Covering All the Keys Using a Cool Minor Bass Lick (And Having Fun)

We’re taking a bit of a detour from our regular bass lick series lessons to work on moving around the fretboard and playing a line through all the keys.

In this lesson, we’re going to start with a lick in A minor, and work through the cycle of fifths. Each key lasts four bars each.

Follow along in the video, first at full speed and then at a reduced speed, and the transcription (PDF).

Here is our progression:
Am | Dm | Gm | Cm | Fm | B?m | E?m | A?m | D?m | G?m | Bm | Em

If you want to do this on your own, follow along with the backing track below.

Backing track:

For more great bass lessons from Thomas "MarloweDK" Risell, visit PlayBassNow.com.

Get daily bass updates.

Get the latest news, videos, lessons, and more in your inbox every morning.

Leave a Reply to carterh55 Cancel reply

  1. Wrong back track?

  2. N. Clarke

    This is a great learning tool….good ear training and fun to play as well……

  3. carterh55

    I’m having trouble with the sixteenth note from 5th to octave, it just feels awkward to make the run up the strings in the middle of hammer ons. Any tips?

  4. heliomar

    Parabéns ótima aula….

  5. joshua Lambie

    so basically just the cycle of fourths starting on Am?

  6. Seems to be cycle of fourths, rather than fifths?