Eighth-Note Bass Grooves
Each groove is shown as a rhythm line and as tab, one groove per chord: C, F, G and A. Count "1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &" out loud, play the notes exactly where the rhythm puts them and stop the string on every rest. Loop each groove four times with a metronome, then play all four in a row as a progression.
Groove 1 on C
Groove 2 on F
Groove 3 on G
Groove 4 on A
Play each groove for two minutes with the metronome, first at 70 BPM, then 90 and 110. Let every note ring for its full length and stop the rests cleanly.
Goal
Lock in steady eighth notes and learn to shape a groove with only three notes per chord: the root, the fifth and the octave. The rests matter as much as the notes; they give a line its bounce.
C – F – G – Am with a root–fifth bass line
Bass line: root, fifth, octave and approach note
The shapes
| Chord | Root | Fifth | Octave |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | A string, fret 3 | D string, fret 5 | G string, fret 5 |
| F | E string, fret 1 | A string, fret 3 | D string, fret 3 |
| G | E string, fret 3 | A string, fret 5 | D string, fret 5 |
| A | E string, fret 5 | A string, fret 7 | D string, fret 7 |
The shape never changes: fifth one string up and two frets higher, octave two strings up and two frets higher. Learn it once and every groove moves to any root.
How to practise
- Metronome at 70–80 BPM. Alternate your plucking fingers strictly (index, middle) even across strings.
- Play each groove four times, then go on to the next chord without stopping.
- On rests, lift the fretting finger slightly or touch the string with a plucking finger so the note stops exactly on the beat.
- Raise the tempo by 4–5 BPM only after four clean passes; rock grooves sit well between 100 and 140 BPM.
Self-check
Are all eighth notes the same volume and length? Do the rests sound as clear silence, without ringing strings? Record yourself with the click and listen back.
Next steps
Read bass groove and rhythm and revise the root–fifth exercise and bass octaves. When this feels easy, move on to sixteenth-note funk grooves, and loop other progressions in the progression player.