| Author | Message | |||
| bob
Intermediate Member Username: bob Post Number: 177 Registered: 11-2002 |
(that didn't work... ) (Message edited by bob on April 06, 2004) | |||
| bob
Intermediate Member Username: bob Post Number: 178 Registered: 11-2002 |
I've been thinking about posting this for a long time, usually deciding that most everyone here knows more than I do anyway... but then I see something like effclef's recent story about his niece having her first lesson, and the whole concept of learning is quite fascinating to me, so here you go. A while back (more than a year now) there were some comments in another thread about how some people prefer to think in terms of visual images rather than words. While I clearly have a tendency to be long-winded, I really do like non-verbal thinking, and find this to be especially true when it comes to playing music. Don't get me wrong - I think music theory is very important. I've got quite a collection of books, and have spent a lot of time studying over the years. But I think it's still fair to say that learning scale patterns - and the quickest possible way to get from notes you hear in your head to fingering positions, almost as a reflex with as little intellectual activity as possible - is an essential skill. At the same time, when I hear someone tell me, "learn to play a major seventh arpeggio, all up and down the neck, and then learn it in all twelve keys"... well, I just want to go put on a CD or something instead (sorry Dino, nothing personal). I just happen to be lousy at memorizing stuff, though I'm pretty good with patterns and concepts. So about ten years ago, when I was switching from guitar to bass, I put together this little cheat sheet for myself.  (Credit where due: the positions, fingering patterns, and accessible scale modes in each position, are taken from "The Improvisor's Bass Method", by Chuck Sher, though I believe this is all pretty standard stuff. The colors are just those which happened to feel right to me, somewhat limited by the felt tip markers I was able to find, and are not based upon any existing scheme that I know of.) This should all be pretty self explanatory. But for me, what really helped was extending the pattern across many more strings (this one has a low B and high C).  We all know that with equal tuning the pattern has to repeat, though it's pretty hard to visualize with only four strings. But once I see the whole thing, I can tell myself that by learning just one single pattern, I already know how to play eight of the most popular (Western) scales in all twelve keys. Plus, at least in theory, it shouldn't be very difficult to move from a 4 string to a 5 (which turned out to be true). If you happen to find these interesting enough to look at further, I suggest you download and print the pdf versions below - they look lousy on screen, but print much better than the jpegs above. (Hmm, can't seem to use the "attach{file}" tag? Or maybe I need to use that "Upload Attachment..." button, but I thought I did this before. If anyone cares, I can try again or just email them) Just a slightly different way of looking at things; maybe some of you will find it useful. -Bob | |||
| keavin
Advanced Member Username: keavin Post Number: 212 Registered: 12-2002 |
very interestring bob, im still in my studying, so you can email me any "musical food" that you can thanks! (we all are still learning!) my email is- :antiquealembicbass0012@msn.com | |||
| hollis
Intermediate Member Username: hollis Post Number: 112 Registered: 11-2003 |
Love those visuals.......Ever since that Grateful Dead concert in 1968....... Thanks for the concept Bob. Though guitar is my main instrument, I have been known to pluck away on the low strings upon occasion.... It's very cool when the fretboard starts making sense. For many years I played from 1st position to 2nd position and on up. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I viewed the fretboard in sections rather than the whole. Over the years that has changed to a kind of recognition of the patterns of the entire fretboard. There's a certain sense of freedom as a result.....Now if I can only figure out what those tuning knobs are for....... | |||
| bassman10096
Advanced Member Username: bassman10096 Post Number: 304 Registered: 7-2003 |
Bob: Very good way of looking at the patterns. It is very telling to see how regularly the patterns repeat when you increase the lateral reach (by envisioning more strings). I also found your comment on moving from 4 string to 5 to be dead-on: I've been a 4 string player for more years than I care to think, but just started playing around with a 5 string. Now keep in mind, I am the last person who would be "well suited" for multiple strings (short fingers). However, with the addition of one more string laterally, I'm finding I already know how to reach for notes nearly two octaves apart across the fingerboard. I realized quickly that this relates back to intuitive understanding for scale patterns. Rather than jumping between positions to get to the notes I want (like on a 4 string), I'm really enjoying looking for (and finding!) my notes within the same position. Hope that made sense...But I'm liking it. Now I'm struggling with whether my next Alembic will be a brown bass or some kind of 5 string (with the narrowest neck Alembic can make!). Bill | |||
| smokin_dave
Member Username: smokin_dave Post Number: 96 Registered: 10-2002 |
I started playing a 5 last Aug.and it sure makes playing in the key of F a whole lot easier.The 5 has set me free.Great scale chart too.I'll turn some of my students on to this.Thanks. | |||
| palembic
Senior Member Username: palembic Post Number: 1263 Registered: 9-2002 |
Gosh how do you guys read this?? I can't understand &@^#*&%#<><_(!#t. Th eonly things I see are color balls on a wire. No ...no joke ...I just don't get it! Paul the bad one | |||
| adriaan
Intermediate Member Username: adriaan Post Number: 185 Registered: 6-2002 |
I'm with you, Paul. And I'm not even colour-blind (well, don't ask my wife - she thinks I am). The pictures remind me of Klavarskribo. My 3 1/2 year old son knows a few letters, and he was looking at a beginner's piano book, where they had the top view of the keyboard and the letter for each key. So he was asking what was what, and he was really trying to match the letters to the piano keys. Let's see if he has a lasting interest, and perhaps follow-through on formal music training, unlike his dad :-P | |||
| keavin
Advanced Member Username: keavin Post Number: 222 Registered: 12-2002 |
palembic,i dont understand a *&%$##@#$@#^&* thing either! ,(but we gotta 'support' each other.) im gonna figure this #%@!^% out one way or another! | |||
| cdf
Member Username: cdf Post Number: 74 Registered: 5-2003 |
Bob, Very interesting. If weren't any trouble I would love to get a printable copy of your charts. My email is cdf@theworld.com Many thanks, Court | |||
| bare_handed
New Username: bare_handed Post Number: 4 Registered: 3-2004 |
If it's not too much trouble, could I get in line for a printable copy of this too? E-mail is RFergus1@AOL.coom | |||
| hollis
Intermediate Member Username: hollis Post Number: 117 Registered: 11-2003 |
PTBO, Put on your stocking....... It'll all become clear! | |||
| palembic
Senior Member Username: palembic Post Number: 1266 Registered: 9-2002 |
Oh ...huh ...what are those nice nude thin girls doing between those scales???? | |||
| hollis
Intermediate Member Username: hollis Post Number: 118 Registered: 11-2003 |
The Hully Gully? | |||
| bob
Intermediate Member Username: bob Post Number: 182 Registered: 11-2002 |
(obsolete) (Message edited by bob on April 08, 2004) | |||
| bob
Intermediate Member Username: bob Post Number: 183 Registered: 11-2002 |
With luck, here's the 4 string pdf version: Oops, that one was my fault. There was a small glitch in the one I first posted here (and also mailed to two of you, so I'll resend), and Paul must have had his stocking off long enough to catch it. The inline image above is fine, so unless you looked at the pdf then skip this. It's a small thing, but quite confusing: on the pdf chart with the 4 string, the musical notes on the staff in the center had the E colored as green though it should have been light blue (as it is elsewhere, including the associated Phyrigian label). The corrected version should appear a couple posts down (don't think I can replace it here). (Message edited by bob on April 08, 2004) | |||
| bob
Intermediate Member Username: bob Post Number: 184 Registered: 11-2002 |
... and the one with a whole bunch of strings:
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| bob
Intermediate Member Username: bob Post Number: 185 Registered: 11-2002 |
To borrow a phrase from one of our Pauls - Aaaarrrggh! I found the file that had light blue instead of green, and so of course it turned out to be 2K over the size limit for posting, so this one is zipped. Do something like right-click, Save As, and then unzip. Sorry for the mess here.
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| cdf
Member Username: cdf Post Number: 78 Registered: 5-2003 |
Bob, Many thanks,this is great Court | |||
| effclef
Intermediate Member Username: effclef Post Number: 121 Registered: 1-2004 |
Bob, small typo - 7th fret is actually labeled as VI. Great job, though. Sometimes a picture really, REALLY helps! EffClef | |||
| mint_bass
Member Username: mint_bass Post Number: 87 Registered: 1-2004 |
this is a different and cool way to think a am a bit confused but i think i get it so thanks for posting it well done |
scale_full.pdf
scale_4.pdf