Master The 2-5-1 Progression On Bass: 3 "Must-Know' Methods
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 4 ส.ค. 2024
- ►► FREE: Stop struggling with the modes on bass and discover EXACTLY what to play in nearly any situation with my Ultimate Guide To The Modes For Bass. Download it here → becomeabassist.com/the-ultima...
You’ve probably played the 2-5-1 progression on bass before, even if you didn’t realize it.
And even if you haven’t, I can virtually guarantee that you’ve at least heard this progression before. It’s just about everywhere from classical music, to jazz, blues, country, hip-hop, pop, rock - even metal.
It’s one of the most common chord sequences in all of music, which makes it pretty important. That’s also why it makes sense to really know your way around the 2-5-1 progression on bass.
When you know how to approach it, you can:
Create bass lines effortlessly
Make your own perfect bass fill every time
Masterfully improvise a bass solo on the spot
There are tons of different ways to approach this progression, but in this video we’re going to focus on just 3. These are the ‘must-know’ approaches when it comes to playing the 2-5-1 on bass.
They range from simple, so a little more advanced, but it’s very simple to get started.
Like I say in the video, I’d really encourage you to go through ALL of the approaches and give them a try - even if they don’t immediately feel great under your fingers.
When you practice each approach and start getting your head around them, they’ll start coming out in your playing naturally. The more comfortable you are with each one, the more likely it will come out of your mind and onto your bass.
By the way, if Approach #2 was a bit cryptic for you, I totally understand. The modes can be a confusing beast, but you can fix that with my Ultimate Guide To The Modes For Bass. Inside it, you’ll get the jargon-free explanation for what the modes are, plus, how and where they work.
It comes with a couple of bite-sized videos plus a 16-page PDF guide with the tabs, notation and shapes for each mode. You’ll also get 24 practice tracks you can use to start mastering your modes today. By the way, it’s 100% free.
To get it, click here, fill out the form on that page and I’ll send it straight to your email address.
becomeabassist.com/the-ultimat...
Once you’ve practiced each of the approaches for the 2-5-1 progression in isolation, try combining them! Just using one approach will get a little boring after a while, but mixing and matching them will mean your audience won’t ever get bored of your playing.
If you have any questions, just let me know! I’d be happy to help out.
Good luck with the lesson, and happy playing!
Cheers,
Luke - เพลง
OMG! By far the most complete and logical explanation for learning this. No confusing terms just straight up approach with examples. you cant believe how long it took me to have someone actually explain that each note should be played by its own scale. I was under the impression from all the other teachers to remain in the CMAJ7 the whole time. Great video Luke! Thank you.
You're welcome Gus! I'm glad you like the way I approach things, and I'm happy the video helped!
Gus took the words from my brain! Subbed...Thanks@@BecomeABassist
another option is to use the notes from the key to make your chords. :)
@@BecomeABassist where can I find the performance track that you're playing over?
I've been studying harmony for 5 years privately and I gave up because I thought I was not good enough since I was not understanding relationships among chords and scales. In 5 years I was only able to harmonize the major scale, not even touching the modes. I was convinced my teacher was not showing me what really is behind the theory. I was learning all the scales, arpeggios and boring exercises of the major scales and never be able to create the magic. I ended up thinking that after 5y if I was still struggling with the major scale I would never be able to do beautiful music and I was totally disappointed. Also, at that time (+10y ago) I was striving to find on youtube someone capable to teach me the ropes trying to get out of the mud but I was not lucky. There was not the number of instructional videos that today we have. However, I never lost my passion for music even if I was an eternal newbie so the last year I bought a digital piano and started learning the basics. When you play an instrument wherewith a hand you play chords and the other you harmonize is much easier to understand the relationships. So I started looking back for tutorials on youtube about harmony and I found a ton of material. For a young musician, it could be disorienting. Luckily, I had a solid background on the major scale so I was looking for very specific topics. To make the long story short, I ended up buying a bass guitar too and getting back to the bones. Looking back, it has been a wise choice of learning the major scale for so long time. It is the most important scale to have in under the belt. Finally, today I'm able to find superb videos like this. This guy, in particular, is very clear, straightforward, methodic, without all the annoying bells and whistles. A lot of bass players in their videos explain half of this and then play an impossible line just to let you feel stupid, but this is not the case. I really appreciate it. We finally live in a time where it is definitely possible to self-educate online. Yes, it takes efforts to find the right one, but once you find it, a new world begins. Thank you!
Can’t say enough about how I appreciate this one. Lights went on!
Hi Luke. I just want to echo what so many have said before. You are a great teacher. I'm an intermediate bass player with a lot of gigging experience. I'm always trying to level up with whatever info I can find. Your explanations and examples instantly make sense, where I have struggled with other better known instructors. I have played by ear for many years. Your videos have shed light on the underlying theory of what I've already been playing, as well as introducing me to new concepts. Very helpful!
Your teaching is excellent! I have been on drums and guitar for so long I have forgotten much of my bass training 50 years ago and now my friends want me on bass and your vids are refreshing my memory of the instrument! I'm in my second year of remission from cancer treatments and chemo and radiation to the head and throat really do a number on the brain for recall. Thanx again a big help for the old guy here!
No worries Allen - I'm glad you get something out of these lessons. And I'm happy to hear you're in your 2nd year of remission. That's always good news! Thanks for checking out the videos.
This video is really incredible! You've explained it in such a simple way, just opened up my mind!
You are so straight forward. No clowning around. No distractions. Thanks
You re wonderful, Luke. Thank you so much all you do.
A great teacher. Awesome playing skills and knowledge!
Quite helpful. Thank you for this lesson.
I’ve been playing for longer than I’d like to admit and I find your instruction videos really helpful .👍
This is amazing approach creating your own bass lines, thank you Brother.
Congratulations! Your leason has been very usefull to me. Thank you a lot!
Thank you Thank You THANK YOU for finally breaking down my wall understanding the modes with one of the BEST tutorials out there!!!
Thank you for the 2 5 1 lesson, its very instructive. appreciate it much.
Definitely a video to repeatedly re-watch. Neatly explaining many factors into one video with thorough examples of each, I really like how you've clearly explained it and in a well-structured way. Thanks a lot Luke, this video's going to help me progress loads.
I've been trying to learn the bass for a few years but I haven't made a lot of progress. This video's definitely going to be a kicker (:
Very good explanaiton. Thank you. Helps me a lot.
Great lesson Luke! Thanks
Fantastic lesson, Hat is off for you sir !
That's a really good video! Breaking outside of those boxes is the hardest part for me, personally! :D
Excellent video, very informative and makes great sense. Glad to know I'm not the only person who likes to hold their breath while playing.
This video has taught me so much!
I love the idea of practicing arpeggios ending on different chord tones, I've been practicing my basic arpeggio shapes all over the fretboard but tend to go root to root or 3rd to root, I was already aware I needed to start practicing them starting on the 5th but ending on different chord tones from the root is definitely the practice tip I needed from this video. Thank you for your wisdom B)
GREAT INFORMATION..MR BASS MAN..GOOD TEACHING
Well done Luke really cool approach thanks
nice bassface! :) and great lessen by the way!
You are awesome man.. great job
Explanation as easy as it gets. Thanks Luke! Regards from Switzerland
Good job Luke. I'm an intermediate skill level bassist. I have taken lessons from some advanced players and so much of it is either not applicable for what I'm doing or way over my head. Somehow your explanations make sense the first time.
Excellent stuff Luke, nicely explained. To take this one step further, don't forget that over the G7 you can throw in a little minor pentatonic for that last bit of variety.
Finally, a clear and simple explanation of soloing with modes and scales. Why didn't I find this a long time ago?
This guy is amazing, he really explains the ideas. and theory behind what he’s trying to teach in plain English that’s easy to understand. Good job
Thanks @Dylan McCarthy - Im glad you like my teaching style!
Great video !!
Great vid, Luke. Straight talk, no bla bla bla double talk! Thank you! I just subscribed and requested your book on modes.
good lesson clarified a few things....thanks very much.
Really you made it easier bro 🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻 You rock
Excellent lesson.
Great teacher Luke
Nice sounds
Expensive looking Spector bass.
Thanks for being generous
Godspeed. Whichever speed that may be
beautiful lesson, thanks
Great stuff. Thank you very much for your work. :-) :-)
Thank you very much Luke!!
Loved this lesson, Luke! Do you have one that explores the difference between walking and soloing/improvising?
I'll have to listen to this one a few times. Love it
clear communicator, and an excellent player!
Hi. Thanks a million for your lessons. The best bass guitar lessons ever! Please, no PDF and backing track for this lesson?
Excelent video and excelent ideas to use, thank you thank you thank you¡¡
Thanks Gabriel. I’m glad you’re finding it useful!
You’re amazing thank you 🙏
Lovely !!
stumbled on this channel and now improvisation makes much more sense
Great job Luke
Good teacher. Nice Spectre. Cheers, mate.
Really enjoyed this video, thank you much. Where can one get the backing track to practice the lesson with?
Very impressed with this style of teaching.
Thanks Robert - I'm glad you like it!
Great! Thanx!! 👍🎖
No worries Tobbe. Glad you're into it.
Thank You!
Man, you are a magician. I was supposed to mail you with an important question: What can I play while I see a specific chord? You just answered it with this video :O
That's fantastic Adam. I'm glad I could help out!
Holy shit... I was familiar with most of the concepts mentioned in this vid but the way it was all explained here just made everything fit toghether!!
Crystaly clear
Thanks Luke!
My mind is blown. Sounds so easy, is so hard! 👏❤️
waaaayyyy better than scott and tons of other bassists who yap more than teaching
Yep, he even "plugs" his related lesson links without a noticable seam or crease. This is not only a lesson in bass, but also a lesson in professionalism.
This guy is a real pro. (Teaching, editing, studio lighting, etc.)
Bass instructor cage match!! :)
Master! 🙌
Thank u, from South Africa
Hi Luke - Another great vid, thanks. Is your backing track available to practise with?
GREAT!
Thank you.
I like both the pentatonic scale approach and the arpeggio approach. The chord changes usually go by too fast to effectively use a modal approach.
In jazz that's a very common approach, it seems... but different styles, different strokes.
Could you please make a video saying how to develop that kind of vocabulary on bass solos? Thanks in advance friend. 👍
Beautiful
Where can backing tracks to play along with be found?....Thanks...Tom
Nope ! This one's WAY over my head, for where I'm at right now ! I'm headin' back to the kiddie pool, LOL!!
(but you still get yer thumbs-up, bro !)
I hope you came back, intervals and modes are not complicated but they are essential
That is a beautiful bass guitar
My thought exactly, Luke, what is it?
@@really5194 Spector Euro4
@@bandaddie thanks a lot, but I googled it and couldn't find anyone looking like it, with ven a vaguely similar pattern
I have an ESP LTD that looks exactly like that
@@really5194 it’s spalted maple
Thank you
WOW!! THAT GUITAR FUNK , R & B Rhythm is great, Great 251 in a up beat Funk R & B Rhythm great!!!!!!
It is a great tutorial.
Glad you like it Daniel. Thanks for checking out all my videos!
Luke, do you have a video on the beginning of learning?..Not about the bass, or fingering..but 1st cords or scales to learn, i use to play..25 plus years, but a work accident, i lost memory of over 40 years..really..a electrical explosion, power plant..but..i was in a few bands..i really want to try n learn again..my fender jazz master is getting dust..thanks brother
Hey Alan - good question. I've actually got a video about this exact thing in the pipeline. At the very start though, I wouldn't recommend trying to learn a bunch of scales or chords. They are useful later on, but if you're starting (or restarting) from scratch, I'd recommend you focus more on learning songs that you really like.
This is going to make it way more fun which means you'll be more likely to pick up your bass regularly and develop a practice habit. Then when you're more comfortable on the bass, you can start looking at all the other things.
If you're the kind of person that really wants to learn some scales at the start though, I'd recommend checking out the pentatonic scales. They're relatively easy and incredibly useful. I'm not sure if you've seen it, but I have a video all about the pentatonic scale. It's right here:
th-cam.com/video/OUtHZGe-ja8/w-d-xo.html
And if you're really keen on learning chords, you can check out my Bass Chord Pro series. It's pretty comprehensive.
becomeabassist.com/bass-chord-pro/
If you have any other questions, just let me know.
Luke you are one of my favorite youtub instructors !
Thanks so much Al - I really appreciate it! Glad you like the lessons
Very very good explanation of what to do on the 2-5-1. And the pictures of shapes are very smart and easy to use. 🙏 can you do the lesson for minor 2-5-1 ? Super Luke ! And your prononciation is easy to understand for a French player like me.
Absolutely @Gara Mabasse - great idea. I'm working on it right now. Thanks for the suggestion - I really appreciate it.
Good day Luke
Awesome lesson, where can I find the link you said about the modes.
Thanks a lot from south africa 🇿🇦
Hi Luke - This is just a such a great tutorial (like all the other stuff you share with us. Thanks for sharing and teaching us :-)
One question ...where do I get the kind of bakground mucis you use in your tutorials ..? Greeting from Otto
Glad you liked it @Otto Leholt. Usually, I just use an app called iRealPro to make any backing tracks I need, although if I need something a bit more custom, I'll create it in Garageband.
In my newer videos I give out the practice tracks for pretty much everything, but this is an older video from before I started doing that.
Hi Luke, I've recently discovered your channel and like to say you have a great teaching style. I'm a guitarist picking up bass and you've given me lots of guidance on how to approach the bass. One thing, you mentioned modes. D Dorian and G mix. The way you described them missed out the important point that in this case both are just the notes from the C major scale. The only difference is that in say D Dorian, you put more focus on the chord tones from the Dm chord. I find so many instructors make modes in diatonic tunes sound so much harder than they are. To be honest I don't really think modes are relevant if the whole time remains in one major key and all you are going to use is notes from that key.
Keep up the very good work.
Dude thank you so much for saying this. I wasn't sure if I was oversimplifying it or not.
totally agree.
I'm confused in bass solo, but practice makes perfect.👍
Bass Simplified, Thanks
Hey thanks
Is there a practice track available that you used in this video?
Practical..thanks
So the way you read and play this scales is by pressing fingers 1 and 4 on the G first and move progressively to the next string with the second finger and forth on the D string, right?, excellent tut thx for sharing.
Thanks
Thank *_you_* @Alfred Wild - that's incredibly generous of you. I really appreciate the support.
Would be nice to have the backing track you use here for training.
i have been struggling about the scales of 2 5 1 and i have been confused for the last few years about this stuff i hope you can see this comment i just wanted to know more about cohean ang other chord shapes and scales....i really hope youll see this also you just GOT A NEW SUBSCRIBER PAL! i loved to watch your tutorial and those visual chart in your concept really aids us who doesnt or cannot learn easily by just ears or toning it with the ears...and way thanks,
Hi Luke i m from indonesia .. wondering you can help to learn basic for bass guitar kind pdf and video
Tq so much for really good video that you share
Great help. 6:15
can't find video's on my TV TH-cam channel. how do I find all your videos and get the free downloads of the things you are teaching... I want to practice
Where can we get the backing tracks to practice please?
Hi Luke,
I’m enjoying the lessons. But I’m curious. What is that awesome finished distressed wooden bass you use? Thanks
Thomas Wayne Wood
I think this bass is made of spalted maple @waynewood8840. It's a Spector Euro.
Love those chord tones. Sounds extremely musical. Jeff Berlin, Joe Hubbard all talk about using chord tones. Check out Joe Hubbards "Chord Tone Mastery". Fantastic stuff.
Question: can we play this progression in key of G? what about the modes? still the same position, or the position based on the key?
That would be, Am, D, G
Hey Luke how are you,
Hey I was asking about if a person is playing by chord sheet, and your playing the bass guitar, and trying to put these modes in the song, what about the chord changes in the song? What do you do just play the modes,and not worry about the chord changes in the song, or do a person need to change with the rest of the the band in the chord changes in the song, I just asking trying to figure it out, but I have been told all kinds of stuff by a bunch of people, anyways thanks again Luke.
Hey Scotty! Good question. It would depend a lot on what's going on in the song at any given moment. If I'm just playing a bass line, I'm probably not thinking in terms of modes too much - I'm just trying to nail the chords. After all, if we don't do that, the song can fall apart. If I want to connect two chords within a bass line, I might use the modes to do that. Or if the song has long stretches where it's just one chord, you can use the mode associated with that chord to give it more color and variety.
If I want to play a more involved fill, I might use the modes to do that, although, you could use the pentatonics or arpeggios to do the same thing. And if it's time to take a solo, it'll probably end up being a mixture of everything.
There aren't too many hard and fast rules, which is why everybody usually tells you different things. The trick is figuring out how to make the different approaches work for you. Does that help? If you have more questions, I'm happy try and answer them for you.
Could you break down the 251 guitar chords you a5re playing.
Is all in Cmajor - period. Just base your playing round each chord root, 3rd and fifth when the chord shows up in the music but don't use notes out of c major except when using chromatic steps between notes.