7/01/08: Memorizing Notes on the Bass Guitar

[Guest Gibson Lifestyle]

Lesson of the Day: Memorizing Notes on the Bass Guitar

 

07.01.2008

 

We promised you a full week of bass guitar lessons, and we're going to deliver.

 

Don't let the headline fool you. Memorizing the notes on the entire bass guitar fretboard is no easy task, but it could be one of the most important things you ever do in learning how to play great bass guitar. This bit of invaluable knowledge comes from master instructor John Falstrom of Mel Bay Bass Sessions, who has over 30 years experience in teaching students the fine points of playing bass guitar.

 

No doubt, memorizing all the notes on the bass fretboard is a tremendous accomplishment, but there's a fairly easy way to do it. Falstrom suggests taking a picture of the fretboard and then writing all the notes on the appropriate frets. Then you take your picture with you to every practice and every gig. The goal is to memorize all the notes to every song, chord, and arpeggio, so you know exactly what notes you're playing every single time. It takes lots of practice, and a lot of patience, Falstrom says, but it's well worth the effort in the long run.

 

If I was to give only one single bit of advice to anyone looking to play the bass guitar, it would be to memorize the notes on the entire bass guitar fretboard. I can't even imagine playing the bass without knowing what notes I'm playing, yet people try to do it. Here's how I learned the fretboard in my first 6 months of playing the bass:

 

 

1. I had a picture of the notes on the fretboard of the bass wherever I was at. I studied it until I couldn't anymore, then I studied it some more. I'd put notes into groups of 2, 3, 4 etc., and then memorized that certain group of notes everywhere they appeared on the fretboard. I would start with only the natural notes (no sharps or flats) until I had a section of the fretboard memorized, then I'd take a natural note and add the flat (:) and the sharp (#) on either side of the natural note, giving you 3 consecutive notes. A great way to grab 2 notes at once is to memorize a note's octave. You will find the octave two strings higher and up two frets from whatever note you are starting on (as long as you can go up two strings).

 

2. After I learned a song, and had played it until I had memorized it, I would go back and memorize every note in the song. If you do this with the songs you can play, I believe this will help you get the job of memorizing the fretboard done.

 

3. When you play a scale, go back and slowly play it over & over again until the notes are memorized. Saying the note names as you play them can also help with this process. Later then, go back and see if the notes appear in your head. If they don't, you'll have to keep playing the scale until the notes "stick".

 

4. When you play chord's arpeggio, go back and? memorize the notes to the chord. Knowing your chord tones is also very important. Trust me on this!

 

5. When you make up a song or an exercise, etc. Always make sure that you know exactly what notes you are playing. How can you possibly communicate a song, a lick, or an exercise to other musicians if you don't know what you're playing?

 

Summary: How will you know that you have all the notes on the bass guitar fretboard memorized? If right before you play a note, the note letter appears in your head, you've got it. If it doesn't, you still have more work to do. Memorizing the notes on the entire bass guitar fretboard is a tremendous accomplishment. It will greatly increase the odds that you will become the bassist/musician you want to be. Do yourself a great big favor, and start today.

 

And please don't forget to check back tomorrow for yet another killer bass lesson from Gibson Lifestyle.