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05 Bass Lessons Adam Nitti - The Intervallic Approach

The document discusses an intervallic approach to playing scales on bass that focuses on the intervals between notes rather than the pattern of notes. It explains that intervals are the distance between two notes and that musical components like scales and chords can be viewed as a series of intervals. The document provides examples of applying intervals like seconds, thirds, fourths, fifths, sixths, and sevenths to notes of the major scale to create new patterns for practicing scales in a way that makes improvisation sound less scalar and more melodic. It encourages practicing these intervallic exercises methodically to internalize the new sounds.

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Juan Felipe Canon Manchego
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130 views4 pages

05 Bass Lessons Adam Nitti - The Intervallic Approach

The document discusses an intervallic approach to playing scales on bass that focuses on the intervals between notes rather than the pattern of notes. It explains that intervals are the distance between two notes and that musical components like scales and chords can be viewed as a series of intervals. The document provides examples of applying intervals like seconds, thirds, fourths, fifths, sixths, and sevenths to notes of the major scale to create new patterns for practicing scales in a way that makes improvisation sound less scalar and more melodic. It encourages practicing these intervallic exercises methodically to internalize the new sounds.

Uploaded by

Juan Felipe Canon Manchego
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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THE INTERVALLIC APPROACH

Last time around, we discussed different ways of playing the major scale in an effort to train our ears to
recognize and incorporate more interesting shapes and phrases in our playing. I stressed how important it
is to learn the sound of each pattern in addition to the pattern, itself. The goal in all of this is to promote a
higher level of familiarity with the sound of different shapes so that we may ultimately play what we hear.
Remember: It is not enough to simply memorize the pattern, itself. We need to learn the SOUND of each
pattern.

This article will focus on the application of intervals when working with scale forms. An interval is the
distance between 2 notes. Most every musical component containing more than a single note can be
looked at as a series of intervals. For example, the major scale can be looked at as a series of whole step
and half step intervals, as shown in Figs. 1a and 1b:
Fig. 1a

Fig. 1b

Similarly, a major 7 chord can be looked at as being built using major third and minor third intervals, as
shown in Figs. 2a and 2b:
Fig. 2a

Fig. 2b

One of the problems that some players face when learning to solo is the challenge of how to make their
ideas sound less scalar and more melodic. This is one of the symptoms that accompanies an exclusively
pattern based approach to improvising that I have talked about in previous columns. Although it still
requires a pattern style workout at first to learn the sound of each shape, practicing these less familiar
shapes can get us out of a rut and influence our phrasing in fresher ways. For example, there are a variety
of intervallic patterns that can be applied to scales to make them sound more interesting. A practice
regimen that includes a variety of intervallic approaches can make our basic ideas sound much less
contrived and subsequently train our ears to incorporate these new ideas into our playing.

For the following examples, we will refer again to our trusty major scale pattern. Each individual exercise
will take a chosen interval and apply it to each note of the major scale within a particular position. I suggest
starting with the 3 note per string positions for the major scale, as demonstrated in previous columns. (See
figs. 3a.-3c.)

Fig. 3a

Fig. 3b

Fig. 3c

To keep the exercises concise, I will use the range of a 4 string bass, utilizing a G major scale starting on
the 3rd fret E string. Remember to keep your hand in position as shown, using only the fingerings specified
for the duration of each exercise.
Intervallic 2nds

Each successive note in the scale is followed by the note a diatonic 2nd higher. The exercise written in
scale degrees would look like this:

Ascending: 1-2, 2-3, 3-4, 4-5, 5-6, 6-7, 7-8, 8-9, 9-10, 10-11, 11-12
Descending: 12-11, 11-10, 10-9, 9-8, 8-7, 7-6, 6-5, 5-4, 4-3, 3-2, 2-1

Ex. 1

Intervallic 3rds

Each successive note in the scale is followed by the note a diatonic 3rd higher. The exercise written in
scale degrees would look like this:

Ascending: 1-3, 2-4, 3-5, 4-6, 5-7, 6-8, 7-9, 8-10, 9-11, 10-12
Descending: 12-10, 11-9, 10-8, 9-7, 8-6, 7-5, 6-4, 5-3, 4-2, 3-1
Ex. 2
Intervallic 4ths

Ascending: 1-4, 2-5, 3-6, 4-7, 5-8, 6-9, 7-10, 8-11, 9-12
Descending: 12-9, 11-8, 10-7, 9-6, 8-5, 7-4, 6-3, 5-2, 4-1

Ex. 3

Intervallic 5ths

Ascending: 1-5, 2-6, 3-7, 4-8, 5-9, 6-10, 7-11, 8-12


Descending: 12-8, 11-7, 10-6, 9-5, 8-4, 7-3, 6-2, 5-1
Ex. 4

Intervallic 6ths
Ascending: 1-6, 2-7, 3-8, 4-9, 5-10, 6-11, 7-12
Descending: 12-7, 11-6, 10-5, 9-4, 8-3, 7-2, 6-1
Ex. 5

Intervallic 7ths

Ascending: 1-7, 2-8, 3-9, 4-10, 5-11, 6-12


Descending: 12-6, 11-5, 10-4, 9-3, 8-2, 7-1

Ex. 6
Practice these exercises using other modes and scale types over the full range of your neck. Be very
disciplined with your technique and timing as you practice. Soon, you will hear these ideas work their way
into your playing as their sounds become more familiar to you.

Until next time-

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