Bass Lesson: Using Scales/Key to find licks

Sharing a way I practice on how to add runs and licks when Im playing. I know I move alot and animated LOL. hope this helps you. God bless!

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[9winters5]

im a beginner at bass (16 years old) but i know quite a bit of music theory from playing trumpet for four years. Im just wondering how many scales there are or how many i should learn for now.

[toofpick151]

@9winters5 Man there are over 50 diff scales not counting modes. I dont even know all of them well lol!  A good way is to learn how to construct the scales (whole steps and half steps) so no matter what key you will know the pattern/scale type. Hope that helps!

[Yourboysnacks]

Bro your nice... but i just had to make a correction. In the key of Eb minor Eb is actually the VI (6) Ab would be the II (2) and Bb would be the III (3). The actual I (1) is F#. That being said Most Major runs you can do in the key of F# Major you can also do them also do them in Eb minor because Eb minor is the relative minor of F# . Just like F# is the relative Major to Eb. Keep playing tho man it sounds NICE!

[toofpick151]

@Yourboysnacks Thanks bro. With all due respect, youre mixing two diff scale names. In the key of "Eb minor", Eb is the actual I. In "F# major", it would be the 6th as youve stated, and technically D#. The song starts on Eb and if you listen to it all the way through, ends on the 5th of Eb, Bb. your theory on runs is correct though. Just dont want to confuse any beginners. Respect.

[tubasrule2012]

@toofpick151 wats the name of this song??

[toofpick151]

@tubasrule2012 Its called "You Can" Off Lisa McClendon's House of Blues album.

[whizkidimmortal]

thanks a million

[billrose1]

@9winters5 There are twelve notes in the western system, and seven common modes. The are based off of greek terms and they are called Ionian (Major), Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian (Minor), and Locrian. This means there are 84 scales if you do not include enharmonic equivalents. And these are only the scales composed of seven notes.

[billrose1]

@9winters5 There is music composed with scales of only five notes (pentatonic), six notes (whole tone), eight notes (octatonic) and all twelve (atonal, tone rows, dodecaphonic). Then there are scales that composers create for a particular piece (usually based on a tone row). Not to mention micro-tones found in eastern music, which increase the number of notes to be used in a scale. There is a whole big world of music out there, I hope you explore it all.

[billrose1]

@Yourboysnacks You use different sets of Roman Numerals to identify these scales, always starting on their respective tonics. The relative Major of D# Minor is F# Major. Eb Minor and D# Minor are enharmonic equivalents, meaning they have the same sounds but two different names.

[billrose1]

@Yourboysnacks In the key of Eb minor, Eb is the tonic, or the i not the VI. Ab is the subdominant or the iv/IV and Bb is the dominant/v/V. The relative Major of Eb Minor is Gb Major. They share the same key signature, but start on different notes (Eb and Gb respectively). cont.

[Iliketacos091]

@Yourboysnacks Actually, I guess a better and more concise explanation is that relative minors and majors are NOT interchangeable. If he plays it in Eb minor, then its in Eb minor.

[Iliketacos091]

@Yourboysnacks (continued) As you can see, those scale degrees do NOT match up, since they don't start on the same note. They have the same notes in them, but the scale degrees aren't the same. Hope that helps clear it up a little.

[Iliketacos091]

@Yourboysnacks I'm sorry for putting this so bluntly, but you're wrong. If he plays the song in Eb minor then the song is in Eb minor, not in F# major. Also, in the relative major, the degrees (VI, II, and III, etc.) are NOT the same as the scale degrees in the relative minor. The only things relating the minor and major is the key signature. The Eb minor scale goes Eb, F, Gb, Ab, Bb, Cb, Db. The F# Major scale goes F#, G#, A#, B, C#, D#, E#. (continued)

[questube45]

This was one of the best Gospel instructional videos I've seen in regards to application (apply). The key and placement? Oops The most important thing is he played it correctly. This brother Touch all the importanat points. KNOW THE SONG!!!!!! Wonderful insight my brother!!!! Stay blessed in the Lord.