This creates a delayed resolution in your lines and adds a new twist to things. Even referring to them as “scales” (plural) is misleading since, in reality, there’s just one gigantic chromatic scale from the lowest to highest register for every instrument. In my previous article entitled “Guide Tones” we learned how to create lines using guide tones that resolve from one chord to the next. I love this approach to chromatic scales for two major reasons: While there are countless ways to practice these deceptively tricky scales, I find that getting proficient with these three approaches will take you a long way toward building a solid foundation on the bass. Therefore, it’s a great warm-up exercises for just about any playing situation. Now check your email to confirm your subscription. We’re continuing our beginner bass series this week with chromatic scales. After playing the initial open E string, each string gets six notes played on it. Good luck. Remember, you can also download all these examples as a PDF if you like. Check out my post on how I like to approach the bow. Scales & Arpeggios, Transcriptions In this lesson, John Goldsby talks about the scale which all bassists should be practising. Sponsorships for the overall site are displayed in the sidebar and in the text area for relevant posts. You’ll land with the first finger on the same exact notes as in the lower positions. There’s a beauty to this pattern due to its symmetry. The C major scale is the diatonic scale in the key of C major and theC minor scale is the diatonic scale in thekey of C minor. When approached intelligently, however, mastering chromatic scales will level up your bass game tremendously, and there are several good entry points that I recommend for beginning and intermediate bassists. Any paid sponsorships for specific content will be disclosed in the relevant post. Chromatic scales don’t map neatly onto the bass fingerboard. We’ve created a downloadable PDF guide for all of these, and we’ve got a PDF with these chromatic scale exercises for you here as well. Pretty cool, huh? I’d like some advice for this figure. 8 comments. share. Jason previously served on the faculty for DePaul University, the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and Trinity International University. The first finger is outlining a fully diminished 7th chord. It has stuck with me ever since, and it’s a great way to develop your chromatic scale game. You can also employ the concept of “delayed resolution” using the chromatic approach. If you’re starting out with these chromatic scales, you may also be new to the bass bow. for scale and arpeggio study on the double bass are brilliant, but like many studies from the 20th century, they need revision to match the 21st century instrument. save. 32. Instead of resolving your melodic ideas from the 7th to the 3rd scale degree in ½ step intervals, the double chromatic approach resolves to the 3rd of the chords in a chromatic fashion. C Major 1- 4-1 1 o 3 1- 1 0 1 2 4 2 2 1- Two Octave Scales 3 O 2 O 1- 2 4 1 1 3 2- 2 o 1 2 o 1 4 1 -1 3 4 2 1- D Major 4 1 4 1 2 1 1 Bass 4 0 Like the one string chromatic scale. This blog is sponsored by a variety of companies. Jason Heath is the host of Contrabass Conversations, a podcast devoted to exploring music and ideas associated with the double bass. 32. Half and First position Chromatic Scale. If played on just one string, chromatic scales actually do fit neatly into a fingering pattern. The example below illustrates this concept. Publisher V.I.E., LLC. Chromatic Scale Bass Diagram 1 Octave Chromatic Scale Starting On A. It’s a highly symmetrical pattern, making it excellent for playing slurred exercises. I think that he learned it from working with Albert Laszlo at the Aspen Music Festival. I posted this on r/bass and was directed here. If you create one hundred of them, you’re well on your way to mastering these concepts. I think of this is a “training wheels” chromatic scale. 28. Success! I just recently bought it and the seller had played with it like that for about 10 years. Luckily, three of the four closed notes on each string can be checked in this fashion: I like to have students practice this pattern until it feel automatic and each note is reliably in tune. It's the secret sauce which will help many aspects of your bass playing, from intonation to improvisation: the chromatic scale. The Nature of Sound, part 1 in this music theory series. An active double bass performer and teacher, Jason is a member of the Board of Directors for the International Society of Bassists. All three will teach you to look at the bass fingerboard in a new way, and I continue to practice all three approaches on a regular basis. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. In the pattern below, the 4th finger of the fretting hand plays two notes on each string. In C major, the diatonic notes are C D E F G A B and the chromatic notes are C#/Db D#/Eb F#… Jason’s former students hold positions in the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Grant Park Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, and Philharmonie Südwestfalen. Just remember what note your first finger will be landing on: Ab, B, D, and F, which happens to be a fully diminished 7th chord. They also happen to be one of the most frustrating things for beginners to practice, however. Grab these PDF exercises and put in regular work on this If you’re patient and work on these consistently, you’ll be amazed at the progress you make. Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress, Rufus Reid’s monumental book The Evolving Bassist, National Symphony bassist and Peabody Conservatory faculty member Ira Gold, Albert Laszlo at the Aspen Music Festival. Diatonic basically means in key and any notes that don’t belong in that scale are called chromatic. Triadic Mastery – Supercharge Your Bass Playing For Life, Gator Transit Series Bass Guitar Gig Bag Review, Interview with Bassist Lionel Dean Jarvis. Posted by Jason | Jun 12, 2020 | Bass, Bass Videos, Blog Posts, Left Hand Technique, Technique | 0. I first picked this exercise up from National Symphony bassist and Peabody Conservatory faculty member Ira Gold. So far, we’ve covered one octave major scales, minor scales, and major arpeggios. It also … Tempo is quarter=130. I’ve always had a love-hate relationship with chromatic scales. As the title reads, my double bass is coming apart. Please try again. There’s a separation starting on the c bout between the side and back. Here are my three favorite ways to approach chromatic scales, arranged in order of complexity. Try slurring 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, and even 12 notes together and you’ll see what I mean. also practice this on the other three strings. The third of the chord is being approached below by two notes in a chromatic sequence. Also, keep in mind that there are a whole bunch of notes that you can check when playing this scale. After all, music does not tend to fall into neat and tidy fingering boxes, especially on the bass! The third degree of the chord is important because it defines whether the chord is major or minor. There are several approaches to playing chromatic scale on the bass guitar. I’ve had a lot of students practice with a visual tuner for each note, not moving on until the note is exactly in tune on the tuner display. After you get comfortable with this pattern, you can extend it into the second octave of the fingerboard, with the same three note grouping. 2 ... A series of chromatic scale exercises are also offered that follow the template of the major and minor scales. While there is some value to that for sure, I’m most interested in being able to find all of the notes I am playing by referencing either an open string or a natural harmonic. Posted by 1 day ago. There was an error submitting your subscription. Of course, you can (and should!) In major and minor keys, the scales we use to make up all the melodies and chords within those keys are called diatonic. These musical ideas should be memorized, played in all keys, and become a part of you and your musical vocabulary. In so ways, they are the most important scale to practice. Win a Year of Free Lessons From a Bass Maestro at ArtistWorks! The seventh degree also defines a major, minor, or flat 7th for dominant 7th chords. Your goal is to be able to create melodic lines that use guide tones that resolve from one chord to the next in a smooth, flowing fashion. Instead of always resolving the guides tones on beat one of the progressions, try resolving your ideas on beat two using the chromatic approach. I think that I first discovered this fingering back in high school practicing through Rufus Reid’s monumental book The Evolving Bassist. Subscribe to get our weekly newsletter covering the double bass world. This fingering is a great place to start because it incorporates the open strings and it follows the exact same pattern on each string. The next idea I’m presenting to you employs the double chromatic approach. Practicing a chromatic scale with a drone pitch is tough since there are so many dissonances. Instead of resolving your melodic ideas from the 7 th to the 3 rd scale degree in ½ step intervals, the double chromatic approach resolves to the 3 rd of the chords in a chromatic fashion.