The Bass Guitar
Using Major and Minor "Five's".
Playing the bass guitar is not just about playing the root note to satisfy the low end. The job of the bass player is to guide the chord-progression/heartbeat of the song. That means you must travel!
There had to be more.
When I played the bass guitar for the very first time in high school, I had absolutely no idea what I was supposed to do. I had been taking guitar lessons the previous two years, so I understood chord progressions. Playing the root notes to those chords was the easy part. I had to learn how to play with my drummer and bridge the gap between him and the rest of the band.
My band director told me to simply follow whatever the drummer did with his right foot and right hand. Within a few days, this approach began to make perfect sense to me. However, something still felt like it was missing. Playing just root notes seemed boring - like I wasn’t fully contributing or participating to the feel of the song.
This was when I learned about playing the fifth of the root note - either below or above the root note. This was great, but was that it? I still felt like there had to be more going on than just the one and the five.
Then, I learned about the major and minor pentatonic scale approach. This meant that by adding just one more note to what I was already doing, would make it all come together.
What is a pentatonic scale?
Penta means “five”, and tonic means “of the root” (or from the root). There are two ways to look at the pentatonic scale. There is a major pentatonic and a minor pentatonic scale for every key in music.
The major pentatonic scale requires the following structure:
I - II - III - V - VI
If we apply the major pentatonic scale to the key of D major, the notes are:
D - E - F# - A - B
The minor pentatonic scale requires the following structure:
I - iii - IV - V - vii
If we apply the minor pentatonic scale to the key of D major, the notes are:
D - F - G - A - C
You only need three notes.
To play a more interesting feel with a major chord progression, you can use the I - V - VI. In the key of D major, those three notes are: D - A - B.
To play a more interesting feel with a minor chord progression, you can use the I - V - vii. In the key of D major, those three notes are: D - A - C.
How does this work?
The major pentatonic uses a major third (III) in its scale. Even though the third is not being played in this three-note exercise/application, the notes surrounding the third, build the outside structure as a sort of “moving guide” or frame around the indicated chord without having to use all five notes in the scale.
Same goes with the minor pentatonic, as it uses a minor third (iii), which is also not being played in the three-note exercise/application.
Both scales use the one and the five (I - V), but each scale also uses the note being played between the one and the five. The note between the one and the five in the major pentatonic scale is the sixth (VI). The note between the one and the five in the minor pentatonic scale is the dominant seventh (vii).
Here’s what they look like -
The Major Pentatonic movable three-note exercise/application:
Think of this shape as an “L” shape going left to right.
You would play in order: I - V - VI.
The Minor Pentatonic movable three-note exercise/application:
Think of this shape as an “L” shape going right to left.
You would play in order: I - V - vii.
Which fingers do you use?
Your fingering will change for both scales. The major will start off with your first finger and the minor will start off with your third finger.
Notice both shapes look almost exactly alike, but the approach, the placement and application of the notes sound quite differently.
Remember the heartbeat is still the root note and the fifth. Adding the sixth (VI) for major, or dominant-seventh (vii) for minor is what gives the three-note exercise/application its feel through the chord progression.
Following a chord progression.
If you are following a chord chart and the you see a major chord of any kind being played in the progression, you can play the major three-note exercise/application during the duration of that chord. The same goes with any minor chord.
If you have room to play more notes in the progression, you can always add the major (III) or minor third (iii) without letting it get too busy. Sometimes, playing too many notes can actually make things worse. Then again, adding the entire pentatonic scale might be required for parts of a song.
Just listen to the old MoTown songs from the 1950’s, 60’s and 70’s. You’ll hear these frequently used, common progressions everywhere!
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