scale positions

[Smirfy]

Hi all, I have made a return to bass after a long time away. I was always a rocker and was good enough to hold a spot in a gigging band, but sadly lacked any theory or real understanding of why what I was playing sounded good ( or not!). So given lockdowns and reduced social freedoms, I'm trying to start from scratch and trying to learn some stuff along the way. I have developed an appreciation for funk and also dipping my toe into jazz. I have started working on Scott Devices Jazz beginner series that deconstructs Autumn Leaves and looks at creating walking bass lines. So here's my beginner question... What is meant by scale position? Lets say I'm playing C major starting on the A string 3rd fret for 1 octave across the D and G string. What position is that? and where is the next position, or the previous? I can see that it is not to do with what finger you start with, or what fret you start from, so is it the first position that you can start playing the scale from the root note? That doesn't seem right to me either. I have googled and searched here but either I don't understand what I am reading, or I am seeing conflicting info. Any help gratefully received

Thanks

S

[Nickthebass]

In terms of location on the instrument, assuming you are playing that C with your middle finger - I would call that 2nd position. Your index finger being at the 2nd fret.

To me - 1st position would be 1st finger in fret one. Someone with more classic / upright background may correct me.

The term “root position” is one I’ve heard from Scott Devine but never before - may just be my ignorance though. This refers I think to where you start the scale from - in this case starting a C scale from the root (C). I don’t think it refers to a particular fingering.

I think it is laying the ground for thinking about playing the same scale starting on different notes. For a C major scale starting on the root you get

C D E F G A B C

start on the 5th you get

G A B C D E F G

from the 6th you get

A B C D E F G A  and on - you get the idea. 
 

This way of thinking about that major scale unlocks pretty much the whole of diatonic harmony (basically all the harmony you’ll need to play pretty much any rock, pop, blues, funk, folk etc. song).

Once you get how the C chord relates to the C major scale and what happens when you start that C major scale on (for example) an A (ABCDEFGA) and that you get an Am chord from that scale ... then the world is your mollusc of choice.

All of a sudden you’ll see why going C Am G F sounds natural. 

 

 

 

[Reggaebass]

I’m not sure if you’ve seen this smirfy, Hugh richardson goes through the scale positions here 🙂

 

[Bilbo]

Interesting that the video is labelled all positions for C major and the image is E major. 😄

[Reggaebass]

5 minutes ago, Bilbo said:

Interesting that the video is labelled all positions for C major and the image is E major. 😄

Yeah I noticed that too when the pic came up 😁

[Smirfy]

Hi all, thanks some good stuff here! I've watched that video a couple of times, and it seems that make sense. It's not exactly what NicktheBass was saying but having done some more research it seems that there is more than one answer to my original question and it looks like both answers are correct!!  Back to the he woodshed for me then! Thanks again

 

S

 

PS I noticed the image on the video wasn't CMajor too, so that's a breakthrough moment for me!!! ( Althought I didn't know what scale it was lol)

 

Edited October 3, 2020 by Smirfy