Bass WoodshedScales, modes and arpeggios for bass

Scale · 4-string · Root on E string, 8th fret

C Blues Scale

CE♭FG♭GB♭
EADG01234567891011121314151617181920212223244♭55♭74♭55♭71♭3♭71♭3♭71♭34♭55♭34♭55♭34♭55♭715♭71♭34♭55♭71♭34♭551♭34♭55♭71
RootScale noteDefining note (♭5): what sets this scale apartThe same notes elsewhere on the neckNumbers are scale degrees (1 is the root)

Tab & notation

Up and back down · 12 notes in 8th notes · 2 bars of 4/4
Note
Deg
G
D
A
E
Fing
C
1
8
1
E♭
♭3
11
4
F
4
8
1
G♭
♭5
9
2
G
5
10
3
B♭
♭7
8
1
C
1
10
3
B♭
♭7
8
1
G
5
10
3
G♭
♭5
9
2
F
4
8
1
E♭
♭3
11
4
·
·

How it's built

W = whole step (2 frets) · H = half step (1 fret)
C1Root
W+H
E♭♭3Minor 3rd
W
F4Perfect 4th
H
G♭♭5Diminished 5th
H
G5Perfect 5th
W+H
B♭♭7Minor 7th
W
C8Octave

Minor pentatonic with the ♭5 blue note added. Treat the ♭5 as a passing note: slide through it to the 5th rather than resting on it.

Also called
Minor pentatonic plus ♭5
Key signature
3 flats: E♭ A♭ B♭
Relative major
E♭
Use it over
12-bar blues, shuffles, rock and funk riffs.
Practice tip
Play 4, ♭5, 5 as one chromatic slide. That three-note move is the sound of the blues.
Your best
Complete a loop to log a tempo for this pattern.

Practice routine

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

How to play the C blues scale on bass

The C blues scale has 6 notes: C, E♭, F, G♭, G and B♭. Minor pentatonic with the ♭5 blue note added. Treat the ♭5 as a passing note: slide through it to the 5th rather than resting on it.

Step pattern: W+H W H H W+H W (W = whole step, two frets; H = half step, one fret). Formula: 1 ♭3 4 ♭5 5 ♭7. Key signature: 3 flats: E♭ A♭ B♭. Relative major: E♭ major scale.

The root, C, is on the 8th fret of the E string and the 3rd fret of the A string. On a five-string bass it is also on the 1st fret of the low B string.

C Blues Scale tab: root on the E string

Start on the 8th fret of the E string with your first finger. The shape covers frets 8 to 11 without moving your hand.

G|------------------|
D|-------------8-10-|
A|------8-9-10------|
E|-8-11-------------|

Notes: C E♭ F G♭ G B♭ C
Fingers: 1 4 1 2 3 1 3

C Blues Scale tab: root on the A string

Start on the 3rd fret of the A string with your first finger. The shape covers frets 3 to 6 without moving your hand.

G|-----------3-5-|
D|-----3-4-5-----|
A|-3-6-----------|
E|---------------|

Notes: C E♭ F G♭ G B♭ C
Fingers: 1 4 1 2 3 1 3

Two octaves from the E string

Start on the 8th fret of the E string with your first finger. The shape covers frets 8 to 17 with 1 position shift and 2 one-fret stretches.

G|---------------------------12-15-17-|
D|-------------8-10-13-15-16----------|
A|------8-9-10------------------------|
E|-8-11-------------------------------|

Notes: C E♭ F G♭ G B♭ C E♭ F G♭ G B♭ C
Fingers: 1 4 1 2 3 1 3 1 3 4 1 3 4

On a 5-string bass: root on the B string

Start on the 1st fret of the B string with your first finger. The shape covers frets 1 to 4 without moving your hand.

G|---------------|
D|---------------|
A|-----------1-3-|
E|-----1-2-3-----|
B|-1-4-----------|

Notes: C E♭ F G♭ G B♭ C
Fingers: 1 4 1 2 3 1 3

Notes and intervals

DegreeNoteIntervalFrets above the root
1CRoot0
♭3E♭Minor 3rd3
4FPerfect 4th5
♭5G♭Diminished 5th6
5GPerfect 5th7
♭7B♭Minor 7th10

When to use it

12-bar blues, shuffles, rock and funk riffs. Play 4, ♭5, 5 as one chromatic slide. That three-note move is the sound of the blues.

How to practise it

Start with the metronome at 60 BPM in 8th notes, ascending and descending, until you can play it without looking. Raise the tempo 5 BPM at a time with the speed builder, then switch on memory mode so the tab hides after the first loop. Earn bronze for playing it through, silver at 4 notes a second, and gold at that speed from memory.

The blues scale in every key

Printable chart of all 12 keys: PDF · print page · every pattern in one PDF

More patterns from C

Scales

Modes

Arpeggios

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