Bass WoodshedScales, modes and arpeggios for bass

Scale · 4-string · Root on E string, open string

E Minor Pentatonic

EGABD
EADG012345678910111213141516171819202122232445♭71♭345♭71♭71♭345♭71♭34♭345♭71♭345♭7♭345♭71♭345♭71♭31♭345♭71

Tab & notation

Up and back down · 10 notes in 8th notes · 2 bars of 4/4
Note
Deg
G
D
A
E
Fing
E
1
0
o
G
♭3
3
3
A
4
0
o
B
5
2
2
D
♭7
0
o
E
1
2
2
D
♭7
0
o
B
5
2
2
A
4
0
o
G
♭3
3
3
·
·
·

How it's built

W = whole step (2 frets) · H = half step (1 fret)
E1Root
W+H
G♭3Minor 3rd
W
A4Perfect 4th
W
B5Perfect 5th
W+H
D♭7Minor 7th
W
E8Octave

Five notes that sit on a minor chord without a wrong note. The workhorse of rock and blues riffs.

Also called
Minor scale without 2 and ♭6
Key signature
1 sharp: F♯
Relative major
G
Use it over
Minor 7 chords, blues and rock progressions.
Practice tip
Root on E, it is two notes per string. Learn the box once, then slide it to any root.
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 E minor pentatonic on bass

The E minor pentatonic has 5 notes: E, G, A, B and D. Five notes that sit on a minor chord without a wrong note. The workhorse of rock and blues riffs.

Step pattern: W+H W W W+H W (W = whole step, two frets; H = half step, one fret). Formula: 1 ♭3 4 5 ♭7. Key signature: 1 sharp: F♯. Relative major: G major scale.

The root, E, is on the open string of the E string and the 7th fret of the A string. On a five-string bass it is also on the 5th fret of the low B string.

E Minor Pentatonic tab: root on the E string

Start on the open string of the E string. The shape covers frets 2 to 3 without moving your hand.

G|-------------|
D|---------0-2-|
A|-----0-2-----|
E|-0-3---------|

Notes: E G A B D E
Fingers: open 3 open 2 open 2

E Minor Pentatonic tab: root on the A string

Start on the 7th fret of the A string with your first finger. The shape covers frets 7 to 10 without moving your hand.

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

Notes: E G A B D E
Fingers: 1 4 1 3 1 3

Two octaves from the E string

Start on the open string of the E string. The shape covers frets 2 to 9 with 1 position shift.

G|-------------0-2-4-7-9-|
D|---------0-2-----------|
A|-----0-2---------------|
E|-0-3-------------------|

Notes: E G A B D E G A B D E
Fingers: open 3 open 2 open 2 open 2 4 2 4

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

Start on the 5th fret of the B string with your first finger. The shape covers frets 5 to 8 without moving your hand.

G|-------------|
D|-------------|
A|---------5-7-|
E|-----5-7-----|
B|-5-8---------|

Notes: E G A B D E
Fingers: 1 4 1 3 1 3

Notes and intervals

DegreeNoteIntervalFrets above the root
1ERoot0
♭3GMinor 3rd3
4APerfect 4th5
5BPerfect 5th7
♭7DMinor 7th10

When to use it

Minor 7 chords, blues and rock progressions. Root on E, it is two notes per string. Learn the box once, then slide it to any root.

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 minor pentatonic in every key

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

More patterns from E

Scales

Modes

Arpeggios

Your progress