Bass Woodshed

Bass scales, modes and arpeggios trainer for 4-, 5- and 6-string bass

Scale · 4-string · Root on E string, 3rd fret

G Major Scale

GABCDEF♯
EADG0123456789101112131415161718192021222324673456712345626712345671252345671234512345671234567112345671

Tab & notation

Up and back down · 14 notes in 8th notes · 2 bars of 4/4
Note
Deg
G
D
A
E
Fing
G
1
3
2
A
2
5
4
B
3
2
1
C
4
3
2
D
5
5
4
E
6
2
1
F♯
7
4
3
G
1
5
4
F♯
7
4
3
E
6
2
1
D
5
5
4
C
4
3
2
B
3
2
1
A
2
5
4
·

How it's built

W = whole step (2 frets) · H = half step (1 fret)
G1Root
W
A2Major 2nd
W
B3Major 3rd
H
C4Perfect 4th
W
D5Perfect 5th
W
E6Major 6th
W
F♯7Major 7th
H
G8Octave

The reference scale. Every other scale and chord here is named by how it differs from this one.

Also called
Ionian mode
Key signature
1 sharp: F♯
Relative minor
E
Use it over
Major and major 7 chords. Lines that resolve to a major key centre.
Practice tip
Say the degree numbers out loud as you play. Knowing where the 3 and 5 sit is what lets you build lines straight from a chord chart.
Your best
Complete a loop to log a tempo for this pattern.

Practice routine

Add BPM every loops, up to BPM
every loops
Cycling 4ths is how jazz players drill a shape in all twelve keys.

Free bass scale, mode, arpeggio and bass-line trainer

Bass Woodshed shows any scale, mode or arpeggio on a full 24-fret neck, in tab and in bass clef, with the fingering worked out, then plays it back with a plucked-bass sound, a metronome and a root drone so you can play along. Switch to Progressions to walk a bass line through a 12-bar blues or a ii–V–I with drums and chords behind you. It works on 4-, 5- and 6-string basses, left- or right-handed, with no account.

See it

Fretboard with note names, scale degrees or finger numbers, mirrored for left-handed players, plus the notes mapped across the whole neck.

Read it

Tab with fingering and position shifts, bass-clef notation, the step pattern, intervals, key signature and relative key.

Play it

Play along at 40 to 240 BPM, with count-in, speed builder and cycle-of-4ths key changes, or over drums and chords on ten progressions.

Level up

XP, a daily streak, bronze to gold medals for every pattern, progression and key, Fretboard Sprint and an ear trainer.

Every pattern and progression, in every key

Scales

Modes

Arpeggios

Bass lines over chord progressions

Questions

Is Bass Woodshed free?
Yes. There is no sign-up, and your progress is saved in your own browser.
Which basses and tunings does it support?
4-string standard, drop D and D standard; 5-string with a low B or a high C; and 6-string. Five- and six-string add shapes rooted on the low B, and six-string adds a three-octave shape.
Is there a left-handed mode?
Yes. Tick “Left-handed” above the neck and the fretboard is mirrored so it matches what you see when you look down at your bass.
How is the fingering chosen?
It uses one finger per fret, keeps your hand in one position where it can, and marks every shift and one-fret stretch. Every fret in the tab is checked to sound the right note.
Can I print the scales?
Yes. Every pattern has a printable chart of all twelve keys, as a page and as a PDF, and there is a free bass scale book PDF with all 23 patterns.
Can I use it on my phone?
Yes. Turn on “Small speakers” to hear the bass an octave up through a phone speaker.

Your progress