MAKING
PATTERNS MUSICAL, PART 2
Greetings to you, fellow 'holders-of-the-bottom-end!'
Last time around, we talked about using sequencing and intervallic concepts
to enhance our use of scalar patterns. Remember: The idea is to apply
these ideas to scales and other musical forms in order to inspire ideas
that are more MUSICAL in nature. What you end up playing on the gig
is directly related to what you spend your time practicing in the "woodshed."
Therefore, it is vitally important to get out of the monotony of a stale
practice routine and start to replace old habits with new ideas. Hopefully,
these concepts will inspire some new lines in your bass playing, and
give you a little more of an edge in your usage of scales.
In this installment, I will be introducing some new approaches to working
your scale patterns that build off of the sequences and intervals presented
to you last time around.
NOTE: If you haven't checked out my last article, "Making Patterns
Musical, Part 1," you might want to do so before continuing. Part
1 outlines and explains the concepts that evolve into the material provided
in this installment.
HYBRID APPROACHES
Hybrid approaches combine two (or more) different elements from our
sequences and intervals and incorporate them into unique musical patterns.
Examples of hybrid approaches might combine 2 different intervallic
shapes, 2 different sequences, or even a mixtures of a sequence and
an interval into one pattern. They are great to use in your playing,
because their abstract and very unique sound.
HYBRID INTERVALLIC APPROACHES
Once again, let's use our major scale reference pattern as the basis
for our examples, utilizing a 3 note per string approach to cover as
many notes as possible in one position:
Now let's go over an assortment of hybrid patterns which we will use
over a G major scale. (Remember that these can be applied to any other
scale or mode; just transfer the fingerings to your new scalar pattern
and position.)
Note: In each of these exercises, the numbers represent the scale degrees,
or ordered positions of the notes in the pattern. Keep in mind that
using a 3 note per string approach will give you 12 total notes in a
single position for a 4 string, 15 notes total for a 5 string, and 18
notes total for a 6 string bass. These notes are numbered by their placement
in a scale.
INTERVALLIC 3rds/6ths
In this exercise, an interval of a 3rd is followed by a 6th, and then
the cycle starts over again:
1-3, 2-7, 3-5, 4-9, 5-7, 6-11, 7-9, etc.
(Notice that the commas separate each interval played in succession.)
Here is the same example as it would appear on a staff using a G major
scale:
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INTERVALLIC 5ths/3rds
In this exercise, an interval of a 5th is followed by a 3rd:
1-5, 2-4, 3-7, 4-6, 5-9, 6-8, 7-11, etc.
INTERVALLIC CONSECUTIVE 3rds
The 'consecutive' nature of these types of exercises lies in the fact
that the intervals chosen are stacked. In other words, the top note
of the 1st interval is the bottom note of the 2nd interval, and so on.
In this particular example, a third is stacked on top of a third. Those
of you who are familiar with harmonic concepts will notice that this
could also be looked at as a triad exercise:
1-3-5, 2-4-6, 3-5-7, 4-6-8, 5-7-9, 6-8-10, 7-9-11, etc.
INTERVALLIC CONSECUTIVE 5ths
This is a 5th stacked on top of a 5th:
1-5-9, 2-6-10, 3-7-11, 4-8-12, 5-9-13, 6-10-14, 7-11-15, etc.
Note: Many of the following patterns cannot be played in a single 3
note per string position on a 4 string bass. To play them through the
scale, you will have to shift your fingerings.
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INTERVALLIC CONSECUTIVE 2nds/5ths
This is a 5th stacked on top of a 2nd:
1-2-5, 2-3-6, 3-4-7, 4-5-8, 5-6-9, 6-7-10, 7-8-11, etc.
HYBRID SEQUENCING APPROACHES
These examples will mix 2 different sequencing ideas together. These
ideas are not as abstract sounding as the intervals, mainly because
they have more of a scalar approach. They could be thought of as sounding
a little smoother than the hybrid intervals.
SEQUENCED 5's/3's
This pattern utilizes a sequence of 5 followed by a sequence of 3:
1-2-3-4-5, 2-3-4, 3-4-5-6-7, 4-5-6, 5-6-7-8-9, 6-7-8, 7-8-9-10-11, etc.
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(Notice that the commas separate each sequence.)
SEQUENCED 3's/4's
This pattern utilizes a sequence of 3 followed by a sequence of 4:
1-2-3, 2-3-4-5, 3-4-5, 4-5-6-7, 5-6-7, 6-7-8-9, 7-8-9, etc.
SEQUENCED 6's/3's
This pattern utilizes a sequence of 6 followed by a sequence of 3:
1-2-3-4-5-6, 2-3-4, 3-4-5-6-7-8, 4-5-6, 5-6-7-8-9-10, 6-7-8, 7-8-9-10-11-12,
etc.
IMPORTANT: For brevity, each of the preceding exercises has outlined
only the ascending versions of the form. However, it is vitally important
that you work them in both ascending and descending directions on the
bass. To play the descending forms, simply play the patterns backwards
from highest range to lowest. You don't want all of your ideas to come
out on the gig only going in one direction!
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BI-DIRECTIONAL
APPROACHES
Notice that in each of the exercises presented so far, each pattern
has had both an ascending version and a descending version, moving from
left to right on the staff. Bi-directional approaches mix both ascending
and descending movements into both versions, making for some really
neat sounding ideas. This exchange of both ascending and descending
movement within a pattern is what I like to call "contrary motion."
Here are some examples:
BI-DIRECTIONAL INTERVALLIC 3rds
1-3, 4-2, 3-5, 6-4, 5-7, 8-6, 7-9, 10-8, etc.
Notice that each 3rd played is followed by another 3rd moving in an
opposite direction. Here is what it looks like on a staff:
BI-DIRECTIONAL INTERVALLIC 6ths
1-6, 7-2, 3-8, 9-4, 5-10, 11-6, 7-12, etc.
BI-DIRECTIONAL
SEQUENCED 3's
1-2-3, 4-3-2, 3-4-5, 6-5-4, 5-6-7, 8-7-6, 7-8-9, 10-9-8, etc.
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BI-DIRECTIONAL
SEQUENCED 4's/INTERVALLIC 3rds
1-2-3-4, 5-3, 4-5-6-7, 8-6, 7-8-9-10, 11-9, etc.
BI-DIRECTIONAL CONSECUTIVE INTERVALLIC 3rds (whew!)
1-3-5, 6-4-2, 3-5-7, 8-6-4, 5-7-9, 10-8-6, 7-9-11, 12-10-8, etc.
I hope you enjoy working through these exercises. Obviously, these are
just the tip of the iceberg here. You can use any of your favorite approaches
and mix them together to come up with some really neat sounding musical
approaches. One bit of advice, though; don't try to tackle all of these
at once. Focus on only a few at a time, and work on their mastery through
ALL of your scales and modes before moving on. Otherwise, you might
not see these ideas "rear their heads" in your soloing ideas
quite as quickly as they could. Be patient, use a metronome, and track
your progress daily. The rewards are well worth it!
Until next time!
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