Bass Emporium Newsletter - February 2009
Ed Friedland's
Bass Emporium Lesson #6: Two Octave Major Scales - All Over The Place
by Ed Friedland
Continuing along with the idea that anything worth knowing on the bass is worth knowing all over the neck, this month we'll look at a two-octave major scale (in C). Unless you play a 5 or 6 string bass, a two-octave scale will require position shifts to complete. The double octave range will also offer up many more opportunities to find unique fingerings. In general, it's always a good idea to have one fingering that makes the most sense to you—this way, when you have to actually play a two-octave major scale (it happens), you'll have a comfortable default fingering you can rely on. However, things don't always go according to plan, so it's good to have options. But rather than sitting around memorizing fingerings, what you really need to do is learn the musical information so thoroughly that you can spontaneously generate fingerings anywhere on the neck at will. To accomplish this, you must know: the specific note names of each key, where those notes occur all through the neck, the numerical formula that represents those notes, and the intervallic structure of the scale (where the whole and half steps occur). That's not asking too much is it?
Example 1 takes us across the neck in Open Position, and then climbs all the way up the G string to finish the second octave. It's not the most compact fingering, but more likely than not, you'll wind up using this one day if you don't prepare in advance. While inconvenient, it is important to be able to work your way through a scale along one string.
Example 2 uses the "Universal" one-octave fingering for the first octave, and then climbs up the G string like the previous example.
Example 3 climbs up the D string to complete the first octave, then continues up the G string. Even though there are many shifts, you should always try to find positions when ever possible. You can play the first 5 notes of the scale in one position, then shift between the 4th finger G to first finger A. You can play A through F in one position, then shift to the first finger on the 12th fret G to complete the scale.
Example 4 takes a more diagonal approach, putting the first 4 notes on the A string. You can use the extension fingerings we looked at in lesson #1 to make this more elegant—first finger on C, second finger on D, third finger E, fourth finger F. Make sure to pivot—don't force the stretch! Use the same fingering for the next 4 notes (G-C) on the D string, then shift to the first finger on the 12th fret D.
Example 5 uses one of my favorite fingerboard "tricks"—bouncing off an open string to shift to a higher position. The weird part is playing the next higher note in the scale on a lower string (you'll get used to it). After playing open D, shift to E with the first finger on the 7th fret A string, then continue.
Example 6 is a more extreme version of the open string bounce. It uses the open G to shoot all the way up to the 12th fret on the A string. The timbral difference between these two notes is very pronounced, but you can diminish that by finessing the open G with lots of fleshy finger pad on the attack. This fingering works best for fast tempos where the sonic discrepancy will fly by too fast to register with the ear.
Example 7 is the first one to use what I consider the smart approach—cutting the physical distance you need to travel in half. By starting on the 8th fret C on the E string, you avoid a lot of shifts. This fingering takes you through the scale as far as one position will allow, then moves up the G string.
Example 8 is my default fingering for a two-octave major scale. Play scale degrees 1-5 in one position, then shift to scale degree 6 on the same string with the first finger, and complete the pattern.
Example 9 is another diagonal approach, it moves up 5 notes on the E string, then switches to the A for 3 notes, then 4 on the D and the last 3 notes on the G.
Example 10 is similar to the last one, but uses an extension fingering on the G string to avoid one shift. It's easy to make these extensions work in the upper register where the frets are closer together.
Example 11 is just plain silly, it shifts all the way up the first octave on the A string, and most of the way up the second octave on the D. It's not practical, and perhaps not even advisable, but... you
should (there's that parental voice coming in) be able to do it.
These are just a few of the possible fingerings available to play a two-octave major scale. And, as I said earlier-rather than memorize fingerings, LEARN THE MUSICAL INFORMATION. That will allow you to play freely through the neck. And guess what? There are 12 keys for you to work this out in, not to mention Natural, Melodic, and Harmonic Minors, all the modes... etc. This represents a good chunk of time. Yeah, you can probably keep your gig without knowing this stuff, but this is just a fraction of the information that trained musicians (on any instrument) must master. It's your choice of course—just because you call yourself a musician, no one will force you to learn the fundamentals music and become a better player (how's that for guilt?). So, get off your tail, saddle up, and git on that horse pardner!
Ed Friedland is a renowned Bassist, Educator and Author. He has authored over 15 books and DVDs and has played with the likes of Joe Beck, Larry Coryell, Robben Ford, Paul Horn, Clay Jenkins, Mike Metheny, Bud Shank, Lew Tabackin & Michal Urbaniak to name just a few. Ed is also currently teaching at Bass Emporium in Austin, Texas. Check out the Ed Friedland website for full information about him at http://www.edfriedland.com/.
