Constant Bass Line in the Key of E
To use the constant bass line style in the key of E the following three bass lines are featured. This time it is necessary to finger the note B on the second fret of the fifth string for the duration of the B chord.
The E constant bass lines are used in conjunction with notes from the open positions of the following E scales.
E Minor Pentatonic Scale (open position)
E Blues Scale (open position)
The next example is typical of a constant bass line lick in the key of E. Several techniques introduced in the previous lesson are incorporated into the lick.
The next lick in the key of E requires the right hand fingers to pick the first and second strings at the same time. Use the i and m fingers to pick these strings together.
Turnaround Licks
A turnaround lick is a common lick that is often played at the end of a Blues progression to "turn the progression around" back to the beginning. There are many variations on this familiar sounding lick, some of which will appear throughout this book. The first turnaround lick, as shown, is in the key of A, and the second in the key of E.
Notice the use of two bass notes per beat in the second bar. This is called "doubling the bass line" which is covered in more detail next lesson.
A turnaround lick is used at the end of the following eight bar Blues progression in E.
Now a twelve bar Blues progression that also uses a turnaround lick as an introduction.
