Bass Edu
Hexatonic Scales
Hexatonic Scales… What’s going on basschicks and bassdudes!
In this lesson, we are going to talk about the Hexatonic scale. You are probably wondering what the heck this scale is and to be honest it is not just one scale. It is a classification of many different scales that all have one thing in common.
What is a Hexatonic Scale
Hexatonic scales are a classification of six noted scales. Basically, any scale with six notes is considered a hexatonic scale. When I am speaking of these types of scales we are not including the octave since it is technically the same note as the root. The three hexatonic scales we are going to talk about are the whole tone, blues, and augmented scales.
Whole Tone Scale
This scale is as easy as it sounds. Each note you play is going to be one step apart with no half steps. This scale does not have one note that stands out. This makes it easy if you are trying to learn your fretboard and write a groovy, funky tune.
This type of scale was first used by composers Franz Liszt, Mikhail Glinka, Modest Mussorgsky, and Alexander Borodin. Famous French composer Claude Debussy used this type of scale and whole tone pattern throughout his compositions.
STRUCTURE OF THE WHOLE TONE SCALE
No matter what note you start on, each note will be one step apart.
Some songs that utilize the whole tone scale:
- Stevie Wonder – You Are the Sunshine of My Life (introduction)
- One More Red Nightmare – King Crimson
- 30 seconds into The Simpsons theme song
- Claude Debussy – Voiles
- Thelonious Monk – Four in One
Blues Scale
There is no clear-cut time frame of when it actually began. It is said to have originated in the American south during the time of slavery. This scale is so popular it has its own genre of music: blues! This is also popular in other genres including various forms of rock, pop, funk, Jazz, etc.
This 6-noted scale is a minor pentatonic scale with a flatted fifth added.
STRUCTURE OF THE BLUES SCALE
There are a plethora of songs that utilize the blues scale including:
- Ice Cream Man – Van Halen
- Pride and Joy – Stevie Ray Vaughan
- Rock and Roll – Led Zeppelin
- Tush – ZZ Top
- Johnny B. Goode – Chuck Berry
- Tutti Frutti – Little Richard
- Crossroads – Eric Clapton
- I Got You (I Feel Good) – James Brown
- Red House – Jimi Hendrix
- Rave On – Buddy Holly
- Folsom Prison Blues – Johnny Cash
Augmented Scale
This is not a scale that you will see or hear very often. It is a strange scale but really cool to learn and improvise with.
This scale is also known as a minor third-half step scale because of the note progressions.
There are only four unique augmented scales because the scale is symmetrical and also does not have a leading tone like the whole tone scale.
When we talk about any augmented scales, triads, and chords there is going to be a plus sign (+) next to the note name.
Some songs that utilize the augmented scale:
- Straphangin’ – Michael Brecker
- One Down, One Up – John Coltrane
- Hoe-Down – Oliver Nelson
- Survival of the Fittest – Freddie Hubbard
- Oh Darling – The Beatles
I hope you all enjoyed this lesson and make sure to check out the other videos and lessons on Bass Musician Magazine’s YouTube and website!
Bass Edu
Premiere! Bass Playthrough With Foetal Juice’s Bassist Lewis Bridges – From the Album, Grotesque
Premiere! Bass Playthrough With Foetal Juice’s Bassist Lewis Bridges – From the Album, Grotesque
Bassist Lewis Bridges Shares…
“Gruesome’s sparse intro marks a stark contrast from the intensity of the rest of the album. The original intention was to keep the bass simple but colourful, however as I worked on it, the lines grew more expressive and the more striking flourishes began to emerge. The intensity builds into a harmonic minor passage that takes us into the drop — a signature death grind cacophony. This is where Foetal Juice thrives. You’re getting a full-on right-hand barrage to in the face to take you into a groove-laden mulch-fest.
I owe my throbbing bass tone to the Darkglass Alpha Omega pedal borrowed from our sound engineer, Chris Fielding (ex-Conan), mixed with the clarity of the tried and true Ampeg SVT CL.
As mentioned earlier, colourful basslines are important, especially in a one-guitar band. Chucking some funny intervals and odd flourishes here and there brings life into the brutality. There’s no point sounding brutal if it’s not gonna be fucking evil too!
Recording this playthrough was hard work. This was not the fault of James Goodwin (Necronautical), who was kindly filming and is ace to work with, but because in true Foetal fashion, we had stinking hangovers — and that jam room was hot!”
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Bass Edu
Bass Lines: The Circle
Bass Lines: The Circle…
Hello bass players and fans of bass! This month we’re going to study “The Circle.”
The Circle of Fourths can also be called “The Circle of Fifths or just The Circle.
Practicing the scales, chords, and ideas in general via the circle has been a common practice routine for jazz musicians and highly recommended.
It is a disciplined way of working through all twelve keys.
Plus, many bass root movements to jazz and pop songs move through sections of the circle.
Fig. 1 – “The Circle”
See you next month for more full bass attack!
#bassmusicianmag, #basslines, #bmmbasslines, #groovemaniac, #thecircle, #thecircleoffourths, #thecircleoffifths,#scales & #chords.
Bass Edu
Approach Notes – Part 5
Continuing our lesson of Approach Notes, Part 5…
In continuing with the concept of approach notes being applied to chord tones, this lesson approaches the root, third, fifth, and seventh degree of each arpeggio inversion by incorporating a double chromatic approach from above, and a single chromatic approach from below.
The first examples approach the root of a G major 7th arpeggio as a double chromatic from above and a single chromatic approach from below -before continuing to the third, fifth, seventh, double chromatic from above/ single from below to the root, continue to the third, fifth, and come back down.
The next example approaches the first inversion of G major 7th arpeggio.
A double chromatic from above/ single from below approaches the third, continue to the fifth, seventh, root, double chromatic from above/ single below to the third, continue up to the fifth and seventh, and back down.
The third example approaches a second inversion of a G major arpeggio.
A double chromatic from above/ single from below approaches the fifth, continue to the 7th, root, 3rd, double chromatic from above/ single from below to the 5th, continue to the 7th, root, and back down.
This final example approaches a third inversion of a G major 7th arpeggio.
A double chromatic from above and below approaches the 7th, continue to the root, 3rd, 5th, double chromatic from above and below to the 7th, continue to the root, 3rd, and back down.
Be sure to pace yourself with these lessons to avoid burning out.
Being overly ambitious with your practice schedule can lead to unrealistic expectations. Try learning one approach note concept and one chord type a week. Change your practice routine as necessary and tailor it to your needs as a musician. Good luck!
Bass Edu
BASS LINES – The Blue Notes (Minor Blues Scale)
Hello bass players and bass fans! Happy New Year 2024!
In this issue, we are going to study the blue notes.
In blues, jazz, and rock, a blue note is a note that (for expressive purposes) is sung or played at a slightly different pitch from standard. Typically the alteration is between a quartertone and a semitone, but this varies depending on the musical context.
The blue notes are usually said to be the lowered third(b3), lowered fifth(b5) and lowered seventh(b7) scale degrees. The lowered fifth(b5) is also known as the raised fourth(#4). Though the blues scale has “an inherent minor tonality, it is commonly ‘forced’ over major-key chord changes, resulting in a distinctively dissonant conflict of tonalities”.
Blue notes are used in many blues songs, in jazz, rock and in conventional popular songs with a “blue” feeling.
Formula:
The A Minor Blues Scale
1 – b3 – 4 – (#4/b5) – 5 – b7
A – C – D – (D#/Eb) – E – Bb
The grades(blue notes):
b3, (#4/b5), b7
C, (D#/Eb), Bb
See you next month for more full bass attack!
#bassmusicianmag, #basslines, #bmmbasslines, #groovemaniac, #thebluenotes, #minorbluesscale & #bluesscale
Bass Edu
BASS LINES: Staccato for Bass
Staccato for Bass…
Hello bass players and bass fans! In this issue, we are going to study the technique known as staccato.
When we talk about the staccato technique, we are referring to a form of musical articulation.
In modern notation, it signifies a note of shortened duration, separated from the note that may follow by silence.
* In 20th-century music, a dot placed above or below a note indicates that it should be played staccato.
* The opposite musical articulation of staccato is legato, signifying long and continuous notes.
Fig. 1 – An example of a normal notation.
Fig. 2 – Is the same example but now with the staccato articulation
Fig. 3 – A basic groove played and written in a normal notation.
Fig. 4 – The same basic groove using the staccato technique.
So, at the end of the day, you as a bassist will decide what type of technique you will use depending on the effect you want in your performance.
See you next year for more full bass attack!!! Happy Holidays & New Year 2024!!! Groove On!!!
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