This C major scale bass guitar lesson will show you all positions of C major, and help you understand it across the entire fretboard.
Table of Contents
C major scale bass fretboard diagram (showing intervals)
C Major Scale One Octave Bass Fingering
Notes in the C major scale
C-D-E-F-G-A-B are the notes in the C major scale, for bass guitar and any other instrument.
Chords in the C major scale
Understanding the chords in the C major scale is vital for composition, accompaniment, and improvisation.
| I | ii | iii | IV | V | vi | vii |
| C Major | D Minor | E Minor | F Major | G Major | A Minor | B Dim. |
| C Maj.7 | D Min.7 | E Min.7 | F Maj.7 | G7 | A Min.7 | B Min.7b5 |
C major scale bass all positions
All positions are played as 3 notes-per-string shapes (NPS). There are other ways to memorize the C major scale across the fretboard, but this is arguably the easiest way.
Memorizing the natural notes on the neck will also benefit you greatly because the C major scale is constructed with only natural notes!
Position 1
Position 2
Position 3
Position 4
Position 5
Position 6
Position 7
C major scale bass all positions audio
C Major Scale Bass Tab PDF
What’s next?
The C major scale is one of the 5 bass scales you should know. Make sure you know all of the others as well!
You can continue your bass education with my lessons, but make sure to check out my best bass books for beginners post, because books offer incredible value for an inexpensive price.
If you’re looking to learn more major modes/scales, then look no further than these next two lessons.
My Lydian scale bass lesson will show you how adding a #4 to your major scale can really spice it up!
And this Mixolydian scale bass lesson will help you unlock a funky major sound by moving the major 7th down a half-step, resulting in a b7.
Thanks for reading! I’m always striving to give you the best resources as a bassist. Rock on!
