Bass Scales
Bass scales for 4-string and 5-string bass: any scale on the whole neck, split into positions you can play without moving your hand, with sound.
Tap any dot to hear it. Keyboard: Space plays or stops the position, ← → step through the positions.
How to use the bass scales chart
This bass scale chart marks every note of any scale on the bass neck: pick a key and a scale, from major and minor to pentatonic, blues and the modes, then play it one position at a time, in reach of one hand, and hear each position played. Pick a Key and a Scale and the bass scales chart marks every note of that scale on the neck, up to the 20th fret. The dark orange dots are the root. Use Note names to learn which note is where, or Scale degrees to see the 1, 3 and 5 that bass lines lean on. The Tuning menu covers the standard 4-string bass (E A D G), the 5-string (B E A D G) and drop D.
The Position chips split the neck into boxes that start on each scale note of the lowest string. Each box spans about four frets, so your hand stays in one place with one finger per fret. Press Play position to hear the box up and down at the chosen speed, or tap any dot to hear one note. Keyboard: Space plays and stops, the arrow keys move between positions.
One finger per fret
On bass the frets are wide, so most players keep the hand in one position and give each finger its own fret: first finger on the lowest fret of the box, fourth finger on the highest. The positions in the tool follow that rule. Every note of a position sits between the fret where the position starts, one fret below it (a small stretch back with the first finger) and three frets above it. When a scale note would need a wider reach, it moves to the next string, where the same pitch lies five frets lower.
That is also why the patterns repeat: in standard tuning each string is a fourth above the one below it, so a shape you learn on the E and A strings works the same on the A and D strings, one string over.
The major scale on bass
The G major scale is G A B C D E F#. Choose G and Major and look at position 1: the root G sits on the 3rd fret of the E string, and the whole octave fits under four fingers across three strings. Move the same shape to any other root on the E or A string and you have that major scale. The piano scales page shows the same scale as whole and half steps, which is handy when you want to see why the shape looks the way it does. When you write major scale bass lines, aim the strong beats at the 1, 3 and 5 of each chord.
Scales that work for bass lines
- Major and natural minor: the base for most bass lines in a key; pick the key of the song and stay in its notes.
- Minor and major pentatonic: five notes, no half steps, so almost every note fits over the chord. A pentatonic scale bass line is a good first step for grooves and fills.
- Blues: the minor pentatonic plus the flat fifth, for walking blues and shuffles.
- Mixolydian: the major scale with a flat 7th; it fits over dominant 7th chords.
- Dorian: the natural minor with a raised 6th; common over minor 7th chords in funk.
Set the Scale degrees label and practise landing on the 1 and the 5 on the first beat of each bar with the metronome. To see which chords belong to a key, use the circle of fifths, and for the chord tones as shapes, open bass chords.
4-string or 5-string
The 5-string bass adds a low B string below the E. Switch the tuning to 5-string and every scale gains a lower string, which lets you play low notes without shifting down the neck. The shapes on the E, A, D and G strings stay the same as on a 4-string bass. The bass tuner has a 5-string setting for the low B.
More for bass: Bass Tuner · Bass Chords · Fretboard Notes · Guitar Tab Maker · Bass Amp Simulator · Online Looper
Questions
What scales should a bass player learn first?
The major scale, the natural minor scale and the minor pentatonic cover most bass lines. Learn each in one position first, then connect the positions along the neck.
What are the notes of the open strings on a bass?
A standard 4-string bass is tuned E A D G from the lowest string to the highest. A 5-string adds a low B: B E A D G.
Are bass scales the same as guitar scales?
The notes are the same: bass guitar scales and guitar scales use the same notes, and the four lowest strings of a guitar in standard tuning have the same note names as a 4-string bass, one octave higher. So the scale shapes on those strings match. The guitar scales page has the 6-string version.