How to play the root 5th, octave
Lesson time: (1min 37sec)
After the theory comes the practice. Bruce demonstrates how to play exercise 1 using the root and fifths only.
Course preview
This lesson is part of the course Contemporary Bass Guitar Grooves
Watch a preview of the full course below.
Lesson transcript:
Music Lesson: Playing Roots and Fifths
Now, how you play those roots and fifths.
C Major
- Here's the C:
- This is the third fret on the A string.
- And this is your fifth.
- And there's your octave.
- Like that, see?
F Major
- Okay, here's the F:
- D octave.
- I mean, D, fifth octave.
Practice
-
Now I play:
- Here's another one: Root, root, fifth.
-
All right:
- Here's the one where I repeat the fifth.
- Go down to the fifth combination.
Those are all just combinations of roots and fifths.
About the instructor
Bruce Gertz is an award-winning bassist (acoustic and electric), composer, educator, and author. He is a professor of bass at Berklee College of Music, where he has taught since 1976. Bruce is the recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Performance Award Grant, the Massachusetts Cultural Council Musical Composition Award, and numerous outstanding bassist awards from the Boston Music Awards, A.S.C.A.P. Plus Popular Awards, and multiple recognition awards from the International Association of Jazz Educators and the Jazz Education Network. Bruce also serves on the board of directors of the International Society of Bassists. He has performed and recorded with such artists as Gary Burton, Jerry Bergonzi, John Abercrombie, Joey Calderazzo, Kenny Werner, Mick Goodrick, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Billy Hart, George Garzone, Mike Stern, Larry Coryell, Joe Lovano, Cab Calloway, and Count Basie, among many others. In Contemporary Bass Guitar Grooves, Bruce puts all of that experience to work for you. You'll learn to build solid, swinging bass lines and lock into authentic grooves across funk, jazz, and fusion, so you can hold down the bottom end and walk into any band situation with confidence. His extensive discography and additional information can be found at www.brucegertz.com. read more