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Hi. My name's Geoff Chalmers. I'm the founder of a website called
discoverdoublebass.com. If you haven't been already, maybe you'd like to
have a look at the end of this lesson. There are loads of free video double
bass lessons. If you become an email subscriber, there's even more free
content, including scale backing tracks that you can use to practice your
major, minor, dominant seven, scales, and arpeggios over one octave and two
octaves. There's loads of stuff that will hopefully help you in learning
your scales on the double bass.
Today we're beginning a series of video lessons looking at one octave major
scales on the double bass. So today I'm going to give you a quick
explanation about how best to practice this material. Then we'll look at F
major and B flat major over one octave.
A lot of players really get switched off with the idea of scales and
practicing them. What I've tried to do is help you as much as I can in
learning this information quickly, and looking at the details within each
scale. Usually there's an issue of fingering. If you focus in on, you'll be
able to make more progress. I've also grouped the lessons into two scales
that have similar issues of fingering.
Now, usually when I practice scales, or anything for that matter, scale and
arpeggio, riff, I practice it moving through the cycle of fifths. But with
these ones today, I've just grouped them into basically scales that share
the same problems or issues with fingering. Hopefully, that will help you
move as quickly as possible throughout all 12 keys. If you prefer them in a
different way, leave a comment and let me know, and perhaps I'll do it
differently when I do the next series.
Here are some tips that will hopefully help you get the most out of your
scale practice. The first thing, and I'm sure you all have heard this
before, is to practice your scales slowly. I think using a metronome can
really help, not to practice your time, but just to stop you speeding up.
If you have it set really slowly in the background, then it will keep you
from moving quickly through the bits that you know better.
Using the bow is a great way to focus in on your pitch. Now today's lesson
isn't about double bass bowing technique, and frankly I don't mind how you
hold it, how you use it, as long as you can create a sound, because it's
more focused with the bow. You hear clearer than you do with pits. That
said, it's also worth doing the scales with pits, and trying to project the
sound as much as you can, and to really focusing in on the intonation. So I
suggest using both methods.
It's really useful to reference your tuning as you go along without
constraints. For example, if I was playing a low G and I want to reference
that, maybe I'll play the open G. And yeah, the tuning's okay, but it works
in so many ways, perhaps I'm playing a fifth. Or perhaps I'm playing an
octave. Regardless, I do this a lot when I'm practicing scales and
arpeggios because I really want to make sure that I'm in tune. If you're
not using backing tracks, you've got to reference to make sure that you're
not making mistakes that you're simply not picking up on.
Some people suggest using an electronic tuner. Personally, it's not
something I've ever done, but I think if you did it for a bit at the start,
it might help you. But I wouldn't come to rely on it because ultimately,
you need to be able to play in tune without the aid of a tuner, and I think
it's a bit of a crutch. But if it helps you just maintain or establish the
correct hand shape at the beginning, then I don't really have a problem
with it. It's also worth making sure that when you are using open strings
within scales, that you play the alternative choices. So let me give you an
example. For instance, if you're playing C major, then you're using the
open D. Practice also just using stopped notes instead. So play the D and
shift back.
Another example that addresses using the open D string would be maybe A
major. What you may prefer to do is experiment using the stop D on the A
string. There may be reference with the open string of the seat of the
scale. When we're practicing scales, we are listening like crazy for our
intonation. One thing that will help us achieve really good intonation is
having really good hand shape and really careful shifting. Concentrate on
maintaining the hand shape and carefully shifting.
It's a great idea to use backing tracks and scales. As I mentioned, the
major scale backing tracks are available at discoverdoublebass.com. I
found it's really helped me focus in on my intonation, but be aware of the
way that you're using them. It might be that you always start out at the
top and play the first four scales. Don't get stuck in one area of the
bass. Really, the area you want to be stuck in is the area you find
hardest. So let's not spend all of our time playing F major. Let's do F
sharp. Let's do B major, the ones that cause you the most problems.
We mentioned about exploring the options regarding the open strings. Well,
also, make sure that you play the scales using as many different fingerings
as you can think. The fingerings that I'm presenting here today are the
ones that I start with, but it's by no means the only way that I play these
scales. So explore the different options yourself, and try to make sure
that you can move around the bass comfortably without going out of tune.
The fingerings that I'm presenting today are the ones that I start with,
and the ones that I teach students as they're making their first steps.
However, there are lots of different ways of playing these scales, and I
suggest that you explore them, and use as many as you can. Also, explore
moving around the bass. Perhaps you're gonna move up the strings rather
than across. Really eliminate all of the different options. Move through
them methodically. It means when you come to play the music, you'll be able
to really comfortably.
Let's start these scales by looking at F major and B flat major over one
octave. Now first of all, you need to tune the note F. E, F. Think about
that semitone. Think about Jaws. So you're thinking about that sound, just
a semitone. Then you find the note F, okay. Is that in tune? I think so. To
reference I'll just play you the notes within the hand shape, and I'll go
up to G, and I'll reference with the open G.
Now we have the note F, the note G, and then we're going to move up the
scale. The next note is open A. B flat with a first finger, and I'm
maintaining the hand shape. C natural, D natural, E natural. I think I'll
reference this with the opening. Okay? An F with my little finger. So even
though I'm playing the F here, I'm still maintaining the hand shape. The
first finger hasn't bunched up like this. It might be worth looking at the
left hand lesson if you're having these issues. I'm maintaining the hand
shape, and I'm referencing the tuning as I move down the scale.
Also, try using it. Try playing the scale with the bow, as well. It's a lot
more focused. Play a little slower than that, and really listen to the
sound. I'm going to play along using the backing track now, just so I can
reference my tuning. Because I really want to make sure that I'm playing in
tune, I'm also going to use the bow.
B flat major has got the same fingering as F major. Again, we use the open
A to find the note B flat, and then we move up the scale. The fingering,
again, is one on B flat, four on C, open D, and it's finger one on E flat,
the note F with your little finger, open G. I've tuned that, A and then B
flat. So it's A with the second finger, B flat with the fourth. However,
I'm maintaining the hand shape.
Now when I was saying those notes as I was playing them, that's also what I
advise you to do. I want you to get a really strong connection with the
pitch that you're actually on to help you learn the finger board, and even
better, try singing them along. So B flat, C, D, E flat, et cetera. And it
doesn't matter about what your voice sounds like. As you can hear, I can't
sing at all. But if you can get a stronger connection where the pitch is,
then that will really help you.
A last little tip before we play through with the scale. As you move
across, make sure that you maintain the hand shape and you can think about
a little bit of string pulling your first finger in that direction because
I find that people tend to do this for some reason. As they move up, the
hand shape closes. It means that they go back down, and they're slightly
out of tune. Think about the first finger remaining open, and kind of going
in that direction. Let's try playing the B flat major scale over one octave
with the backing track.
I really hope that you've enjoyed the lesson today. If you have and you'd
like more free lessons, you can go to discoverdoublebass.com, where if you
subscribe and become an email subscriber, you'll be notified of the
lessons. You'll also get some free stuff to welcome you to the site, which
includes backing tracks for major scales in all 12 keys, as well as natural
minor scales, dominant seven scales, and the arpeggios for each one of
those as well.
I really hope you've enjoyed the lesson and found it useful, and that
you're making progress in your scales. Let me know how you're getting on by
leaving a comment underneath. And if you like those backtracks, you can
visit discoverdoublebass.com.