Bass WoodshedScales, modes and arpeggios for bass

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

C Diminished 7th Arpeggio

CE♭G♭B♭♭
EADG0123456789101112131415161718192021222324♭5♭♭7♭5♭♭71♭3♭♭71♭3♭♭71♭3♭5♭♭7♭3♭5♭3♭5♭♭71♭♭71♭3♭5♭♭71♭3♭51♭3♭5♭♭71
RootChord toneDefining note (♭♭7): what sets this arpeggio apartThe same notes elsewhere on the neckNumbers are scale degrees (1 is the root)

Tab & notation

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

How it's built

Intervals between chord tones
C1Root
m3
E♭♭3Minor 3rd
m3
G♭♭5Diminished 5th
m3
B♭♭♭♭7Diminished 7th
m3
C8Octave

Minor 3rds stacked all the way up. The ♭♭7 sounds like a 6th but is spelled as a 7th because it is the chord's seventh.

Also called
1 · ♭3 · ♭5 · ♭♭7
Use it over
Passing diminished chords and as a stand-in for V7♭9.
Practice tip
Every note is three frets from the next. Move the shape up three frets and you are on the same chord.
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 diminished 7th arpeggio on bass

The C diminished 7th arpeggio has 4 notes: C, E♭, G♭ and B♭♭. Minor 3rds stacked all the way up. The ♭♭7 sounds like a 6th but is spelled as a 7th because it is the chord's seventh.

Interval steps: m3 m3 m3 m3. Formula: 1 ♭3 ♭5 ♭♭7.

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 Diminished 7th Arpeggio tab: root on the E string

Start on the 8th fret of the E string with your second finger. The shape covers frets 7 to 11 without moving your hand and 1 one-fret stretch.

G|-------------|
D|--------7-10-|
A|------9------|
E|-8-11--------|

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

C Diminished 7th Arpeggio tab: root on the A string

Start on the 3rd fret of the A string with your second finger. The shape covers frets 2 to 6 without moving your hand and 1 one-fret stretch.

G|-------2-5-|
D|-----4-----|
A|-3-6-------|
E|-----------|

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

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 18 with 1 position shift and 1 one-fret stretch.

G|---------------------14-17-|
D|------------------16-------|
A|------------15-18----------|
E|-8-11-14-17----------------|

Notes: C E♭ G♭ B♭♭ C E♭ G♭ B♭♭ C
Fingers: 1 4 1 4 2 4 3 1 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|-------0-3-|
E|-----2-----|
B|-1-4-------|

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

Notes and intervals

DegreeNoteIntervalFrets above the root
1CRoot0
♭3E♭Minor 3rd3
♭5G♭Diminished 5th6
♭♭7B♭♭Diminished 7th9

When to use it

Passing diminished chords and as a stand-in for V7♭9. Every note is three frets from the next. Move the shape up three frets and you are on the same chord.

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 diminished 7th arpeggio in every key

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

More patterns from C

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