This week we’re looking at how to learn your scales more thoroughly by note using Spelling Drills!
By now, you probably know how to play a major scale as it is a fairly common scale and one that most musicians learn first. When learning scales on bass, we tend to learn a pattern that we can relocate to different parts of the neck. This is great because it gets it under your fingers, you get to see all the intervals laid out in front of you and over time you can add other patterns into the mix and gradually start to work all over the neck. However… this can create a few problems further down the road as you develop as a musician.
Learning by pattern alone means you are limited to seeing the key as a little box shape – even if you know loads of different patterns all over the neck. This isn’t very practical as you have to constantly refer back to shapes instead of seeing the big picture. Fortunately, there is a solution to this. The trick is to learn all of the scales by note name, and although this might sound daunting, it is easier than you think. There is a simple set of exercises you can do that don’t even have to be performed on the instrument.
Spelling Drills
The concept of spelling drills is to spell out every scale away from your instrument – either out loud or in your head.
- Recite the notes four times
- Practice without accidentals first
- Group scales into blocks of three and four to give you less to remember
You might struggle at first with reciting the musical alphabet, A to G, from any note other than A. This will get easier as you progress and get used to returning to A after G, but you can speed up the process by reciting each scale without accidentals (for now). This will give you a foundation on which to insert accidentals later so the whole process isn’t so overwhelming.
C D E F G A B
D E F G A B C
E F G A B C D
F G A B C D E
G A B C D E F
A B C D E F G
B C D E F G
After practising this for a while, you should feel comfortable with saying the alphabet from any note – now you can begin to insert accidentals into those scales.
Major Scales from Natural Root Notes (divided into 3 and 4 note groupings):
C Major – C D E F G A B
D Major – D E F# G A B C#
E Major – E F# G# A B C# D#
F Major – F G A Bb C D E F
G Major – G A B C D E F#
A Major – A B C# D E F# G#
B Major – B C# D# E F# G# A#
Spend some time reciting these scales until you have them nailed. It shouldn’t take too long as there are only seven scales and you can do them whenever you want. Get used to doing them when you are bored, commuting, watching TV etc.
Theory In Application
Now you can recite the notes in each major scale, you need to apply this to the bass. Start by choosing a major scale you find fairly unfamiliar (F is a good place to start), and recite each note before finding it on the bass. Doing this forces you to think about where the actual note is rather than just arriving there from a pattern.
Eventually, you’ll get to a point where you don’t need to differentiate between the patterns and the notes as you will know both.
As an extra exercise, try playing the scale on one string. This forces you to really know the notes on the fretboard.
Hi. Mark.
I’m very pleas to meet you, and since I discovered your website I’d decided to follow you,and be your student. I really thank you for this blessing opportunity to have your lessons available,so clear, and easy. The best of the lessons your presents,and how clear, and direct each lesson is described by you. I how many more students like me are learning from you because you are ,so willing to teach, and share your your knowledge for free. We need more people in this World like you sir.I pray to God to keep you here for us. For many years to come because you are awesome sir. I pray to God to inspired you to continual to be there for us sir. I will pray to the great Lord from above to reward you, and families with good healthy life, and will to be present for us God bless you sir Tony.
Thank You Mark This is great !!
I really love this lesson (and the cycle of 4ths one last week). I have been wondering for a very long time how to learn my fretboard and these notes/scales alphabetically. There are SO many lessons on patterns (5 frets up, 7 frets down, blah blah) but they sort of leave you with that uneasy feeling that you don’t reeeally know where the notes are.
Thank you Mark.
Mark
Just wanted to say again Thank You so much. I love what your doing and I
am learning so much from the way you present the lessons. I want to wish you and our family
a Merry Christmas and a Happy and healthy New Year
Your student
Joe Romano
There are a lot of bass teachers on the internet; some good, some not so good. There are no bass teachers on the internet (or elsewhere for that matter) with a passion to communicate as enthusiastically and precisely as Mark! Another great lesson, thanks, Mark.
I really like this method it’s wough in the beginning But if we study it the way Mark presented it a little at a time during the day and evening in time it’s digested and learned. Marks positive method of teaching really works I love Talking Bass Happy Holidays
Joe Romano
Thanks for another brilliant lesson Mark. This ties in well with the previous fourths lesson to make us really learn the way round the fretboard. My 68-year old brain hurts!
I know it’s a lot to digest all at once my 67 year old brain has found out how to learn this a little at a time.
Remember our eyes are bigger than our stomach Mark taught us how in the lesson how to do it.
Mark has a positive way to teach. I am glad to be his student. Happy and Healthy holidays to all
Play with as many different people and as often as you can.
Be open minded to all kinds of music not just one color flower
Joe Romano
Haven’t even watched it yet but I know it’s gon’ be good!
wow! now I`m a (musical) spelling Bee!
Your teaching skills are great. Makes u want to listen… attentively!
Mark, obviously an older lesson but I’m only fairly new to bass and only just really exploring beyond my ‘comfort zone’. I play sax, bari and tenor, and also highland bagpipes and this lesson has really made sense in a massive way, particularly how you explained how you can realistically play any tune on any instrument (provided you can play that instrument) by understanding the scale structure outside the fretboard pattern.
Thanks so much for this one, the penny definitey dropped and this has made so much sense of, umm, so much. Cheers mate, appreciate your work.
Deano (from South Australia)
Found this to be a really useful lesson and the penny has certainly dropped for the natural major scale.Mark mentioned that he would be doing something similar for the flats and minor scales.Does anyone know where this content is ?
This is awesome, thanks Mark! I printed this lesson out and memorised the scales last night, sitting in my car waiting for my girlfriend getting her nails painted. Recited them as I was going to sleep and I think I have them nailed now! Seems so intimidating but it’s not bad at all :)
Thanks Mark,
You are a really gifted teacher.
Thanks for the information! It helps a lot!