Discover how to play major scales on your bass guitar. Major scale bass TAB, patterns and notation: play major scales in every key.
Introduction
The major scale is probably the most important scale in music. It is the ‘basic’ scale to which all other scales are compared. The major scale is used in countless melodies and its sound is so familiar that most non-musicians will be able to sing or whistle it.
On this page you’ll find out how to play the major scale on bass guitar. By the end of the page you’ll be able to play a major scale with any tonic note* all over the fretboard.
* The tonic note of a scale is the note that the scale is named after, i.e. the ‘A’ notes in an A major scale, or the ‘C’ notes in a C major scale.
Major Scale For Bass TAB
The first section of the page shows to how to play a major scale with a number of commonly-used tonic notes in open position.
Major Scale Bass Patterns & TAB
In the second part of the page you’ll find a number of movable bass scale patterns with which you’ll be able to play major scales all over the bass guitar neck.
More Bass Reference Pages on Guitar Command:
- Bass Scales: A Complete Reference With Notation & TAB
- Play The Pentatonic Scale on Bass Guitar
- Play Blues Scales on Bass Guitar
- Download our eBook: Bass Guitar Scales, Chords & Arpeggios
- Play along with our inspiring Bass Backing Tracks
Page Index
- Major Scale For Bass TAB
- E Major Scale Bass TAB – Open Position
- F Major Scale Bass TAB – Open Position
- G Major Scale Bass TAB – Open Position
- A Major Scale Bass TAB – Open Position
- B flat Major Scale Bass TAB – Open Position
- C Major Scale Bass TAB – Open Position
- D Major Scale Bass TAB – Open Position
- Major Scale For Bass Patterns
- Major Scale Pattern 1
- Major Scale Pattern 2
- Major Scale Pattern 3
- Major Scale Pattern 4
- Major Scale Pattern 5
- About The Major Scale
Major Scale For Bass TAB
Below you will find TAB for playing major scales with various common tonic notes. The major scales shown below are in open position (i.e. played in the first 4 frets, often incorporating open (unfingered) strings.
E Major Scale Bass TAB – Open Position
The notes in an E major scale are as follows: E, F#, G#, A, B, C#, D#, E.
F Major Scale Bass TAB – Open Position
The notes in an F major scale are as follows: F, G, A, Bb, C, D, E, F.
G Major Scale Bass TAB – Open Position
The notes in a G major scale are as follows: G, A, B, C, D, E, F#, G.
A Major Scale Bass TAB – Open Position
The notes in an A major scale are as follows: A, B, C#, D, E, F#, G#, A.
B flat Major Scale Bass TAB – Open Position
The notes in a B flat major scale are as follows: Bb, C, D, Eb, F, G, A, Bb.
C Major Scale Bass TAB – Open Position
The notes in a C major scale are as follows: C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C.
D Major Scale Bass TAB – Open Position
The notes in a D major scale are as follows: D, E, F#, G, A, B, C#, D.
Major Scale For Bass Patterns
The following movable bass scale patterns can be used to play any major scale on bass guitar. The green notes represent the tonic notes* of the scale.
* see page introduction
Position the green notes over the correct notes on the bass fretboard to play the scale with that tonic note.
Play each note from the first green note to the second for a one octave scale. Combine shapes by moving your hand up or down the fretboard to adjacent shapes in order to play multi-octave major scales.
You can also use these shapes while improvising or composing. This is why additional notes outside of the octaves are provided. Using them you can extend the single-octave scales so that your lines don’t have to end on a tonic note.
Not all of the patterns contain two tonic notes. Although you won’t be able to use these shapes on their own to play an entire scale, you’ll still be able to use them combined with the adjacent shapes to play full scales, or while improvising, etc.
Major Scale Pattern 1
The TAB below shows you how the pattern above can be used to play a G major scale:
Major Scale Pattern 2
Major Scale Pattern 3
Major Scale Pattern 4
The TAB below shows you how the pattern above can be used to play a D major scale:
Major Scale Pattern 5
The TAB below shows you how the pattern above can be used to play an A major scale:
About The Major Scale
The major scale is a ‘heptatonic scale’, which means that it has seven notes per octave. The intervals between the notes of a major scale are as follows:
- Note 1
Whole tone (whole step)
- Note 2
Whole tone (whole step)
- Note 3
Semitone (half step)
- Note 4
Whole tone (whole step)
- Note 5
Whole tone (whole step)
- Note 6
Whole tone (whole step)
- Note 7
Semitone (half step)
- Octave
Given that a semitone / half step interval is the equivalent of an adjacent fret on the bass fretboard, and a whole tone / whole step is the equivalent of skipping a fret on the bass fretboard, you could play a major scale on a single string with any starting note on the bass, just by knowing the sequence of intervals.
However, this is an awkward way of playing a scale, which is why you’d normally change string as you moved up or down the scale, rather than sliding your entire hand up or down the fretboard.
This is where the TABs and patterns on this page come in useful. With them you’ll be able to play any major scale, usually without having to move your hand excessively.
