In this bass soloing lesson I’m going to show you an exercise that’s not only going to radically improve your soloing facility on the bass, but it’s also going to improve your phrasing and overall musicianship too!
It’s one of the best exercises I ever give to my personal students so I know you’re going to get some great tips within this tutorial that you’ll be able to implement within your playing straight away!
Now grab your bass… and get in the shed!
Want the tab and notation for this lesson?!… Click here to find out!
Thanks for this awesome lesson.
I’ve been playing bass for a year, taking up courses for 3 months with a great teacher and I’m just learning to solo on a scale.
Your lessons are really awesome and much useful to me.
As usual I’m looking forward to your next newsletter email :-)
Pat
Thanks for another great lesson,Scott.Your tips are a new, fresh and attractive approach to music. Greetings from Tucumán, Argentina.
Scott,
Although I am probably twice your age, I only wish I’d had a teacher like you when I was half yours! It’s never too late! I am enjoying learning and playing more than ever because of your teaching and inspiration. Thank you again!
Steve
+1 on Steve’s comment. I’m in exactly the same position, just about.
Many thanks, Scott!
Rich
Thank You, Scott, for great cool leson! regards from Czech rep.!
SOLID! Thanks Scott!
Well Done Scott!
Thank you for this tutorial. I have a feeling I will be practicing this one for a while!
Thanks scott! Another great lesson!
Thanks Scott :-)
Scott– Look forward to your presentations. Very helpful. Could you tell me where I can go to obtain/download songs by artists or genre with tabs so that I could learn bass part and play along with the recordings?
Hey Scott, great lesson. What you may want to also mention (or maybe this is for the next lesson) is that these first, second, and little finger positions are not only next to each other but also on top of each other. Which is a great way to cover the entire neck (across) in a short period of time without having to move your hand position (thumb anchor).
Great idea Greg! Thanks for watching man! Scott
Good work Men….
Thank you very much Scott for your latest lesson. After few minutes watching your video, I finally understood meaning of pattern connections. I’m sure it will open new doors for nice melodies.
Regards,
Jan from belgium
Hey Scott, yet another great, on point bass lesson. I’ve gotten so much out of your lessons and still have only scratched the surface, given that I’ve only seen a fraction of the lessons that you are offering. Many thanks for your great tutorials! Your adding of the backing track is also a real bonus!
All the best,
Tom from San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
nice….it’s all coming together, thanks to you. really enjoyed this lesson and can’t wait to “get in the shed” and practice…. thx
Thank you very much for all this information!! I really aprecciatte it. Pablo
Scott, this is another AWESOME video, THANKS.
Hiya Scott,another great lesson!!
Bril way of practicing the major all over the board.
Thanks again.
Dave
Scott- Who Da Man? You Da Man!
Thanks for making it so simple! I used to get lost on the board but this video is the map that I needed!
All you need is someone to show you the REAL basics instead of trying to recreate the wheel on your own!
Thanks Again!
Scott, you are an angel. After several years, I finally ‘get’ scales. Phew.
Scott – as ever you’ve blown me away with another lesson!
I’m in awe – I thought I’d understood major scale work until I saw this. Honestly, everything you do is an inspiration and I can only hope that one day I have even a facet of your skill and effortless ability!
As a Lancashire lad (originally from Leigh), I usually find it difficult to compliment a Yorkshireman, but in your case, I’ll more than make the exception!
Signing off with bass in hand,
Lee
have moved on a ton and doubled the time I spend practising because I really want to get the most out of all of these excellent lessons, nice one Scott
Fionn from San Cristobal de Las Casas, Mexico
Hi Scott,
this is very useful eye opening lesson, things are connecting together! Thank you sir. Much appreciated!
Thanks,
Vinko
Hi Scott. Love yor lessons. I’m a double bass player. Please tell me if the same exercise can be used for double bass.
Thanks.
Yeah Nuno definitely – although you’d have to use different fingering. Thanks for watching man! Scott ;)
Cheers Scott. Another great lesson.
Being able to move the ‘shapes’ around the fretboard. Is that a blessing or a curse?! You did say that we do need to think about the notes. Obviously not every one we play but the imporant ones at the time (chord tones etc.) I guess, as with a lot of different approaches to learning music, it’s a bit of everything.
Steve.
p.s. I’ll be making a contribution to the site later. Worth every penny.
Hey Steve, I tend to think of root notes and intervals… so if I was improvising over a C major chord I’d be thinking C, 3rd, 5th, 7th – not C, E, G, B. Hope that makes sense man. Thanks for watching! Scott
always get some little gems from your lesson ,s learnt so much , keep on with them as i always say you can only keep what you got by giving it away.
thnk u so much keep helping me ,another great lesson .appreciated
Well, unless there is something I truly don’t understand about this lesson, the second finger position starting on the first finger, and playing whole note positions is completely impossible for me, without significant pain in my forearm….even playing the C from the 8th fret
Either my hands are extremely small, or my bass is massive….. :-(
I have assiduously avoided using this fingering ever since I first picked up a bass because it is so physically difficult. But after watching this lesson I’ve been working on it a lot, and I’m finding it immensely helpful for (what I understand to be) the main purpose of the lesson, which is about learning to “see” the fretboard. I still can’t play this fingering with anywhere near the speed or fluidity of the other fingerings, but working on it is really helping to me fill in a big blind spot in my fretboard knowledge.
Hey Scott! All i can say is, you are just amazing
I have listened to many different people try to instruct folks about music and bass guitar. I almost gave up trying to learn at all. I found your site and now I feel like I have a chance. Thank you, you are a true teacher.
Dankie my ma se kind!!! Great lesson.
Hi Scott
Great Bass lesson. I am a mature bassist, I thought that I was on my own by playing to patterns, I have always played this way, I thought that playing this way was a bad way of playing an instrument, but i works for me.
The down side of this way of playing is that it does make you idle with respect of remembering the notes, I need to remember to call out the notes from time to time to help me remember them
KO
OMGosh….I used the backing track you provided and made a song with the bass. Always thought bass kind of just held the rhythm but one can really get creative with it in and around and back on the beat..thank you thank you thank you. I am going to “load” up with your packages!!!
Gracias Scott
Amazing i love this teacher,,, scott ur the man
Amazing i love this teacher,,, scott ur the man,,, i wch, all the music teachers would teach, like u
Thank you for really useful lesson for biginers. You always show us the Key of excercise. What does ” Get in the shed! ” mean, anyway?
Brilliant! Thanks a ton!
Merry Christmas Scott and thanks for your insightfull lessons, I enjoy your approach and can relate to what you are
Saying on the bass. Thanks for the inspiration
thanks man….. this brought so many things together for me.
Awesome lesson Scott!! You are the man! Great way to use scales. Thank you.
I have been playing for about 8 years. I’m pretty good at playing anything, except jazz, but I’ve kinda been in that rut where you just get comfortable and never progress. I’ve learned scales, but never learned how to use them. Watching your videos has finally begun to open my playing and mind up to where it should be. Thank you soooooo much! Can’t wait to start on the jazz lessons!
Thank you so much Scott, this is exactly what I have neeed for so long. trying to take my playing to a higher level but have be unable to afford private lessons. You are a god send! you lessons on scales in where I need to start. the onle lesson I’ve ever had taught me the second finger major scale and thats the extent of what I know. I’m sure I’ll get alot of milage from your website. Thank you again.
I’m amazed, thank you!
Thanks Scott, love the lesson and also the sound track!
Great Scott!! I’ve been playing for ages, and have the entire fingerboard well mapped, but never have used the second position because of the stretching involved (although I used to play double bass which is quite a similar stretch and fingering!). One thing though–I like to play in the dark and visualize the fingerboard in my mind. I find I have to make a conscious effort not to look down.
FYI I’ve never given lessons, and have recently hatched a plan to give lessons to beginners and use the money to support the Barry Penny Foundation which gives lessons and instruments to kids who can’t afford them. Thanks for the great instruction and tool! I’ll be pointing people here and supporting your site as well.
Cheers!
Noticed your Salford pully. I spent some time in Manchester.
Thanks so much for the lesson. This has helped to open my approach to the bass. Thanks for changing my way of thinking!
Peace, bro.
-Herbie
Hey Scott!
thanks for the top-notch lesson. helped me improve my soloing a lot!
however, when I try to open the files you offered for downloading, my pc says the files are damaged, so I can’t use them :s
is it possible that you can fix the files?
kind regards,
Sander from the Netherland
Hey Sander – it could be your browser because they’re working at my end. Maybe try downloading with firefox/chrome/safari as I know they work. Ez man, Scott ;)
Ohhh I just noticed your answer above, sorry for the repeat question! But I also have no idea what that means! I’m computer illiterate!
Ok, sorry for all the posts but I’m really trying to figure this out because I can never download anything from this site! So, I’m using an iPad and I’ve tried chrome and adobe reader and they don’t work, and I don’t think I can download Firefox. All it says is that safari can’t download this file, and chrome says it is an unknown file. Is there another app for this? Thanks to anyone who can help, I hate computers!
Hey Tayra… yeah – it’s because they’re zip files. You need to install an app on your ipad that lets you open zip files. There’s a few free ones so just do search on the big G. ;)
Yayyy! It finally worked! Thanks for helping…..darn ipad, needing all these silly apps just to work :)
scotts great lessons..thanks for ur time
Thanks for the lesson! I really aprecciate your tips! You try to put your students in the next level… hugs Renato
Great lesson :) It really enlightens my playing, but I wonder… Why do you wear gloves? :D