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Bass Guitar Scales & Modes
The earliest acknowledgment of the scales and modes were
said to have been formed and given credit to the ancient
Greeks and their tribes,naming the scales and modes after
their most important tribes, for example, the Ionian tribe,
or the Phrygian tribe.It was also rumored that many churches
during the early middle ages had also used these scales.
They have scince been changed over the course of time, to
what we as bass guitarist and musicians know today as the
7 modes of the major scale.
Diatonic Scales
A diatonic scale may be defined as dia=8, tonic =note.
In thus , meaning that the diatonic scale, is an 8 note
scale.There are 7 different notes, and the 8th note being
the octave.
Here are the 7 modes in correct order, in the key of A
Diatonic Major.You will see how each mode goes from the
tonic note to its octave. In otherwords, Ionian goes from
the tonic note A to the octave A. Dorian is played from
the tonic note B to B octave and so on. Each mode has a
different use and a different sound.
A Ionian B Dorian
G :-----------------------------------------------4------
D :----------------4--6--7---------------4--6--7---------
A :-------4--5--7---------------4--5--7------------------
E :-5--7---------------------7---------------------------
A B C# D E F# G# A B C# D E F# G# A B
C# Phrygian D Lydian
G :-------------------4--6------------------4--6--7------
D :----------4--6--7---------------4--6--7---------------
A :-4--5--7------------------5--7------------------------
E :------------------------------------------------------
C# D E F# G# A B C# D E F# G# A B C# D
E Mixolydian F# Aeolian
G :-------------4--6--7--9------------4--6--7--9--11-----
D :----4--6--7---------------4--6--7---------------------
A :-7----------------------------------------------------
E :------------------------------------------------------
E F# G# A B C# D E F# G# A B C# D E F#
G# Locrian A Octave
G :-------4--6--7--9--11--13------4--6--7--9--11--13-14-
D :-6--7-----------------------7-------------------------
A :------------------------------------------------------
E :------------------------------------------------------
G# A B C# D E F# G# A B C# D E F# G# A
_________________________________________________________
Playing Modes In Boxes
Dont confuse this with the modes taught above. These modes
are ALL in the key of A. The modes taught above began in
the key of A Diatonic Major. First was A Ionian, B Dorian,
C# Phrygian, and so on.
Show here is A Ionian, A Dorian, A Phrygian ect...
All of these scales are widely used for all forms of music.
A Ionian A Dorian
G :------------------------------------------------------
D :----------------4--6--7---------------------5--7-----
A :-------4--5--7---------------------5--7--9------------
E :-5--7---------------------5--7--8---------------------
A B C# D E F# G# A A B C D E F# G A
A Phrygian A Lydian
G :------------------------------------------------------
D :-------------------5--7------------------4--6--7------
A :----------5--7--8---------------4--6--7---------------
E :-5--6--8------------------5--7------------------------
A A# C D E F G A A B C# D# E F# G# A
A Mixolydian A Aeolian
G :------------------------------------------------------
D :----------------4--5--7---------------------5--7------
A :-------4--5--7---------------------5--7--8------------
E :-5--7---------------------5--7--8---------------------
A B C# D E F# G A A B C D E F G A
A Locrian A Super Locrian
G :------------------------------------------------------
D :-------------------5--7----------------------5--7-----
A :----------5--6--8-------------------4--6--8-----------
E :-5--6--8-------------------5--6--8--------------------
A A# C D D# F G A A A# C C# D# F G A
A Phrygian Dominant A Lydian Dominant
G :------------------------------------------------------
D :-------------------5--7------------------4--5--7------
A :----------5--7--8---------------4--6--7---------------
E :-5--6--9------------------5--7------------------------
A A# C# D E F G A A B C# D# E F# G A
A Harmonic Minor
G :------------------------------------------------------
D :-------------------6--7-------------------------------
A :----------5--7--8-------------------------------------
E :-5--7--8----------------------------------------------
A B C D E F G# A
________________________________________________________
Synthetic Scales
These are known as scales that are not considered to be
from the Diatonic Major Scale family. These scales are
commonly used by such great bassist as Stu Hamm, Chris
Squire, Geddy Lee, Steve Harris, and many more.
These scales are known for their dissonant "odd" sound.
The half tone and whole tone scales are only common among
extremely odd playing situations.You may hear alot of these
on soundtracks to horror movies, or studio outakes for scary
movies, as well as your favorite songs by your favorite
artist or group.
A diminished
G :------------------------------------------------------
D :-------------------4--6--7----------------------------
A :----------5--6--8-------------------------------------
E :-5--7--8----------------------------------------------
A B C D D# F F# G# A
Half Tone
e :------------------------------------------------------
B :------------------------------------------------------
G :------------------------------------------------------
D :-------------------4--5--7----------------------------
A :----------4--6--7-------------------------------------
E :-5--6--8----------------------------------------------
A A# C C# D# E F# G A
Whole Tone
e :------------------------------------------------------
B :------------------------------------------------------
G :------------------------------------------------------
D :----------------5--7----------------------------------
A :-------4--6--8----------------------------------------
E :-5--7-------------------------------------------------
A B C# D# F G A
Pentatonic Scales
Although these scales are not from the Diatonic scale family,
there is a major and minor pentatonic scale. Pent=5, Tonic=note
So basically this is a 5 note scale.These are among the most
common for rock/metal/country/southern rock bass guitar riffs.
G :----------------2-------------------------------------
D :----------2--4-----------------------5--7-------------
A :----2--4-----------------------5--7-------------------
E :-5-----------------------5--8-------------------------
A B C# E F# A A C D E G A
_________________________________________________________
Other Dissonant Scales
These scales will provide a far eastern dissonant sound.
Enigmatic Scale Hungarian Minor
G :------------------------------------------------------
D :-------------------6--7----------------------6--7-----
A :----------6--8--9-------------------6--7--8-----------
E :-5--6--9-------------------5--7--8--------------------
A A# C# D# F F# G# A A B C D# E F G# A
The Actual Blues Scale
Many guitarist are under the impression that they have
learned the blues scale after they have learned the pentat-
onic minor scale. This is the actual blues scale which cont-
ains a flatted fifth from the diatonic major.
A Blues Scale
G :------------------------------------------------------
D :----------------5--7----------------------------------
A :-------5--6--7----------------------------------------
E :-5--8-------------------------------------------------
A C D D# E G A
Mixo Blues Scale
This scale can be used in a variety of ways. It often sounds
best adding techniques like hammer-ons and pull-offs to the
added major 3rd note, C#.
A Mixo Blues
G :------------------------------------------------------
D :-------------------5--7-------------------------------
A :-------4--5--6--7-------------------------------------
E :-5--8-------------------------------------------------
A C C# D D# E G A
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