Running with the Bass: Part Two
Minors - Continued...
The easiest way to play a Dorian scale pattern is to leave the 3rd out completely. If you read part one of this series you will see that this is very acceptable. The fingering pattern of the major scale using the natural 7th note works very well against a minor chord. Below, is the fingering pattern used without the third being played. (Please read part one for a description of the fingering diagram)
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| Fingering pattern for the major scale without the third. |
However, the use of a minor chord in a song may be to give the sound more depth than a major chord. In this case playing the 3rd against the chord can be a very desirable effect. Even hanging on the minor third for short periods during the chord can a powerful, strange, and unique sound.
If you're playing the standard major scale as shown above, starting with your second finger on the root, you will notice that you have to move you first finger back to the minor 3rd which is quite a stretch for most bass players with normal sized hands. This forces you to slide your hand back to play the 3rd. This makes playing the Dorian scale rather clumsy. But, there is another way.
By playing the notes of the scale in a different sequence than a standard scale, we can play the entire Dorian scale (with exception of the octave) without moving our hand at all. By starting with our fourth finger (the little finger) on the root, we can play the 5th on the string above (the E string if the root is on the A string, etc.) with our little finger as well. This allows us to play the 2nd and 6th with our first finger and that, pain in the rump, minor third with our second finger. This technique is the true use for that odd B string on your five or six string bass. By having an extra string down there you can start this pattern on the D, A or E string. On a four string bass this can only be done on the D and A strings. Of course if you don't like using your little finger to fret with, this pattern won't work well and you'll just need to go back to shifting your hand back a fret to play the third. The second advantage to this hand position is that the 4th and 5th for the scale are normally played below the root of the chord. The variation in 4th and 5th note placement on Dorian scales makes for a nice change to the note pattern and adds interest to your bass line.
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| New pattern for playing the Dorian scale/mode. |
A common question I get on this technique, is what happens during a major to minor shift? A major to minor shift is when a song contains a major chord followed by a minor chord with the same root. For instance, A Maj to A Min. So you're bopping away in A Major with your second finger on the root and now you need a nice way to shift your hand to the Dorian pattern without breaking the flow. To do this, make the last note you play in A Major is the 2nd, 5th, or octave played with the little finger. Now slide the little finger back two frets and you will be on the root, 4th, or 7th or the Dorian scale respectively. My personal favorite is the 5th to the 4th slide.
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| Sliding from major to minor. |