BASS GUITAR FOR DUMMIES CHEAT SHEET

From Bass Guitar For Dummies, Book + Online Video &

Audio Instruction, 3rd Edition

By Patrick Pfeiffer

The real fun and challenge of playing a bass guitar is that the patterns of the

chords and scales never change, no matter what musical key you’re in.

Memorizing the order of your bass’s musical notes can prepare you to tackle those

chords and scales. Once you know the notes, you can master basic chords, 7th

chords, modes, and solo scales and become a truly versatile bassist. And while

you’re working on those chords and scales, use playing exercises to strengthen

your left hand and increase your versatility even more!

THE ORDER OF MUSICAL NOTES

Knowing the sequence of musical notes is basic to understanding how to play

music. On a bass guitar, each note (including sharps, #, and flats, ♭ó) is one fret,

or a half step, away from the note next to it. Knowing how to read music is not

nearly as important to bass players as it is for classical musicians. However, if you

have a basic understanding of chords and scales and memorize the order of the
notes for your bass guitar, it will go a long way toward helping you know how to

place your fingers when someone shouts for an “E” or an “A.”

BASIC AND 7TH CHORDS, MODES, AND SOLO SCALES FOR

BASS GUITAR

In order to play bass guitar well, you need to acquaint yourself with some important

chords and modes (scales). A basic understanding of music will help you master

these approaches, but here’s an overview of what you need to know:

 Basic chords, or triads: These consist of the three most important notes of

any musical scale: root (1st), 3rd, and 5th. You can find the notes for the

triad by playing any scale up to the 5th note, skipping every other note.

 7th chords: A 7th chord has one more note than the triad — the 7. The

sound of a 7th chord is a little more complex than the sound of a triad, and

it’s extensively used in contemporary music.

 Modes, or scales: In almost all songs, one mode (scale)

predominates. Mode is simply a fancy word for a musical scale. Know the
 mode you’re playing in, and you’re well on your way to providing great bass

lines for any song.

 Solo scales: A solo scale is exactly what it sounds like — a scale you play

when you’re soloing or the featured player in a band. Solos are usually

reserved for traditional melody instruments, such as saxophones, but

bassists are also asked to perform solos on occasion.

Following is a readily accessible diagram of the most important chords and modes

for your bass playing endeavors. The open circles on each diagram represent the

root of a chord or scale — the starting point for your fingers. The black dots

represent the chord- and scale-tones.

You only need three strings to complete an octave, thus the three string diagrams

presented here — even though your bass has four or more strings.
STRENGTHENING THE LEFT HAND TO INCREASE BASS PLAYING
VERSATILITY

For bass guitar players, a strong and limber left hand makes playing the bass more

comfortable and enjoyable, and it helps in tackling complex chords and scales. A

good exercise for the left hand is the following permutation exercise:

 1 stands for the index finger.

 2 stands for the middle finger.

 3 stands for the ring finger.

 4 stands for the pinkie.

Simply play through each column on every string and notice how your hands

become more and more coordinated and limber. The numbers represent the

different fingers of your left hand:

ASS GUITAR EXERCISES FOR DUMMIES CHEAT SHEET

From Bass Guitar Exercises For Dummies

By Patrick Pfeiffer

Playing bass guitar well, much like playing any other musical instrument, requires

practice. And how do you practice? You play exercises, often over and over, until

you master them. Fun, no? You’ll have an easier time mastering bass guitar

exercises if you understand how to read music and tablature and have a basic

understanding of common bass grooves.

BASS GUITAR COMMON GROOVE SKELETON, GROOVE APEX,

AND GROOVE TAIL PLACEMENTS

Playing the bass guitar well means playing grooves. Everyone loves groovy bass

rhythms. Using the following figures (and lots of practice), you can play a perfectly

authentic groove in just about any of the main musical genres. Best of all, you can

do so using the same set of notes for each of the grooves. These grooves fit over

any major, minor, or dominant chord. One size fits all .

Grooves for multiple music genres.

Ambiguous Harmony Box for major, minor, and dominant chords.

BASS GUITAR MUSIC: NOTE NAMES AND VALUES

Knowing how to read music really helps if you want to play bass guitar. The

following figures present your main rhythms (with rest symbols included free of

charge) and the note names on the fingerboard of your bass. You also see how the

notes correspond to written music and tablature. With these figures, you now have

the tools to start reading music, literally becoming literate — on bass, that is.

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Note values and corresponding rests.
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HOW TO POSITION YOUR LEFT HAND FOR BASS GUITAR

Knowing proper left-hand position for bass guitar will make fretting chords and

fingering strings simpler because the left hand will be more comfortable. By

keeping it loose and relaxed, you’ll be able to fret the strings with the least amount

of effort. The proper position also enables you to play at great speed and with great

accuracy.

You want your left hand to cover one fret per finger without causing any undue

stress in your hand. This spacing will set up your hand to execute almost any

musical figure without shifting. When you do have to shift, a move of one fret in

either direction usually suffices.

1.- Stretch your left arm out in front of you.

Keep your wrist and hand limp.

2Without changing the angle on your wrist, turn your hand over so that your palm

faces up and your fingers are slightly curved.

Position your thumb so that it faces your index finger (or the area between your

index and middle fingers).

3Bring your elbow in to the side of your rib cage (without moving your hand) until the

bass guitar's neck is in the palm of your hand.

Don’t close your hand yet!

4Place the tip of your thumb on the middle of the

back of the neck.

5- Gently spread your fingers onto the strings,

with each finger close to an adjacent fret.

Curl your fingers until your fingertips are on one of the

strings. Be sure to keep the tips of your fingers close

to the frets as you play.

HOW TO POSITION YOUR RIGHT HAND FOR FINGER-STYLE

BASS GUITAR

Although there are many popular right-hand bass guitar techniques, it is important

to learn how to position your right hand for finger-style playing, which is the most
flexible and widely used bass guitar technique, used in virtually all styles of music.

This technique also allows you to work more efficiently with dynamics (accenting

certain notes).

The name finger-style refers to the use of the index and middle fingers. You can

hear this style in country, rock, jazz, and funk—and just about any other type of

music. Jaco Pastorius, James Jamerson, and Francis Rocco Prestia are only three

of the multitude of bassists who use this technique.

1.- Bring your right arm up while keeping your wrist, hand, and fingers

relaxed.

Keep your wrist at a 45-degree angle (approximately), keep your thumb facing your

index finger, and keep your fingers gently curved, with your fingertips pointing to

the floor. Bend your elbow and keep it slighty away from your rib cage.

2.- Let your hand approach the instrument until

your thumb settles onto the thumb rest or the

pickup.

Keep your elbow next to your body, not behind it.

3.- Settle the weight of your arm onto your thumb.

This position may take some time to get used to, but it keeps your hand and

shoulder in their most relaxed state. In this position, you can feel which string

you’re playing instead of having to look to see where you are.

4.- Reach for your high string with your

index or middle finger.

Your thumb has to bend a little more, and your hand

must pivot out on it to reach the highest string.

[REMEMBER] The terms high string and low string refer to the sound of the

strings, not to the position of your hand. Your high string is actually the string

closest to your feet, whereas your low string is closest to your head.