How to Play Major Scales on Bass Guitar

Learning to play a major scale is a major beginning step on the bass guitar. The major scale is the underlying structure of most of the songs you will hear on the radio. The 7-note scale is part of what's called the "chromatic" structure. When you learn the major scale on the fretboard of your bass guitar, you'll know more about picking notes and your music theory skills will get a considerable boost.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. Get familiar with the sound of the major scale. If you're not used to it, sing the scale with "do re mi fa so la ti do." The "do" note is the beginning and end of the scale, called an octave, where you come around once again to the beginning note. For example, in a scale starting with C, the "do re mi" is C, D, E, F, G, A, B and C.

2. Find a starting position on the bottom string of your bass guitar. Lots of player start out in G or C for a major scale. G is the third fret, C is the eighth.

3. Recognize the system of steps and half-steps. Some notes have "sharps" (written # in sheet music). The full note sequence goes: A, A#, B, C, C#, D, D#, E, F, F#, G and G#. That's 12 half-steps or frets. Knowing which ones are sharps and which are not will help you figure out the scale.

4. Use a system of representing these steps and half-steps on your fretboard. There are many different ways to work out scales on the fretboard. The basic rule is to get the same note on a string above another string, start 5 frets lower. If this is not clear, look at a diagram of a fret board.

5. Locate your notes one step at a time. For a half step, like between E and F, go up 1 fret and for a full step, like between C and D, go up 2 frets.

6. Practice walking up and down the scale. This will get your finger technique better along with your new knowledge of the fretboard.