You may wonder at this point where this is going. Bear with me for a little longer while I make statements about intervals and half-steps in one other very important scale: the minor scale.
Similarly, half-steps can be counted between the notes of a minor scale and those spaces or distances will be the same for all minor scales in all other keys. Please understand the POWER of this idea. You learn one concept and consequently you then know many others.
Note the underlined word, 'Positions', below. This idea of 'position' is very important and ought to be understood very clearly.
Definition: position: a unique placement in a structure or sequence. A place occupied (by a note in a scale). The positions in a scale are numbered consecutively 1 through 8.
Count the half-steps between the notes. You'll see a difference in the numbers of half-steps between some of the positions ( 1st through 8th ) in the major and minor scales. This can be summed up by using the major scale as a basic reference point and defining the minor scale in terms of the major or simply saying that we get the natural minor scale from a major scale by flatting the third note, flatting the sixth note and flatting the seventh note of the major scale. This is an important concept ! It is the concept that enables you to create all sorts of other scales and modes (definition: mode: a type of scale). You don't have to memorize this but just know about it because soon I'll discuss other scales and modes and you'll already have some knowledge of how they're constructed.
Play the E (natural) minor and A (natural) minor scales using the following fingerings:
E (natural) m - E- first finger on E note, A string, 7th fret; F#- third finger on F# note, A string, 9th fret; G- fourth (pinky) finger on G note, A string, l0th fret; A- first finger on A note, D string, 7th fret; B- third finger on B note, D string, 9th fret; C- fourth finger (pinky) on C note, D string, l0th fret; D- first finger on D note, G string, 7th fret; E- third finger on E note (octave), G string, 9th fret. Going backwards, E- third finger on high E note, G string, 9th fret; D- first finger on D note, G string, 7th fret; C- fourth finger on C note, D string, l0th fret; B- third finger on B note, D string, 9th fret; A- first finger on A note, D string, 7th fret; G- fourth finger on G note, A string, l0th fret; F#- third (ring) finger on F# note, A string, 9th fret; E- first finger on E note, A string, 7th fret.
Do this: contrast the fingering of this E natural minor scale with the fingering of the E major scale (four pages back). Play both (the E natural minor scale and the E major scale) several times to get the feel for the differences between the different fingers used for the different notes or the different positions on the fret board. Both scales start on the same note but their fingering patterns are a little different. These two basic patterns will be ones that you use over and over again.
A (natural) minor - use the same fingering pattern as described above for the E (natural) m scale, just start the pattern on the A note, E string, 5th fret. Play a G nat m scale. An F nat m scale. Ah! A question arises. Where should I start? On the bass, as in life, the word 'should' always brings with it certain expectations. My answer is you 'should' start the scale wherever you most would like to play it. I would make my decision dependent on how each scale would sound in context with other musicians. Since you're probably not playing with other musicians right now - play it starting off on both F notes, 1st fret, E string and 8th fret, A string.
These fingerings are good examples of 'positional' fingering patterns which you'll learn more about several pages in the future. Try them. They'll take you away from using open strings and develop a little extra strength in your wrist and fingers.
Definition: positional: placed or set in place or set in a place.
Note: we must make a distinction between the two words, 'position' and 'positional'. The word 'position' is used to label (with a number) a unique placement in a structure or a sequence or to label a unique place occupied (by a note in a scale). The word 'positional' simply means placed, set in place or in a place as is a sequence of notes that is played in the same way regardless of where on the fret board the sequence is played.
End of day 5.