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The Bass Player's Shape: Root, Fifth, Octave
A four-string bass is tuned E1–A1–D2–G2, each string a perfect fourth above the one before. Bass music is written one octave higher than it sounds, in bass clef. One grip, moved along the neck, gives you the root, the fifth and the octave of any note.
Plain prints every note in black, without the color coding.
Listen
Play each example here, or download it as an MP3 (audio) or a MIDI file.
The four grooves
- G shape and groove (3 bars, quarter = 80)0:12
- A shape and groove (3 bars, quarter = 80)0:12
- C shape and groove (3 bars, quarter = 80)0:12
- D shape and groove (3 bars, quarter = 80)0:12
Download all
Free to use in your own lessons and practice. Made by the teachers at Tissimo.