So after watching maaany youtube videos trying to learn theory in a way that makes sense… you win. And as a grandmother it takes me a bit longer to understand the information and digest it so thanks for the lessons. Been playing around a year now with intent of learning the “language of sound” and applying it to bass practice, and guitar and keys also but primarily bass. It’s lovely being able to learn from others and have that opportunity accessible all over the globe. Cheers!
I would recommend you watch some music theory videos on youtube. e.g. th-cam.com/video/_eKTOMhpy2w/w-d-xo.html Then how chords work th-cam.com/video/5Y01jIorpeA/w-d-xo.html Things will slowly creep in and make more and more sense. Rewatch them if as you get more the 2nd and 3rd times as you learn more. There's so much good stuff on youtube
I use the full number system, wherein in the key of C, C is I, but D is ii, unless you're asking for a borrowed major chord, in which case you would mark it as you have above, with an upper case II. It adds much more depth to the numbers and allows for faster chart/form comprehension.
Excellent lesson Scott. This is what bass players really need to know. Sure wish you had a monthly subscription for the bass academy instead of just the yearly rate .
@@graemerobertson5160 It helps you Transpose song btw than using chords. And I know lots of musician that uses these number system instead of saying C-G-a-F they say 1-5-6-4 so if the singer would want to transpose you could transpose it easier.
@@bearmdfl2186 It doesn't help me transpose at all. I learned to do that by understanding how to shift root notes. In North East England hardly anyone has heard of it, let alone uses it. The amount of effort you have to put into understanding it far outweighs just quoting the names of the chords. And it falls down if the chords don't fit the C major scale.
@@graemerobertson5160 if it does not fall down in the key then you can always use (b, #) for example 7b-6-1 or 6#-6-1 plus you could also use (7, dim, sus, etc.)
@@bearmdfl2186 I don't know what you mean if it does not fall down? If it doesn't fall down then it is just majors and minors and the 7th . If it does fall down why bother with it? How would you categorise I am the Walrus by the Beatles by this system?
Thank you mate. I just got myself my very first Bass. Well, I dont actually pick it up for another 2 days. I learnt to play the Piano many years ago and this tutorial you just made hit a home run in my mind. Sensational work mate. Cheers.
That off the top of your head example you did around time marker 7:53 and ending on 8:00 was seriously beautiful. I can't believe you did that on the spur of the moment. That sounded great with the root and with the chords. I would love to hear you take that and combine both root notes and some chords to make a piece of music. That truly was better than 90 % of the crap that's on Top 40 radio....
Thank you so much, this really makes sense, great to see this being taught in such a fun way, someone who loves it! there lies a musical freedom when you go past the mathematical sound barrier, and knowing your stuff helps to become fluent. Thanks for your great tutorials, I'm a guitarist, who loves the bass of my acoustic guitar, and your videos have helped rekindle the bass in my playing. Knowing that there is more always inspires. Anyways thanks again!
@@bassplayinfool this is music theory. It's a guide to resolving chord progressions. For example if you started a progression on the iii you can go just about anywhere from there and it sounds right, but the 2nd and 1st chords usually want to resolve to the root. I've never seen this, but I have seen flow charts. The music theory is great for playing a song you have never heard before, not just composing. For example if I hear someone play a V chord, I can almost predict that it will either resolve to the root chord, or go to the IV chord. If someone plays a iii chord, I might think that it's either going to the next chord up, the IV, or the root chord, or to the 6 based on just knowing the theory, and listening to how other songs go. The melody sometimes guides you to where the next chord is.
@@harmono8766 Ahhhh, it's a one of those chordal resolution flow charts. Gotcha. I totally see it now. Reminds me slightly of the harmonic planetary system that Randy Halberstadt lays out in "Metaphors for the Musician."
I just finished watching all of your "Ask Scott" videos. I really enjoyed watching them. I noticed that you haven't done an "Ask Scott" video in some time. Could you bring "Ask Scott" back, maybe on a monthly or bimonthly basis? I really like hearing the questions and concerns that other bass players have. Your answers in those videos have answered a lot of the question that I have had myself. Thank you for all you do.
I remember sitting in with a lot of different bands at benefits and so forth when the lead guitar player or the keyboard player would yell across the stage the number sequence and the count. Knowing the type on music being played I could do the song having never heard it. Other information was given such the intro. So it would go something like :"It's a 1-4-5 in A with a turn around intro". (Nashville)
Wow Greg so glad i came across this video have been trying to understand this system out of a book and just could not get it but Now!, have got it and understand the basic concept of it. and can now build on that, onwards and upwards now many thanks great job.
Please help ! Greg at 6minutes 40 seconds you say in the key of D, picking numbers for your 2nd line you say 6 4 6 A7 but for your 3rd space 2nd line you write E7 should that not be B7 if i am wrong please accept my apologies?
Musicians logic: "the scales, the chords, it all ties into the number system" .... Let's use notation based on letters! ... Let's use 8 letters because we have 11 notes!
'Let's use 8 letters because we have 11 notes!' well, e.g. Eb if also D# so makes use to use 8 letters... also doesn't mathematicians (and pretty much everyone) use 10 digits (0-9) despite having infinite numbers?
@@foljs5858 i mean you can't really compare the natural number series to 12 tone equal temperament since the latter is finite and cyclical and the former is the complete opposite
It's seven letter names against twelve notes. A very stupid system but it's the system we have. As humans, we're always committed to maximum suffering.
He's doing the same exact thing here, but writing out the letters so that you can figure it out. For example. if you say play "2m7" without the context of the key you are in it means nothing. So if you are in the key of C you would play Dm7 if you play the 2m7. He's showing you how to translate 2m7 to an actual chord name in any given key. The top of the chart is the numbers, then the next row is the chord value for those numbers, then he's writing a chord progression based on the numbers. He probably should have written out "IIm7=Dm7". The Roman numerals are used to avoid confusing chord roots with the actual notes of the chord, ie. a Cmaj7 chord has the 7 indicating the chord value, so they write roman numerals for the chord. Also I prefer lower case for the minor chords.
You seem like you know what you’re talking about lol. When he shows us the 1-6-2-5 in the key of C and starts playing it do we use C, A minor, D minor, and G as root notes and play a pattern using 1-6-2-6 based off of that?
I appreciate this video my dude. I’ve been playing bass for over 30 years and I consider myself an intuitive player. I am musically illiterate. When I play, people assume I know theory based on my skill level. I don’t consider myself to be one that plays music, but rather allows music to move through me. Someone I know really wants me to learn theory so I can understand what I already do naturally. I play music for expression not as a career. My concern is will learning theory suck the life out of the reason why I play in the first place
Those chords can also be played all major: Commander Cody's Down to Seeds and Stems (major scale chords) AC/DC's Live Wire (minor scale chords) Eddie Floyd's Knock on Wood (minor and relative major scale chords)
Love it. I’ve been a guitar player for 20 years, I’m just starting on bass in the last year. This has been a great lesson, and I’m also enjoying the slap tutorials as well.
Thank you so much! I've always been afraid to ask what do people mean when all they talk about is fifths and sevenths and I have no clue haha Con's of not going to music school I guess but thankfully we have Scott
You seem like you know what you’re talking about lol. When he shows us the 1-6-2-5 in the key of C and starts playing it do we use C, A minor, D minor, and G as root notes and play a pattern using 1-6-2-6 based off of that? Using the major scale ?
This was a great lesson... but I'm so new, I don't understand when you did the Dmaj scale, you threw in a couple of # on F and C... Like I said, I probably should know this already. I have my first bass guitar being shipped as we speak. Cheers! Maybe I should enroll in your course! Hahahahaha...There's that.
The major scale is (Whole step = W & Half step =H), W-W-H-W-W-W-H. So when you start on a D, the first whole step is E, then to take another whole step you get to F#. (Then half step to G and so on.) This will apply with whichever note you start on.
Tony Lam It's the introduction to the idea of half-diminished or fully diminished, which requires the 7th. (Half diminished is the m7b5 style, fully diminished is a b7 again, or a bb7 in total.)
Hey sir great knowledge and understanding of your music for your self. But can you please explain or break down how you go about playing chords in this system? Like you was doing in this lesson please sir
Yes, indeed it's how it is taught in college music theory. It goes way back to figured bass, which is still somewhat in use today by musicians playing baroque music.
Don Bernhard Thumbs up fer college learnin'. Haven't read figured bass in almost 15 years, but I bet I could still at least hatchet-job my way through it.
This is true for any MAJOR scale. The positions of major/minor/diminished chords changes as you cycle thru the modes. THAT is a lesson worth giving. Might be worth talking about "stacking thirds" as well. Yes, Scott, I know what I'm talking about is more helpful for guitar and keyboard players, but it helps bass players, too. You don't have to always lay down the root notes to hold the groove together -- alternate tones live in those stacked thirds, as well as your arpeggios. Still, an excellent lesson.
Does this work in a minor key? I’m imagining it does but are there different chords (minor vs. major, etc. in the same or different pattern) in a minor key? This question probably makes no sense the way I wrote it.
I swear this guy is one of James McAvoy's characters in Split.
He always reminded me of James a lot! Lol
Bro that's what I always said lmfao
Strangely, I finally saw Split the other day and now I'm seeing people make reference to it EVERYWHERE. 🤔
So funny😆
😂😂😂
So after watching maaany youtube videos trying to learn theory in a way that makes sense… you win. And as a grandmother it takes me a bit longer to understand the information and digest it so thanks for the lessons. Been playing around a year now with intent of learning the “language of sound” and applying it to bass practice, and guitar and keys also but primarily bass. It’s lovely being able to learn from others and have that opportunity accessible all over the globe. Cheers!
Thanks for checking out the vid! 🙌🏻
I am still confused but i wanna learn so bad omg . I play by ear well but i NEED to master THIS cause i NEED IT
This has some pre-requisites. You need to know what a minor, major and 7th is, what makes up a chord. What a scale is. Do you know this stuff?
I would recommend you watch some music theory videos on youtube. e.g. th-cam.com/video/_eKTOMhpy2w/w-d-xo.html
Then how chords work th-cam.com/video/5Y01jIorpeA/w-d-xo.html
Things will slowly creep in and make more and more sense.
Rewatch them if as you get more the 2nd and 3rd times as you learn more.
There's so much good stuff on youtube
natskis thanks helped a lot
But you don't need it! Scotty has vastly over rated the importance of what is essentially a very limited chord sequence categorisation tool.
You should be pretty good by now. Unless you gave up
I thought I was playing alright until my worship leader told me to look this up and now I feel like a complete newbie again.
I use the full number system, wherein in the key of C, C is I, but D is ii, unless you're asking for a borrowed major chord, in which case you would mark it as you have above, with an upper case II. It adds much more depth to the numbers and allows for faster chart/form comprehension.
this is proberbly the first ever 9:58 long video ever
Excellent lesson Scott. This is what bass players really need to know. Sure wish you had a monthly subscription for the bass academy instead of just the yearly rate .
I never heard of it until recently and I think this glorified chord categorisation system is a total waste of time. What does it help you do???
@@graemerobertson5160 It helps you Transpose song btw than using chords. And I know lots of musician that uses these number system instead of saying C-G-a-F they say 1-5-6-4 so if the singer would want to transpose you could transpose it easier.
@@bearmdfl2186 It doesn't help me transpose at all. I learned to do that by understanding how to shift root notes. In North East England hardly anyone has heard of it, let alone uses it. The amount of effort you have to put into understanding it far outweighs just quoting the names of the chords. And it falls down if the chords don't fit the C major scale.
@@graemerobertson5160 if it does not fall down in the key then you can always use (b, #) for example 7b-6-1 or 6#-6-1 plus you could also use (7, dim, sus, etc.)
@@bearmdfl2186 I don't know what you mean if it does not fall down? If it doesn't fall down then it is just majors and minors and the 7th . If it does fall down why bother with it? How would you categorise I am the Walrus by the Beatles by this system?
I just love your lessons Scott! really easy to communicate with other players as well with this system!.
This was one of your best lessons Scott! It really simplifies it into a bite size portion.
Tks!
Thank you mate. I just got myself my very first Bass. Well, I dont actually pick it up for another 2 days. I learnt to play the Piano many years ago and this tutorial you just made hit a home run in my mind. Sensational work mate. Cheers.
That off the top of your head example you did around time marker 7:53 and ending on 8:00 was seriously beautiful. I can't believe you did that on the spur of the moment. That sounded great with the root and with the chords. I would love to hear you take that and combine both root notes and some chords to make a piece of music. That truly was better than 90 % of the crap that's on Top 40 radio....
You are so correct about the difference between the Nashville number system and the number system......
Hi Scott, this class in a word “AWSOME” i never thougth is that easy, tanks for share, this is great!!! God bless you...
Thank you so much, this really makes sense, great to see this being taught in such a fun way, someone who loves it!
there lies a musical freedom when you go past the mathematical sound barrier, and knowing your stuff helps to become fluent.
Thanks for your great tutorials, I'm a guitarist, who loves the bass of my acoustic guitar, and your videos have helped rekindle the bass in my playing. Knowing that there is more always inspires. Anyways thanks again!
First time I was ever able to fully understand the number system!! Thanks Scott!
Great lesson!
Chord classification helps too.
4th - iii
3rd - vi
2nd - IV, ii, (+6s)
1st - V, vii
Root - I
Start any where an work backwards to root.
Jason M. Kaspar I'm not sure what this is, but the idea is fascination to me. Can you expound any more on this idea?
@@bassplayinfool this is music theory. It's a guide to resolving chord progressions. For example if you started a progression on the iii you can go just about anywhere from there and it sounds right, but the 2nd and 1st chords usually want to resolve to the root. I've never seen this, but I have seen flow charts. The music theory is great for playing a song you have never heard before, not just composing. For example if I hear someone play a V chord, I can almost predict that it will either resolve to the root chord, or go to the IV chord. If someone plays a iii chord, I might think that it's either going to the next chord up, the IV, or the root chord, or to the 6 based on just knowing the theory, and listening to how other songs go. The melody sometimes guides you to where the next chord is.
@@harmono8766 Ahhhh, it's a one of those chordal resolution flow charts. Gotcha. I totally see it now.
Reminds me slightly of the harmonic planetary system that Randy Halberstadt lays out in "Metaphors for the Musician."
I had just spent the past 3 or so weeks learning this stuff. And now you make a video to help learn it easier. Lol
Amazing video...after 2 1/2 yrs of study....this finally makes since...u the best Scott ;)
Amazing lesson. Really crisp and precise. Loved the examples.:)
This is the video that just made my life a lot better. Thanks for the good stuff.
I play harmonica, chromatic and diatonic, this video has been a revelation! Thank you!
I just finished watching all of your "Ask Scott" videos. I really enjoyed watching them. I noticed that you haven't done an "Ask Scott" video in some time. Could you bring "Ask Scott" back, maybe on a monthly or bimonthly basis? I really like hearing the questions and concerns that other bass players have. Your answers in those videos have answered a lot of the question that I have had myself. Thank you for all you do.
what a wonderful teacher you are
I'm getting my reading and Number system master. Thank you scott.
I remember sitting in with a lot of different bands at benefits and so forth when the lead guitar player or the keyboard player would yell across the stage the number sequence and the count. Knowing the type on music being played I could do the song having never heard it. Other information was given such the intro.
So it would go something like :"It's a 1-4-5 in A with a turn around intro". (Nashville)
Good Lesson for any instrument! Thanks!
Wow Greg so glad i came across this video have been trying to understand this system out of a book and just could not get it but Now!, have got it and understand the basic concept of it. and can now build on that, onwards and upwards now many thanks great job.
Please help ! Greg at 6minutes 40 seconds you say in the key of D, picking numbers for your 2nd line you say 6 4 6 A7 but for your 3rd space 2nd line you write E7 should that not be B7 if i am wrong please accept my apologies?
I really am enjoying your teachings and I've learned alot keep the good work.
Musicians logic: "the scales, the chords, it all ties into the number system" .... Let's use notation based on letters! ... Let's use 8 letters because we have 11 notes!
Some of the letters can be other letters some of the time.
'Let's use 8 letters because we have 11 notes!' well, e.g. Eb if also D# so makes use to use 8 letters... also doesn't mathematicians (and pretty much everyone) use 10 digits (0-9) despite having infinite numbers?
@@foljs5858 i mean you can't really compare the natural number series to 12 tone equal temperament since the latter is finite and cyclical and the former is the complete opposite
It's seven letter names against twelve notes. A very stupid system but it's the system we have. As humans, we're always committed to maximum suffering.
@@d.l.loonabide9981 No pain, no gain. 🥲
So many people triying to explain this but only you did it right.
This is incredibly helpful and useful. This has answered so many questions I've had in the past. Thanks a lot! Love it.
This is a great video, keep up the good work dude :)
I knew about this but I can see more value now. Great way of presenting it
You are amazing an angel of this planet....thanks for all
That "All of me." was fantastic Scott. 😂❤
Scott, you just discovered music for me. This is awsom!!!!
Bless you for explaining this, and breaking it down. Been trying to find a vid on the numbering system like forever.
Great stuff - enthusiastically and clearly taught. Thanks
it's simpler than this; here in nashville, we always write the chord value after the number as you would when using the letter. 2m7, 5-, etc., etc....
He's doing the same exact thing here, but writing out the letters so that you can figure it out. For example. if you say play "2m7" without the context of the key you are in it means nothing. So if you are in the key of C you would play Dm7 if you play the 2m7. He's showing you how to translate 2m7 to an actual chord name in any given key. The top of the chart is the numbers, then the next row is the chord value for those numbers, then he's writing a chord progression based on the numbers. He probably should have written out "IIm7=Dm7". The Roman numerals are used to avoid confusing chord roots with the actual notes of the chord, ie. a Cmaj7 chord has the 7 indicating the chord value, so they write roman numerals for the chord. Also I prefer lower case for the minor chords.
You seem like you know what you’re talking about lol. When he shows us the 1-6-2-5 in the key of C and starts playing it do we use C, A minor, D minor, and G as root notes and play a pattern using 1-6-2-6 based off of that?
That E string saddle is haunting me
Drew Mac i
My G string does the same thing. It’s not worth fixing in my case though
Awesome the way he breaks it down!
Great lesson Scott! This is why I'm subscribed.
Woow..... Super Technique... Hats off this guy... 🙏🙏🙏💃💃💃🎸🎸🎸
This lesson was great and very informative thanks very much
I appreciate this video my dude. I’ve been playing bass for over 30 years and I consider myself an intuitive player. I am musically illiterate. When I play, people assume I know theory based on my skill level. I don’t consider myself to be one that plays music, but rather allows music to move through me.
Someone I know really wants me to learn theory so I can understand what I already do naturally.
I play music for expression not as a career.
My concern is will learning theory suck the life out of the reason why I play in the first place
Those chords can also be played all major:
Commander Cody's Down to Seeds and Stems (major scale chords)
AC/DC's Live Wire (minor scale chords)
Eddie Floyd's Knock on Wood (minor and relative major scale chords)
Thanks for making it easy on us that learned by ear. I totally get it now! Cheers Scott 👍😎🍻
Mind blowing thing for beginners like me, man !
I’d love it if you built on this and showed arpeggios and how they are used .
Gonna join soon Scott! I love your lessons brother!
Thank you so much, Scott.
Love it. I’ve been a guitar player for 20 years, I’m just starting on bass in the last year. This has been a great lesson, and I’m also enjoying the slap tutorials as well.
Excellent content. Thanks Scott !
I understand. Excellent explanation.
Awesome dude! 👊🏻
It also helps changing keys very easily.
thanks guy great insights to musical thinking while playing.
Very cool Scott! Thank you
Thank you for explaining this.
Best explaination I've found on TH-cam!
Straight and to the point, thanks for another great lesson!
Thank you so much!
I've always been afraid to ask what do people mean when all they talk about is fifths and sevenths and I have no clue haha
Con's of not going to music school I guess but thankfully we have Scott
I truely love this bass, used, she got history, I want a bass like this.
Not history but a special treatment in the luthiers (Fender) shop... you can buy these babies "new" ;-)
Amazing thanks Scott
This is how I always try to teach people! Haha you just explained it so much better! 🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽
You seem like you know what you’re talking about lol. When he shows us the 1-6-2-5 in the key of C and starts playing it do we use C, A minor, D minor, and G as root notes and play a pattern using 1-6-2-6 based off of that? Using the major scale ?
Very useful information, thanks!
This was very helpful! Thank you!
Cheers, good to hear that you found this useful!!
Now I'm tempted to make a computer program that generates random cord progressions according to this system, just to see what it it sounds like.
neistridlar Go for it!
SCOTT! Thank You!!!
This was a great lesson... but I'm so new, I don't understand when you did the Dmaj scale, you threw in a couple of # on F and C... Like I said, I probably should know this already. I have my first bass guitar being shipped as we speak. Cheers! Maybe I should enroll in your course! Hahahahaha...There's that.
The major scale is (Whole step = W & Half step =H), W-W-H-W-W-W-H. So when you start on a D, the first whole step is E, then to take another whole step you get to F#. (Then half step to G and so on.) This will apply with whichever note you start on.
@@jonnymachete -- thanks, Brother!
As always, in 10 minutes, you've condensed what took me months to assimilate! Sorry, but, aren't you some kind of a wizard? ;-)
m7b5 is a chord with 4 notes, while B diminished is just 3 chord B-D-F, both intervals are minor 3rd.
Tony Lam It's the introduction to the idea of half-diminished or fully diminished, which requires the 7th. (Half diminished is the m7b5 style, fully diminished is a b7 again, or a bb7 in total.)
I wish my music teacher had given me music class with a bass
Oh, FUCK! You opened it up for me, man! Finally, it clicked, and I was about to give up. You have a customer
Hey sir great knowledge and understanding of your music for your self. But can you please explain or break down how you go about playing chords in this system? Like you was doing in this lesson please sir
enjoyed the lesson on mastering the number system
The convention is to use lower case Roman numerals for minor and diminished. I, ii, iii, IV, V, vi, vii°
Don Bernhard This is how I learned it and continue to use it.
Yes, indeed it's how it is taught in college music theory. It goes way back to figured bass, which is still somewhat in use today by musicians playing baroque music.
Don Bernhard Thumbs up fer college learnin'. Haven't read figured bass in almost 15 years, but I bet I could still at least hatchet-job my way through it.
*Only gets 3mins into the video and already saves to favorites*
I always heard of this concept as "chord order."
thank you so much SBL
This just blew my mind!
I get this - and those chords sounds nice
That was class! Thank you. 🍀🍀🍀👍
Hey Scott, here is one for your gear review section, try using a Tonewood amp on an acoustic bass
Thank you so much champion, you are a great tutor
Realised I already know the system but stayed anyway for that rubbery base tone..
Awesome video! Thanks
Awesome video, merci beaucoup!
THANKS SCOTT!!!!!!
This is true for any MAJOR scale. The positions of major/minor/diminished chords changes as you cycle thru the modes. THAT is a lesson worth giving. Might be worth talking about "stacking thirds" as well. Yes, Scott, I know what I'm talking about is more helpful for guitar and keyboard players, but it helps bass players, too. You don't have to always lay down the root notes to hold the groove together -- alternate tones live in those stacked thirds, as well as your arpeggios. Still, an excellent lesson.
Thanx brother. I used to say I knew the number system.....but I was lying 😂😂😂😂 But I now really understand.
We ain't got no place to go. Let's go to the punk rock show!
Can anyone please tell me why at 4:39, it's Bb instead of a normal B? Same with F# and C# at 5:56
What a great bass
And it is the same in every Country, Amazing
Very cool.....very cool. Thank you.
Best lesson ever!
This video is really helpful
Good to hear you've found this helpful!
Does this work in a minor key? I’m imagining it does but are there different chords (minor vs. major, etc. in the same or different pattern) in a minor key? This question probably makes no sense the way I wrote it.
Of course it does. Your VI step of major is I of relative minor, VII is II and so on. So it's I=m7, II=dim, III=maj7, IV=m7, V=m7, VI=maj7, VII=7
@@daleonov So if we use 7th chords , it's Minor7 , m7b5 , Major 7 , Minor7 ,Minor7 , Major 7 and Dominant 7 ?
@@ange.p1251 correct!
@@daleonov Thank you 🙏 And we're talking about the minor scale number system here right ?
Pretty funny I've been in 3 bands now still don't know my notes this video starting to make sense a little
THANK YOU FOR THESE TEACHINGS