Understanding Major and Minor Structures
Chapter 5: Understanding Major and Minor Structures
✓ The starting note is the root (the tonal center). It’s also called the 1, for the first note of the scale.
✓ All the notes (scale tones) between the 1 and the octave are numbered in sequence. So the major scale consists of the root (or 1), 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7.
✓ The note after the 7 is the octave. The octave is the same note as the 1 but higher. You can use this octave as a new 1 (root) for repeating the first scale an octave higher.
When you describe the notes of the major scale, you call them the root, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, and octave.
Here’s the structure of the major scale. (I label the whole steps with “W” and the half steps with “H” to show you the distance from one note to the next in the major scale.)
Root <W> 2nd <W> 3rd <H> 4th <W> 5th <W> 6th <W> 7th <H> octave Figure 5-2 shows you the structure of the major scale on a grid. (See Chapter 2 for a description of the grid.) The open circle represents the root, and the solid dots represent the other scale tones (notes).
Figure 5-2:
The structure of the major scale on a grid.
? c œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
2 4 5
2 3 5
3 5
1 1
2 2
3
4 4 4
structure sequence
Left Hand:
1 = index finger 2 = middle finger 3 = ring finger 4 = pinkie (little finger)
TRACK 14, 0:00
You can play the major scale anywhere on the fingerboard, without shifting, as long as you have three strings and four frets at your disposal. Going up, if you start the scale with your middle finger, you can complete it without shift- ing your left hand. (For more on shifting, see the later section “Chromatic tones outside the box.”) Going down, you start the scale with your pinkie.
The major scale structure forms the basis for all your other scales and their intervals, which means that the intervals of all the other scales are compared
88 Part II: The Bass-ics of Playing
to the major scale intervals. When a note deviates from the notes in the major scale, it’s specially marked with a % or a #. Here are the guidelines:
✓ When you lower any note by a half step, the note is flatted (shown with the symbol % next to the note or number).
✓ When you raise any note by a half step, the note is sharped (shown with the symbol # next to the note or number).
Minor scales
Like the major scale, minor scales have seven different notes within an octave, but the whole and half steps are arranged in a different order. The natural minor scale is the basis of all other minor scales. Here’s the sequence of the notes in a natural minor scale:
Root, 2, %3, 4, 5, %6, %7, and octave
Notice that the 3rd, 6th, and 7th notes in the natural minor scale are each a half step lower than the 3rd, 6th, and 7th notes in the major scale. The %3 (flat 3) is the fundamental note in a minor scale. It defines the scale as minor instead of major; this note is often referred to in music theory as a minor 3rd.
Here’s the structure of the natural minor scale:
Root <W> 2nd <H> %3rd <W> 4th <W> 5th <H> %6th <W> %7th <W> octave Start playing this scale with your index finger. You can play the natural minor scale in one position (without having to shift your left hand). Figure 5-3 shows you the structure of the natural minor scale.
Figure 5-3:
The structure of the natural minor scale.
? c œ œ œb œ œ œb œb œ
3 5
3 5 6
3 5 6
1
1 1
3 3 3
4 4
structure sequence
Left Hand:
1 = index finger 2 = middle finger 3 = ring finger 4 = pinkie (little finger)
TRACK 14, 0:10
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Chapter 5: Understanding Major and Minor Structures
Figures 5-2 and 5-3 are on Track 14 of the CD. Listen for the differences between the major and minor scales. Play along with the track and listen to each scale until you can tell them apart by ear.
Building Chords: One Note at a Time, Please
A chord is a combination of three or more notes taken from a related scale.
Piano players and guitarists often play several notes of a chord simultane- ously. For example, a guitarist may play a three-note chord on the first beat of a measure and let the complex chord-sound (or harmony) ring out for the rest of the measure. But bassists usually take a different approach when playing the notes of a chord. When playing bass, you generally execute chords by playing the notes one at a time. You can play the notes in any sequence and using any number of rhythmic patterns. (See Chapter 3 for different rhythmic patterns.)
Triads: The three most important notes of a chord
The triad is the basic chord form, consisting of the three most important notes of any scale: root, 3rd, and 5th. This structure is called a triad because it has three notes. You can find the notes for the triad by playing any scale up to the 5th note, skipping every other note. In other words, you play the root, skip the 2nd note, play the 3rd note, skip the 4th note, and play the 5th note.
You can tell whether a scale is major or minor merely by listening to its triad.
A major triad has a regular 3 (1, 3, 5) and produces a happy sound. A minor triad has a %3 (1, %3, 5) and produces a sad sound.
Musicians sometimes refer to triads as chords. For instance, a major triad may be referred to as a major chord. (Note that a more complex combination of notes in the major tonality may also be called a major chord.)
Major triads
The major triad is the chord that’s related to the major scale. Just play the root, 3rd, and 5th notes of the major scale to get a major triad. You can easily play it in one position (with no shifts in your left hand). Make sure you start the major triad with your middle finger.
To see the form of the major triad, check out Figure 5-4. The open circle represents the root, and the solid dots represent the other chord notes. You may include the octave root (as in this example) if you like the sound. It’s the same note (an octave higher) as the root and won’t change your triad one bit.
90 Part II: The Bass-ics of Playing
Figure 5-4:
Structure sequence and of the major triad.
? c œ œ œ œ
2 5 5
3
2 1
4 4
structure sequence
Left Hand:
1 = index finger 2 = middle finger 3 = ring finger 4 = pinkie (little finger)
TRACK 15, 0:00
Take a look at Figure 5-5 for some examples of major triad accompaniments (bass lines you play to support soloists). The simple structure of the major chord (major triad) gives you enough notes to choose from to play some hip accompaniments.
Figure 5-5:
Accompani- ments using the major triad.
? c
.. ..
.. œ Œ œ œ ..
2 5
3
?
.. ..
.. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ..
2 2 5 5 2 5
3 3
?
.. ..
.. .œ Jœ œ œ J œ ‰ ..
2 2 5
3
a)
b)
c)
2 1
4
Left Hand:
1 = index finger 2 = middle finger 3 = ring finger 4 = pinkie (little finger)
TRACK 15, 0:12
TRACK 15, 0:36
TRACK 15, 1:01
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Chapter 5: Understanding Major and Minor Structures
You can hear the major triad and its subsequent accompaniments on Track 15 (Figures 5-4 and 5-5). Triads are a simple, yet effective method to accompany a tune.
Minor triads
The minor triad comes from the minor scale. You construct the minor triad by playing the root, 3rd, and 5th notes of the minor scale, which translates into the root, %3, and 5. You can play any minor triad in one position (no shifts with the left hand), and you start it with your index finger. Check out Figure 5-6 for the form of the minor triad.
Figure 5-6:
Structure sequence and of the minor triad.
? c œ œb œ œ
5 5
3 6
1
3 3 4
structure sequence
Left Hand:
1 = index finger 2 = middle finger 3 = ring finger 4 = pinkie (little finger)
TRACK 16, 0:00
Like the major triad, the minor triad gives you plenty of notes to choose from for some cool accompaniments over minor tonalities. See Figure 5-7 for some examples.
You can play any of the grooves from Figures 5-5 and 5-7 in any key (not just in C), without changing the shape of the grooves (the pattern of the notes in rela- tion to each other). For example, try starting on a different note, such as on D, when you play the note patterns shown on the grids in these figures.
You can hear the minor triad and accompaniments on Track 16 (Figures 5-6 and 5-7).
Applying the triad to a song
You may think the triad is a simple, unsophisticated device and certainly not the stuff of the big leagues. Well, think again. If you listen to a song like “Under the Boardwalk” or “Jamaica Farewell” or a number of other megahits, you quickly realize that this seemingly unassuming device packs quite a punch.
92 Part II: The Bass-ics of Playing
Figure 5-7:
Accompani- ments using the minor triad.
Left Hand:
1 = index finger 2 = middle finger 3 = ring finger 4 = pinkie (little finger)
? c
.. ..
.. œ œ œb œ œ œ œ œ ..
5 5
3 3 6 6 6 6
? ..
..
..
..
œ ‰ jœ œb œ Œ œ œ œ œb
3 3 6 5
5 5
5 6
? ..
..
..
œ Œ œb ‰ Jœ œ œb œ œ œ œ ..
3 6 5
5 5 5
6 6
1
4
3 3
a)
b)
c)
TRACK 16, 0:10
TRACK 16, 0:35
TRACK 16, 1:00
On Track 17 you hear a song that has the bass laying down the triads as the perfect accompaniment. As you listen, follow along in Figure 5-8 (be sure to repeat the first line). All you have to do is get your fretting hand in position to play a major triad (starting with the middle finger on the root) or a minor triad (starting with the index finger on the root) as I’ve described earlier in this chapter. When you’re comfortable with this, play the triads along with the song. Eventually, when you’re familiar with the bass part, pan the music so you don’t hear the bass and play the part along with the track. After that, it’s only a matter of time before you can hang your own gold record on your wall.
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Chapter 5: Understanding Major and Minor Structures
Figure 5-8:
Notation for a song with triad accompani-
ment.
Groove Pattern
1 2
4 Major
1
3 4 Minor
A D G D A D G D
F# m F#m D E
A D
G D A D
G D
5 5 4 7 5 5 4 7 5 5 4 7 5 5 4 7 5 5 4 7 5 5 4 7 5 5 4 7 5 5 4 7
4 4 7 7 6 6 7 7 4 4 7 7 6 6 7 7 5 5 4 4 7 7 4 4 7 7 7 7 7
5 5 4 7 5 5 4 7 5 5 4 7 5 5 4 7 5 5 4 7 5 5 4 7 5 5 4 7 5 5 4 7 5 5 4 7 5 5 4 7 5 5 4 7 5 5 4 7 5 5 4 7 5 5 4 7 5 5 4 7 5 5 4 7
4 4 7 7 6 6 7 7 4 4 7 7 6 6 7 7 5 5 4 4 7 7 4 4 7 7 7 7 7
5 5 4 7 5 5 4 7 5 5 4 7 5 5 4 7 5 5 4 7 5 5 4 7 5 5 4 7 5 5 4 7
TRACK 50
TRACK 17