RGT grade 4 question

[Sarah5string]

I'm looking to do my grade 4 exam this summer and about to send off the registration form I only started learning theory in january and this will be my first exam.

I have one question though, in the book and syllabus it says you should know the scales in 2 different fingerboard positions. My tutor says on my 5 string bass they don't change unless you run out of strings in which case you run up the last string, is that right? I just don't see why they would do that unless it was a totally different shape like you would have on 6 string guitar.

I hope that doesn't sound like a daft question!

Thanks in advance.

[Doddy]

If you are playing,lets say a G major scale,if you start it on the 3rd fret of the E string or the
8th fret of the B,you can basically use the same fingering pattern,as I'm sure you are aware.
But,i you took it up an octave and started on the 5th fret of the D string,as you reach the 5th
note of the scale (D) you would have to shift position,and one of the ways is to continue climbing
up the G string.
That's actually a good reason to learn the fingerboard thoroughly and to know what notes are
in the scales,rather than just learning the patterns. Then you can play the scales in a few different
positions.

[Sarah5string]

So the shape wouldn't change unless I'd run out of strings like my tutor says then... so, so long as I could play one 'full' shape if you like, and then move higher up and climb up the highest string, that would class as the second shape for the purposes of the exam?

[hellothere]

maybe im blind but i think you are the first female basschatter ive seen since signing up here

[Doddy]

You could do,but I wouldn't.
What I would is play something like this-Using G major as as example,

For a 'standard' scale pattern you would normally play G and A on the E string,
B,C,D on the A string and E,F# G on the D string.

As an alternative fingering you could play G,A,B on the E string, C,D,E on the A
string and F# and G on the D string.
That way you are playing exactly the same scale in two positions. That's probably a better
way to go about it. You could even play it in another position using open strings if you wanted.
Of course you have a 5 string so you could play the same scale again starting from the 8th
fret of the B string,and play it in even more positions.

I think that would be better than playing half a pattern and then climbing up one string.If I
was playing an octave higher,I'd probably start at the 10th fret,A string rather than the 5th
fret of the D string.

That's kind of a long winded explanation-it's something that's much easier to explain when
you have a bass in your hands.

[Sarah5string]

[quote name='hellothere' post='789040' date='Mar 29 2010, 12:06 AM']maybe im blind but i think you are the first female basschatter ive seen since signing up here [/quote]
lol there's not many of us granted, there are a few knocking around but we're severely outnumbered lol!

[Conan]

[quote name='Sarah5string' post='789113' date='Mar 29 2010, 08:20 AM']lol there's not many of us granted, there are a few knocking around but we're severely outnumbered lol![/quote]

Which is a great shame! Sometimes it does feel like a bit of a "boys' club" in here...

Trying to convince my "nearly 14" year old daughter that bass is the way to go...

[Sarah5string]

and cheers Doddy I think I know what you mean. Should really start learning them by note rather than shape!

[Sarah5string]

[quote name='Conan' post='789114' date='Mar 29 2010, 08:22 AM']Which is a great shame! Sometimes it does feel like a bit of a "boys' club" in here...

Trying to convince my "nearly 14" year old daughter that bass is the way to go... [/quote]
Trying to convince my 5 and 3 year old girls to go the same way