The Cycle of Fifths

Lesson 2/63 | Study Time: 5 Min
Course: Jazz Bass
The Cycle of Fifths

The Cycle of Fifths

An interval is the distance between any two notes of different pitches. In written music the smallest distance between two notes is called a semitone. On the Bass guitar a semitone is the distance of 1 fret.

Within 1 octave of music (i.e., the range of 8 notes e.g., C D E F G A B C), there are 12 semitones (12 frets).

There are 12 different intervals, all of which are illustrated in the following table.

  • The smallest interval is a semitone (i.e., 1 fret). This is called a Minor Second. If you play a note that is 1 fret above a given starting note, the interval is a minor second.
  • The next interval is a tone (2 frets) above the Root note. This interval is called a Major Second.

Chords, melodies and scales are all made from combinations of intervals. Bass players are often required to create or improvise a bass line for a chord progression or song. To be able to do this, they need to know the relative positions of these intervals on the fretboard.

The easiest way to remember intervals is to remember their pattern on the fretboard. In the following fretboard diagram, all the interval positions are shown relative to a given Root note. Although the root illustrated is shown on the 4th string, the relative positions (patterns) remain the same regardless of where the root note is positioned.

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Stephan Richter

Stephan Richter

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Class Sessions

1- INTRODUCTION 2- Chord Symbols 3- Scales And Key Signatures 4- The Cycle of Fifths 5- Music Theory 6- Notes on the Bass Fretboard 7- Major Pentatonic Scale 8- The Cycle of Fifths 9- Notation 10- Interval Chart 11- Minor Pentatonic Scale 12- Principle Chords and Scale Tone Chords 13- Interval Chart 14- Interval Fretboard Diagrams Of The C Major Scale 15- Turnarounds 16- G Major Scale 17- Music Notation 18- Music Notation 19- Notes 20- Chords and Arpeggios 21- G Diminished Seventh Arpeggio Pattern 22- Tablature 23- Jazz Blues Progression 24- Note and Rest Values 25- A Major Scale 26- C Major Scale 27- Time Signature 28- Major Arpeggio Patterns 29- A Augmented Arpeggio Pattern 30- Major Arpeggio Patterns Using Open Strings 31- F Major Scale 32- F Suspended Arpeggio Pattern and Inversions 33- Chord Inversions 34- A Major Scale 35- G Major Scale 36- A Minor Sixth Arpeggio Pattern and Inversions 37- G Major Sixth Arpeggio Pattern 38- C Major Sixth Arpeggio Pattern 39- F<span class="symbolA">#</span> Major Scale 40- A Major Scale 41- F<span class="symbolA">#</span> Minor Seven Flat Five Arpeggio Pattern and Inversions 42- A Major Seventh Arpeggio Pattern 43- Turnarounds 44- Chord Extensions 45- D Major Seventh Arpeggio Pattern 46- Chord Extension Arpeggio Patterns 47- Major Seventh Four Bar Chord Progressions 48- Major Seventh Arpeggio Pattern Using Open Strings 49- Chord Extensions Arpeggio Patterns 50- Bass Pedal and Additional Chord Variations 51- Major Seventh Inversions 52- B<span class="symbolA">b</span> Major Scale (<span class="symbolA">b</span>7) 53- B<span class="symbolA">b</span> Seventh Arpeggio Pattern 54- E<span class="symbolA">b</span> Seventh Arpeggio Pattern 55- Dominant Seventh Four Bar Chord Progressions 56- Dominant Seventh Arpeggio Pattern Using Open Strings 57- Dominant Seventh Inversions 58- C Major Scale 59- C Minor Arpeggio Pattern 60- B Major Scale 61- B Minor Seventh Arpeggio Pattern 62- Minor Seventh Inversions 63- Summary of The Intervals and Arpeggio Patterns

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