A diminished chord or arpeggio is on that has a flat 5 and a flat 3. As a bass player you will at some stage be called to play over a diminished chord and you'll be well prepared if you remember the diminished triad theory and these two arpeggios.
The first diminished arpeggio is a passive variation moving down the neck and the second diminished arpeggio variation is one that moves up the neck but still in one position. The second Diminished arpeggio is easier to play as it in a single position, but might not be the flavor you want to have. Try them out and read more. Below are the graphics of the two arpeggio variations with TAB, notation and graphic frame.

I've recently added two new pages to the Bass Guitar EBook. I had noticed that a few visitors had come from google having searched for things like a 'C Major Pattern on Bass Guitar'. So, I went away and created a couple images of A C Major pattern and a G Major Pattern. They are both movable patterns and can be used to create a major scale in any key. Here are the two images. Read more in the ebook at G Major Scale and C Major Scale





The Ebook is shaping up to be a great resource for intermediate to Advanced Bass Players. Subscribe to it's feed to keep up to date with all the new material BASS PLAYER EBOOK FEED

5 String bass allows the player to get down lower and travel a little more freely in one position. I have notated a Dm Pentatonic scale for 5 string bass. It is a movable pattern, if you were to up the starting note a whole tone (two frets) to an E and did the same for every note in the patterns then you would have yourself an Em Pentatonic. The3 construction of the scale is standard to any instrument and you can read the theory on the Pentatonic scale supplied in the Scale Theory Section.

Click To Enlarge

If you're interested in the theory behind the scale visit the Scale Theory - Pentatonic Scales page.

Here is a sheet music page that you can print out and use for practice. On it is some variances of a root position pentatonic scale in the key of Am. The true notation and tab has been supplied on the sheet. You can transpose this scale simply by moving it up and down the neck of the guitar starting on different notes. If you keep the same pattern you will be playing the minor pattern of the first note in each section.

Understanding the natural progression of scales in contemporary Jazz and Classical styles is a key to song writing and can also be used in practice.

This image of the circle of fifths / cycle of fourths is reversed to most you will see. The Cycle of Fourths runs clockwise and the Cycle of Fifths runs anti-clockwise. It still all means the same this and is created in the same way. Notice as we cycle through the fourths that a flat is added on that side of the image. When practicing or writing in a contemporary or Jazz style it can be handy to cycle your chord progression around in the fashion of the cycle of fourths. Alternatively, you can go the other way for a more classical style. How many songs have been written with a chord progression that goes C - G - D and then the occasional A. You're probably doing it and don't even know why.

When you circle through the fifths what you are doing is starting the next Major Triad or scale on the Fifth increment of the previous. If you want a Jazz feel go the other way and play the fourth increment.

An easy way to remember the cycle or the circle is to know that the keys (without incidentals) are C at the top, F then BEAD G BEAD G in the direction of the cycle of fourths. The first BEAD G is all flat and the second is all natural.

Most rock music is based around Pentatonic scales. Pentatonic scales are those with only 5 notes. These scales are available in Major and Minor positions.

The Major Pentatonic Scale uses the Root, 2nd, 3rd, 5th and 6th degrees of the Major Scale

C-Major Pentatonic - C D E G A

You'll here this sort of scale in Southern rock, rhythm and blues, country and light rock.

As is the same for Major Scales the relative minor exists by starting on the A

A-minor Pentatonic - A C D E G (also known as the blues scale)

This minor pentatonic pattern is used widely in blues and in a lot of rock.

As a bass player and a guitar soloist you'll find that C-sharp and E-flat will complement as passing notes in Am Pentatonic. These are sometimes referred to as 'passing notes' or 'blue notes' and are a sharp third and a flatted fifth in the Minor scale.

Modes are produced by displacing the starting point of the scale without changing it's the interval formula.
What this means is that depending on where you start a scale depends on it's mode. During the process the notes of the original scale stay the same. It's alway simple to use the C Major scale to give examples. It has no Sharps or Flats (accidentals).

The first model name we'll look at is the IONIAN. This is the natural Major scale
C-D-E-F-G-A-B

Now, for example, If this scale is started on the D then the interval patten will change and give a different 'flavour'. It is still a C Major pattern but it now starts on the second degree. Starting on the second degree will create D DORIAN.
D-E-F-G-A-B-C

Here is a complete list of MODES as taken from 'The Original Guitar Case Scale Book' By Peter Pickow

Ionian (I)

This is the Major scale started on the Root / 1st Degree.

Dorian (II)

Starting on the second degree of a major scale yields a Dorian scale. This scale is very useful in jazz and jazz/rock - in which it used to solo over minor seventh chords and sounds like the natural minor with a raised sixth.

Phrygian (III)

Playing a C major from E to E gives us an E Phrigian scale; reminiscent of flamenco music and sounding like the natural minor with flatted second

Lydian (IV)

The mode starting on the fourth degree of the major scale is know as a Lydian scale. This one has a major sound but differs from a straight major in it's sharped fourth. In Jazz, Lydian mode scales are generally used for soloing over major seventh chords other then the 1st degree chord.

Mixolydian (V)

Starting on the fifth degree produces another major sounding scale, the Mixolydian mode; this time with a flatted seventh. You'll hear this in a lot of folk and rock music.

Aeolian (VI)

Starting on the sixth degree produces the relative minor. In the case of C major that would be the A minor scale or the A Aeolian.

Locrian (VII)

The seventh mode, Locrian, was avoided for centuries due to it's truly weird flavor. The scale outlines a diminished chord, melodies written in Locrian never seem to come to rest. This is commonly used in jazz for soloing over half diminished chords.

As a bass player you'll find that you may not use every note in these scales. One needs to be wary that their phrasing doesn't create the tonal qualities of a chord other then the one that is suppose to be being outline. I recommend alway spending as much time as possible working around the notes of the chord that is being played, or that is trying to be expressed. Tonic notes will almost always produce consistency with a song or piece of music.

As guitarist, there is always some room for movement but in the same way a bass guitar will move around the tonic notes it is also advisable for a 6 string guitarist or pianist etc. to consider the same.

You really need to start this exercise by reading the post about Major Scales, that post gives a Scale Theory foundation and will help you understand what I am writing about here.

You can create a Minor scale by having a flat 3rd, 6th and 7th. This is a cumbersome approach and understanding the relative Minors is a simpler way to continue.

Every Major Scale has a corresponding 'relative minor scale' that shares the same key signature. It has a 'modal' name which is 'Aeolian'. I'll write a complete post about Modes and you'll find that also under scale theory. Anyway, you can find the relative minor by starting your scale at the sixth degree. So, for a C Major you will have an A minor. By starting the C Major scale on the sixth degree (which is the 3rd down) you will have played an A Minor. Remember only plat the notes from the original Major scale.

Here is a chart showing relative minors:

To be a competent bass player, you will need to understand scale theory very well. A good bass player doesn't just 'sit' on the root note of the chord being played by a guitar or piano. The bass player is going somewhere with the line they are playing. They have their own thing going on within the song or piece.

The simplest place to start is with the Major scale. You will need to understand this scale not only for the sake of knowing it but it can be altered slightly to create new scales. You will also need to understand chord construction to know what notes to concentrate on during a bass line and what notes are for 'passing'. With the right knowledge and experience the bass player can define the feel of the chordal melody within a song, creating warmth and emotion.

It is important to understand Major Scale theory. Scale theory can get a little complex and complete knowledge of all scales or complete scale construction is very important to the bass player.

Some Quick Major Scale Theory (start here):
A major scale is a group of 7 different notes and an octave. We can start on any note but for this example we’ll use C. When starting on C, creating a C major Scale there are no Sharps or Flats. So a C Major scale will run through like this

C Major - c,d,e,f,g,a,b,c

The formula for creating a major scale needs to be understood. Each increment of increasing pitch is called a half tone. For example: going from C to C# would be considered to be a Half Tone (also known as a half step). If we use 'W' to represent a Whole Tone or Whole Step (being two half tones or the step from a C to D) and H to represent a Half Tone or Half Step (the Step up from C to C#) we can create a Major Scale formula that looks like this:

Major Scale Formula: W-W-H-W-W-W-H

Here’s a chart to make it as clear as possible (note: we refer to first C in this scale as the ROOT):

Major Scale Table in C


There is a section on Chord or Triad construction and you will be using this scale theory in every exercise. Here are some notes about what to expect while working through chord construction.
You need to know that each note is represented in chord construction theory as the 1st, 2nd, 3rd etc or ROOT, 2,3,4,5,6,7. You’ll also need to know that when when we play the note as is ,without a flat or sharp, it will be accompanied by M or P, example M3 meaning the major third or P5 which is a perfect 5th). If a note is flat it will be represented as something like m3 - further examples will be included when it is pertinent do so.

I’ve done my best to keep all this information as simple as I can. Read through it a couple times and refer back to this post if required.