Hi, it's Geoff Chalmers here from discoverdoublebass.com.
That is the home of online double bass lessons.
So if you want to learn more about the instrument, please go and check out and the website.
And you'll also find a scales course called Double Bass Scales, The Play-Along Collection.
Now today we're talking about the D major scale over two octaves.
I'm going to be showing you my preferred fingering and a really important alternative fingering.
So let's get into the lesson.
So let's have a look at the fingering for the D major two octave scale.
It starts D with the open string, A with your first finger, your little finger playing the
note F sharp.
Open G, same pattern on the string actually.
So it's the first finger on the A, the fourth finger on the note B then shift.
Go to the note C sharp and we're at D there.
So you can check you tuning against the open D. And this next bit is the tricky part.
So we're going to shift from D with our little finger to E with our foot first and then F
sharp and I'm just referencing it to the open D there.
So F sharp with the little finger and then we're shifting to play the G with our thumb.
First finger on the A, third finger on the note B and then the final shift C sharp and
D.
So reverse down C to D, C sharp, B, A, G and then this is a big shift now from the thumb
to our fourth finger, E with our first and then we move back down into the lower octave
which you know already.
So the hard bit with this scale is shifting from the note F sharp to the note G. So just
spend some time making sure that you're getting those notes in tune.
You'll need to really slowly work your way through it.
At the top you've got this diatonic handshake GAB, one last shift from the C sharp over
to the D. And then as I said you can reference the note D by playing the harmonic there if
you like.
A couple of just quick side notes is this fingering is really effective because it's
very similar to the minor scale fingerings that you'll use for the D for the two octave
scale in the key of D. So if you're playing a D Aeolian mode, so the natural minor scale
D, E, F, natural G, A, B flat, C, D. So it's very similar there where you're doing the
same pattern on each string D, E, F, G, A, B flat shift.
This time it's a C natural with the first finger and D with your little finger and then
continuing up.
You've got E natural, F, G, A, B flat and then lastly shift from the C to the D. And
if you were playing D Dorian, it's the same but it would be a B natural with your little
finger.
C, D, E, F, G, A, B. Now shifting from the B, from the B to the C to the D at the top
there.
So all of these minor scales, it's the same for the harmonic minor scale as well and lots
of other scales in the key of D.
This fingering is really effective.
But it's also worth learning the alternative fingerings as well.
So let's have a look at the alternative fingering that I have for you and it's the same all
the way up to the note F sharp in the second octave.
But it's this G, the G of the harmonic we're going to play with our first finger and then
A with our third.
And then we're going to shift B, C sharp, D. So GA is 13 then it's 123 at the top.
So why do we learn the D major scale with an alternative fingering at the top here?
Well one really good reason is that it's important to be able to play the note G in tune with
your first finger.
I often find it more practical to play that note G with your first finger then shifting
further up to play it with your thumb.
And it really depends on what the real music that we're playing is, what the actual tune
is that we're playing when we're applying these fingerings to actual pieces of music.
Maybe it would be more appropriate to phrase that way.
Another reason is that the top of the scale would match the top of all the fingering.
The top of the D scale would match the fingering for the top of the D flat major scale.
So let's just have a look.
So with the fingering for the top of the D major scale we've got...well it's essentially
13123.
And that's the same if we're playing D flat major.
Let me just...so D flat, first octave and it's this point here, 13123.
So it's really worth kind of learning both and then I think that will make you more comfortable
playing in a key of D flat as well as when you play in the key of D.
So I hope that you enjoyed the lesson today.
If you have and you'd like to learn more about scales please check out Double Bass Scales:
The Play-Along Collection.
I've got all of these scales with backing tracks and drone notes so you'll have everything
that you need to get the most from your practice time.
And of course all the fingerings are listed as well.
So keep practicing hard and I'll see you next time.