Talking Technique: 11 Strategies for Learning an Alien Scale

Okay, not that kind of alien… but rather a new or unfamiliar scale.

It’s important to be rock solid with your scales. In all areas of the instrument. In all keys. Whether it is the good old major scale or a more exotic fare, spending time on practicing scales serves a bassist well!

Just reiterating it up and down, however, is not the best strategy, however.

In this episode of Talking Technique, I give you 11 strategies you can employ to help you master any new scale quickly (and permanently). Use one, two or all 11 of them to learn the new scale — and to really step it up another peg, come up with your own variations of these exercises.

Here are 3 of the strategies (plus one that doesn’t belong for fun!). For the full list with complete explanations and demonstrations for each, click on the link below to the Talking Technique episode.

1. Interval Formula – Focusing on the intervals between the notes
2. Intervals with the Root – Focusing on the intervals in terms of the root
3. Three Note Groupings – Working in 3-note chunks all the way up the scale
4. Osmosis – Closing your eyes and whispering the name of the scale over and over

Here is Ari’s Talking Technique episode on Learning an Alien Scale on notreble

Be sure to download the PDF that goes along with this episode!

You may also be interested in these episodes from Ari:

Top 5 Learning Channels and How to Use Them

Efficient Practice Hacks