pure form descending.  Example: ( A B C D E F# G# A---A G F E D C B A).
This melodic minor is used with the major triad and a cross between the diminished arpeggios and perfect fifths.  Let us take a look ast some bascic fundaments  ( A C E G--C E G B--E G B D--G B D F).   And  also one of my favorites  (B D F G#)  and (F# A C E)
(G# B D F).  And another beautiful pattern that I use often is the perfect fifth harmony with the double stops.  Example: ( A/E B/F# C/G D/A E/B F/C G/D A/E).
Practice these scales on daily routine and eventually you will develop an ear and a skillful approach when its time for you to shine. The Basic outlook that is in perspective it the ability to learn songs, new concepts and the chief overall progress to achieve the highest accomplishments on the Bass Guitar.