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Bass Lessons — 1 Diatonic Seventh Chord Exercise bass tabs



(submitted by just3boyz)
That tab illustrates a Diatonic Seventh Chord Exercise.
This is great for learning the notes on the neck.
It's also a great exercise for both your left and right hand.

|F major 7 |G minor 7 |
|F A C E F A C E |F E C A F E C A |G BbD F G BbD F |G F D BbG F D Bb|
G|——————————————9—|109—————————————|——————————————10|1210————————————|
D|——————————7—10——|————107—————————|——————————8—12——|————128—————————|
A|————3—7—8———————|————————8—7—3———|————5—8—10——————|————————108—5———|
E|1—5—————————————|——————————————5—|3—6—————————————|——————————————6—|
|1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |

|A minor 7 |Bb major 7 |
|A C E G A C E G |A G E C A G E C |BbD F A BbD F A |BbA F D BbA F D |
G|——————————————12|1412————————————|——————————————14|1514————————————|
D|——————————1014——|————1410————————|——————————1215——|————1512————————|
A|————7—1012——————|————————12107———|————8—1213——————|————————13128———|
E|5—8—————————————|——————————————8—|6—10————————————|——————————————10|
|1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |

|C7 |D minor 7 |
|C E G BbC E G Bb|C BbG E C BbG E |D F A C D F A C |D C A F D C A F |
G|——————————————15|1715————————————|——————————————17|1917————————————|
D|——————————1417——|————1714————————|——————————1519——|————1915————————|
A|————101315——————|————————151310——|————121517——————|————————171512——|
E|8—12————————————|——————————————12|1013————————————|——————————————13|
|1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |

|E minor 7 (b5) |F major 7 |
|E G BbD E G BbD |E D BbG E D BbG |F A C E F A C E |F E C A F A C E |
G|——————————————19|2119————————————|——————————————21|2221——————————21|
D|——————————1721——|————2117————————|——————————1922——|————2219——1922——|
A|————131719——————|————————191713——|————151920——————|————————20——————|
E|1215————————————|——————————————15|1317————————————|————————————————|
|1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |

|F major 7 |E minor 7 (b5) |
|F E C A F E C A |F A C E F A C E |E D BbG E D BbG |E G BbD E G BbD |
G|2221————————————|——————————————21|2119————————————|——————————————19|
D|————2219————————|——————————1922——|————2017————————|——————————1720——|
A|————————201915——|————151920——————|————————191713——|————131719——————|
E|——————————————17|1317————————————|——————————————15|1215————————————|
|1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |

|D minor 7 |C7 |
|D C A F D C A F |D F A C D F A C |C BbG E C BbG E |C E G BbC E G Bb|
G|1917————————————|——————————————17|1715————————————|——————————————15|
D|————1915————————|——————————1519——|————1714————————|——————————1417——|
A|————————171512——|————121517——————|————————151310——|————101315——————|
E|——————————————13|1013————————————|——————————————12|8—12————————————|
|1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |

|Bb major 7 |A minor 7 |
|BbA F D BbA F D |BbD F A BbD F A |A G E C A G E C |A C E G A C E G |
G|1514————————————|——————————————14|1412————————————|——————————————12|
D|————1512————————|——————————1215——|————1410————————|——————————1014——|
A|————————13128———|————8—1213——————|————————12107———|————7—1012——————|
E|——————————————10|6—10————————————|——————————————8—|5—8—————————————|
|1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |

|G minor 7 |F major 7 |
|G F D BbG F D Bb|G BbD F G BbD F |F E C A F E C A |F A C E F A C E |
G|1210————————————|——————————————10|109—————————————|——————————————9—|
D|————128—————————|——————————8—12——|————107—————————|——————————7—10——|
A|————————108—5———|————5—8—10——————|————————8—7—3———|————3—7—8———————|
E|——————————————6—|3—6—————————————|——————————————5—|1—5—————————————|
|1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |

|F F F |
G|10——————————————||
D|————————————————||
A|————8———————————||
E|————————1———————||
|1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |

It's very easy to get lost during this exercise.
Make sure you practice this slowly to a metronome.
Please give me constructive criticism.

Thanks,
—Connor Larkin
Tablature player for this song:
Bass Lessons - 1 Diatonic Seventh Chord Exercise Bass Tab

How to Read Bass Tabs

Bass tablature (tabs) is an easy way to learn songs without needing to read traditional sheet music. Here’s a quick guide to understanding the symbols and techniques commonly found in tabs:

1. The Basics

  • Strings and Frets:

    Each line in a tab represents a string on your bass:

    • The top line is the highest-pitched string (G on a 4-string bass).
    • The bottom line is the lowest-pitched string (E on a 4-string bass).

    Numbers on the lines indicate which fret to press. For example:

    G|-------------------|
    D|-------------------|
    A|---3---------------|
    E|-------------------|
                

    This means you play the 3rd fret on the A string.

2. Common Techniques

  • Hammer-On (h):

    Play the first note by picking it, then press down on a higher fret with another finger without picking again.

    G|-------------------|
    D|-------5h7---------|
                
  • Pull-Off (p):

    Pluck a note and then "pull off" your finger to let a lower fret ring.

    G|-------------------|
    D|-------7p5---------|
                
  • Slide (/ or \):

    Move your finger up (/) or down (\) the fretboard while maintaining pressure.

    G|-------------------|
    D|-------5/7---------|
                

3. Advanced Techniques

  • Bend (b): Push the string up or down to raise the pitch. Example: G|-------7b9---------|
  • Vibrato (~): Shake the string slightly after playing a note to create a vibrating sound. Example: G|-------7~----------|
  • Muted Notes (x): Rest your finger lightly on the string without pressing a fret and pluck for a percussive "click" sound.

4. Rhythm and Timing

Tabs don’t always indicate timing, so listen to the song while reading the tab. Wider spaces between numbers mean longer pauses, while closer numbers indicate quicker notes.

5. Slap and Pop

  • Slap (s): Strike the string with the side of your thumb for a percussive sound.
  • Pop (p): Pull the string away from the fretboard and let it snap back.

Practice Makes Perfect

Tabs are a great tool to learn songs, but mastering the techniques takes practice. Listen carefully to the original track and play along to lock in the rhythm. Don’t rush — smooth, accurate playing is more important than speed. Happy jamming! 🎸

Comments

10 years, 1 month ago
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Hey Nice Job Man.. Can I use this in my blog?
just3boyz [author]
10 years, 1 month ago
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Sure dude
9 years, 11 months ago
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Hi, this might be a stupid noob question, but is there a exact fingering sequence in which this must be played - do I have to use certain fingers for certain notes?
just3boyz [author]
9 years, 11 months ago
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Not a stupid question at all Dude!

Left hand fingerings:

For Major Seventh Chords: 1,4,1,1,2,1,4,3,4
For Minor Seventh Chords: 1,2,1,1,3,1,4,2,4
For Dominant Seventh Chords: 1,4,1,1,2,1,4,2,4
For Minor Seven/b5 Chords: 1,3,1,1,3,1,3,2,4

These fingerings are not set in stone.
These just work for me.
Lemme know if this explains your question well enough.
9 years, 11 months ago
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Yes, thank you.

Seems like I've been playing it with same fingers.
I'm riddled somewhat about fingering options since I learned that it can make a big difference if you rather stretch the index finger than the pinky (which is very often suggested for guitar).
just3boyz [author]
9 years, 11 months ago
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The key thing is to avoid having your fingers overlap each other.
If you keep your fingers spread out a bit,
you're doing good.
8 years, 2 months ago
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Thanks

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