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Bass Lesson — Applying Chord/Scale Theory bass tabs



(submitted by just3boyz)
This tab illustrates how to apply chord scale theory.
After looking over the tab I posted a while back,
I realized that it's pretty hard to understand...
Mainly because there's no actual tabs.
We will Use G as the root for all of these examples.

Layout:

—Name
—Interval
—Notes
—Tab
—Timing

First, let's look at a common chord:

|G Major |
|1 3 5 1 |
|G B D G |
G|————————————————||
D|————————————5———||
A|————2———5———————||
E|3———————————————||
|1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |

Then let's look at scales that contain the intervals in the chord:

|G Major Scale |G Lydian |
|1 (2) 3 (4) |5 (6) (7) 1 |1 (2) 3 (#4) |5 (6) (7) 1 |
|G A B C |D E F# G |G A B C# |D E F# G |
G|————————————————|————————————————||————————————————|————————————————||
D|————————————————|————2———4———5———||————————————————|————2———4———5———||
A|————————2———3———|5———————————————||————————2———4———|5———————————————||
E|3———5———————————|————————————————||3———5———————————|————————————————||
|1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |

|G Mixolydian |G Major Pentatonic |
|1 (2) 3 (4) |5 (6)(b7) 1 |1 (2) 3 5 (6) 1 |
|G A B C |D E F G |G A B D |E G |
G|————————————————|————————————————||————————————————|————————————————||
D|————————————————|————2———3———5———||————————————————|2———5———————————||
A|————————2———3———|5———————————————||————————2———5———|————————————————||
E|3———5———————————|————————————————||3———5———————————|————————————————||
|1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |

Notice how all four scales contain the intervals 1,3 and 5.
If the scales do not contain these intervals, they will not work.

If the chord was a G minor:

|G Minor |
|1 b3 5 1 |
|G Bb D G |
G|————————————————||
D|————————————5———||
A|————————5———————||
E|3———6———————————||
|1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |

None of the scales listed above would work because the G minor has a Bb (b3)
and none of those scales have a b3 (Bb)...THEY HAVE 3 (B)!

Here are some scales that would work over Minor Chords:

|G Aeolian (Natural Minor) |G Dorian |
|1 (2) b3 (4) |5 (b6)(b7) 1 |1 (2) b3 (4) |5 (6)(b7) 1 |
|G A Bb C |D Eb F G |G A Bb C |D E F G |
G|————————————————|————————————————||————————————————|————————————————||
D|————————————————|————————3———5———||————————————————|————2———3———5———||
A|————————————3———|5———6———————————||————————————3———|5———————————————||
E|3———5———6———————|————————————————||3———5———6———————|————————————————||
|1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |

|G Phrygian |G Minor Pentatonic |
|1 (b2) b3 (4) |5 (b6)(b7) 1 |1 b3 (4) 5 (b7) 1 |
|G Ab Bb C |D Eb F G |G Bb C D |F G |
G|————————————————|————————————————||————————————————|————————————————||
D|————————————————|————————3———5———||————————————————|3———5———————————||
A|————————————3———|5———6———————————||————————3———5———|————————————————||
E|3———4———6———————|————————————————||3———6———————————|————————————————||
|1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |

Notice that all of these scales contain b3...not 3.
This is what makes them work over minor chords...NOT MAJOR CHORDS!

You might be asking yourself: "What about the other notes in these scales!?"
The rest of the notes in the scale become "colors."
Since the chords we've looked at are only specific to 1,3 and 5, (or 1,b3 and 5)
You have the liberty to use these "colors."
If the Chord became more specific, for example: any Major 7 chord,
Then you would have to make sure any scale you use contains 1,3,5 AND 7

Here's what I mean:

|G Major 7 |
|1 3 5 7 |
|G B D F# |
G|————————————————||
D|————————————4———||
A|————2———5———————||
E|3———————————————||
|1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |

These three scales from before (That work over Major Chords) still work:

|G Major Scale |G Lydian |
|1 (2) 3 (4) |5 (6) 7 1 |1 (2) 3 (#4) |5 (6) 7 1 |
|G A B C |D E F# G |G A B C# |D E F# G |
G|————————————————|————————————————||————————————————|————————————————||
D|————————————————|————2———4———5———||————————————————|————2———4———5———||
A|————————2———3———|5———————————————||————————2———4———|5———————————————||
E|3———5———————————|————————————————||3———5———————————|————————————————||
|1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |

|G Major Pentatonic |
|1 (2) 3 5 (6) 1 |
|G A B D |E G |
G|————————————————|————————————————||
D|————————————————|2———5———————————||
A|————————2———5———|————————————————||
E|3———5———————————|————————————————||
|1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |

Notice how The G Mixolydian Scale is not in this group any more.
That is because The Mixolyian Scale has a b7...NOT 7!

Any Major Chord with a b7 would be considered a dominant 7th chord:

|G domiant 7 |
|1 3 5 b7 |
|G B D F |
G|————————————————|
D|————————————3———|
A|————2———5———————|
E|3———————————————|
|1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |

Here are some scales that work over dominant 7th chords:

|G Mixolydian |G Phrygian Dominant |
|1 (2) 3 (4) |5 (6) b7 1 |1 (b2) 3 (4) |5 (b6) b7 1 |
|G A B C |D E F G |G Ab B C |D Eb F G |
G|————————————————|————————————————||————————————————|————————————————||
D|————————————————|————2———3———5———||————————————————|————————3———5———||
A|————————2———3———|5———————————————||————————2———3———|5———6———————————||
E|3———5———————————|————————————————||3———4———————————|————————————————||
|1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |

|G Lydian Dominant |G Major Pentatonic |
|1 (2) 3 (#4) |5 (6) b7 1 |1 (2) 3 5 (6) 1 |
|G A B C# |D E F G |G A B D |E G |
G|————————————————|————————————————||————————————————|————————————————||
D|————————————————|————2———3———5———||————————————————|2———5———————————||
A|————————2———4———|5———————————————||————————2———5———|————————————————||
E|3———5———————————|————————————————||3———5———————————|————————————————||
|1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |

Notice how the Major Pentatonic Scale works over both Major 7 and Dominant 7.
That is because the Major Pentatonic Scale does not have any kind of 7.
It's not really the best scale to use...but it does work.

I Hope that the information covered in this tab has been uefull.
This tab only covers the most basic examples of chord/scale theory.
This theory can become very elaborate/complicated.
As dense as it is, it is a very usefull tool to have in your musical kit.

Hopefully this explains any unanswered questions from my other tab.
Maybe now you can go back and go through my other chord/scale theory tab,
and make some sense of it.
Please Message me for any questions.

Thanks,
—Just3boyz
Tablature player for this song:
Bass Lesson - Applying Chord/Scale Theory Bass Tab

Comments

9 years, 5 months ago
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Thank you….This is great for a new guy like me….very well done…if I can understand it…any one can!
just3boyz [author]
9 years, 5 months ago
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glad i can help spider991!
lemme know if you have any other questions about anything!

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