Master the ENTIRE fingerboard with just ONE SCALE

If I was to tell you that there's ONE scale you can use to play over major chords... minor chords... half diminished chords... get bluesy sounds from... and WAY more... I'm guessing you'd think it's impossible, right?... just ONE scale?!
The good news is... it's absolutely possible!
There is ONE simple scale (that you most likely already know to a certain extent!) that you can use over multiple chords... the gag is, you probably just don't know to do it yet.
This is "The Godfather" of scales!
In this lesson you're going to learn:
- What the NUMBER 1, most important scale is that you should be focusing on right now
- How to apply that one scale over multiple chords - without even changing the pattern
- How to learn this scale over the ENTIRE fingerboard with just 3 patterns
- And WAY more...
As always, see you in the shed...
Scott :)
PS. If you enjoy this lesson... make sure to check out my "Harmonic Layering Scales and Arpeggios" course within the SBL membership. It's over 10 hours long and is the most comprehensive and step by step course specifically for bass players that has ever been created...
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[@RCAvhstape]

"But I'm not some sort of evil genius." I don't know, you're bald and have a Brit accent, you definitely fit the profile.

[@bayareablues2255]

Helium Road - THAT was funny!

[@jimfaris]

and the glove thing.. yup... evil genius

[@thomaspick4123]

I thought he makes extra cash on the side doing finger checks of prostrates. Soft = good. Hard like a walnut = prostate cancer, no good. See, extra money, but touching the strings later can deposit feces chunks and it smells.

[@jolasingh]

WTF did i just read haha

[@RCAvhstape]

Scott, you wouldn't happen to drive a Jaguar, would you?

[@donbox710]

I’m sooooo looking forward to the tutorial on the fallopian flat 9 scale. I seem to recall it from my very earliest memories, but that was nearly a lifetime ago.

[@MicBassLights]

I had this same deja vu

[@alexzaslavsky2570]

Watched this a year ago, one of the most impactful videos I've ever watched. But watching it today, I have finally understood to link the positions together to walk around the fingerboard. Brilliant.

[@creaksbass8953]

Ive been playin bass for 14 years.the last few months ive been watchin all your videos and its changed my whole approach towards the instrument.cheers from waterford Ireland

[@JamesDavis-ps6yy]

creaks bass89 same here. He just blew my mind playing the ionian major over each relevant chord

[@jonzyquiltbag9317]

I agree 👍 Watching his videos has made me a far better player in just a few months. I'm fairly accomplished on the bass but I'm not nearly at this level of playing yet and watching his techniques for getting around the fretboard at the speed he does has made me a better player from the moment I started watching him.

[@geoffrichards3131]

Yep same over there too. Got me even more motivated too!!! Seeing him enjoying what he does makes it fun as well.

[@mileswilliams4807]

When I was 12 my grandfather gave me a bass. He was a jazz guitarist and lived until he was 89 and had played since he was 5. The first thing he taught me was the major scale. He said that's the most important scale I'll ever learn. He was definitely right.

[@ElectricBoogaloo007]

The fallopian b9 is totally tubular.

[@fudgesauce]

Please, don't egg him on.

[@jessetyrrell5599]

fudgesauce a months hard work down the drain in a bloody week.

[@jjhassy]

@@jessetyrrell5599 OMFG

[@zenguitar65]

My swimmers..I mean fingers keep getting stuck in the fallopian shape...

[@mabrams8740]

Lol

[@Brookzplayzmuzic]

You are by far the best bass teacher on you tube mate! Cheers🍻

[@denisblack9897]

check out BassBuzz, he's very good too

[@saxafish]

Great video. Two critiques as a music educator: 1. Back in college I personally hated learning different modes because no prof ever gave me context as to why. Now all my lesson plans start with asking WHY, then coming up with a concrete example of how my students would be able to apply on the fly--an objective. 2. I'm a visual learner. The better you become at a musical instrument, the more likely someone is to tune you out when you're basically just jamming out. It helps to incorporate visual cues or sheet music during the explaination. Of course this would take more video editing than you may be willing to do. Either way, great video and very important lesson for theory and building muscle memory.

[@matthewmitchell5617]

Been practicing this for the few days and this is really starting to open the fretboard to me. Thank you so much for sharing this technique!

[@cole6122]

Been playing bass for about 3 years and I have all of the music theory down, but I could never memorize all of the notes on the fretboard past the first 5 frets. This and the 4+2 technique are so, so helpful!

[@scottarena6808]

All these videos are great. Such a big help you are to all us players, Scott. Thanks for helping us. God Bless you!

[@AugustineMotiar]

Theory First, scales next, a ton of Blues, Jazz and Funk albums, 10 years of spare time, ibuprofen ( for finger/ wrist swelling and cramps) = evil bass playing genius.

[@godguidanceandgardens2453]

I like that style.

[@charlessmyth]

I just remembered: Victor Wooten recommends the "chromatic" scale :-)

[@rikostronger6099]

The chromatic is the most important scale to learn!!

[@ronwright4684]

Lifetime academy member. Best thing I ever did to improve my bass playing.

[@fredherfst8148]

My role as bass player is to make my bandmates feel comfortable. Be there when I need to be there, fills and grace notes when not. These lessons are superb and have given me new challenges. Thanks Scott.

[@markmartinloyola]

F and Bb are playable on the first fret as follows: F maj E string 1,3 A string 0,1,3 Dstring 0, 2,3 /// Bbmajor same fingerings just starting on the A string! Great for beginner public school jazz band bass players. Thanks for the video!

[@paulwilliam4702]

The fallopian flat 9 xD LMAO

[@dokgu]

Yeah he got me giggling for like 12 times.

[@kencarter7205]

I think my Fallopian flat 9 just dropped. I wonder if my doctor can tack this up for me?

[@samcockrell]

I loved what you did with the C major scale awesome Scott

[@jolasingh]

I loved the lesson. Thanks Scott! And the high mass bridge in that OW bass is pure art! Man it looks like titanium or some alien material

[@GaryBouch]

Great insight into the not too complicated stuff (but on the edge of my skills). Thanks!!!!! Looking forward to having a go at this.

[@antlockyer153]

Thanks, got stuck in a rut. Now I'm going to spend a month with C Major

[@meowthew-ou812]

what about the food scale -- without proper nutrition i can't be there for myself or others -- i'm sorry -- i'm a goof

[@mxBug]

you know, thank you for reminding me about this all the same

[@eaglebauer944]

6:35 that's me all the time.

[@RainchildAdventures]

1 month C major. Yez bozz! On it.

[@eliasfigueroa3324]

Thank you so much. Ill do this for both practice and warm up before sessions.

[@mimakake]

funny, I always use those patherns without thinking about it. But now I understand what I do. :) Love your lessons, beginners and experienced players learn a lot from your video's. Many thanks. ;)

[@drissschaillee281]

In love with your bass tone. especially with the higher-octaver, gives me some Michael League's vibes. thank you for your video master.

[@studiofiveone1962]

Very nice Scott......very nice. Thanks for the vid.

[@bassboyj468]

Just a suggestion for basses, you should try out the Duff Mckagan Precision bass and the Duff Mckagan signature deluxe precision bass! Really cool basses!

[@sandorstreef8813]

The fingering of the third position should be 4-1-3-4-1-4-1-2. The first note is finger 4 and not finger 1 as stated by Scott in this video !!!!

[@ryangebo7220]

Dang. The part you did with the chords and playing the modes over just connected it all together for me. I'm not sure why no one has done this before! Thanks mate.

[@melbournecrosbie]

Exactly. And to hear Scott play the notes over the chord, while explaining it, well that's brilliant. Of course Miles Davis' 'Kind of Blue' is also essential listening. Put the two together and bingo! Now I get modes.

[@glugblub7524]

i was just looking for the next step and here it is

[@vcp93]

ROFL!!! The "Fallopian flat 9"? You owe me a monitor, mine is now covered in coffee. ;)

[@randomserb761]

It's actually the Fallopian sh-flat 9!

[@TedMabbatt]

Love your stuff, but you always go so fast, it's really hard to keep up. You get excited, then start playing really fast. You lose me then and I give up. For instance, here, you start slow and show the 3 finger patterns, which I got. But then when you start showing how they are connected, you turn into Jaco Pastorius and are flying around the fretboard, which is when you lose me! SLOW DOWN MATE!!! You do this in every lesson, very frustrating.

[@user-jb9ch2wb6x]

Buddy i don't think we're supposed to mimic what he does when he "shows off" - i think it's more of an example of what you can do with these newly learned scales

[@HotStuff12368]

Ify

[@nateiverson8681]

Try adjusting the KZbin playback speed if you're trying to pick something up

[@hellobaby133]

Why don't you go to his website and pay for his actual lessons.

[@jelmerthijsen]

@@nateiverson8681 people sound so drunk when you slow down the playback speed XD

[@bayareablues2255]

Thanks, Scott! I found this trick out on my own a while ago (where were you then! :-) ). Whatever scale I choose to play, I reference it to the Major scale and think in terms of intervals - so for Mixolydian I flat the 7th, for Dorian I flat the 3rd and 7th, for the natural minor I flat the 3rd, 6th and 7th, and for the Pentatonic I just leave out what's appropriate. This really helped me find where the scale intervals are on the fretboard. And it works well in the other direction. I had a teacher that told me to think of guitar solos in rock and blues in terms of the Pentatonic, but add other notes depending on the chord. Knowing the Major scale intervals really helped me figure that out.

[@snakejumper3277]

I fuss at my grandkids because they watch so many British gamers and I warn them that they're gonna talk like that...then what do I watch?

[@cortesinteligentesltda6127]

What an amazing class...thank you so much my friend...why are you wearing a glove in your fretting hand ?? Or is just a lightning effect ?? You got me concerned...should we wear one as well ???

[@mrmanju6989]

some occasional text on screen, especially tabs, would be amazing. I gotta skip around so much and skim bc there is so much extra fluff and no visual cue to let me know what part of the video is going on. Great info though. Really though now that its over, just a flash with the tabs of that scale or those 3 patterns wouldve been supremely useful. And now im about to just do it myself. I always have trouble sifting through everything in this dude's videos

[@splukoes]

Thanks Scott.

[@rcmakingtracks18]

Hi Scott, thanks so much for all your amazing video lessons. You rock.

[@cozbibibi711]

Thanks for the video, very nice done + I get the feeling your french because you wear gloves and last time I think I saw you wear a black and white stripped shirt and say Oui Oui

[@devinebass]

🤣🤣🤣

[@sbdreamin]

Scott, a question.. i'm one of your students at the Academy. When you are continuing that scale up and down the fretboard, are you consciously aware the names of the notes under each finger, or are you simply relying on relative positions and patterns? I'm working on scales and arpeggios.. and find myself being a bit lazy, and relying on the patterns, but i'm not always sure what note I am actually playing. Does that just come with time, practice and familiarity?? ALso you are doodling up and down that neck, obviously putting these patterns together, but I can't figure out what you are doing exactly... :( can you slow down and tell us how to determine where the patterns go together?

[@Dagomonteiro]

Great question. Is it about the shapes or the notes?

[@hbn782]

He explained that on a previous video.. he focuses on not playing the wrong notes.. some riffs are too fast, and it's almost impossible to think of notes all the time

[@5150powder]

do you really think scott doesnt know what notes hes playing? really...??

[@isabella-zx2dc]

from what he describes at around 3:40, it sounds like he really relies on his visual memory of patterns. I think what is more important than note names is their harmonic importance. That is, thinking of your perfect 5ths, perfect 4ths, the color a third brings, the tension a 7th brings, that kind of stuff. So long as you know where to start in a given key and plug those patterns in, the rest is how important the voices of each note are.

[@blackromulan]

Kinda really loved this instruction session... Thanks Scott, cheers!

[@gristamshackleford2102]

i know these shapes but still cant do that linking up 2 octave stuff. i need a lesson on that. there gotta be good exercises for it

[@JamesDavis-ps6yy]

Didn't know patterns 2 and 3. Pretty handy

[@MichaelDaniels]

I love your videos! Thank you so much. Give us the chance to win your left hand glove! Your video explaining the glove... Awesome! Or just tell us where on Amazon with an affiliate link to buy a glove!!

[@dingohaus]

Okay. That was incredibly helpful.

[@harmonytreeproductionllc.3910]

Great Lesson it opens a great pathway into fluid playing!!

[@TheBassTroll]

I think one of the most important songs for beginning musicians to learn is "Do, Re, Mi" from "The Sound of Music" (even if all they do is learn to sing it) because of all the scales, modes, arpeggios, and harmonies used with the major scale. I always recommend learning the major scale in C, which will help them out when later explaining accidentals.

[@garyblakemore7236]

Awesome content. Great job

[@HEC9]

FUNtastic! K.O!!! Thank you, Sir!! I did not buy my JBass yet...but...This was incredible.

[@LionelAlbert]

To learn this, I had imagined one day a virtual 8 string instrument... Low to high (3 octave scale) : 1 2 3 (WW) 4 5 6 (WW) 7 1 2 (HW) 3 4 5 (HW) 6 7 1 (WH) 2 3 4 (WH) 5 6 7 (WW) 1

[@TheSeanSnider]

Shit. This was really eye opening.

[@iliasliakos6692]

great lesson m8!

[@lindanone1551]

i am not sure what playing the diatonic scale 12345678 over and over in different positions is supposed to do, am I learning what? Can someone help me? Be nice please, I am trying....

[@georgehowell9813]

Whenever he put the freeze pedal on I felt like I was in a movie meeting God.

[@nellichoo]

thanks sensei

[@reaperofdeath562]

It is such a beautiful and gay day here in Nashville Tennessee I have a question about the glove it's got me it's got my curiosity drawn towards that glove and I was just wondering does it make you play better or I really don't know I've asked you this before and I really never got an answer on why you do wear the glove I'd ask you where you play were you paying tribute to Michael Jackson or or you have a problem touching certain metals or I don't know just curious please enlighten me please let me know I would really like to know have a great day

[@Mylesja5]

hi, i'm newly a part of the SBL Academy (woohoo!!) where can I find the tabs for all three of these patterns and the different fingering positions you used. i've been working on my Cmaj scale, as that is what you've recommended in opening lesson. I'm new to this but and loving it! i've played drums for a while and now getting into the bass has been very eye opening and fun all while being challenging! thanks! talk soon! oh and I guess my user name in the academy is boobiemyles if you want to drop me any info there!

[@OlettaLiano]

Keep in mind we only have to learn the notes to the 12th fret, then it repeats.

[@ZinsWorld]

Oletta Liano yes it makes it much less intimidating

[@timoonn]

Except they are not the same on the bass key

[@anmolraina7602]

timoonn lol exactly

[@GardenBoy4U]

I just don't understand. I see it, I hear it, but it does not compute. I guess I have to memorize the notes on the fretboard before this will ever make any sense.

[@waynehingley6356]

For pattern #2, I find it easier to walk up with: 1,3,4, 1,3,4,1,2. Then walk down with 2,1, 4,2,1, 4,2,1.

[@MikeC-bc4xp]

It's all about finding what works best for you! Cheers, brother!

[@thijsstruick]

Hi Scott Nice lesson. Is there a workbook where I can find the exact positions and fingers that you described in this lesson. I am a member but I think it is not in the workbooks for the harmonic layering lessons. Thanks Thijs

[@louiebo9892]

Hi Scott, what kind of gloves do you use? I have a skin allergy to BPA which effectively eats at my skin and this is usually concentrated in the finger region. This can make playing fingerstyle very uncomfortable, I have worn gloves in the past for work purposes because I can't touch paper receipts due to said allergy. I don't really need them for playing rather I am interested for preventative measures. Thanks

[@caiogm8668]

Scott, what do you thing about the acoustic basses? Are they worth it? I’m in doubt

[@jeffreyyyy3052]

Find your own way man,but if your in doubt why not get a hollow body see its a year old so you probably worked it out already

[@pdhm7521]

PLEASE what pedal is he using ? The one which "freezes" the chords, and the other which extract the haromonics of the the played notes ? Thank youu ! (hope youll understand me, i'm french)

[@MikeLaRock88]

2:55 noted

[@macw.7686]

This is helpful, but there's a more fundamental thing that I'm really confused about which is always skipped over in tutorials: how do you know what notes to play beyond those in the basic scale? The major scale has 8 different notes, and you show these various ways of playing them, but then when you improvise over the chords you're going outside of just these 8 notes. How do experienced bassists know which notes to play when they're improvising like this? It seems like you are pulling from a larger pool of notes than just the 8 that are in the major scale.

[@MrIpenguin12]

I used to have a similar problem. Try learning the two octave variants of each scale. It's not easy, as you'll have to make a lot of vertical movement on the G string depending on where you're starting from.

[@Tibbon]

Unrelated to this video; but have you ever tried a Fender Bass VI? I've got two of them now, and as guitarist who has never liked baritone or 7-string guitars it gives me a really interesting range. Doesn't replace a good 4-string for me, but especially in music that might have super low synth bass instead of a more traditional one it has an interesting tonality. Yet, I never see anything about these instruments out there!

[@ernibert2012]

super video , thx

[@VinnieLeeStudio]

This is amazing! I used it on guitars, works great, just shift one fret higher once you reach the B string.

[@saramirez64ify]

What stomp boxes are you using here. Love the sound!

[@noahmizrahi9934]

I've learned 3 ways to play the C major but I have no idea how to link them. Is there a lesson on that?

[@chriszanf]

Fallopian Flat 9 was a failed animation series from Marvel.

[@TBAGZPROUT]

thank you so much for all this knowledge!!!

[@devinebass]

👍👍👍

[@stoobydoo958]

Is there any guitar-ish LessonsAcademy u know, that works quite the same? Would be very interested!

[@chewygumboy]

The only scale you’ll ever need: the chromatic scale!

[@terrymiller111]

*eyeroll*

[@christofjork8446]

I need this same tutorial for the minor scale.

[@godguidanceandgardens2453]

I'm on Player's Path. Getting much better!

[@Bowske]

Thank you for this one Scott! Starting today ❤️

[@andycadzow1953]

Allrighty...... i have bee practicing scales like a diva over the past few months.......and I picked up on the shape linking this time....something I kinda missed before from your earlier tutorial on this subject........I have to say folks ...the scale "thang" is wicked ...and has improved my versatility across the fingerboard in epic proportions.....thanks maestro Scott

[@wxb200]

Ahhh yes. The Fallopian Flat 9...

[@ZinsWorld]

So nice to see you posting bro. I'm vlogging in thailand right now and don't have my bass.... getting this notification of your new video makes me miss my bass so much. I enjoy all your videos so much.

[@MathiasShaw637]

Even as a guitar player, bass has always mind blown me. I never understood why guitar players just upright shit on bass....Any chance we'll get to see you play a an upright bass? I just love that sound.

[@kylehunter5217]

I’m new to bass (less than 24 hours into owning an Ibanez) so far this has been a pretty informative channel. One question though, and sorry if this has been answered before, why do you wear gloves when you play? Is there benefits to it or is it just like a personal thing?

[@83goldeneagle]

whats the fingering for the Fallopian flat nine? two fingers or one?\

[@chelsead7389]

Around the 6 minute mark, when you’re going up and down showing all the positions together, what do you mean when you keep referring to the “fourth” position? There are only three positions covered in this lesson...?

[@asphalion8291]

I mean, you can also learn the whole finger board by getting a SBL membership. Totally not saying this because the site is just freaking amazing

[@greglee50]

Hi Scot just bought a fender bass p I’m 68 years no guitar lessons ever , could you help please Gregory LEE

[@Brutusque]

Suppose you chose to apply this similar method, one diatonic scale, applying with 3 different positions but to originate it from the minor scale (aeolian) just out of personal taste. Would this put you at any disadvantage?

[@lewislee6736]

The 1st pattern goes straight across the fret board but patterns 2 and 3 move on the fret board so you have to watch and listen closely. You have to know where the notes are or carefully watch his fingers and not think you can play the pattern straight across the fret board like the pattern 1.

[@bak1386]

My biggest mistake as a bass player has been underestimating the major scale. Its fascinating how everything links together up and down the board

[@zanebarronch2130]

Hi Scott will this help me on playing with a widdle style and do you have any pointers on speeding up/ playing faster when your playing with a widdle style

[@josephinecaruana4387]

What an amazing vidio knolage is power Bass is awesome thank you for your knowledge 💜

[@devinebass]

Thanks for checking out the video Josephine!

[@johnnycanamaso9361]

I assume the 1, 2, and 4 fingerings are useful for other scales like minor, blues, diminished, etc., right?

[@valkyrjiax3128]

Is there a secret to being able to tell what finger he's using on what fret? All I can see is his hand just moving around the board...

[@gristamshackleford2102]

its best to print out a scale chart than it is to try to remember from a video

[@whatskraken3886]

The scale that contains all scales.. so the chromatic scale?

[@TortlOdum]

omg ive had a bass for half a week now, and this just clicked! i am going to have this be my main exercise for the next month or so

[@dirkjanklijn9949]

This brings the fun into some practice sessions, not that I don't have fun practicing but it's nice to do something else sometimes.

[@ronceilin424]

40 years of the five white note scales and I never made the connection. Very cool, thanks Scott.