Musicarta Pentatonics Workbook
The Mix'n'Match Blues
Part Two

Just to recap, you've worked through Part One, and you can play our first Mix'n'Match Blues performance.

Your performance should be quite reliable, because we're going to start developing the bass line and we don't want everything falling apart!

New bass notes

For your new bass line, you need to find two pentatonic scale tones above and below your three tonics A, D and E.

Follow the video and the MS - or just work by ear - to identify the groups of five notes.

Revise using the MS and audio.

These are the pentatonic minor tones, but arranged around the tonic instead of going up and down from tonic to tonic in a scale pattern.

Three bass note figures

We're going to create a bass part using three different bass note 'figures' (shapes): 'Going around', 'Going up' and 'Going down'.

'Going around' Mix'n'Match version

Here's a version of Mix'n'Match using the 'Going around' bass figure. You'll find plenty of places in the video to stop and catch your breath. Always practice the individual sections before you practice the joined-up finished version.

This video shows just the D minor and A minor positions. Jumping between positions is usually what causes delays playing this kind of music, so practice until you can keep up.

Here's the E minor and A minor drill.

The 'Going up' bass

Here's an all-in-one build-up for the 'Going up' bass figure.

You're getting a lot of practice like this. Keep going!

The 'Going down' bass

Here's an all-in-one build-up for the 'Going down' bass figure.

You're already mix'n'matching you bass line figures a bit, because we always play the 'Going around' bass figure for the E minor chord.

The next Mix'n'Match module page takes a closer look at this.

Here are the three types in three positions. Listen, work out what you're hearing, and play along.

The Mix'n'Match Blues bass line

Your challenge is to craft a bass line using a mixture of the three bass figures.

Here's a video describing the process.

Quickly copy the diagram on the white-board, then listen to this performance and see if you can jot down, using the three symbols, which bass figures are used in the twelve between-the-right-hand slots.

Answer below. If the listening task seems quite impossible, you can cheat and watch as well (below).

The twelve bass figures in this particular performance are:

Around, down, around, down

Around, down, around, down

Around, up, around, around.

Roll your own!

Now play a chorus with a different selection of twelve bass figures - and make a note of your choices. (You can do this in your head at any spare moment during the day!)

You have to use all three bass figures at some point. The low E position is usually a 'Going around' type, but this is not an unbreakable rule.

Come back to your notated choice later and see if you still agree with your particular combination.