Bass WoodshedScales, modes and arpeggios for bass

Progression · 4-string · Root and fifth

I–V–vi–IV in E♭

E♭B♭CmA♭
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Tab & notation

Root and fifth · 4 bars, one chord each · quarter notes
Chord
Note
Deg
G
D
A
E
Fing
E♭
E♭
1
6
2
B♭
5
8
4
E♭
1
8
4
B♭
5
8
4
B♭
B♭
1
6
2
F
5
8
4
B♭
1
8
4
F
5
8
4
Cm
C
1
8
1
G
5
10
3
C
1
10
3
G
5
10
3
A♭
A♭
1
11
2
E♭
5
13
4
A♭
1
13
4
E♭
5
13
4

How it's built

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

Four chords behind a huge share of modern pop songs.

Key
E♭ · 3 flats: E♭ A♭ B♭
Chords
E♭ (I), B♭ (V), Cm (vi), A♭ (IV)
Bass line
Root, 5th, octave, 5th. The backbone of country, rock and pop lines.
Practice tip
Lock in with the kick drum on the root, then add the 5th and octave to fill the bar.
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.

I–V–vi–IV bass line in E♭

Four chords behind a huge share of modern pop songs. In E♭ the chords are E♭, B♭, Cm and A♭.

The chords, bar by bar

BarChordNumeralChord tones
1E♭IE♭ G B♭
2B♭VB♭ D F
3CmviC E♭ G
4A♭IVA♭ C E♭

Root and fifth tab

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

  E♭        B♭        Cm           A♭
G|-----8---|---------|------------|-------13----|
D|---8---8-|-----8---|------10----|----13----13-|
A|-6-------|---8---8-|---10----10-|-11----------|
E|---------|-6-------|-8----------|-------------|

Walking bass tab

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

  E♭        B♭        Cm           A♭
G|---------|---------|------------|-------------|
D|---5-8---|---------|------------|----10-13----|
A|-6-------|---5-8---|------10-10-|-11----------|
E|-------7-|-6-----9-|-8-11-------|----------12-|

Arpeggios tab

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

  E♭                B♭                Cm                      A♭
G|-------8---------|-----------------|-----------------------|----------13-------------|
D|---5-8---8-5---5-|-------8---------|---------10------------|----10-13----13-10----10-|
A|-6-----------6---|---5-8---8-5---5-|------10----10---------|-11----------------11----|
E|-----------------|-6-----------6---|-8-11----------11-8-11-|-------------------------|

On a 5-string bass

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

  E♭        B♭        Cm           A♭
G|---------|---------|------------|------------|
D|---------|-----8---|------10----|------------|
A|-----6---|---8---8-|---10----10-|------11----|
E|---6---6-|-6-------|-8----------|---11----11-|
B|-4-------|---------|------------|-9----------|

How to practise it

Lock in with the kick drum on the root, then add the 5th and octave to fill the bar. 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 I–V–vi–IV in every key

More in E♭

Bass lines over chord progressions

Scales

Modes

Arpeggios

Your progress