Finger Independence Using Scale Patterns

In this series of exercises we will take a few scales and use the fifth, octave and ninth of each degree and use
specific fingering that will be merked over the top. Gaining finger independence and facility with your fretting hand
is very important and using musical exercises rather than random notes is also extremely beneficial. This is very
rudimentary but it's always good to revisit even for the more seasoned player. As with all the exercises......Play them
in all 12 keys when comfortable with them.

Finger Used

?4 œ
2 4 1 2
œ
4
œ œ
1
œ
3
œ4 œ4 œ
3
œ
1 4
œ
2
œ
1 4 2

4 œ œ œ œ œ

C Major Scale

C Major adding fifths & octaves

1 3 4 1 1 3 œ
œ œ
œœ œœ œ œ
1 3 4 1 1 3 4 1 1 3 4 1 1 3 4 1 1 3 4 1 1 3 4 1 4 1
œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ
? œœ œœœ œ œœ œœ œœ
3
œ œ

œ4 œ3 œ4 œ4 œ3 œ4 œ4 3 1 œ4 œ4 3 œ4 œ4 3 1 œ4 4 3 4 4
7
œ
1 1
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
4
œ
4
3 1 œ
4
? œ
1
œ œ
1 3 1
œ œ
œ

C Major adding fifths & ninths (a ninth is a 2nd up an octave) This time the fingering is written for bar 1 & 5 only

œ œ #œ œ œ œ
#œ œ œ œ
œ œœœ œ œ œ œ œœ œœ œ œ œ œ
11 4
? œ1 œ œ1 œ œ œ
3

œ4 œ3 1 œ3 # œ œœ œœ
15
œ œ œ œ
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ#œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
? œ œ œ œ

Let's try a similar pattern but using the format Root, Octave, 5th, 9th (C c G D)

œœœ œœœ œœœ œ œ#œ nœ œ œ

œ œ œ œ
 œ œ #œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ #œ œ œ
œ œ œ
2
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œœœ
23
? œ œ

Next we will try an interesting line using diatonic approach notes. These differ from the chromatic approach notes we
discussed in 'Bass Workshop Volume 1'. A diatonic apporach note is a note related to the root (in this case C) by the scale.
To understand this exercise we need to understand the harmonised major scale (also covered in Volume 1). Maybe refresh
yourself with it in volume 1 if you need to. The chord will be written over each bar. This time we will use quarter notes playing
the approach note, Root, Third and Fifth. The root is always going to be on beat two of the bar. We will accent the root note.

> œ œ
œ œ >œ œ
27 CŒ„Š7 D‹7 E‹7 FŒ„Š7
? œ œ œ œ œ >œ œ œ œ œ
>
œ œ œ
? œ >œ
31 G7
œ œ
œ >œ
A‹7
œ œ >œ
B‹7(b5) œ œ >œ
CŒ„Š7 œ

This time we will use the harmonised scale again and play the root, third, seventh and root ascending and descending we will
play the seventh, third, root, root.

œ œ œ œ
œ
35
? œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
œ

œ œ œ œ
39
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
? œ œ

œ œ œ œ
43 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
? œ œ

47 œ œ œ œ œ
? œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
In the next 16 bar exercise we will look at playing the same patterns over different chords from the harmonised C major
scale. We will take the root, third, fifth, octave, seventh and ninth of each chord in different combinations.
This is not only a great way to improve your technique and finger independence it also gives you a good grounding in harmony
and the ability to hear each different chord change. The chord changes will be written above the stave along with the scale degree
e.g. C-I......Em-III.....G7-V and so on. That way when you come to play it in all 12 keys it will be much easier to transpose.

œ œ œ # œ œ œ œ œ
G7 V

? œœœœ œœœ œœœ œ œ œœœœœ œœ

œœ œ
 œ
3
œ œ
CŒ„Š7 I A‹7 VI FŒ„Š7 IV
B‹7(b5) VII
œ
? œœ œœœœœ œœœœœ œ œœœœ œœ œ œ œ# œ œ œ
55

œ œ œ

E‹7 III
œ œ œ œ
FŒ„Š7 IV
œ
E‹7 FŒ„Š7 IV
III
59
? œ#œ œ œ œ œœ œœœ œ œœœœ œœœœœ
œ œ œœœ
œœ

œœœœœœ œ œ
A‹7 VI D‹7 II G7 V CŒ„Š7 I
63
œ œ
? œ œ œœ œ œ œœœœ œœœœœ œœ
œœœ œ œ

Now that we have played a few patterns and exercises based on the C harmonised major scale. Let's move onto the relative
minor key (A Minor). Again we will use the harmonised scale. As with the last progression, the name of the chord and the
degree of the scale will be written above the stave.

A Harmonised Minor Scale: Am7 Bm7b5 Cmaj7 Dm7 E7 Fmaj7 G7

Root, Fifth, Octave, Root.

œ G7 œ œ A‹7 œ œ
œœ œœ
A‹7
œ œœ œœ œ œœ œ
67 B‹7(b5) CŒ„Š7 D‹7 E7 FŒ„Š7
? œ œœ œ œ œœ œ œ
œ œœ œ œ

Same progression as above but using the Root, Fifth, Seventh, Root notes

œ œœœœœ œ
71
? œ œœœ œ œœ œœ œœ œ œ œ
œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œœ œ

Here is an exercise using the same progression but using the third, fifth, seventh, octave (ascending) and seventh, fifth,
third & root (descending).

75
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
? œ œ œ œ œ œ

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
79
? #œ œ œ œ œ œ
4

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
83
? œ œ œ œ œ œ #œ œ

? œ œ œ œ
87
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
œ œ

As we did with the major scale exercises, we will add a diatonic approach note so the second note will be the root. The
format will be Approach note, Root, Third, Fifth going up and Octave, Fifth, Third, Root coming down. The chord progression
remains the same. When playing through the pattern notice the tied notes.

91
œ œœ œ œœ œ œœ
? œ œ œœœ œœœ œ œœ œœœ œœ œœ œ œœ
œ œ
œœ œœ œ œœ œ œœ
95
? œ œ#œ œ œœ œœœ œ œœ œœ œ œ œ œœ œ œœ

Now let's do what we did with the major patterns. We will take a chord progression based on the A harmonised minor scale
and use the chord tones with some added ninths. Again, the chords and the degree of the scale will be written above the stave
making it easier to transpose. When you're used to playing it in A minor try it in other keys. Remember to always practise
SLOWLY. Focus on accuracy, sound and understanding rather than speed. We will also use some diatonic approach notes.

œ œ
A‹7
I
œ œ œ
E7
œ # œ œ œ œ D‹7
V
œ œ œ CŒ„Š7 IIIœ œ œ œ œ
99
? œ œ œ œ #œ œ œ
IV
œ œœœ
œœœ

œ œ œ œI œ œ œ œ G7œ œ VII
œœ œœœœœœ
A‹7 III
103
?
B‹7(b5)
œ œ
II
œ œœ CŒ„Š7
œœœœ œ œœ œœ

œ œ œ œ œ œ œI œ œ œ œ œ # œ œ œ œ œ A‹7 œ I
A‹7 E7 V
œ œ œ œ œœ œœœœ
107 A‹7 I
? œ œ #œ
œ
I™
œ ™
œ œ
111 FŒ„Š7
œ œ œ œ
E7
œ
VI œ œœ
V
G7 œ
œ œ
VII A‹7
˙
˙
? œœœ #œ œ œ œœ œ œ
œœ