How to Play Chromatic Scales for the Upright Bass

A chromatic scale is a scale in which every note is played between the starting note and the same note an octave away. On a piano this would mean playing all the white and black keys between those two notes. Bass players use notes of the chromatic scale to add interest and style to moving bass lines. This sound is familiar in jazz and funk music particularly.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Pick a note on the bass and play a major scale up from that note. Now play the same scale again, but this time add it every half step along the way so that you play every note in the octave. This is a chromatic scale.

2. Use all four strings on the bass to play a chromatic scale. Play four notes on each string, and move your left hand position toward the head of the bass each time you move to the next string.

3. Play a chromatic scale up and down without changing your hand position along the neck of the bass. As you go up the scale, play four notes on the first string and five on each of the other strings, sliding your first finger so that you can use it to play two notes on strings two through four.

4. Experiment with chromatic scales in different positions along the neck of the bass and using different strings to sound the notes. This is a valuable exercise for learning note positions up and down the finger board.

5. Select a simple bass line to underlie a chord progression in a piece of music, and play it out. Then play it again adding some chromatic notes between the others as connectors. This is the beginning of using chromatic scales to add interest to walking bass lines.