Lessons · Intermediate
Bass Scales and Modes: Positions, Shapes and Uses
Play the major, minor, pentatonic and blues scales in position on bass, then learn which mode fits which chord.
Scales are the map that connects one chord tone to the next. A bassist rarely plays a scale from bottom to top in a song, but every passing tone, fill and walking line comes from one. This lesson shows how to play scales in position on a 4-string bass (E1 A1 D2 G2), which shapes to learn first, and how to choose the right scale or mode for each chord.
Position playing and one finger per fret
A position is named after the fret where your index finger sits. In 5th position, finger 1 covers fret 5, finger 2 fret 6, finger 3 fret 7 and finger 4 fret 8. This is called one finger per fret, and it lets you play a full octave and more without moving your hand.
| Position | Finger 1 | Finger 2 | Finger 3 | Finger 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd | Fret 2 | Fret 3 | Fret 4 | Fret 5 |
| 5th | Fret 5 | Fret 6 | Fret 7 | Fret 8 |
| 7th | Fret 7 | Fret 8 | Fret 9 | Fret 10 |
On the lowest frets the gaps are wide, so many players use the "1-2-4" system there: fingers 3 and 4 work together as one, and the hand covers three frets instead of four. From around the 5th fret upward, one finger per fret becomes comfortable.
The major scale shape
The most useful major scale fingering starts with finger 2 on the root. Here is G major in 2nd position, root on the E string at fret 3:
The notes are G A B C D E F# G. The same shape moved one string higher gives C major with the root on the A string at fret 3:
In the G position you can also reach F# below the root at E string fret 2, and A and B above the octave on the G string at frets 2 and 4. Always learn the notes around the shape, not only from root to root: real bass lines go below the root all the time.
The diagram shows G major across the first twelve frets. Look for the shape in 2nd position, then find it again with the root at A string fret 10 and E string fret 15 (not shown, above the 12th fret).
Minor, pentatonic and blues on bass
Natural minor
The natural minor scale fits perfectly into one-finger-per-fret with the root under finger 1. A minor in 5th position:
A B C D E F G A. This is the same set of notes as C major, starting from A (its relative minor).
Pentatonic scales
The pentatonic scales drop two notes and leave a shape with two notes per string. They are the safest scales for fills because they contain no half steps that can clash with the chord.
C major pentatonic (C D E G A) uses the same five notes as A minor pentatonic. From the A string: C at fret 3, D at fret 5, E at D string fret 2, G at D string fret 5, A at G string fret 2 and C at G string fret 5.
The blues scale
Add the flat fifth (Eb in A) to the minor pentatonic and you get the blues scale. On bass the blue note works best as a passing tone between the 4th and the 5th:
| Scale | Formula | Notes in A | Where a bassist uses it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural minor | 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 | A B C D E F G | Minor key songs, ballads |
| Minor pentatonic | 1 b3 4 5 b7 | A C D E G | Rock, funk, blues riffs |
| Major pentatonic | 1 2 3 5 6 | A B C# E F# | Country, pop, gospel lines |
| Blues | 1 b3 4 b5 5 b7 | A C D Eb E G | Blues and rock fills |
| Harmonic minor | 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 7 | A B C D E F G# | V chord (E7) in a minor key |
The modes and which chords they fit
The seven modes of the major scale use the same notes, but each starts on a different degree, so each has its own sound and fits its own chord. For a bassist the practical question is: "Which notes are safe between the chord tones on this chord?"
| Mode | Built on degree | Formula | Fits chord | Character |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ionian | 1 | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 | maj7 (I) | Plain major |
| Dorian | 2 | 1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7 | m7 (ii) | Minor with a bright 6th, funk and soul |
| Phrygian | 3 | 1 b2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 | m7 (iii) | Dark, Spanish-sounding b2 |
| Lydian | 4 | 1 2 3 #4 5 6 7 | maj7 (IV) | Dreamy #4 |
| Mixolydian | 5 | 1 2 3 4 5 6 b7 | 7 (V) | Major with a bluesy b7 |
| Aeolian | 6 | 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 | m7 (vi) | Natural minor |
| Locrian | 7 | 1 b2 b3 4 b5 b6 b7 | m7b5 (vii) | Unstable, rare as a key |
In C major, that means: C Ionian over Cmaj7, D Dorian over Dm7, E Phrygian over Em7, F Lydian over Fmaj7, G Mixolydian over G7, A Aeolian over Am7 and B Locrian over Bm7b5. See the modes lesson for the full theory.
Dorian versus Aeolian
Both are minor modes, and on bass they differ by one note. Compare A Dorian (F#) with A Aeolian (F):
If the band vamps on a single minor chord in a funky style, Dorian is usually the better choice; its major 6th sounds bright and open. In a minor-key song where the VI chord (F in A minor) appears, Aeolian matches the harmony.
As written in a bass part (one octave above the sounding pitch), A Dorian looks like this:
Mixolydian for dominant chords
A dominant seventh chord wants a major third and a flat seventh, and Mixolydian is the scale that has both. G Mixolydian with the major-scale shape, F natural instead of F#:
When a bassist uses which scale
Scales on bass are mostly about connecting chord tones. Put roots, fifths and thirds on the strong beats (1 and 3), then fill the weak beats with scale notes that lead to the next chord.
| Situation | First choice | Also try |
|---|---|---|
| Major key pop or rock | Major scale of the key | Major pentatonic |
| Minor key song | Natural minor (Aeolian) | Minor pentatonic |
| Funk vamp on one minor chord | Dorian | Minor pentatonic |
| Dominant 7 chord, blues | Mixolydian | Blues scale, major pentatonic plus b7 |
| ii-V-I in jazz | Dorian, Mixolydian, Ionian | Chromatic approach notes |
| m7b5 chord | Locrian | Arpeggio only |
| V7 chord in a minor key | Harmonic minor from the tonic | Arpeggio of the V7 |
A good habit: when you see a new chord, first play its arpeggio, then the scale around it. The arpeggio tells you where to land, the scale tells you how to get there.
Practice
- Position drill: play the G major shape in 2nd position, then move it up one fret at a time to every major key up to the 9th fret.
- Relative pairs: play C major from the A string, then A minor in 5th position, and notice they share all notes.
- Mode by chord: use the progression player to loop Dm7 G7 Cmaj7 and play D Dorian, G Mixolydian and C Ionian over each chord.
- Pentatonic fills: play roots for three beats and a two-note pentatonic fill on beat 4.
- Explore: look up every scale in this lesson on the bass neck with the scale explorer.
Related lessons: Major scale, Minor scales, Modes, Pentatonic and blues, Bass arpeggios, Bass lines over progressions, Five-string bass.
Scale pages: G major, A natural minor, A minor pentatonic, A blues, D Dorian, G Mixolydian.
Tools: Scale explorer, Fretboard trainer, Metronome.
Exercises: Bass major scale, Major scale positions, Bass pentatonic, Bass chromatic, Bass fretboard 2, Scale spelling.
Follow the 8-week intermediate bass path to practise these shapes step by step.