Bass Lessons
Accompaniment videos are available for most studies on my YouTube channel.
To help you navigate the studies below, all text in italics are not links. All of the normal font text in white, gray, and red should be links.
red = songs
12 Bar Blues, Roots and 5ths, 2 to the Bar, in all 12 Major Keys:
Two to the bar (half notes). Roots and 5ths.
12 Bar Blues In C
The I, IV, V chord progression in a form called 12 bar blues is the most common chord progression in the western hemisphere. In this exercise we do ‘4 to the bar’, ‘8 to the bar’, and 2 bar patterns. We start with major arpeggios (triads) and then we add the 6th and 7th.
12 Bar Blues In G
A walking 2 bar pattern for the 12 bar blues in G.
12 Bar Blues In G
Variations using the minor blues scale with 8th notes also known as “8 to the bar”.
Andalusian Cadence
One of the most common chord progressions in all styles of music but especially in Spanish and flamenco genres.
🎸Blues scales
Major blues and relative minor blues scales in every key.
Chord Progressions in the Key of C
Root notes for common chord progressions in C for beginners.
Concepts in C
Roots, 5ths, neighbor notes, arpeggios, and scale are essential elements for the bass.
🎸 Greek modes all 12 Keys
Don’t let the Greek names scare you. Modes are simply variations of the major scale.
Harmonized Scales in the Key of C and G
roots, 5ths, and arpeggios of the harmonized scale.
🎸 Inversions or voicings of the major triads. All 14 major keys.
🎸 Inversions or voicings of major and minor triads. All 12 major and minor keys.
🎸Inversions of the harmonized scale in the key of C.
James Jamerson’s Bass Session Warm-up
6 ways to play major and minor scales in the keys of C and Am.
🎸Major Diatonic Scales
Two ways to play all 12 major diatonic scales. One with the root note on the fourth string and one with the root on the third string.
Major Pentatonic Scales
Two ways to play all 12 major pentatonic scales. One with the root note on the fourth string and one with the root on the third string.
🎸Sequences
Variations on the C major scale. Three patterns for the C major scale, sequences in 3, 4, and broken 3rds.
🎸The 5 types of triads or arpeggios.
🎸Arpeggios in all 12 keys in the 1st position using frets 1-4 only.
Scales and Arpeggios in G
Essential scale and arpeggios in the key of G.
Triads
A triad is the smallest form of a chord. There are five types of triads: major, minor, diminished, augmented, and suspended 4ths. It is the bass player job the play the arpeggios of the triads.
🎵 🎵 🎵 🎵 🎵 🎵 🎵 🎵 🎵 🎵 🎵 🎵 🎵
🎸 ii V I in all keys
🎵 🎵 🎵 🎵 🎵 🎵 🎵 🎵 🎵 🎵 🎵 🎵 🎵
Songs
All Of Me 1
The melody part 1
All Of Me 2
The melody part 2
All Of Me 3
The melody part 3
All Of Me
Scales used on the classic jazz song All Of Me. In this lesson we use All Of Me as a vehicle for understanding how to use modes and scales.
Autumn Leaves
Lead sheet
Autumn leaves 1
The melody
Autumn leaves 2
The melody
Autumn leaves 3
The melody
Autumn leaves modes
Using modes
Black Orpheus
Lead sheet
Blue Room
Lead sheet
Break Up Is Hard To Do
The classic blues song by Neil Sadaka in the key of C.
Don’t Get Around Much Anymore
Lead sheet
Girl From Ipanema
Lead sheet
Green Onions
The classic rock song by Booker T and The M.G.s in the key of Fm.
It Don’t Mean A Thing (if it ain’t got that swing)
Lead sheet
It Don’t Mean A Thing
The classic Duke Ellington tune in the key of Gm.
I’ve Got Rhythm in the key of C
The classic Gershwin song also known as ‘rhythm changes’ using root notes.
Misty
Lead sheet
Only You
The classic 50s song made popular by The Platters. The key of C.
(Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay
The 1968 hit song written by Otis Redding and Steve Cropper. This is a simplified version for beginners.
Summertime
The Gershwin classic tune from the musical Porgy and Bess in the key of Am.
Sweet Georgia Brown 1
The classic swing song using the back cycling chord progression found in many swing and jazz songs. 2 to the bar using roots and 5ths.
Sweet Georgia Brown 2
4 to the bar using arpeggios.
Sweet Georgia Brown 3
4 to the bar walking bass with chromatic notes.
Time In A Bottle
The Jim Croce hit ballad from the 70s.
We gotta Get Out Of This Place
The classic rock riff fro The Animals.
What’d I Say
The Ray Charles 1959 rhythm and blues hit.
Why Don’t You Do Right?
The 1936 tune made famous later by Brenda Lee, Jessica Rabbit, and Sinead O’Connor.