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Bass Lessons — The Arabic Scale And Medieaval Music bass tabs




Arabic Scale and Medieaval music:


This tab demonstrates the arabic scale, and gives an example
song in the
arabic scale. Then it will demonstrate the dorian mode and will
show some
ways to make medieaval—sounding music with it.

The Arabic scale in the key of C:

(that just means it starts on C)
G|———————————————————————————————————————————————|
D|——————————————0——1——3——5——3——1——0——————————————|
A|————————2——3———————————————————————3——2————————|
E|——3——4———————————————————————————————————4——3——|

Fell fre to fool around with the scale and make little riffs or
even songs:

G|—————————————————————————0—1—0————————————————————————————————|
D|——————2———————2——————2—3————————————2———————2——2———————2——————|
A|——3—4———4—3—4————3—4————————————3—4———4—3—4——————4—3—4———4—3——|
E|——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|

Dorian Mode in the key of G:


G|——0——2——3——5——7——9——10——12——10——9——7——5——3——2——0——|
D|——————————————————————————————————————————————————|
A|——————————————————————————————————————————————————|
E|——————————————————————————————————————————————————|

This is the main theme to a medieaval song that is now used as a
curch hymn
but I am doing it on two strings, it makes the piece sound more
ancient:


G|——0——7——9——5———7——3———5——5——7——3——2——0——|
D|——0——7——9——5———7——3———5——5——7——3——2——0——|
A|————————————————————————————————————————|
E|————————————————————————————————————————|

Here's something that I made up:

G|——12————12——10——7——9——10——12—7——0——0——3——5——7——5——3——2——0————3—0——0——|
D|——12—12—12——10——7——9——10——12—7——0——0——3——5——7——5——3——2——0——3—3—0——0——|
A|—————12——————————————————————————————————————————————————3———————————|
E|—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————|

I hope that this quick tab was useful.
Tablature player for this song:
Bass Lessons - The Arabic Scale And Medieaval Music 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, 6 months ago
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this is pretty good but you wrote the first scale starting on g (not c)
you also have a B note in your G dorian riff (it's suppose to be a Bb)
it still sounds cool though.
just wantedf to let you know.

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