L299 Hip Cm7 pattern using the Bb Major pentatonic scale
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An example of getting out of the root note box when improvising fills and solos.
Our trusted pentatonic scale – the Major pentatonic (1, 2, 3, 5, 6) is used for more advanced sinister purposes:
Even if you are playing over a Cm7 chord, STOP thinking dorian and minor pentatonic from the root C, but think MAJOR and major pentatonic starting on Bb (the b7 of Cm7).
And another way of looking at it :
Cm7 is the second (llm) step/mode of the Bb major scale (l) – so the notes are the same , we just emphasize other scale steps – most important we DONT emphasize the root C
For this fill im using only notes from the Bb Major pentatonic scale to make it even simpler and most bassplayers have that scale in their fingers allready
Totally different patterns will appear on your fretboard , when you think in other scale degrees than the root, and you will make up new hipper lines
Support PlayBassNow and download original video, transcription/TAB and mp3 version here
BeString said,
August 2, 2011 @ 8:24 pm
yeah, that’s this kind of hand versatility that i didn’t explorated enough, and were guitarists feel free. It seems you really have this “dirty” kind of board-fingering that guitarists typically permit themselves, and is quite different of the “one finger-per-fret” fingering ala Jaco (but i know tons of excellent bassists and even upright players that , permitting themselves such “iconoclastics” figures like that, can accomplish some impossible musical movements…
sorry to insist, but concerning this 3rd bar of the L299 tune, are you, so, barring with the 4th finger helped with the 3rd ?
MarloweDK said,
August 2, 2011 @ 8:15 pm
Yes, but sometimes im alse using conventional one finger per string, depends on the phrase
BeString said,
August 2, 2011 @ 8:06 pm
Thanks for your fast answering Marlowe !
So is it a barring with the 4th finger, HELPED BY THE 3rd FINGER beside the 4th (t’looks like that on the video) ?? … mmh, i’m accustomed with barring with 1st and 2nd finger, even on upright, but this figure with both the weakest and less kinetic-responding 3rd and 4th fingers is for now tricky to my hands… on upright, i roll quickly the finger for those fourth or reversed fifth musical movement, and it work quite good.
But I’m gonna try to put in my hand’s library your fakir-guitarist trick on bass guitar (and maybe on acoustic ?) …
… anyway, all of this confirm that guitarist are extra tertials (i’ve always knew) !! ;o)
MarloweDK said,
August 2, 2011 @ 2:44 pm
Yes, its is barring, a common techniqu ALSO among bassplayers;-)
thank you for donation, Ive sent some file links your way:-)
BeString said,
August 2, 2011 @ 10:24 am
please, to understand my question, put an erratum in my last text i posted 15 min ago :
read “16th notes” instead of “8th notes”.
Thanks again.
BeString said,
August 2, 2011 @ 9:57 am
Hi Marlow !
‘just registered a few days ago, and enjoy playing so much of your good stuffs yet ! thanks for such an incredible creativity and generousy you provide !
for now i encounter a little “tech” problem on this L299 : it’s hard for me to play as legato as desired the following 8th notes G-C (in the 8th notes sentence G-C-G-Bb, in the middle of the third bar (i omit the four percu beginning bars)).
Ok, i think i know: you do with your little finger (left H.) a (i only know the french word : “barré”) “bridge”, which is the well known guitarist figure, but rarely executed with this last finger. It seems on the video you help it by pressing along with your ring finger… (Now i see you’re really an ex guitarist, and i’m not !). IS THAT SO U DO THAT ?? (and if so, what the f.. to gain such a weird habit !)
(Sorry for this far too long text…)
I’ve just donated 24 euros (’cause meeting Ure work triggered me one new loop over the 12 notes !) as a modest contribution,
cheers in Copenhagen !
Gilles.
StooB said,
May 9, 2011 @ 4:54 pm
Awesome! More of these licks that can go seamlessly into so many tracks! Thanks
MarloweDK said,
February 26, 2010 @ 10:15 pm
Oops, i meant C of course, my mind was in D:-) Ill correct it right away thx
lowendmaestro said,
February 26, 2010 @ 7:24 pm
“…if you are playing over a Cm7 chord, STOP thinking dorian and minor pentatonic from the root D…”
Unless I have a gap in my theory, isn’t this from the root C (coz you’re playing Dorian over the IIm chord in the key of Bb)
btw this site is helping me SO much – appreciate your time n efforts
matt said,
February 25, 2010 @ 12:58 am
sweet, i’ll give those a whirl. thanks 
MarloweDK said,
February 24, 2010 @ 8:42 pm
Thx:-) On Cmaj7 use the G Major pentatonic scale (G, A, B, D, E) or the D Major pentatonic scale (D, E, F#, A, B ) for a lydian approach
matt said,
February 24, 2010 @ 8:28 pm
brilliant! if you’re feeling groovy please do more of this kind of vids. chord substitutions are HIP! what kind of subs do you use on major chords? another vid in there perhaps? 
MarloweDK said,
February 24, 2010 @ 5:02 pm
Maybe not, im just old;-)
markaf said,
February 23, 2010 @ 10:38 pm
As smooth as silk and honey – gorgeous!
appzguru said,
February 23, 2010 @ 10:29 pm
is the word ‘hip’ still used? lol..
love this lessen by the way!
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MarloweDK said,
August 4, 2011 @ 7:44 pm
Yes I think so, whatever gets the job done