Skip to main content

Tetrachords Archives

Talking Technique: Tetrachord Workout
Talking Technique

Talking Technique: Tetrachord Workout

Similar to our last lesson, we’re working on exercises designed to shed your scales and build your technique at the same time. This time we’re focusing on tetrachords, which are four-note groups found within scales. You can also turn these exercises into speed training exercises by adding a few beats every time you play, but be sure not to go...

Practical Theory: Practice Tips for Scales (Part 3)
Bass Lessons

Practical Theory: Practice Tips for Scales (Part 3)

In this third and final installment of the Practice Tips for Scales series, we continue our look at the Major tetrachord formula to practicing scales. (Be sure to check out Part 1 and Part 2). This week, we dive into arpeggios, using consistent patterns to repeat on the upper register of the neck. Once we get comfortable with the pattern,...

Practical Theory: Practice Tips for Scales (Part 2)
Bass Lessons

Practical Theory: Practice Tips for Scales (Part 2)

This week, we’re continuing where we left off with Part 1 of this series, covering the Major tetrachord formula to practice scales. This week, we expand on the basics by covering various finger patterns and covering the entire neck. As part of this exercise, we’ll also skip notes in the scale, playing in thirds, fourths, fifths, and so on, to...

Practical Theory: Practice Tips for Scales (Part 1)
Bass Lessons

Practical Theory: Practice Tips for Scales (Part 1)

Practicing scales in a musical way helps keep things interesting. In this lesson, we kick off with some tips for practicing scales by using different intervals, arpeggios and fingerings. We’re also introducing a new approach to looking at the Major scale formula. Normally, we view it as 7 different steps (8, if you count the octave): G A B C...

Lesson: Scale Patterns from Tetrachord Combinations
Bass Lessons

Lesson: Scale Patterns from Tetrachord Combinations

We normally think of scales in terms of eight-note patterns and treat them as a unit. There are the standard modal forms for both major and minor, the bop variations, blues variations, but all of these still cling to the paradigm of an octave based scale unit (even if the total number of notes in the scale changes). As bassists...