Constant Bass Line

Lesson 5/44 | Study Time: 5 Min

Course: Fingerpicking Guitar

Constant Bass Line

A popular fingerpicking technique that features in Blues guitar is the constant bass line style. This technique involves the right hand thumb playing the root bass note of the chord repeatedly for the duration of the song. The easiest key to apply this style is the key of A because the root bass note of each chord in the key of A (A, D and E) can be played as an open string.

Now try applying the constant bass lines from the previous example to a 12 Bar Blues progression in the key of A.

The constant bass line is used in conjunction with notes from the following A scales.

A Minor Pentatonic Scale (open position)

A Blues Scale (open position)

The next example combines a constant bass line while ascending and descending the scale shown in the previous diagram. The recommended fingering should only be used as a guide.

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1- Blues Fingerpicking Guitar 2- Clawhammer With Pinch 3- Clawhammer 4- Fingerpicking Patterns in <span class="symbolA">)</span> Time 5- Fingerpicking Pattern 5 6- Playing Notes Together 7- Fingerpicking Patterns in <span class="symbolA">^</span> Time 8- The Hammer-on 9- Fingerpicking Pattern 2 10- Six String Clawhammer 11- Classical Guitar Style 12- Picking the Strings 13- Alternating Thumb Style 14- Ragtime Guitar 15- Notes on the Guitar Fretboard 16- Chord Chart 17- Glossary of Musical Terms 18- INTRODUCTION 19- More titles by LearnToPlayMusic.com 20- Twelve Bar Blues Progression 21- The Pull-off 22- The Chromatic Scale 23- The Capo 24- The Slide Finger 25- Approach to Practice 26- Fingerpicking Pattern 1 27- Two Bar Clawhammer Pattern 28- The Pivot 29- Other titles in this series 30- How to Read Sheet Music 31- Eight Bar Blues Progression 32- Constant Bass Line 33- Easy Chord Table 34- Classical Guitar (Nylon Strings) 35- Alternating Bass Notes 36- The Slide 37- How to Transpose 38- Steel String Acoustic 39- Fingerpicking Accompaniment 40- Strings 41- Electronic Tuner 42- Tuning Your Guitar 43- How to Read Music 44- Practice Position

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Constant Bass Line