In this weeks lesson I’m covering the basics of the octave pattern and providing a few exercises to help you get it under your fingers.
What Is An Octave?
An Octave is a musical distance from any note to the next repetition of that note. For example, A to A is an octave.
There are lots of ways we can play an octave interval:
Basic Octave Patterns
For this exercise, we will be playing two C notes one octave apart. Use your index and pinky fingers to create the box shape needed to play an octave:
This exercise familiarises your ear with the sound of an octave. This is equally important as learning the fretboard pattern. To apply intervals, we need to understand how they sound:
Next we can use the same shape on a root note of G:
Disco Octaves!
This classic disco line can help with moving the pattern around the fretboard. All we are doing is moving from a D to a B and then making our way back up one fret at a time.
Begin slowly before ramping up the speed. This will help you get faster quicker.
The octave plays an essential role in lots of bass riffs. Try to pick out and learn songs that use octaves to help you get better at recognising when and how to apply them in your own music.
Hi Mark,
Great lesson as usual. Thank you again!
In the following pattern R=Root and O=Octave; each note represents and 1/8th note.
RR OO RR OO
1 + 2+ 3+ 4+
For this pattern would you finger the right hand 11 22 so each finger just stays on one string or alternate 12 12 or 21 21?
Thanks,
Mark
Bethel, CT USA
Thanks Mark. You should alternate your fingers for that line. Either order is fine. 1212 or 2121. It all depends on the context. It’s worth practicing both so you’re not limited by your technique.
Tnks Mr mark for all your good work you have been doing here.
Hello Mark I am looking for a jazz bass as they are very versatile I am looking at Squier Affinity series and I was wondering if you think that is a good choice or should I look for something better?
Thanks for your style
Greetings Mark. Thanks for your dedication.
Hey Mark. Sort of stumbled upon your site and I gotta say, it’s fantastic. Something about your style of delivery that make you very easy to follow. Cheers.
Great!!
Which bass would you’d prefer for an left hander?
Hey Mark
Just started playing at 47, kids are grown up and flown the coup and I have always wanted to be able to pick up an instrument and play. Not here to be the next Steve Harris or Cliff Burton but be good enough to not embarrass myself and have the confidence to jump in and play a couple of songs when my friends jam. Taking lessons locally and stumbled across your YouTube video for Major Scales for Beginners. There are a couple of great lessons that I have discovered, and this is one of the easiest to follow to complement my lessons. Hope to improve enough to utilize more of your lessons but one step at a time. Thanks taking the time to make the resources available for a guy like me !!
Mark, Ontario Canada
thanks for the information
Comment… thanks all for this good lesson you people started
l want to learn how to play bass
Would you be willing to provide the option of having instruction without tabs? I know how to read music. So I find tabs make me lazy. Would be willing to provide the option of having instruction with or without tabs, please?
Olá, quero dizer que estou aprendendo muito e esclarecendo minhas principais dúvidas. Valeu meu brother pelas dicas! Um forte abraço
Hi mark thank you for the lesson but at the begining of the video i was having trouble following you because i dont know the note names is there a free way i can learn them
Great song to learn octaves from is Uprising by Muse
Hi mark thank you for the lesson, the technique was very nice to learn the octaves.
Good octave course, I will practice now till I master it
thank you Mark
hello Mark, i stumbled upon your site and it’s awesome , i just started learning to play bass. I have no previous knowledge of music language, i find it difficult to understand when you use (i don’t even know what they are called) the diagrams
Thank you Mark for your lessons which helps me a lot and which are well explained I find the Anglo Saxon method better than the French. a French
Hi mark I like you teaching techniques can I have your website so I learn more things
As usual, this is an amazing lesson. I am a beginner bass player and I love how these lessons give me a real sense that I am improving. Thank you so much for your time and effort!
Just looking at this lesson, I don’t play octaves much (maybe look to add them more) but when I played your disco bass line I held my hand shape constant, played the lower note and then added the octave staccato while holding the lower note; then moved my whole had up a fret. Now practicising the hand walking technique you use (feels strange, but I’ll get there – start slow!). Very different sounds, I’m guessing there isn’t a right and wrong here but clearly better to be able to do both – many thanks for your lessons, they’re great!