Improvising With Modes: A Guide For Bass Players

[@lerico536]

When I was a senior in high school (1973) some of my friends in the jazz band talked me into signing up with them. I knew nothing about playing jazz on the bass at the time. I was a bluegrass player so I was really good at playing the root and the fifth, two-beat style - haha! My first exposure to the modes was when the jazz combo kids put the music for So What in front of me. It was just two chords, D Dorian, D# Dorian, with a bunch of hash marks in the bars. I had to learn quickly so I made fingering diagrams for all the major modes and I realized that by knowing the shapes, I could play any scale, anywhere on the neck. I remember thinking, it can't possibly be this easy. You teach like I learn so I love your lessons.,

[@OnlineBassCourses]

Thanks!

[@tdavis8118]

I cannot count how many instructional videos I've watched over the years. This is the first time I've learned actual fundementals that will teach you to become a better bass player. Your vidoes are great in the fact that they make the complex easy to understand and be able to apply these concepts in real life playing situations. Great teacher and phenominal player!!! Thank you!!

[@OnlineBassCourses]

Thanks for the lovely comment! I try to make what I teach useable in real life situations so I’m pleased to hear that.

[@peak_flow]

This was a 'light-bulb' lesson for me. I knew what the modes were, conceptually, but I've always been a bit hazy on how to use them effectively. Your explanations and examples made it all slot into place - thank you! Really enjoying all of your videos and articles, and finding the resources very useful. Hope your channel continues to grow - certainly deserves a wider audience.

[@OnlineBassCourses]

That’s very kind of you Keith, thanks for the encouragement. Lot’s more to come, including another mode lesson tomorrow...

[@robertlehane9955]

Dan, that's a brilliant video on modes and how to use them. The backing tracks/chord progressions are so beneficial for playing along with. It really helps to appreciate the modes. There is an enormous amount of information to take from this lesson both theoretically and practically.

[@OnlineBassCourses]

Thanks so much, Robert!

[@stephencouncil3066]

Have known the modes for a while, but did not know how to use them, thanks for explaining how to use them, in songs and music.

[@artprintvisual]

What an excellent teacher. Thank you.

[@OnlineBassCourses]

Thanks for the comment. 👍👍

[@bobbysharp]

Thanks for the last example, playing in a band with a guitar player who writes songs based on how it sounds rather than applying theory to it is not easy. Meaning I was expected to come up with my own lines, I was not being told what to play. Then our other guitarist writes from music theory. So seeing and hearing someone explain their solution to this is easing to the musicians spirit. I was very green coming into this band and I simply applied either a major or minor flavor to that chord. And the same with the dominant chords. At some point could you go over chord substitutions and what is the thinking behind figuring that out. Also split chords where there is a chord and a bass note that is attached to it and what your thoughts are dealing with that. Thanks for your time doing this I hope your channel adds to your fanatical picture. Being a content creator on YT is not easy.

[@OnlineBassCourses]

Thanks, Bobby. Appreciate the kind words and I’ll have a think about your suggestions. There are a few approaches to thinking about creating bass lines. I like to learn as many of the elements as I can so that I can then use my intuition, creativity, and ear (ultimately not really thinking too consciously at all…).

[@sarthaksharma9322]

This video was my aha! Moment, thanks a lot!!!!!

[@OnlineBassCourses]

Fantastic to hear! Thanks for watching.

[@MrBombom25]

Thanks for sharing👍

[@OnlineBassCourses]

Thank you for watching.

[@jasoncherry5849]

I’ve noticed that you have excellent finger placement. That’s my weakness, I have a hard time reaching my fingers across the the top frets because my fingers are short. I’m working on developing a technique that allows me to reach the frets cleaner and smoother, I tend to swing my fingers from the wider frets at the top to reach the next fret like spiderman swinging between buildings. The higher register with narrower frets aren’t really a problem with fretting as much as coordinating my fingers to work in time with each other. I’ve been practicing Money by Pink Floyd and Dazed and Confused by Led Zeppelin and those two songs have really helped my work on coordination and timing. I’ve been toying with some Queen songs like Another one bites the dust and Under Pressure. The modes and scales really come into play when practicing any song and as I play each of these songs I can fell the modes and scales come to life. Timing is really important to make the songs sound right. Thanks for the videos and the courses.

[@OnlineBassCourses]

Thanks, Jason. Sometimes you do have to adapt technique to your personal situation so keep going! You can still work on your hand stretch, shifts, and placement and I’m sure it will get easier as you go.

[@degeest5571]

Nice bass.

[@OnlineBassCourses]

Thanks. I've owned it for years and years and love it.

[@jackskwan7801]

Thank you very much Sir 👍

[@OnlineBassCourses]

Thanks for watching!

[@VuNguyen-tu1gv]

Hello Sir, I am wondering, what's the book name of your that contents the modes lay out on this video? Thanks.

[@OnlineBassCourses]

Do you mean my free The Bass Guitar Resources book? If so, you can head to www.onlinebasscourses.com and download it there. 🙏

[@VuNguyen-tu1gv]

Thank you very much for following up. In this video, at the .38 sec, you show the table "Modes of C Major". I was wondering, did you have that Modes table in any of your books so that I could purchase (from Amazon)? It's so clear and details explanation!. Thank you again

[@OnlineBassCourses]

@@VuNguyen-tu1gv ah, sorry - that one! There’s a link right below the video in the description. Click it and you can download it for free.

[@VuNguyen-tu1gv]

I got it, thank you so much.

[@realbass4302]

are you doing zoom lesson in the fulture

[@OnlineBassCourses]

Hi, hope you’re well! It’s a possibility, yes.

[@jackskwan7801]

May i have a question Sir ( this is a question from the beginner ☺). How many notes may i play in a bar to move to the next mode? Thank you for the anwser in Advance

[@OnlineBassCourses]

This is down to rhythm so even one note can be exactly the right thing to do. If you know the notes that sound good, then think about feel/groove/rhythm and that will inform how many notes you play. As long as it sounds good it is good!

[@jackskwan7801]

@@OnlineBassCourses thank you Sir, i'll try to play it. Thanks again i wish you a nice weekend

[@watercolour7606]

Hi Dan. Very informative and enjoyable lesson from a seasoned professional musician. In relation to modal interchange you said that you use Lydian mode for major7 chord and Dorian mode for a minor 7 chord. But when you referred to Miles Davis you said use Dorian mode for Dm7 AND Dorian mode for Eflat7. Should it not be Lydian mode for the Eflat7 looking at your initial chart. Where am I going wrong please? Thank you.

[@OnlineBassCourses]

Thanks very much for watching! I probably explained that bit badly... In So What, the chords are Dm7 (for a while) then Ebm7. So it's Dorian over each one (D Dorian then Eb Dorian). It's all about context though but in that instance, Dorian all the way!

[@watercolour7606]

HI Dan. Thank you for correcting me. The chord is Eflatm7 as you say. Also, your video “Bass Jam-Improvising over multiple styles using modes” is excellent.

[@OnlineBassCourses]

@@watercolour7606 Thanks very much for watching! Let me know if you have a good idea for a video.

[@carltongregory3556]

Could you please explain exactly what notes are in a E major and E minor scale. I am still struggling to easily understand what Mode I can use when I hear a new piece of music for the first time.

[@OnlineBassCourses]

Sure. E Major is E F# G# A B C# D# and E Minor is E F# G A B C D. The way I used to do it was to listen to the piece of music and find what I thought was the root of the key, then quickly play a few scales over it (starting with major/minor) until I found what 'fit'. That's the key. Sounds strange to explain it like this but it worked! Then my ear got better and I could hear it. I'll probably do a video on it.

[@carltongregory3556]

@@OnlineBassCourses Thank you so much. its was very useful to me.

[@OnlineBassCourses]

@@carltongregory3556 no problem.

[@muhammadalhalim60]

Four string

[@awnashed]

I always follow your clips and find them very useful, but when you explain the theory is veryy good and when it come to playing on the bass you either too quick sometimes or you play it without explaining it slowing on the bass, maybe too quick for me. other than that it is always great and usefaull. Thanks.

[@OnlineBassCourses]

Thanks for the comment! For other people it's just fine. That's the one big problem with lessons like these: you can't go at several different speeds at the same time. I guess just rewind or check my channel. Chances are I have a lesson on it! If not, let me know.

[@awnashed]

@@OnlineBassCourses Thnak for your replay, but my comment wasn't specifically on this video, I was a general comments for all videos I have watch, but I love it so much.