Visualizing Shapes

by Chris Tarry

Pages: 1 · 2 · 3 · 4

"Great, what does this mean for me" you ask.

Well, because of the symmetry of a bass neck, no matter where you are on the bass, that shape will always be a Major 3rd. I can say to you "go up a Major 3rd from here" and you don't even really need to know where here is because you know the shape.

This all comes in handy when there isn't time to think C ummmm ok, I need a major 3rd on that, mmmmm... ok, if I have C then mmmm... D would be the second.... Ooops, Tunes over!

Here is another common shape. This shape makes up an interval of a Major 7th. With our middle finger on C, it's over to the right one finger and up 2 strings. Don't forget that the same note is also located right next door... One finger to the left.