Here are a few basic concepts which will help us when we move on to scales, chords, and theory. Here are the natural notes of the bass neck from the open notes up to the 12th fret (assume that your bass is laying on a table in front of you and you're looking down on it):
G| | A | | B | C | | D | | E | F | | G | (G string) D| | E | F | | G | | A | | B | C | | D | (D string) A| | B | C | | D | | E | F | | G | | A | (A string) E| F | | G | | A | | B | C | | D | | E | (E string) 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 (fret number)
The E string is the thickest string on your bass (assuming you
have a four-string bass). It is the string closest to your face when you are
playing. The zero (given as a fret number) indicates the note you get when you
play a string open (i.e. without fretting a note).You will notice that I've left some blank spaces on our chart
(like the one at the second fret of the E string, between F and G. The notes
which are in between the natural notes are called accidentals, and each can be
named two ways. The note between F and G can be called F# (F sharp), meaning
that it is one half-step (one fret) higher in pitch than F. We could also name
it Gb (G flat) meaning that it is one half-step lower in pitch than G. There is
a long tradition in music which determines whether a given note will be notated
as a flatted or sharped note, but if you're just trying to communicate with a
friend, you can use either term and he or she will understand you.Starting at the 12th fret, our entire diagram starts over.
Notice that the notes at the 12th fret are the same as the notes of the open
strings. This principle applies for every fret above the 12th (13th fret = 1st
fret, 14th fret = 2nd fret, etc.).If you look closely at the chart, you'll notice a few more
things. First, that the letters go from A up to G and then start over with A
again. The musical alphabet goes A-G. You probably knew that already. But you
might not have known that most of the notes are a whole step apart (that is,
they have a blank fret between, as F and G do above) but two combinations of
notes are only a half-step apart (i.e. they have no fret between them). These
two combinations are B-C and E-F. Because there is no note between B and C, we
do not generally refer to B# or Cb (even though B#, according to our rules,
would be C and Cb would be B). Likewise, we don't refer generally to E# (i.e. F)
or Fb (i.e. E). These are just a few of the many conventions of talking about
music.Here are two more neck diagrams--one showing all the
accidentals named as sharps, and one showing all the accidentals named as flats.
I'll trust you to remember that F# and Gb are the same note (i.e. produce the
same sound), regardless of what name we give them.
G| G#| A | A#| B | C | C#| D | D#| E | F | F#| G | (G string) D| D#| E | F | F#| G | G#| A | A#| B | C | C#| D | (D string) A| A#| B | C | C#| D | D#| E | F | F#| G | G#| A | (A string) E| F | F#| G | G#| A | A#| B | C | C#| D | D#| E | (E string) 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 (fret number)
A| Ab| A | Bb| B | C | Db| D | Eb| E | F | Gb| G | (G string) G| Eb| E | F | Gb| G | Ab| A | Bb| B | C | Db| D | (D string) F| Bb| B | C | Db| D | Eb| E | F | Gb| G | Ab| A | (A string) E| F | Gb| G | Ab| A | Bb| B | C | Db| D | Eb| E | (E string) 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 (fret number)
Notes of the Neck (for five strings with low B)
If you're fortunate enough to have a five string bass (or if you're at all curious about them) here's a diagram including the notes on the low B string (I'll trust you to fill in the sharps and flats for yourself).
If you're fortunate enough to have a five string bass (or if you're at all curious about them) here's a diagram including the notes on the low B string (I'll trust you to fill in the sharps and flats for yourself).
G| | A | | B | C | | D | | E | F | | G | (G string) D| | E | F | | G | | A | | B | C | | D | (D string) A| | B | C | | D | | E | F | | G | | A | (A string) E| F | | G | | A | | B | C | | D | | E | (E string) B| C | | D | | E | F | | G | | A | | B | (B string) 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 (fret number)
Notes of the Neck (for five string with high C) It's considerably less common, but some players (e.g. Steve Swallow)
prefer to string their fives with a high C instead of a low B.
Here's what that tuning looks like:
C| | D | | E | F | | G | | A | | B | C | (C string) G| | A | | B | C | | D | | E | F | | G | (G string) D| | E | F | | G | | A | | B | C | | D | (D string) A| | B | C | | D | | E | F | | G | | A | (A string) E| F | | G | | A | | B | C | | D | | E | (E string) 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 (fret number)
Notes of the Neck (for six string with low B and high
C)
Since the mid 1980s the six string bass guitar, sometimes called the "contrabass guitar," has become an increasingly popular instrument. It is generally strung like the five string but with a high C in addition to the low B, so it has the advantage of an increased high range and an increased low range (the only real disadvantage is the necessarily wider neck to accomadate both and the occasional sneers you'll get from certain old-school bassists).
Since the mid 1980s the six string bass guitar, sometimes called the "contrabass guitar," has become an increasingly popular instrument. It is generally strung like the five string but with a high C in addition to the low B, so it has the advantage of an increased high range and an increased low range (the only real disadvantage is the necessarily wider neck to accomadate both and the occasional sneers you'll get from certain old-school bassists).
C| | D | | E | F | | G | | A | | B | C | (C string) G| | A | | B | C | | D | | E | F | | G | (G string) D| | E | F | | G | | A | | B | C | | D | (D string) A| | B | C | | D | | E | F | | G | | A | (A string) E| F | | G | | A | | B | C | | D | | E | (E string) B| C | | D | | E | F | | G | | A | | B | (B string) 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 (fret number)
I've also heard of six string players who skip the low B in
order to add a high C and a high F. This is an exceedingly rare practice, but it
might be a lot of fun for anyone who likes chords on the bass. Conklin Guitars
currently produces a seven-string bass which facilitates this extended high
range while still keeping the low B string (i.e. B, E, A, D, G, C, F).
BEAD Tuning on the Four String
Quite a few players who want access to the low notes usually found only on five and six string basses but who prefer the feel of a four string (and don't much care for the upper register anyway) eventually try the BEAD tuning, which is identical to the tuning of the lowest four strings on a typical five or six string bass:
Quite a few players who want access to the low notes usually found only on five and six string basses but who prefer the feel of a four string (and don't much care for the upper register anyway) eventually try the BEAD tuning, which is identical to the tuning of the lowest four strings on a typical five or six string bass:
D| | E | F | | G | | A | | B | C | | D | (D string) A| | B | C | | D | | E | F | | G | | A | (A string) E| F | | G | | A | | B | C | | D | | E | (E string) B| C | | D | | E | F | | G | | A | | B | (B string) 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 (fret number)
An odd alternative: BEGC
Finally, here's a tuning
that was suggested to me by a person at ActiveBass. For those of you who want
the extended high and low range of the six-string bass but who, for whatever
reason, prefer to play a four-string instrument, you can try this rather strange
but useful tuning, which leaves out the A and D strings of a typical six-string
configuration.
C| | D | | E | F | | G | | A | | B | C | (C string) G| | A | | B | C | | D | | E | F | | G | (G string) E| F | | G | | A | | B | C | | D | | E | (E string) B| C | | D | | E | F | | G | | A | | B | (B string) 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 (fret number)Enjoy!
Till next time and began practice
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