This Is a Simple Way How to Understand Intervals on Bass Guitar and Learn the Fretboard

For any beginner or intermediate bass player getting into music theory, understanding intervals is one of the basics that should be covered. These are the building blocks of everything you’ll do: writing music and playing chords or bass lines.

First off, intervals are distances between two notes. In this lesson, we’ll focus on the good old natural major scale and understanding intervals within one octave. To fully understand this, you should also know:

• One octave has 12 equal semitones in the equal temperament system (the standard tuning system used in modern Western music).
• One fret on the same string is one semitone.
• A major scale has seven degrees.

So, a major scale consists of the root note, major second, major third, perfect fourth, perfect fifth, major sixth, and major seventh. We can also add the octave to that.

For this lesson, I used the E major scale with the root note on the seventh fret on the A string. The major second would be two semitones – or a whole step – up. So it’s F# (or the ninth fret) of the A string.

Staying within one position, with your middle finger on the E note, these are the other intervals:

• Major third — G#, sixth fret on the D string
• Perfect fourth — A, seventh fret on the D string
• Perfect fifth — B, ninth fret on the D string
• Major sixth — C#, sixth fret on the G string
• Major seventh — D#, eighth fret on the G string
• Octave — E, ninth fret on the G string

The exercise that I had in mind was about playing a pattern. It alternates between the root note and each of these intervals, ascending and then descending. So we’ll go: root, major second, root, major third, root, perfect fourth, and all the way up to the octave. Then we go down by using the same pattern — root, major seventh, root, major sixth, and all the way down to the major second.

To make things fun, we’ll just add some groove to the pattern. After all, we’re bassists, aren’t we? All of this is in the video above, as well as another pattern which includes playing these intervals one octave lower.

This exercise aims to help you understand intervals, make out intervals by ear, understand scales, and try to think diatonically. Finally, you’ll also better understand your instrument’s fretboard.