Bass WoodshedScales, modes and arpeggios for bass

Progression · 4-string · Root and fifth

Andalusian Cadence in E minor

EmDCB
EADG0123456789101112131415161718192021222324♭351♭3511♭351♭3♭351♭35♭351♭351♭3151

Tab & notation

Root and fifth · 4 bars, one chord each · quarter notes
Chord
Note
Deg
G
D
A
E
Fing
Em
E
1
0
o
B
5
2
2
E
1
2
2
B
5
2
2
D
D
1
5
2
A
5
7
4
D
1
7
4
A
5
7
4
C
C
1
3
2
G
5
5
4
C
1
5
4
G
5
5
4
B
B
1
2
2
F♯
5
4
4
B
1
4
4
F♯
5
4
4

How it's built

One chord per bar · pick a bar to see it on the neck

A minor-key walk down from i to V, heard in flamenco and in rock from the 60s on.

Key
E minor · 1 sharp: F♯
Chords
Em (i), D (♭VII), C (♭VI), B (V)
Bass line
Root, 5th, octave, 5th. The backbone of country, rock and pop lines.
Practice tip
The roots step down the scale. Play them on one string to hear and see the descent.
Your best
Complete a loop to log a tempo for this progression.

Practice routine

Add BPM every loops, up to BPM
every loops
Cycling 4ths is how jazz players drill a shape in all twelve keys.

Andalusian Cadence bass line in E minor

A minor-key walk down from i to V, heard in flamenco and in rock from the 60s on. In E minor the chords are Em, D, C and B.

The chords, bar by bar

BarChordNumeralChord tones
1EmiE G B
2D♭VIID F♯ A
3C♭VIC E G
4BVB D♯ F♯

Root and fifth tab

Root, 5th, octave, 5th. The backbone of country, rock and pop lines.

  Em        D         C         B
G|---------|-----7---|-----5---|-----4---|
D|-----2---|---7---7-|---5---5-|---4---4-|
A|---2---2-|-5-------|-3-------|-2-------|
E|-0-------|---------|---------|---------|

Walking bass tab

Root, 3rd, 5th, then a half step into the next chord. Quarter notes.

  Em        D         C         B
G|---------|---------|---------|---------|
D|---------|---4-7---|---2-5---|---1-4---|
A|-----2-4-|-5-----4-|-3-----3-|-2-------|
E|-0-3-----|---------|---------|-------1-|

Arpeggios tab

Up and down the chord tones in the rhythm you choose.

  Em                D                 C                 B
G|-----------------|-------7---------|-------5---------|-------4---------|
D|-------2---------|---4-7---7-4---4-|---2-5---5-2---2-|---1-4---4-1---1-|
A|-----2---2-------|-5-----------5---|-3-----------3---|-2-----------2---|
E|-0-3-------3-0-3-|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|

On a 5-string bass

The low B string lets you keep the line in one area of the neck.

  Em        D         C         B
G|---------|---------|-----5---|-----4---|
D|-----2---|---------|---5---5-|---4---4-|
A|---2---2-|-----5---|-3-------|-2-------|
E|-0-------|---5---5-|---------|---------|
B|---------|-3-------|---------|---------|

How to practise it

The roots step down the scale. Play them on one string to hear and see the descent. Start at 70 BPM with the drums and chords on, and say each chord name as you reach beat one. Once it flows, switch on memory mode, then raise the tempo with the speed builder. Earn bronze for playing it through, silver at 120 BPM in quarter notes (2 notes a second), and gold at that pace from memory.

The Andalusian Cadence in every key

More in E minor

Bass lines over chord progressions

Scales

Modes

Arpeggios

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