Henri DuPont - Easy Tough Style Bassics

Easy Touch-Style
Bassics
The Rapid Route to ‘Rhythm Bass’ and more
ASDFASDF
FDSAFDSA
An original method for rapid learning of

two-handed tapping on electric bass guitar*1 and
megatar*2-type instruments
by Henri DuPont and Traktor Topaz
_____________________________________________________________
MOBIUS MEGATAR, LTD.
*1 electric bass guitar must have six to eight strings to effectively utilize
the method of play presented in this instructional book.
*2 megatar, adjective An instrument designed for two-handed touch-style play

with one group of strings for bass and another group of strings for melody.
page 2 Easy Touch-Style Bassics
Mobius Megatar, Ltd.

USA Contact: Mobius Megatar USA
Post Office Box 969
Fairfax, CA 94978
(415) 435-8803
www.megatar.com
______________________________________
First Published in USA by Mobius Megatar USA 1999
Copyright 1999 by Action Marketing, Carson City Nevada, on behalf
of Mobius Megatar, Ltd. All rights reserved.
PUBLISHER’S NOTE:
This publication is designed to provide an easy and accessible method for playing the
‘touch-style’ or ‘two-handed tapping’ method on amplified electric fretted instruments such
as guitar or bass or the ‘megatar’ type instruments which have two groups of strings on one
fretboard. This method is designed specifically for instruments which have eight or more
strings, and can only be adapted to instruments with lesser numbers of strings by means of
diligent effort on the part of the student. This method is provided ‘as-is’ and is believed to
be a reliable method providing musical results in typical musicians, and providing compara-
tively rapid advancement in mastering useful and musical technique. However, the best re-
sults will probably be attained when this material is delivered in combination with personal-
ized and professional instruction. Mobius Megatar and associated music dealers assume
no liability for whatever results or lack of results as are obtained by the student. We urge
the student wherever possible to seek the assistance of competent music instructors.
Except in the United States of America, this book is sold subject to the condition that it shall
not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, hired out, or otherwise circulated without
the publisher’s prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which is it
published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the sub-
sequent purchaser.
Copyright © 1999 Action Marketing Corporation for Mobius Megatar, Ltd. Duplication prohibited. All rights reserved.
Easy Touch-Style Bassics page 3
Dedication
Nicola Tesla — Born Croatia 1856, Died 1943 in the United States, Studied physics and math at
Graz Polytecnic, and philosophy at University of Prague. Worked as an electrical engineer in Hun-
gary, France, and Germany. In 1888 his discovery that a magnetic field could be made to rotate us-
ing coils in a new way made possible the development of the AC (alternating current) induction mo-
tor, a device using no brushes which was previously considered impossible. This device made the
universal transmission of electricity possible.
Tesla had emigrated to the United States in 1884, initially working for Thomas Edison, and later
becoming a rival. Edison advocated DC (direct current) transmission of electricity, which didn’t
work very well. After heated competition, Tesla was commissioned to design the AC generators in-
stalled at Niagara Falls. George Westinghouse purchased the patents to Tesla’s induction motor, and
made them the basis for the Westinghouse power system, which still underlies the modern electrical
power system on our planet.
Tesla did early research on wireless communication, and devised systems which anticipated radio,
fax machines, radar, radio-guided vehicles and aircraft. The inventor of the ‘Tesla Coil’, as well as
sourceless illumination, and wireless transmission of power, which inventions have been lost.
But most importantly for us, he invented the machines which gave the world electricity. Electricity
is the primary enabling technology which gives us our present world. And for us musicians, electric-
ity makes possible amplifiers and electric guitars. And electric guitars make possible two-handed
tapping on strings. So we honor Nicola Tesla. He gave us our world.
Acknowledgements
Author Henri DuPont wishes to say ...
It is very simple. I thank the Professor Beauchamp for encouragement of the ragamuffin down-
stairs, and I thank Madame Dun for her tender courtesies.
The Sorbonne was entirely right to throw me out, and I apologize to Rene and all the gentle people
at Le Monde. Even the dire predictions of Fr. Dain, when my mother escaped to Zaire, were not far
off. It seems that you were right after all. I can blame only the wine, and my impatient nature.
I thank Josef in Sao Paulo, who taught me the true Tumbao as it was of old.
I thank Eric Satie. Mr. Satie, as perhaps is well known, had a great early success and it convinced
him that he should study music. And afterwards he lamented that, knowing too much, he could no
longer write the simple compositions so captivating as in his youth and his ignorance.
I pray God that we may all remain ignorant and creative, in the midst of our learning.
Author Traktor Topaz wishes to say ...
When you hear a man describing himself as a ‘self-made’ man, you’re listening to a guy who’s for-
gotten all the people who have helped him along the way. The same could be said for this book and
the ‘Bookmark System’ which it presents, and the same could be said for the musical instrument de-
signed and marketed by our company, Mobius Megatar.
I am grateful to Roy Lee Brooks, the band teacher in Henrietta, Texas, who encouraged me to take
up rudimental snare drum in 1955. I am grateful for band leader Howard Raeke, who insisted that
even the drum section study the music theory book. I thank Emmory Whipple, rudimental champ, for
the experience of sustained practice, so that one day I realized that my hands knew the way, and like
a recording engineer in a control booth, I was somehow removed, just listening and adjusting.
I’m grateful to Peter Paul and Mary for making me want to learn guitar to torment my fellows with
folk songs, grateful to John Hill for selling me his Stratocaster, grateful to Howling Wolf and Little
Walter, grateful to Dave Feldman, who taught me ‘Blues Harmonica for the Musical Idiot’ from xer-
oxed sheets at ‘Chickens That Sing Music’ music store in San Francisco’s Haight Ashbury.
I’m grateful to the third West Coast Computer Faire in Moscone Center, where I heard my first syn-
thesizer, which drew me across the floor in search of the sound. I’m grateful to Bernie Krause, who
sold me my first synthesizer, and to that fellow who made the first tapping instrument I ever tried.
I’m grateful to Frank Jolliffe, my mentor and friend, who taught me how to play, and to Sheet Music
Magazine (Easy Piano Version) for reading material, and to theory guru Jim Grantham who made
guide tones and folded chords abundantly clear.
I also must acknowledge learning how to study (and thus how to teach) from the Scientology ‘study
materials,’ and I must thank Bandler and Grinder and Milton Ericson for insights of how the mind
works to grasp the world. Even my university training (psychology and engineering) has been help-
ful!
I thank Adrienne Gallant, for support, tolerance, and love.
This book contains bits of rudimental snare-drumming from Henrietta Texas, bits of the blues, bits
of my teachers and instructors and fellow students, and bits of my studies of the mind. Without these
people and these diverse learnings, the amalgam and synthesis which is the Bookmark System could
not have been conceived nor written.
Thank you all.
Table of Contents
Preface
Introduction
How to Learn
Introducing the Instrument
Notation
Locating the Notes

* The Bookmark System *
Daily Warm-Up
Four Songs to Play
Bonus Section: ’Latin Pulse’ Rhythm

Bonus Section: Eight Bonus Songs
Bonus Section: Blank Charts
Appendix: Bookmark System Summary

Appendix: Eleven Reasons why a Bass-
Player should learn this system at Fret 7
Appendix: Pedagogy — Regarding
Bookmark System Fingering
Appendix: About Mobius Megatar
Appendix: Black-Nosed Buddha
Preface
Many years ago, Traktor Topaz appeared in a People playing touch-style instruments may
jazz band class which I was teaching. He was car- come from a background of playing the bass,
rying a touch-style instrument and announced that playing the guitar, playing some other instrument,
he wanted to be the bass player. I had never seen or be completely new to music. This book will be
such an instrument and so had my doubts, but I perfectly clear and accessible to anyone from any
welcomed him to the class and he did a great job of these categories.
as bass player. We ended up featuring him on one
song where he played bass and melody at the I wish all prospective touch-style players well
same time. This was my introduction to touch- on their adventure. In addition, I think that those
style instruments. of you who have purchased a Mobius Megatar
touch-style bass will find that you have in your
I am very proud of my former student who has hands an ideal instrument to apply these lessons.
become a fine musician, inventor, and teacher
himself. Jeremy Cohen
Berkeley, CA
This book, Easy Touch-Style Bassics, gives a September, 2000
great introduction to touch-style playing. Bass
players learning touch-style can especially benefit
from this instruction because of the way that Jeremy Cohen is a professional bassist with over
scales and chords are mapped out on the finger- 35 years experience in all types of music, and a
board. In a very clear fashion, the authors give a nationally-known bass instructor. Co-founder of
the band Jazz Express, he composed half of the
basic introduction to playing melodies (based on
songs on its debut album. His performances
scales) and harmony (based on chords). I’m al- around the San Francisco Bay Area include the
ready looking forward to volume II of this musical "Beach Blanket Babylon", the bands City
method. Lights and Adama, and The S.F. 49ers Big Band.
He has taught at the National Guitar Summer
The idea of teaching both hands to do the same Workshop, and since 1982 has been a staff-
thing helps the student learn the exercises quickly, member at The Blue Bear School of American Mu-
and learning chords as part of progressions gives sic in San Francisco , giving clinics, and teaching
immediate practical use to the material in this classes in bass, music theory, composition, and
jazz combo. Former students include Matt Free-
book.
man of Rancid and Arion Salazar of Third Eye
Blind. Mr. Cohen can be contacted through his
The method of showing a group of chords website at
which can be played in one position is very logi- http://www.jps.net/jeremy
cal and helps the student avoid losing his or her
place on a many-stringed and many-fretted instru-
ment. This is a more pianistic approach than most
other stringed-instrument methods, which makes
the theory and harmony lessons very clear and
accessible to students of any level.
Introduction
It’s a Problem! Reducing Confusion
It’s a daunting task — to produce a Method All humans fall prey to the mental cloud which
Book which is simultaneously useful for new mu- we call ’being confused.’
sicians who never held an instrument before and What this really means is mentally stumbling
for experienced veterans who can calculate ad- around with a lack of clarity and unable to grasp
vanced theory in a flash and play the result in the problem or even to see the problem clearly.
real-time studio gigs. The experience of confusion seems to be inevi-
Even though our material is relatively simple, tably caused by the human attempting to grasp
and our goals modest, the core problem is — how more things at once than the human can grasp.
to go slow enough and give enough information For example, in a tornado, with large and small
so the beginner can be rewarded with musical pro- objects flying through the air so fast you can’t
gress, and yet at the same time provide the infor- keep track, it is hard to know which way to go.
mation concisely for the experienced professional In a similar way, a human approaching a new
who just wants to get it and go with it. field often attempts to grasp a large number of
The problem of “slow enough” versus “concise new ideas simultaneously. Now a child wouldn’t
enough” is compounded by the fact that there are normally make that mistake because the child
numerous tunings currently in use among touch- comes into the situation with one tenet already
style enthusiasts, and there is much to be said for firmly held in mind. That is, the child comes in
many of these tunings. knowing that “he doesn’t know.” He has no ex-
There are, in addition, several valid methods of pectation for knowing, and so may experience less
touch-style currently being taught and shared by discomfort. Adults, especially competent adults,
skillful touch-style teachers. For example, there are far more likely to think that they ’should’
are valid systems which initially teach the student know, especially if they have been exposed to the
to move shapes (chords and scales) around the material in the past.
fretboard and other valid systems which teach In this comparison, the child has an emotional
shapes in one particular position. advantage, because the child already has One Sta-
There are across-the-string scales, and along- ble Datum. That is to say, the child has one thing
the-string scales, and there are diagonal across- he knows for certain, and all the new stuff can be
and-along-the-strings scales! And for each of organized around this one core fact.
these approaches, coherent and thoughtful players If the adult can in fact start with One Stable Da-
and instructors can be found. tum, the adult can achieve a clarity and lack of
There also exist among skillful touch-style mu- confusion as well. For example, if you already
sicians and among guitar- and bass-playing musi- read music, you know about the names of notes
cians several differences of opinion as to whether (A-G) along with their sharps and flats, and you
it’s better learning to use three fingers or four fin- can fit in the new stuff about where these (known)
gers to play scales and chords. Both points of notes fit on a fretboard with your (already known)
view have logic, good results, and outstanding Stable Data. This can make clear sense of the new
musicians espousing the position. Some use four stuff without being confusing.
fingers on the bass strings, and three fingers on But if the adult comes in without any previous
the melody strings, and with well-presented rea- knowledge, then it is up to the presenter to pro-
sons for the approach. vide a sequence of graspable ideas, each of which
Then there are the students’ skills. is clearly presented, and which can build upon
Some students can sight-read two clefs in real- each other so as to grow into the whole of the
time on touch-style instruments. Other musicians knowledge which we wish to impart.
of skill, perhaps world-class and studio-caliber, Of course, if the adult comes in with previous
just have skillful ears and can’t read standard no- confusions then the presenter must be even more
tation at all. Other students can hum a tune, and careful about the sequence and clarity of material
once saw a guitar. That’s what they come in with, being presented. Because a human viewing
but they want to learn to play and we want to help through a confusion at a new subject is peering
make it possible. through a glass, darkly.
How Will We Present Simply? once for one instrument will suffice, and that
players of the other instruments can adapt the
So what’s our big plan to reduce confusion? material on the fly as obvious.
Since we wish to reduce confusion for our- We will almost certainly fail to present material
selves and for the student, we will first attempt to slow enough for some, or quick enough for oth-
reduce the number of elements, and then to pre- ers. It will be too much theory for some, and not
sent slowly and carefully this (relatively) small enough for others. This just shows the wonder
number of elements. that is the human race, and the failings of the in-
So what, for example, can we eliminate? dividual human writer. We’ve tried our best to
We think we can in general avoid recreating a present the system so that you can grasp it rap-
general music-theory book. Many great theory idly and with musical results.
books already exist, and the information in that We think the touch-style method of play (either
subject is vast. Further, many people can play using our system or some other system) is just
rather well without a lot of theory so we know wonderful. We hope that you come to love it, too.
that lack of lots of theory is not a deadly barrier
to learning two-handed touch-style technique. The Purpose of This Book
How will we avoid theory?
Of course, we just cannot completely avoid the- We think two-handed touch-style should be
ory. But we can minimize some of it, as it were better known and enjoyed.
presenting selected information carefully so as to It permits your two hands to play simultane-
side-step having to go off on a theory tangent in ously, much as can a musician on piano. You can
order to make sense of the tapping instructions. play left-hand chords while playing a melody. Or
Next, we can weave in small doses of necessary you can make up a melody with a bassline be-
theory as we go along, and this will allow us to neath it. You can read and play Bach Two-Part
defer some theory into later books as we expand Inventions. You can play boogie bass with si-
the subject. The authors have observed that the- multaneous rhythmic rock chords.
ory by itself is deadly dull to many folks. Only Will you learn all of that in this book?
when you can see that theory helps you play No, our goals here are a bit more modest.
something does theory get interesting to many of By the end of this book, you will be able to
us. play your 8-String Bass (or Megatar or other tap-
Next, at the expense of annoying the pro musi- ping instrument) by means of bass roots or arpeg-
cians who are just studying this book to add a giating chords in the bass.
new technique to their existing armory, we’ll ex- You will also be able to arpeggiate chords in
plain things rather slowly and carefully, with the right hand, or more importantly, you will be
many steps. However, the pros will appreciate able to play very simple chords in a rhythmic
that the actual system being transmitted (the manner on top of your bassline.
‘Bookmark System’ which uses a Master Exer- You will have the basis for all the above tech-
cise to rapidly obtain musical results) does actu- nique, having learned it in a simple and clear sys-
ally compress into a few graphs and tables, so tem which will enable you to play several touch-
once you know the meaning of these graphs and style instruments using different tunings.
tables, a very few pages can express the Master You’ll make rapid progress, and you’ll have
Exercise. fun, and what you learn permits you to create
This ‘go slow’ approach is made more tedious musical results from simple elements.
(for authors and students alike) by having to ex- The purpose of this book is to give you a rapid
plain the exact same thing several times over to and competent introduction to two-handed touch-
allow for folks that have their instruments tuned style technique so that you can play what we call
differently. ‘Rhythm Bass’ and at the same time give you the
So to strike a reasonable balance, we’ll cover groundwork for lots more.
the three tunings which seem to be most popular
and (in our opinion) functional. Many other very Please Share
interesting tunings exist, but the student advocate
of one of these tunings should with diligence be We have enjoyed the voyage of creating this
able to translate one of the three we provide into book. We hope you enjoy the voyage that is two-
almost any tuning. handed touch-style.
Further, we won’t repeat the material three Music is meant to be shared. If you love what
times in cases where it seems that presenting it you learn here, please share. Teach somebody.
How to Learn
Principles of Learning cant progress. That is, every few days you can
play something new.
Most of us crawl from the cradle in a state of So step one is to COMMIT to regular and fre-
rapid learning, so perhaps it’s not so odd that we quent practice. It is better to practice 30-45 min-
rarely think about ’methods’ or ’principles’ of utes every single morning than to practice 6 hours
learning. Especially during our formative years, every Sunday. You will learn more.
we are as immersed in learning as fish are im- Find your time that you can actually get your-
mersed in water. self to the instrument every single day, and stick
But the fact is that our early learning is some- to it, and as certain as the sun rises, you will be
what innate, and somewhat ’monkey see, monkey able to play music. It’s just a fact —
do’ modeling of the other humans around us, and If you persist, you’ll win.
learning a subject such as musical technique is
neither innate nor easily copied merely by watch- The Proper Gradient
ing other musicians.
As proof of this statement, we ask you to recall If you try too much too fast, you’ll flop. The
to mind what teenage boys seem to learn from way that feels is that your head is spinning, the
musicians seen on MTV. What do they learn? stuff doesn’t make much sense, it’s hard to do and
Hairdos, attitudes, ways of talking and posture you don’t like it much, either.
and hand gestures. Actual musical skills? Not a If you try too little, it’s slow and tedious and
lot. little progress is observed. The way that feels is
Also, you have probably noticed that some peo- that, yeah yeah yeah, you’ve heard it already, and
ple are better at learning things than other people. you probably have to force yourself go to practice
Some of that is genetics or aptitude. But some of because it’s boring you out of your mind.
it is because different people approach learning The correct gradient gives you some new chal-
differently. lenge at least every few days, so you have to ask
In fact, there do exist certain principles of learn- yourself, ‘Can I do that?’ And you think maybe
ing. If you follow them you can make more rapid you can, but you’re not quite sure. On the other
progress than otherwise. Some you may already hand the correct gradient in practice means that 85
follow. Others would advantage you greatly to to 95 percent of the notes you play are correct
adopt. with good tone. You don’t ever have to wallow in
a misery of missed notes or slop around with a
Step by Step bunch of bad-sounding stuff.
Very slightly challenged, and feeling generally
Learning occurs in little bursts, with some loss confident is how the correct gradient feels.
between learning sessions, and a residual accumu- You can use the feeling as one guideline to at-
lation of learning which we then call ’skill.’ taining the correct gradient — If you feel daunted
Therefore, learning best occurs in a step by step or overwhelmed or buried in errors, then simplify
fashion. You just cannot grasp a whole lot at a and slow down. If you feel like it’s easy, push it
time (and retain it in any useful fashion). You so you have to pay close attention to avoid errors.
cannot learn a little and go away for a long time One of the greatest gifts which a more experi-
and then come back and learn a little and go enced musician or teacher can impart is to help
away, etc. Because you won’t advance. you set the proper gradient. If he sees you’re bur-
So if you wish to learn, step one is to COMMIT ied, he can help you simplify and slow down. If
to regular and ongoing frequent learning steps. In he sees you need more challenge, there’s always
music we normally call this ’practicing.’ something more to learn.
If by any chance you are one of those who have
in the past been burned (damaged/upset) by the Clarity Regarding Words
practice of ’practicing,’ please realize that done
correctly it will neither bore you nor make you The concept of confusion is not well understood
feel inept nor uncomfortable. In fact, done in little in our culture. Confusion is not something that is
regular steps, you should feel interested and done to us. Confusion is the feeling that accompa-
pleased in that every few days you can see signifi- nies operating our mind in a particularly ineffec-
tive manner. The basic error is to try to grasp the last part you understood clearly. Then once
more things at one time that is possible for you. you’ve located it, mark it with a pencil and find
For example, imagine a tornado throwing large out what it means.
and small objects around you faster than you can Doesn’t this take more time?
track — in which direction does safety lie? You mean, doesn’t it take more time to actually
The solution to confusion is to reduce the ele- learn the subject than to scan over the subject and
ments, and especially effective is to find one ma- then give it up?
jor element to track. For example, in that tornado, Yes, it does take more time.
if you notice that one of the flying things is a But then you actually learn the subject, and that
large truck, you might concentrate on that one, was the actual intent, was it not?
and then you’d have a clue about which way to
go. (True, you might be killed by a flying cow or Fingers versus ‘Thinking About’
refrigerator, but you wouldn’t feel confused!)
As this applies to learning, one of the deadliest A very wise man once said that if you want to
problems of the study of any subject is to fail to learn about tractors, don’t try to memorize a thick
grasp the basic words or vocabulary of the sub- book about tractors, but instead go get a tractor
ject. For example, suppose you decided to study and try everything out one step at a time.
dogs, and you read a book, and the book warns Music is like that.
you to be cautious about the dog’s muzzle. Now if True musical learning is about 90% Fingers and
you didn’t know the meaning of this word, or if Ears, and at most 10% Mind.
you thought it meant something different, such as If you just try to read this book about how to
a part of a rifle, it would be very hard to make play, at the end you will not be able to play.
sense of that sentence about being cautious about On the other hand, if you correctly use this book
the dog’s muzzle! You might think, “Sure I’ll be as a step-by-step road map, and you actually drive
cautious if the dog’s carrying a rifle!” but you down the road, then you will arrive at the destina-
would feel puzzled. tion! That is, if you’ll read a page for a few min-
Some people, if they noticed the puzzlement, utes, and then use your fingers and ears on the
would go and find out what that word meant, by instrument for a few hours, you will have actually
using a dictionary or asking somebody. But what learned something. You will be able to play.
about those times when you don’t even realize Learning to play is mostly Fingers and Ears. A
you’ve become puzzled? Or what about the times good map, like a good teacher, is valuable be-
you’re aware of being puzzled, but you think cause they can point the correct direction.
maybe by reading further it will become clear? But nearly all of the actual learning occurs in
What then happens is that the entire chapter is your Fingers and Ears, and only a little bit in your
puzzling, kind of vague and confused. It doesn’t Mind.
become clear at all. If you had a test on that chap-
ter you’d fail. Rule-O-Thumb System
And after a few chapters like this, the entire
subject is vague and confused, and further you This book uses an approach we call ’Rule-O-
don’t remember why you started this subject be- Thumb.’ Most of you know that this means it’s
cause it’s not much fun and you don’t even like it! pragmatic, based upon what generally works.
A few little words? Causing all that mischief? That’s a good approach because it can be clear
You bet! Without the key words, then sentences and simple, and the process of learning benefits
don’t quite make sense. Without the sentences, from being clear and simple.
the core ideas and thus the pages don’t make On the other hand, be aware that Rule-O-Thumb
sense, and then the chapters don’t make sense, is sometimes not totally complete, and the Rule-
and then there are two many things to track, and O-Thumb does not try to encompass everything.
it’s a confusion. That approach is called the Encyclopedia ap-
People leave subjects. They leave subjects due proach, and while it’s great for reference books,
to vague and undefined words which they didn’t it’s really hard for an actual human to learn ‘how-
trouble to clarify. to’ from an encyclopedia.
Clarify the words as you go. Make sure you We specifically mention this shortcoming of the
don’t go past puzzles. You’ll find yourself retain- Rule-O-Thumb approach because in this book you
ing and understanding material better and easier might read one of our guidelines, and immediately
than ever before. you might think of an exception!
As you go along, whenever you notice the feel- If so, please ask yourself whether the guideline
ing of vagueness, stop! You just went past an un- presented is generally true. If it’s generally true,
defined word! Find it. It is located at the end of
then you can use this rule to learn. If you are al- where you are to make any progress because noth-
ready advanced enough to foresee the exceptions, ing else works.
then you’re just ahead of the game. Secondly, the poor horse actually can improve
We have intentionally taken a Rule-O-Thumb the most. A world-class pianist might have to
approach because guys use this approach all the work a year to increase his skill 1 percent. The
time when showing someone how to do some- beginning pianist probably increases his skill by
thing, and it generally works pretty well. more than 100% in that same year.
So, if something is clumsy for you, don’t worry
Most-Direct-Path System if you feel like the poor horse. That’s an OK horse
to be.
Do you remember in the story about Sleeping
Beauty, about how the prince had to find his tortu- We also like the image of the Rabbit and the
ous way through all the thorns to find the entrance Turtle.
and get some Sleeping Beauty action? The actual fairy story calls them the ‘Tortoise
If you were that Prince, wouldn’t it be great if and the Hare,’ but we’re only slightly referring to
there had been a handy ‘learning gnome’ outside that story. In the world of learning, there are in-
the forest of thorns who would take you around to deed some students who are Rabbits and able to
the correct side and point out the shortest way to go rather quickly — they can learn the lesson in a
get through the thorns? short time and play music using it, they’re inter-
Wouldn’t that be great if you were learning how ested in side trips and can go down side trips and
to play some music and somebody could show come back in time to keep on the main journey.
you the shortest distance, involving the minimum Other students are by nature more like Tur-
set of things that would give you the understand- tles — they need to keep moving steadily on.
ing and the fingers to play? They make steady progress because they just keep
While we cannot with certainty claim to be ex- moving forward. They aren’t as flashy, and they
actly as wise as that learning gnome, we’ve tried don’t seem to be as quick learners, but they can
our best to do just that. get there all the same.
While we’re not entirely certain to have found We think that either personality can succeed and
the absolute shortest and most direct route, we do learn to play music.
feel certain that we have found a direct route, and
we’ve tried to make it both complete and concise. The main key to success is to recognize where
you are. Are you a Rabbit? Are you a
Rabbit versus Turtle Turtle?
Either one is fine.
In a great book called ’Zen Mind, Begin- But if you’re a Turtle, don’t go
ner’s Mind,’ Suzuki Roshi discusses a kind darting down side lanes. Focused,
of parable about the ’Poor Horse.’ steady progress is what will work
He says, in brief, that when you ride the for you.
best horse you just think about racing and And if you are truly a Rabbit, don’t get scat-
lean forward, and the horse takes off like a shot. tered. Sure, run down the side lane and come
But, he says, if you’re riding an average horse back. On the main exercises, you don’t need to
you may need to shout commands and even tap beat it to death — when you know it and can play
the horse with your quirt to get him to run fast. it, you’ve done that part and you can move on.
And then, he says, if you’re riding the poor But don’t let your speed distract you. Always re-
horse, you may have to strike him repeatedly with member to come back to the main road, so that
the quirt, so that he feels it in his bones, to get him you actually arrive at the place you started for.
to put out the effort and run.
Then he asks the question: Which horse would Divergence and Convergence
you prefer to be?
Suzuki Roshi says that most people who hear We have noticed a peculiar phenomenon that
the story think that they’d like to be the best often occurs when you learn a new body of
horse, or (if they’re more humble) at least the av- knowledge —
erage horse. But generally nobody wants to be the As you are new to the subject, it often seems
poor horse. that each new idea or technique is opening up an-
However, we would have to agree with Suzuki other pathway, as if the information is creating
when he says that it’s not bad to be the poor pathways that are expanding and growing outward
horse. For one thing, it might just be where you in new directions — that universe is expanding.
are starting out, and you have got to start from However, after a period of time, as you begin to
have some grasp of the subject, you begin to no- As you learn to move your hands and fingers
tice that some of the new ideas or techniques from one chord to the next, you will sometimes
seem to be leading back to something you already discover that moving from one particular chord to
know. It’s as if the new pathways are beginning to some other particular chord often gives you a
all come back together. That universe is beginning stumble. For example, perhaps you frequently
to lead back to some central area. stumble or hesitate when moving from G7 to
You could generalize and say that the begin- CM7.
ner’s new ideas diverge, and the experienced per- This stumbling at this particular spot can be a
son’s new ideas converge. bit persistent as you practice. Because of course,
But of what practical use is this observation? with every stumble, you’ve practiced the stumble,
Just this — As you learn this new area, when- and your body has a tendency to learn the stumble
ever you notice that some new concept or idea at just that spot.
seems to lead back to an area that you already Our general suggestion would be to slow down,
know, realize that you’re moving into the and that’s a good technique.
‘experienced’ classification. However, the ‘inchworm technique’ would be to
It probably also means that, as you learn new stop and try playing the two chords back and
material, if you will ponder the new material to forth. That is, although the chord progression
see how it might connect with things you already probably does not have CM7 going to G7, the
know, it could pay dividends in your understand- path between these two chords is the path between
ing. these two chords, and your fingers can learn the
motion profitably in either direction.
Inchworm Technique So even though the chord progression only goes
from G7 to CM7, you take a moment and show
This is a specific technique that seems to be your fingers how to go back and forth.
helpful when learning chord changes in either Since you’ve not learned any stumble in the
hand. Since we bass-players and ‘rhythm-bass’ ‘reverse’ direction, you will find that a few back-
players often play chord changes, the inchworm and-forths will tend to free your fingers from
technique is handy to know. stumbling faster than just practicing the original
As you’ll discover, in this particular book the direction.
first chord ‘progression’ you encounter is just two We call it the inchworm technique because it’s
chords. In fact, we call it an ‘alternation’ rather stopping the forward motion to go back and forth,
than a progression, because it doesn’t much go kind of the way an inchworm moves forward.
anyplace. When you think about it, it’s just common
However, from there on, you’ll notice that chord sense. And we think your fingers will confirm the
progressions usually consist of three or more technique as useful.
chords in a sequence that has a feeling of ‘forward As with all things musical, try it and see.
motion.’ A song itself can be considered to be one
long chord progression of many chords with some
sense of forward motion.
Introducing the Instrument

What Are These ‘Touch-Style’ Instruments?
Instruments which are especially made for two-handed touch-

style play are often called by different names. Sometimes they’re
called basses and sometimes they’re called guitars.
There is no commonly-agreed-upon term for these instruments
especially made for two-handed tapping play.
The word ’megatar’ was coined by our company, Mobius Mega-
tar, as a generic term for an instrument especially made for two-
handed touch-style play, and which has a set of strings for bass and
another set of strings for melody.
Although our name ‘Mobius Megatar’ is our trademark for the
specialty tapping basses which we manufacture, we have no objec-
tion to people using the single lower-case word ‘megatar’ as a ge-
neric term to refer to such specialty instruments. It’s a pretty good
word to describe such an instrument, as it comes from
‘mega’ (meaning ‘a lot’) and the word ‘guitar’, and because clearly
such an instrument is more than a guitar!
Essential Points for a good Tapping Instrument
Whatever you may call your specialty tapping instrument, the

key points are —
• It has a lot of strings so you can play very low and very high
notes, just as can a piano player.
• It may have these strings separated into two groups so that
each hand can move around the notes without stepping on the
other hand’s strings. But an 8-string bass can also serve as a
great tapping instrument if properly ‘set up.’
• To get a good sound from merely tapping with the fingertips, it
must be ‘set up’ with a low and fluid string action, and usually
it needs to have pickups adjusted rather close to the strings.
Pictured — the Mobius Megatar TrueTapper
The TrueTapper shown is a typical specialty tapping bass, with

six bass strings and six melody strings.
1. Body — a streamlined design, keeps weight down.
2. Volume and Tone Controls — permits you to separately adjust
the loudness and tone of the bass and the melody strings.
3. Dual Truss-Rod Adjusters — allows you to fine tune the fret-
board to remain completely flat with the low action which pro-
duces the best sound and playability.
4. Pickup Assembly — as shown has one pickup for bass and
one for melody, but this is a swappable option. Other pickup
assemblies can have multiple pickups under the strings.
5. Fully-Adjustable Bridge — allows fine adjustment of string
height, if needed.
6. Special Fret-Markings — similar to standard guitar, but
slightly different, helps you relate notes under both hands.
7. Tuners — high-ratio for easy-on-the-fingers tune-up
How do you Put It On?
When you purchased your tapping in-

strument, your manufacturer should have
provided basic information about how to
’put on’ the instrument so as to place it
in a reasonable playing position.
Your instrument might be supported
by a strap as shown, or it might be sup-
ported by a ’belt-hook’ device which is
affixed to the rear surface of the instru-
ment and which you hook over your belt
or your trousers so that your instrument
is supported.
There also exist other support devices,
including some which will support your
instrument when you are playing seated.
The important thing is that you man-
age to get the instrument supported so
that it is comfortable on your body for
the duration of the performance, and that
the instrument is in a nearly-vertical po-
sition as shown.
This vertical position allows both of
your hands to ’get at’ the strings in an
easy manner with minimal bending of
the wrists. This keeps your hands in a
good playing position, while minimizing
fatigue during performance.
Your left hand will be positioned
somewhat as shown more or less near
the tuners, as you normally play the
lower end of the bass strings with your
left hand.
Your right hand is normally positioned
as shown closer to the instrument’s
body, as you’ll commonly play right-
hand melody or harmony notes ’higher
up’, meaning nearer to the body.
How do you Jack It In?
Somewhere near the volume and tone

controls you should find a jack. Many of
the specialty tapping instruments have a
single ’stereo’ jack which jacks into the
instrument, and from this extend two
separate cords, one carrying the signal
from the bass pickups and the other car-
rying the melody pickups’ signal.
Drawing shows specialty tapping instrument, This permits you to use different am-
plifiers or different ’channels’ to effect
supported by special strap in correct, your sound separately if desired.
upright position. This gives both hands
easy access to strings as shown.
Notation
What is Notation? as you have seen before. Although it’s a bit cryp-
tic when you first encounter it, the benefit of read-
Notation means ’how musicians make written ing standard notation is that the note symbols in-
notes about which notes to play.’ That is, notes dicate the pitch or the specific note to be played
made about notes played = Notation. but also indicate when it is to be played and how
In this introductory book, we were able to avoid long it is to be held.
dealing with much notation. However, in later There is no information for us guitar and bass
books, several types of notation will be used. We players about what finger to use, or which particu-
mention them now only as an introduction. lar fret or which string to play Mr. Note upon.
So Standard Notation is real specific about what
Standard Notation is to be accomplished, with no particular clues
given about how to accomplish it!
’Standard Notation’ means ordinary sheet music Standard Notation looks like this —
Guitar Tab tion is most commonly seen in instructional ma-

terial, as it takes up a lot of space. (If you’re
’Guitar Tab’ means ’Guitar Tablature’ which playing a song live from such ‘music’, you’ll be
consists of six lines which represent the guitar turning pages a lot before the song is done.)
strings. On these lines are printed numbers which We will come to guitar tab, as well as standard
represent a fret number. So if on the first guitar notation, in following books, but won’t have to
string you see a ’12’ then you know we’re talking deal with it in the current book. We bring it up
about the note found at fret 12 of the first string. here merely for discussion.
By itself it doesn’t tell you what finger to use,
nor whether the note is an ‘A’ or an ‘E’, nor ex- String Graphs
actly when to play the note nor how long to hold
it. In this book we will use a number of string
Guitar tab is often combined with standard no- graphs, which show the strings and frets along a
tation. That is, you’ll see the staves of standard certain section of the fretboard. Then on specific
notation (as shown above) and right below those strings at specific frets we can put symbols which
staves you’ll see some lines representing the stand for our fingers, so that we can know just
strings of your guitar or bass. how to go about fingering the notes there.
In this combination, each type of notation There is no indication about when to play the
brings its strength to the picture. The standard notes nor how long to hold them. But for our
notation clearly lets you know what note is to be learning note-names at certain fretboard posi-
played, and when to play it, and how long to hold tions, this will not be much of a problem as you
it. And the guitar tablature below indicates pre- will see.
cisely on which string and at which fret to play Further, the String Graphs can be presented
this note. with the Note Names in position rather than the
In this way, an experienced player or teacher fingering charts, so that you can know which
can notate exactly how he worked out the execu- notes fall at a specific string and fret as shown on
tion of notes that were specified in the standard the Graph.
notation. As you’d probably guess, this combina- In fact, that’s the way we’ll start — by select-
ing a specific area of the fretboard, and then you will discover, we don’t have to make any dif-
showing you a small number of notes which occur ferentiation between your left hand and right
there, and then how to finger this small number of hand, so the identical symbols stand for either.
notes.
Everything else will then evolve from the origi- j The Circle means the first finger (either
nal String Graphs, for the purpose of learning to hand). Note that the circle has only ‘one’ point.
play.
k The Bar means the second finger. Note that
Traktor’s Finger Symbols the bar has ‘two’ ends.
Although some folks use the numbers ’1’, ’2’, l The Down-Triangle means the third finger.
’3’, and ’4’ to indicate the fingers, we think there Note that the Down-Triangle has ‘three’ points.
are already too many number references involved
in musical discussions — for example, measures ; The X means fourth finger (seldom used).
are referred to by numbers, most chords are re- Note that the X has ‘four’ ends.
ferred to by numbers, notes in a scale are referred
to by numbers, the musical distance between two A chord has a base note called the ‘root’ and
notes (the ’interval’) is referred to by numbers. then some harmony notes. In our learning, it is
To avoid adding yet another set of numbers, we very handy to keep track of that root, and to know
have chosen instead to use a simple set of geomet- which of several notes is the root. So, to show
ric symbols. We didn’t think this up. You can find which finger’s playing the root, the symbol is
lute music from the 14th century using circles and shown ‘hollow’ —
squares and other geometric symbols. For example: J K L or :
We call our symbols ’Traktor’s Finger Sym-
bols,’ because author Traktor worked them up. We think you’ll find this approach very easy.
Each symbol stands for one of your fingers. As
Overview of the Books

Book 1 -- player had to start in one place, and for this par-
Easy Touch-Style Bassics ticular method we’re going to start with a Fixed
Position system where you place your hands in
This book is designed to provide a clear intro- one place and learn to play there.
duction to the two-handed tapping technique The simple but powerful method presented here
which we call 'Touch-Style'. The methods given is called the ‘Bookmark' system, because just as a
here are not the only possible approach. In fact, bookmark helps you keep your place when navi-
these methods may not be the best or the simplest gating a novel, so does this Fixed Position method
methods. They're just the best methods we know. help you to keep your place about where the notes
Here's what's included in this book ... are! Further, you will be able, rather speedily, to
You will be shown how to put on an instrument play both scales and chords in one place with
and how to position your hands, so that you can quite musical results.
get started. If you have not had any music theory In later books, the Bookmark system is ex-
training, this book will explain some methods mu- panded and tied into a moving system called the
sicians use to make written notes about what notes ‘Long-Finger’ system, which shows how to play
to play. These methods of making written notes chord shapes in different places along the fret-
about the notes to play are called, sensibly board, and to play improvisational scales placed
enough, 'Notation.' over these chord shapes.
Next you will be given an orientation that will So we’re not casting a vote that a Fixed Position
show you where the notes are on the fretboard, in system is better than a Moving Position system,
a useful way so that you can find and play the but we are deciding to start there.
notes you will need. Then you'll be given a simple In book one, therefore, you will learn a fixed
method of playing bass notes with your left hand, position upon which to place both hands — left
and playing melody notes and simple chords with hand over the bass notes and right hand over the
your right hand. While learning this simple melody (or harmony) notes. You will learn the
method, you will absorb the location of the notes by name for your left hand and your right
notes without a great deal of effort, and hand. This will form the basis for your later play-
you'll learn to move your fingers to play ing melody with either hand.
these notes. This basic knowledge of loca- You will then learn how to arpeggiate chords in
tion and movement will be the basis of eve- that position (in each hand), and then you will
rything you will later learn. learn how to choose two notes from the arpeg-
There are two basic approaches to placing hands giated chord to form a simple two-note chord, so
on a fretboard and playing notes. that you can begin playing bass notes left hand
1. One approach is to use some sort of ‘Moving’ and chords right hand, in a rhythmic and musical
system, where you learn certain shapes and manner.
then move them around the fretboard. For You will notice that we are talking about a sys-
example, you might learn how to play an ‘A’ tem that would be primarily useful to a bass-
chord, and then move the same shape two player. As the system is expanded in later books
frets up in order to play a ‘B’ chord. you will learn other techniques that would be
2. The other to use some sort of ‘Fixed’ system, more useful if you wanted to play, for example, a
where your hands get placed — and then stay solo coffee-house performance, or if you needed
where they are! For example, you might to take a melody solo over bass-hooks as the new
place your hand on the fretboard near the tun- band member on a Rolling Stones tour.
ers and then learn to play scales up and down In this book, we will concentrate on a simple
by playing 3 notes on each string and moving approach which will take you quickly to some
across the strings, but not ever moving your familiarity with your instrument, and make you
hand to a location further from the tuners. quickly able to generate musical results. You will
Of course, a proficient player can either play also be given some songs and shown how to use
across the strings in one location, or he can play the Bookmark System to play them.
up and down the strings with the hand positioned Although book one is only an introductory
in different places. However, even that proficient book, the introductory Bookmark System, al-
though rather simple, is enough to enable you to
play very simple jobs as a bass player — an un- The expanded Bookmark System and this Mas-
usual bass player who can play bass notes and ter Exercise are broken into three books to sim-
rhythmic chords at the same time! plify learning.
The Bookmark System, given only reasonable
and regular practice, will make the instrument Book 2 —
and the technique yours. The system is not diffi- Touch-Style Power: Expanding
cult. In fact, it's rather easy. That's why we call
this book 'Easy Touch-Style Bassics.' In this book, you will focus on the Master Ex-
ercise in order to start playing songs in new and
Touch-Style Power: (Books 2-4) different ways. In the Master Exercise you'll
learn more about arpeggiating chords (playing
In books 2-4 you learn expanded methods ap- the chord one note at a time) in both the left-hand
plied to playing bass using touch-style technique. (bass) and the right-hand (for melody or har-
It expands upon the basic Bookmark system. mony). Arpeggiating chords is a great basis for
You will learn new ways to play chords — a new walking bass and other kinds of bass-playing, and
fixed method, and a new moving method. Both also a great basis for improvising melody.
are integrated into the basic Bookmark system. This book expands the Bookmark System, add-
This trains your hands to be quick and smart — ing a new set of rich-sounding right-hand three-
they learn the path, and then they can walk it note chords. You now have additional techniques
without a lot of worry on your part. that you can call upon, to obtain a variety of
Staying in one place improves accuracy and sounds as a bass-player and accompanist. If you
confidence, and opens up new techniques of in- do not already read melodies in 'lead sheet' form,
terplay between the two hands. Remember that you will be shown how in this book. Then you
this system begins by showing you how to play are given some new songs and shown how to
while keeping your hands in one place, and that’s play them using the new things you've learned.
why it’s called the 'Bookmark System'. Last, you will learn a standard way of 'working
As you experiment with this system, you will up' a song for later performance.
discover that your left hand teaches your right
hand, and your right hand teaches your left hand! Book 3 --
With these guys helping you, you'll make good Touch-Style Power: Moving
progress!
The Bookmark System also provides a Master This book expands the Bookmark System by
Exercise that you can use as a warm-up for each adding a new set of rich-sounding right-hand
day's practice and play. chords which move around the fretboard. It is a
This Master Exercise makes your instrument Moving System, but integrated with the Book-
familiar to your hands, and trains your hands mark system, so you can always keep your place.
about the path they'll generally be walking during These particular chords also open the door to
play. Just like riding a bicycle, once you have some of the pentatonic improvisational scales,
learned it, you can think about the terrain ahead and to some chord substitutions.
while your feet and your balance mostly take care
of themselves. So will your hands serve you once Book 4 --
the Master Exercise is familiar to your fingers.
Touch-Style Power: Complete
Have you ever noticed that, when you whistle a
tune, you just think about the tune and you don't
This book concentrates on applying the Book-
have to think about moving your mouth? If you
mark system to a wider range of 'Chord Progres-
will merely practice, playing your instrument can
sions'. These are sequences of chords which you
be the same. You can think about the tune you're
will find occurring over and over and over in
playing, and not about moving your hands. The
most any music that you play.
Master Exercise will help.
The Bookmark system is here extended to
The Master Exercise is especially useful in that
cover the full 'Diatonic Progression,' as well as
everything you will learn while 'exercising' can
'Minor-Key Progressions'. (If these are unknown
be used when playing songs. Even better, learn-
terms to you, just consider that this book gives
ing the Master Exercise is not difficult, and once
you an exercise that makes it easy to play songs
you learn it, you can cycle through all the musi-
when you're looking at music charts.) As in all
cal keys so that playing in any key becomes com-
the books, you'll be given some new songs to
fortable.
play. Several techniques are presented to help you

When you have completed this book, you arrange songs into a pleasant performance when
should be able to play publicly as a bass-player you're playing solo.
with some skill and flexibility, playing simulta-
neous basslines and right-hand chordal accompa- Book 6 --
niment ('comping'). You should be able to do this Touch-Style Gigging
on any musical job where you are provided with
common musical charts, or where you have This 'Nuts and Bolts' book concentrates more
memorized the song beforehand. You will be on the things you might find helpful if you are
able to play solos in several different ways. regularly performing in public. It covers techni-
cal musical things such as how to write (or im-
provise) an intro to a song. It goes into improvis-
Book 5 -- ing melody using a simplified scale called
Touch-Style Solo 'Pentatonic' (because you only use five notes). It
covers using some chord substitutions to make
This book concentrates on right-hand melody, bland chord progressions sound more interesting.
while playing chords with the left hand. This is It covers a bit more musical theory. And every-
somewhat like playing solo piano. You will learn thing is integrated into the Bookmark system you
to read and play melodies, while simultaneously already know.
playing the left-hand chords. You will be intro- This book also discusses some of the basic
duced to 'two-staff' music, also called the 'Grand 'how to run a business' facts which you will need
Staff', so that you can either learn to play tradi- if you want to get jobs and approach music as a
tional written piano music, or just to know how way to earning a living, or earning part of your
it's done so you can work out songs from that living.
format.
The Bookmark System — Locating the Notes

Where Are the Notes? short) A 'megatar' means a specialty
tapping instrument with two groups of
Before you can play a note you need to know strings on the same neck, one set for bass
where it is! and one set for melody. '6x6' means
OK, but just looking at the fretboard and the there are six strings in the bass set,
strings there are many, many notes. We can't start and there are six strings in the melody
everywhere. We've got to start in one place. So set. The standard tuning for the megatar's
where should we start? melody strings is similar to guitar, but
Or put another way: What are the most useful 1.5 steps lower and tuned in straight
notes to know? fourths. The lowest melody string on megatar
For a bass-player, that answer is easy: The most played open would be C#, and then tuned in
useful notes to know are the low ones! straight fourths ascending from there.
How many notes must we know to start playing By 'Bass-Bottom’ we mean that the bass set of
songs? strings is tuned like a standard 6-string bass,
To play one particular song you could possibly meaning that the lowest string played open would
get by with two or three notes. But in general it be a Low-B, and the next string played open is the
will be useful to know one octave of notes. (The Low-E. All bass strings tuned in straight fourths
words 'octave' means 'eight', and there are eight up from there.
notes in an octave.) So we’ll learn eight notes.
So where do we start? We start by learning n A 'Fifths-Bottom' 6x6 instrument (‘Fifths’ for
eight low notes. short) This type of instrument is a megatar by
definition (ie.: it’s a specialty instrument made for
The Three Tunings: two-handed tapping, with a group of strings for
bass and a separate group for melody). However,
Although touch-style can be done on almost any to avoid confusion with the Bass-Bottom megatar
instrument in almost any tuning, we have to talk above, we’ll just refer to it as an ‘Instrument.’
specifics in this method book. So we're not going This is a 6x6 instrument where the bass strings are
to talk about variations such as tapping on mando- tuned in the 'inverted fifths' system popularized by
lins, or special guitar 'open-tunings' or 'Crafty tun- players of the 'Chapman Stick'®.
ing'. We're not going to talk about special megatar We didn’t want to call it a ‘Fifths-Tuned’ instru-
tunings such as those called 'baritone' or 'half-bari' ment as that’s also confusing in discussion in that
or 'mirror' or 'uncrossed hands' tunings. We're not the melody side of this instrument is tuned in
going to talk about special stringing such as 7- fourths and only the bass strings are tuned in in-
string guitar. Any of those special tunings can be verted fifths. So ‘Fifths-Bottom’ seemed clearer.
worked out by the student who wishes to do so. The Chapman company actually patented this
In this set of books, we will however, present tuning, but that patent has expired and the tuning
the Long-Finger and Bookmark systems as ap- has become popular, especially in that it affords a
plied to the three most common tunings used for nice-sounding group of left-hand chords.
specialty tapping instruments -- In the 'Fifths-Bottom' instrument, the lowest
bass string is in the Middle of the fretboard rather
n An 8-string bass (‘Bass’ for short) tuned in the than on the near edge, and the strings are tuned in
common way that a bass player would normally ascending fifths as you move toward the near
choose, meaning that the lowest string played edge of the fretboard. That is, as you play ascend-
open would be a Low-B, and the next string ing bass notes across the bass strings from the
played open is the Low-E. (This Low-E on the largest bass string toward the smallest bass string,
second string is the same as the Low-E on the your left hand is moving toward your chin. The
lowest string of a standard 4-string bass.) All lowest bass string, played open, is tuned to C, the
strings tuned in straight fourths up from there. next-lowest string tuned to G, the next string to D,
and so on.
n A 'Bass-Bottom' 6x6 megatar (‘Megatar’ for An odd note regarding Megatar bass strings in
Fourths, compared to Fifths-Bottom bass strings
Four Fretboard Regions provide Four Hand Positions

Fret 2 Position Fret 7 Position Fret 12 Position Fret 17 Position
Fret# 1 3 4 5 6 8 9 10 11 13 14 15 16 18 19 20 21 23 24 25
2 7 12 17 22
in Inverted-Fifths — If you examine the note

names of the open bass strings, you discover that Fretboard Regions and
even though the tunings ascend in opposite direc- Hand Positions:
tions, the note names are the same! That is, the
open note of the bass string nearest your chin is B, When you look at your instrument, you
and the open note of the bass string near the mid- see that the lowest notes on the bass strings are
dle of the fretboard is C! found on the largest strings and at frets close to
the instrument's nut. Because these notes are in
Fret-Markers at 2, 7, 12, 17, & 22: the near vicinity and above a large landmark --
that is, the noticeably marked Fret #2 -- we're go-
Many antique and ethnic instruments, and many ing to refer to this general area as the 'Fret 2 Posi-
specialty tapping instruments have special mark- tion', as generally shown by the leftmost large cir-
ings at frets 2, 7, 12, 17, and 22. These particular cle on the graph.
fret markings stand out like large landmarks on Although the notes in the Fret 2 Position are
the fretboard. These special markings identify re- clearly the lowest notes, there are sometimes ad-
gions of the fretboard where one can find very vantages to be found in playing at the next posi-
similar patterns of notes, that is, a pattern of notes tion, which is in the near vicinity and above the
played just above fret 2 can often be played with major landmark we call Fret #7. We will refer to
the same finger-shape just above fret 7 or fret 12. this general area of the frets near Fret #7 as 'Fret 7
(This handy fact will be later explained in detail.) Position'.
For our purpose in navigating around the fret- Before we go on, please notice that there's a dif-
board, we will organize our navigation around ference in sound between Fret 2 Position and Fret
these large landmarks. 7 Position.
If your instrument doesn't have these frets spe- The notes at Fret 2 Position have longer string
cially marked, you will find your learning easier if lengths, so they have more overtones, which
you will mark them. Stick some colored tape to makes them growlier, and perhaps 'richer', with
the fretboard just behind frets 2, 7, 12, 17, and 22. greater character.
(In this case, by ‘behind fret 2’ we mean between The notes at Fret 7 Position have shorter string
fret 1 and fret 2.) lengths so they have more midrange, which pro-
Yes, if you stick tape on your fretboard, it will duces a punchier and simpler sound with greater
probably be real annoying to clean it off after a pop. You as an individual might use completely
while, but you are going to find these special fret different words to describe the sound of notes at
markings to be helpful over and over and over these two positions, but if you'll play some notes
again. (Some of the Arvey-brand office stickums, at each of the two positions, we're sure you'll
or the Post-It Notes, or good old Masking Tape agree that the notes at Fret 2 Position have a dif-
will probably come off with minimal mess and ferent quality of sound than the notes at Fret 7.
crud left on your fretboard.) Later on when you're playing songs in perform-
Or, you could buy a different brand of tapping ance, sometimes you will want to play the notes at
instrument -- one that has special markings at 2, 7, Fret 2 and other times you will prefer to play the
12, 17, and 22! same notes at Fret 7 Position. It's one basic way to
change your sound to enhance a particular song.
cess to two or more octaves of notes. That’s

How to Divvy Up the Four Positions plenty of notes to get some music played!
As you will discover, what you learn for your
The Fretboard Graph shows the eight strings of left hand at Position 7 will apply with very little
an 8-string bass, but the graph holds true for adaptation to Position 2. Likewise, what you
Bass-Bottom Megatar or Fifths-Bottom instru- learn for your right hand at Position 17 will apply
ment as well. On all the instruments the spe- with very little adaptation to Position 12.
cially-marked frets at 2 and 7, 12 and 17 fall in
the same place — because of course each of these Hand Positions for this book
fretted instruments has a fret 2, a fret 7, a fret 12,
and a fret 17! For learning purposes in this book, for each in-
Handily, it nicely works out that we can use the strument we’ll select one hand position for the
same basic navigation for all three instruments. left hand and one hand position for the right
You could make a case for a fifth hand position hand.
located at and above fret 22. The only reason We now have to begin discussing the tunings
we’ve not marked one is that on some instru- with specifics, so in text immediately following,
ments you start to run out of frets. we’ll separately discuss …
As a practical matter, we can assign these four
Fretboard Regions to your two hands. As a gen- 1. Left hand on 8-string Bass (‘Bass’),
eral rule, you’ll use your left hand to play low
notes at Hand Position 2 and 7, and you’ll use 2. Left hand on Bass-Bottom Megatar
your right hand to play notes at Hand Position 12 (‘Megatar’), and
and 17. That’s simple enough.
When you place your hands on the fretboard 3. Left hand on Fifths-Bottom instru-
this will make obvious sense. Your left hand can ment (‘Fifths’)
easily and comfortably reach the low bass strings
at Position 2 and Position 7. Your right hand then At the end of these three discussions, we’ll
falls quite easily on Position 12 and Position 17. compare all three. Naturally, if you are only play-
Please try this now so you can feel it. You ing one instrument in one tuning, you can com-
don’t even have to fret the notes. Just flopping pletely skip the discussions of the other tunings.
your hands around in position will cause you to You will not miss a thing.
feel it.
You’ll notice that your hands don’t collide and
don’t obstruct each other, and each hand has ac-
Teachers: Special Note

about Fingering System
used in this book ...
Educators and Teachers,

please see ‘Pedagogy Note’
in Appendix for explanation of
how the system presented in
this book differs from classi-
cal fingering.
8-String Bass — Left-Hand Low Notes
On Bass, your left hand is generally going be your wrist, and your fingers don't have to stretch
playing at Fret 7 Position. as much between frets which will improve initial
Some of you bass players will probably object learning accuracy.
at this point. On your other basses, you’re more Also, learning the Fret 7 bass position will di-
used to playing notes near Fret 2. The notes down rectly translate if you wish to play either Bass-
in Fret 2 Position are growlier and more 'obvious' Bottom Megatar or Fifths-Bottom instrument --
to a bass player. And yes, the notes down in Fret 2 that is, everything you learn here in this position
Position contain the ultra-low notes on the biggest can be applied to the other instruments with little
string. And naturally, bass players like low notes. or no change in fingering.
But we're not going to start there. Lastly, this position will later allow you to oper-
The notes in Fret 7 Position will let your left ate your two hands in exactly identical fashion,
hand move both up and down the fretboard with- which lets you learn useful technique approxi-
out running into a nut, and you will find that the mately twice as fast.
Fret 7 position provides a smooth tone with lots of So for now, use Fret 7 Position for learning this
pop, which is widely useful in songs. system. You can easily translate into Fret 2 Posi-
Further, the Fret 7 position can be kinder to tion later.
Bass Fret 7 Position provides these Root Notes
E F g
B C D
F G A
Fret 7 Fret 12
8-String Bass — Left-Hand Fingering
As you can see, there are three notes per string. To play these notes from the lowest to the highest, use
three left-hand fingers to play three notes, then go to the next string and again use three fingers to play
three notes, and then to the next string and do the same. (In this system, your little finger will not nor-
mally be used in scalar playing.)
Please try playing these nine notes, up and down. Notice that the F and the G note are repeated. If you
were playing the root of an F-Chord, which F note would you chose?
As a bass player, your general rule will be to play the lowest one.
Using fingering as shown, please learn these nine root notes now.
Bass Left-Hand Fingering for Root Notes

Traktor’s
Finger Symbols
1 = circle
2 = bar
3 = down triangle
4=X
f d s
f d s
f d s
Fret 7 Fret 12
Bass-Bottom Megatar — Left-Hand Low Notes
On Bass-Bottom Megatar, your left hand is gen- your wrist, and your fingers don't have to stretch
erally going be playing at Fret 7 Position. as much between frets which will improve initial
Some of you bass players will probably object learning accuracy.
at this point. On your bass, you’re more used to Also, learning the Fret 7 bass position will di-
playing notes near Fret 2. The notes down in Fret rectly translate if you wish to play either 8-String
2 Position are growlier and more 'obvious' to a Bass or Fifths-Bottom instrument -- that is, every-
bass player. And yes, the notes down in Fret 2 thing you learn here in this position can be ap-
Position contain the ultra-low notes on the biggest plied to the other instruments with little or no
string. And naturally, bass players like low notes. change in fingering.
But we're not going to start there. Lastly, this position will later allow you to oper-
The notes in Fret 7 Position will let your left ate your two hands in exactly identical fashion,
hand move both up and down the fretboard with- which lets you learn useful technique approxi-
out running into a nut, and you will find that the mately twice as fast.
Fret 7 position provides a smooth tone with more So for now, use Fret 7 Position for learning this
pop, which is widely useful in songs. system. You can easily translate into Fret 2 Posi-
Further, the Fret 7 position can be kinder to tion later.
Megatar Fret 7 Position provides these Root Notes
E F g
B C D
F G A
Fret 7 Fret 12
Bass-Bottom Megatar — Left-Hand Fingering
As you can see, there are three notes per string. To play these notes from the lowest to the highest, use
three fingers to play three notes, then go to the next string and again use three fingers to play three
notes, and then to the next string and do the same. (In this system, your little finger will not normally be
used in scalar playing.)
Please try playing these nine notes, up and down. Notice that the F and the G note are repeated. If you
were playing the root of an F-Chord, which F note would you chose?
As a bass player, your general rule will be to play the lowest one.
Megatar Left-hand Fingering

Traktor’s
Finger Symbols
1 = circle
f d s 2 = bar
f d s 3 = down triangle
4=X
f d s
Fret 7 Fret 12
Fifths-Bottom Instrument— Left-Hand Low Notes
On Fifths-Bottom instrument, your left hand is do pushups on the lawn!

generally going be playing at Fret 2 Position. There are, of course, other ways to play roots on
Your position is different from Bass and Bass- the Fifths-Bottom instrument. For example, you
Bottom Megatar because your low strings are lo- can play all the roots on the two lowest strings (D,
cated differently. However, notice that the Shape E, F, & G on lowest string, and A, B, C, & D on
and the Note-Names of these nine notes are Identi- next lowest string).
cal to the shape and note-names give on the previ- However, the position as shown below enables
ous pages for Bass and for Bass-Bottom Megatar! you to play these roots without moving your hand,
One of the powerful features of this system is which will improve your initial learning accuracy.
that what you learn for one tuning can be applied Further, this position as shown below will later
to the other tuning with very little modification. allow you to operate your two hands in exactly
If you can play these notes in this shape with identical fashion, which lets you learn useful tech-
your left hand on your ‘Fifths’ instrument, then nique approximately twice as fast.
you can pick up an 8-String Bass or a Bass- So for now, use Fret 2 Position as shown for
Bottom Megatar and begin playing almost imme- learning this system. It will pay dividends.
diately.
If you can do pushups on the driveway, you can
Fifths Fret 2 Position provides these Root Notes

E F g
B C D
F G A
Fret 2 Fret 7
Fifths-Bottom Instrument — Left-Hand Fingering
As you can see, there are three notes per string. To play these notes, use three fingers to play three
notes on one string, then go to the next string and again use three fingers to play three notes, and then to
the next string and do the same. (In this system, your little finger will not normally be used in scalar
playing.) Please try playing these nine notes, up and down.
Notice that it doesn’t sound quite scale-like. On string #7 (lowest-pitched string) you ascend to the
note G, and then sort of leap up to the note B on string #8. Then on string #8 you ascend to the note D,
and then again leap up to the note F on string #9.
Try it the other way, starting your notes on string #9. Play three notes on string #9, then three notes on
string #8, then the three notes on string #7. Now the notes are scale-like, but there’s an octave drop be-
tween each string! An odd sound! However, for learning our roots in this system, this will work fine!
Also, notice that the F and the G note are repeated. If you were playing the root of an F-Chord, which
F note would you chose? As a bass player, your general rule will be to play the lowest one.
Fifths Left-hand Fingering

(7) f d s Traktor’s
(8) f d s Finger Symbols
(9) f d s 1 = circle
2 = bar
3 = down triangle
4=X
(String #) Fret 2 Fret 7
Comparing the Low Notes on all Three Instruments
For clarification, here are all three instruments Also, on the Bass or Megatar as you play notes
with the Left-Hand Low Notes marked. from the lowest line of the graph upwards, you are
As you can see, the Bass and the Bass-Bottom playing notes of ascending pitch, going up from F
Megatar play the Low Notes exactly the same. On to G up to A up to B and so on.
these instruments the lowest-pitched string is the However on the Fifths instrument, as you play
string at the bottom of the graph. the same pattern from the lowest line on the
On the Fifths-Bottom instrument, however, the graph, the notes go up from F to G up to A, but
lowest-pitched string is the string at the top of the then from A to B drops an octave. A nice but
graph. So although you could play the same notes somewhat unusual sound. Then you play up from
at the 7th Fret Position as shown on the Bass or B to C up to D. And then as you play from D to E
Megatar graph, and they’d be the same note the sound again drops an octave.
names, they are not the low notes! Playing these notes on the Fifths instrument
So to play the Low Notes on Fifths instruments, does not have the same kind of ascending sound.
you must play the nine notes, as shown, in the 2nd However, you will be able to use the same sys-
Fret position. tem to learn to play bass and chords and more on
But do note that they ARE the same note names the Fifths instrument. And you will be able to
in the two positions. switch between instruments fairly easily as well.
Eight-String Bass Left-Hand Low Notes

E F G
B C D
F G A
1 3 4 5 6 8 9 10 11 13 14 15 16 18 19 20 21 23 24 25
2 7 12 17 22
Bass-Bottom Megatar Left-Hand Low Notes

E F G
B C D
F G A
1 3 4 5 6 8 9 10 11 13 14 15 16 18 19 20 21 23 24 25
2 7 12 17 22
Fifths-Bottom Instrument Left-Hand Low Notes

E F G
B C D
F G A
1 3 4 5 6 8 9 10 11 13 14 15 16 18 19 20 21 23 24 25
2 7 12 17 22
8-String Bass — Right-Hand High Notes (for Melody or Harmony)
Now we must select an area among the melody access to the top three strings, which works out to
strings to place your right hand. We want… be awkward.
• A right-hand location where your The best position appears to be to place the right
two hands won’t collide, so that hand at the Fret 17 position as shown. This gives
means higher up the neck, and you three strings for the left hand, and then three
• A right-hand location where your for the right hand (and a couple more high strings
right hand can finger the exact same accessible for the right hand when later playing
pattern of notes as those low notes scalar melodies).
under your left hand. It’s a little clumsy that the left hand only gets
There are three possibilities. One gives us neat three strings before encountering strings appropri-
access to the four top strings, but it’s uncomforta- ated by the right hand, but them’s the breaks in
bly close to the left hand. It would be worrisome the world of 8-string bass. As you will see, having
playing there, and possibly the hands will inter- separate groups of strings as megatars do solves
fere with each other. exactly this kind of problem.
Another possibility places the right hand very So for 8-String Bass, here are the notes you
high above the seventeenth fret but it only gives want —
Bass Fret 17 Position provides these Scale Notes
E F g
B C D
F G A
Fret 17 Fret 22
8-String Bass — Right-Hand Fingering
The pattern and note names are IDENTICAL to your left-hand low notes, so there are still three notes
per string. To play these notes from the lowest to the highest, use three right-hand fingers to play three
notes, then go to the next string and again use three fingers to play three notes, and then to the next
string and do the same.
Please try playing these nine notes, up and down. Notice that you get two F and two G notes..
Using right-hand fingering as shown, please learn these nine melody notes now.
Traktor’s Bass Right-Hand Fingering (Melody Notes)

Finger Symbols
1 = circle
2 = bar
3 = down triangle
f d s
4=X f d s
f d s
Fret 17 Fret 22
Bass-Bottom Megatar — Right-Hand High Notes (for Melody or Harmony)
Now we must select an area among the melody Further, the patterns occur in identical visual
strings to place your right hand. We want… relationship to the specially-marked frets 7 and
• A right-hand location where your 17. For example, the lowest bass G-note is one
two hands won’t collide, so that fret up from specially-marked fret 7, and the low-
means higher up the neck, and est melody G-note is one fret up from specially-
• A right-hand location where your marked fret 17.
right hand can finger the exact same Each hand has a lot of open strings above the
pattern of notes as those low notes pattern, which means that later after you’ve mas-
under your left hand. tered three strings and you want to wander higher,
The best position available places the right hand each hand has exactly the same universe waiting
at the Fret 17 position as shown. This makes your above! This is a good thing.
right hand identical to your left hand in that And later, when the bass players say, “Dammit!
you’re starting the pattern on the lowest string of Now I want to play bass at Fret 2 Position!” then
the group. (ie.: the left hand begins the pattern on the right hand can just slide down to Fret 12 Posi-
the lowest bass string, and the right hand begins tion and still have a universe identical to the bass
the pattern on the lowest melody string.) hand! Life is good.
Megatar Fret 17 Position provides these Scale Notes
E F g
B C D
F G A
Fret 17 Fret 22
Bass-tuned Megatar — Right-Hand Fingering for Melody Notes
Please try playing these nine notes, up and down. Notice that you get two F and two G notes..
NOTE: The Bass-Bottom Megatar has the best of all worlds in that the left-hand bass notes and the
right-hand melody notes have absolutely identical patterns and are positioned relative to the special dot-
markers in an exactly identical fashion.
Traktor’s Megatar Right-Hand Fingering (Melody Notes)

Finger Symbols
1 = circle
2 = bar
3 = down triangle
4=X f d s
f d s
f d s
Fret 17 Fret 22
Fifths-Bottom Instrument — Right-Hand High Notes (for Melody or Harmony)
Now we must select an area among the melody pitched of the melody strings, which are nearest
strings to place your right hand. We want… the center of the fretboard. This is similar to the
• A right-hand location where your way we placed the left hand on the lowest-pitched
two hands won’t collide, so that of the bass strings. Visually the two hands look a
means higher up the neck, and little different relative to the specially-marked
• A right-hand location where your frets. However, each note pattern is identical, and
right hand can finger the exact same each note pattern is placed on the lowest-pitched
pattern of notes as those low notes strings available.
under your left hand. The right hand positioning will also work out
The best position available places the right hand nicely later when you wish to play melodies from
at the Fret 17 position as shown. This permits written music, as this position gives you access to
your right hand to play the identical pattern of all the notes normally found on a ‘treble-clef’ or a
notes as are played by your left-hand on the bass ‘leadsheet’ of music, and these notes fall nicely
strings. under your fingers.
We have placed the right hand on the lowest-
Fifths Fret 17 Position provides these Scale Notes
E F g
B C D
F G A
Fret 17 Fret 22
Fifths-Bottom Instrument — Right-Hand Fingering
Please try playing these nine notes, up and down. Notice that you get two F and two G notes.
You will also notice that, since the melody strings are tuned in fourths, you can ascend and descend in
a strictly scalar fashion, with no octave leaps as you experienced when playing the left-hand bass notes.
Note: The melody side of Bass-Bottom Megatar and Fifths-Bottom Instrument are identical.
Traktor’s Fifths Right-Hand Fingering (Melody Notes)

Finger Symbols
1 = circle
2 = bar
3 = down triangle
4=X f d s
f d s
f d s
Fret 17 Fret 22
Comparing the High Melody/Harmony Notes on all Three Instruments
For clarification, here are all three instruments your left-hand fingers and your right-hand fingers
with the Right-Hand High Notes marked. off the identical string becomes an issue.
As you can see, the Bass-Bottom Megatar and On the Megatar and Fifths-Bottom Instrument,
the Fifths-Bottom Instrument play the High Notes however, this is a non-issue. In fact, the very rea-
exactly the same, because their Melody Strings son for having two separate groups of strings on
are tuned identically in fourths. On these instru- one fretboard is to allow each hand free play
ments the lowest-pitched melody string is the within the string group without interference from
string at the bottom of the graph. the other hand.
On the 8-String Bass, however, there is only one But, differences aside, the most important fact is
group of strings, and you’ve already told your left that all three instruments have the IDENTICAL
hand it could have the bottom three strings for note pattern. Further, it sounds the same played on
bass notes, so your first opportunity to place the all three instruments because the melody strings
melody note-pattern is on the fourth string from on all three instruments are tuned in fourths.
the bottom. And remember, on each of these instruments
One difference becomes apparent, in that you your right hand on high notes is playing the exact
can see that the 8-String Bass has both hands same pattern of nine notes as is your left hand on
playing in one group of strings, so that keeping the bass notes. It’s a thing of beauty.
Eight-String Bass — Right-Hand High Notes (Melody)

E F G
B C D
F G A
1 3 4 5 6 8 9 10 11 13 14 15 16 18 19 20 21 23 24 25
2 7 12 17 22
Bass-Bottom Megatar — Right-Hand High Notes (Melody)

E F G
B C D
F G A
1 3 4 5 6 8 9 10 11 13 14 15 16 18 19 20 21 23 24 25
2 7 12 17 22
Fifths-Bottom Instrument — Right-Hand High Notes (Melody)

E F G
B C D
F G A
1 3 4 5 6 8 9 10 11 13 14 15 16 18 19 20 21 23 24 25
2 7 12 17 22
Putting Both Hands on the Instrument! First, the 8-String Bass ...
It has been perhaps a bit laborious, but we’ve Don’t be frightened. It will be easy.
now examined how the left hand is positioned on First, here’s an 8-String Bass (‘Bass’) showing
all three instruments, and we’ve examined how the left-hand bass notes, and the right-hand mel-
the right hand is positioned on all three instru- ody notes ...
ments.
Our next step is to examine each instrument
with both hands shown in position.
Eight-String Bass showing Bass and Melody Note-Pattern

E F G
B C D
F G A
E F G
B C D
F G A
1 3 4 5 6 8 9 10 11 13 14 15 16 18 19 20 21 23 24 25
2 7 12 17 22
Eight-String Bass Fingering for Bass and Melody Note-Pattern

f d s
f d s
f d s
f d s
f d s
f d s
1 3 4 5 6 8 9 10 11 13 14 15 16 18 19 20 21 23 24 25
2 7 12 17 22
That’s not so tough! tapping right on the fret, but with most of your
fingertip behind the fret (i.e., toward the tuners).
And now the obvious experiment is for you to Feel the fingertips of first one hand and then the
place both hands on the instrument, and play these other. If you get a note that doesn’t sound right,
notes like a scale, up and down. then place your attention into the fingertips of that
First try the bass notes. hand and feel the frets.
Then try the melody notes.
Then try playing the bass and the melody notes
at the same time. Play legato (long and slow
notes) and play right on the beat. As you play the
scale up and down, put your attention into your
fingertips and feel the fret beneath the string
you’re playing. You will get the best sound by
Putting Both Hands on the Bass-Tuned Megatar —

Here is a Bass-Bottom Megatar with both bass
and melody note-patterns marked ...
Bass-Bottom Megatar showing Bass & Melody Note-Pattern

E F G
B C D
F G A
1 3 4 5 6 8 9 10 11 13 14 15 16 18 19 20 21 23 24 25
2 7 12 17 22
E F G
B C D
F G A
1 3 4 5 6 8 9 10 11 13 14 15 16 18 19 20 21 23 24 25
2 7 12 17 22
Bass-Bottom Megatar Fingering for Bass & Melody Note-Pattern

f d s
f d s
f d s
1 3 4 5 6 8 9 10 11 13 14 15 16 18 19 20 21 23 24 25
2 7 12 17 22
f d s
f d s
f d s
1 3 4 5 6 8 9 10 11 13 14 15 16 18 19 20 21 23 24 25
2 7 12 17 22
Now the obvious experiment is for you to place fingertips and feel the fret beneath the string
both hands on the instrument, and play these notes you’re playing. You will get the best sound by
like a scale, up and down. tapping right on the fret, but with most of your
First try the bass notes. fingertip behind the fret (i.e., toward the tuners).
Then try the melody notes. Feel the fingertips of first one hand and then the
Then try playing the bass and the melody notes other. If you get a note that doesn’t sound right,
at the same time. Play legato (long and slow then place your attention into the fingertips of that
notes) and play right on the beat. As you play the hand and feel the frets.
scale up and down, put your attention into your
Putting Both Hands on the Fifths-Tuned Instrument

Here is a Fifths-Bottom Instrument with both
bass and melody note-patterns marked ...
Fifths-Bottom Instrument showing Bass & Melody Note-Pattern

E F G
B C D
F G A
1 3 4 5 6 8 9 10 11 13 14 15 16 18 19 20 21 23 24 25
2 7 12 17 22
E F G
B C D
F G A
1 3 4 5 6 8 9 10 11 13 14 15 16 18 19 20 21 23 24 25
2 7 12 17 22
Fifths-Bottom Instrument Fingering for Bass & Melody Note-Pattern

f d s
f d s
f d s
1 3 4 5 6 8 9 10 11 13 14 15 16 18 19 20 21 23 24 25
2 7 12 17 22
f d s
f d s
f d s
1 3 4 5 6 8 9 10 11 13 14 15 16 18 19 20 21 23 24 25
2 7 12 17 22
Now the obvious experiment is for you to place you’re playing. You will get the best sound by
both hands on the instrument, and play these notes tapping right on the fret, but with most of your
like a scale, up and down. fingertip behind the fret (i.e., toward the tuners).
First try the bass notes. Then the melody notes. The bass notes will have octave drops as you
Then try playing the bass and the melody notes play up the scale, but it will sound OK.
at the same time. Play legato (long and slow Feel the fingertips of first one hand and then the
notes) and play right on the beat. As you play the other. If you get a note that doesn’t sound right,
scale up and down, put your attention into your then place your attention into the fingertips of that
fingertips and feel the fret beneath the string hand and feel the frets.
What’s Next? 2. How to Move on the Field?
Viewed very simply, the Bookmark System has The alert student will have guessed that the next
only two parts — question must be ‘how shall we play the nine
1. Where is the playing field? notes’?
2. How do you move on this field? And as you might imagine, now that we have a
simple playing field, it will be fairly easy to start
1. The Playing Field is Nine Notes playing the notes.
If you are a bass-player, you know that the first
We have now arrived at the point where you way to think about notes is to play the ‘Roots’ of
know the boundaries of the playing field. That is, the chords.
the playing field for the Bookmark System is this For those of you who aren’t bass-players and
pattern of only nine notes. Inside this pattern of who don’t know a root from a hole in the ground,
nine notes you can operate. here’s the scoop —
This is most wonderful, in a way. You can have a song which drones on and on
Because we’ve now established a way to begin using only one note. But it’s not a very interesting
with clarity. In other words, if you look at the in- song. You have probably heard the toddler next
strument with no particular approach, you’ll see door singing this song upon occasion, and most
that there are LOTS OF NOTES. Why, you can likely you had enjoyed it to the fullest long before
find the note ’A’ over here and here and there and he stopped singing.
here and over here and there and here and here, Just about every song does have a central main
and … Well, you get the idea. note, around which the song moves. For example,
When there are too many freedoms, there is no when you hear somebody say a song has a ‘key
structure! signature of C’, what this boils down to is that the
More items than you can deal with constitute a song is going to move around on various notes,
confusion. This seems to be a universal human but almost certainly it’s going to end, and feel
reality — When there are more things than you complete, on the note of C.
feel you can deal with, you feel confused. What songs generally do is play some notes
The way to handle any confusion is to reduce based on the main note, then wander off for some
the problem to a smaller number of items. How other notes that are more jarring or seem some-
many? Why, a small number that you feel you can how ‘different,’ and then return to the one main
deal with! note that seems complete and final.
Now here’s a fact: For purposes of starting your We apologize if this seems a little vague, but
learning on an 8-string bass or a megatar, there it’s hard to accurately generalize because there are
are just too many notes to start everywhere! so many combinations of sounds which we hu-
So you’ll have to just start in one place. mans seem to think are good. For example, young
There is no other way to do it. folks, think about polkas! For example, older
So what have we done so far? We have reduced folks, think about grunge rock!
this confusion of notes and strings into just three For now, we are lucky because we do not have
strings and nine notes — and we’ve put the three to write songs. For our purpose in learning, we
strings and the nine notes under each of your can use songs which somebody else has gra-
hands. ciously already written! How kind!
Now you only need to think about a playing Further, wiser minds than ours have long noted
field which falls immediately under your two that certain patterns appear over and over and
hands, and this field is identical in shape and over in our typical Western Music such as you
meaning under each of your hands. will commonly hear in the USA or Europe.
By this approach, we make the complex simple, And this means that we can start our learning by
so that you can begin. learning some patterns which aren’t even as com-
Get it? Got it? Good! plicated as a song. Instead of initially working on
Now the question of ’what notes to play’ has a song which might have many ‘chords’ (stacks of
become very easy. We’ll start our learning by notes) we can begin with a simple introductory
playing these nine notes. Nine notes is much eas- exercise which involves only one chord.
ier than hundreds of notes! Even when we go on to exercises that use two
Isn’t that great? chords or four chords, or even when we go on to
songs which have lots of chords, as bass-players
we can simplify these ‘chords’ (stacks of notes) uses a Master Exercise, which consists initially of
down to the single lowest note in each stack of playing both hands identically, going up and
notes. And that lowest note is called the ‘Root’ of down the four notes in the chord.
the chord. After you gain some skill, you can do this with
We can work up exercises playing this Root. several chords in a row, and it won’t be long be-
After we can play this root pretty good, we’ll fore you can select a different chord sequence
naturally begin to think we are pretty slick, and every day. In this way you can move through the
just as naturally we will want to show off for our different keys, with your hands gaining more and
girlfriend and such. more familiarity with the path.
Therefore we will then learn to play the other By selecting just certain parts of the four chord
notes in the chord. Now in the Bookmark System, notes, and by using rhythmic variations, we can
we will start out thinking of nearly all chords as create a vast variety of musically-useful patterns.
having four notes. (The technical among you will And because the Master Exercise consists of
realize we’re saying that we’ll start with ’seventh musically-useful patterns, you will be able to di-
chords’.) rectly apply what you are learning in order to play
As a practical matter relating to learning, it just songs. And that won’t take too long, either, be-
means that after you can play one note per chord, cause at the simplest level, songs are only se-
we can move on to playing four notes per chord. quences of chords as well.
After that, you can start playing the two hands
differently. This can produce an amazing amount Next: Gold Record on the Wall
of variability and musical results. For example,
your right hand might just play two harmony (Well, that could take a little longer.)
notes from the chord, while your left hand goes And now that you know the playing field of
back to playing just the roots. Nine Notes, we will next consider how to move
With nothing more than this, many hundreds of on this field. Which brings us to the next section,
rhythmic possibilities arise. the Bookmark System itself …
And it goes on from there.
Here’s how it works: the Bookmark System
The Bookmark System — Playing the Nine Notes

With Nine Notes, we Play Chords
Why GM7?
We assume that you can now pick up the instru- Because it’s relatively easy to play and conven-
ment, put it on, and locate the nine holy notes be- ient for us to describe. We’ve got to start some-
neath each hand,. We assume that you can play where, and this chord-form requires little finger
the nine notes from the bottom to the top, and are stretch and the root is on the bottom.
nearly always playing the correct note. For those whose inquiring minds wish to know,
If not, please go back to last chapter. the four notes of the GM7 chord are: G, B, D, and
If so, now we’ll begin by playing a chord. It F-sharp, and last we’ll play the G above which
would be possible to start with scales and then will sound complete. This will let us can play four
handle chords, but we believe we can get you notes up (G, B, D, F#), and then play four notes
playing useful music faster by working on chords back down (High-G, F#, D, and B).
first, which will in time make the underlying scale However, for this discussion and all through the
obvious without even trying. Bookmark System, you won’t have to think much
The Bookmark System will teach you to play about the names of notes in a chord. You will
the Seven Magic Chords, using the Nine Holy have to know the Root (bottom note), but whether
Notes. Then you’ll be shown how to modify the or not you immediately know the names of the
seven magic chords to make the other chords notes will not matter because you will know the
you’ll need. shape to play, and things will work out fine.
You’ll learn to play these chords with each So let’s take a look at the GM7 chord — We’ll
hand, then you’ll play the shape simultaneously use Bass-Bottom Megatar for our example. 8-
with both hands, and then you’ll learn to play part String is identical. If you’re playing a Fifths-
with one hand and part with the other, which Bottom instrument, it’s the same shape but lying
opens the door to many rhythmic possibilities and upon the nine holy bass notes where they fall on
unique ‘Rhythm Bass’ skill. your strings, so please adapt the graph to fall cor-
rectly on your particular instrument’s strings.
We’ll Start with One Chord — GM7
Bass-Bottom Megatar Fret 7 Position provides these Root Notes
E F g
B C D
F G A
Fret 7 Fret 12
Bass-Bottom Megatar — Notes of GM7 Chord on Bass Strings
F# g
B D
G
Fret 7 Fret 12
Fingering the GM7 Chord But we have that D played with your third fin-
ger, because this system uses three fingers on
You’ll notice that the two ‘G’ notes are shown each string for three notes on each string, and
in the fingering diagram as hollow. That’s be- saves the little finger for a few special cases.
cause G is the root of the GM7 chord, and we So for now, please use strict fingering as shown.
want to keep track of where the root is. Strict fingering is going to pay off for you later.
You’ll notice that the lowest G is played with Remember, this system is called the Bookmark
the second finger (shown by the bar symbol), and System because it enables you to easily keep your
then you use the first finger (shown by the dot) to place. If you finger it any old way, it will go to
play the next note on the string above. (This next hell fast and won’t help you at all.
note is a B, and it is the ‘third’ of the chord.) So for now, please finger it exactly as shown.
You’ll notice that you use your third finger Later, when you’ve learned the system, if you
(shown by the triangle) to play the next note, want to change it, feel free!
which is on the same string. (This next note is the
D, and it is the ‘fifth’ of the chord.) Go Slow
You’ll notice that you then go to the next string
and use your second finger to play the F# (which If you are new to this instrument, you may have
is the ‘seventh’ of the chord), and lastly you use to go very slowly. Too damn bad. That’s where
your third finger to play the top G, which is the you are, so that’s exactly where you should begin!
root of the chord, but because it’s at the top of the In any event, however, do not play faster than
chord, normally we would call it ‘the octave.’ you can play correct and clean-sounding notes!
Please try playing this shape. Regardless of your skill level, you should not
practice wrong notes or bad notes. If you practice
Strict Fingering, Please bad notes and dirty notes, you will then play bad
notes and dirty notes because you’ve trained your-
Those of you who are already bass players al- self to play them!
most certainly already know this shape and how
to play it. However, be aware! Only Perfect Practice Makes Perfect
Please use strict fingering to play this shape.
Some bass-players would tend to play the D The old saying that Practice Makes Perfect is
note with the little finger, mainly just because it’s not quite right.
there, and there is also a school of playing that What is really true is that only Perfect Practice
recommends placing one finger at each fret. Makes Perfect. In other words, you’re just teach-
Bass-Bottom Megatar — Fingering The Nine Holy Notes
f d s
f d s
f d s
Fret 7 Fret 12
Bass-Bottom Megatar — Left-Hand Fingering GM7 Chord Traktor’s

Finger Symbols
1 = circle
2 = bar
3 = down triangle
d S 4=X
f s Root = Hollow
D
Fret 7 Fret 12
ing your fingers to tread a certain path. The more and wrist, and not only by finger movement.
they tread the correct path, the more able they be-
come in treading the correct path. But if you let Your Thumb Doesn’t Move
them tread the incorrect path, they are learning to
tread the wrong path, which isn’t what you want. Your thumb should basically stay in one place
on the rear of the neck. The thumb may sort of
Rules of Thumb — roll as you stretch the fingers forward or back
upon the fretboard, but the thumb should not slide
• Only play the exercises as fast as around. That is, you should not be moving your
you can execute the notes correctly hand with each note.
and cleanly, no faster. This doesn’t mean your arm or thumb or wrist
should be rigid or uncomfortable. It just means —
• A good guideline is that you should don’t move your hand around. Your fingers have
be able to get 85-90% or more of the to move around, but in this exercise your thumb
notes correct each time through. If doesn’t have to move, so let it stay in one place
you’re hitting less than that, your and you’ll have a nice sense of where your hand
running through fast is teaching your is, and that’s a good thing.
hands the wrong thing — so slow
down! Play by Touch, not Vision
• When you have nearly completed While you are initially working out the exercise,
the exercise, be sure to end on a it’s OK to pull the fretboard back against your
good one. If you do a poor one, do chest to peek at the fretboard, but then use your
another and get it right and then left thumb to press the fretboard upright and away
stop. It will feel better. from your body, so that you’re looking at the back
of the neck. Your head should be erect.
Practice ‘Open and Closed’ Because we are primates with hundreds of thou-
sands of years of danger teaching us to look out!,
There is a great book for high-school drum- we have an automatic tendency to use our most
mers learning the ‘rudimental’ style of snare- reliable sense which for most of us is our vision.
drumming. It’s a sort of crisp, military sound such (To see a tiger across the forest is much better sur-
as you hear in John Phillip Sousa marches. The vival than to wait till we can feel its fur!)
book for snare drummers is called ‘Stone’s Stick But although vision is great for lots of things, it
Control’ and it consists of endless measures of is not the best way to play. For example, touch is
eighth notes, but different combinations of using a much more accurate sense to use.
the left stick or the right stick. However, while you are learning, you might feel
While we promise not to present you with end- uncertain or you might play a note wrong and you
less measures of eighth notes, there’s a great tech- don’t know how that happened. And in that case
nique given in that book for gaining playing profi- you will be very tempted to peek.
ciency. It is called ‘Opening and Closing.’ But realize that peeking is teaching yourself to
Playing an exercise Open and Closed means use your eyes to play, and that’s a lousy way to
that you start as slow as molasses, and then you play!
very very slowly increase your speed until you For one thing, it’s slow.
attain the fastest you can play without errors For another, it won’t work on a dark stage.
flourishing, and then you very very slowly de- For another, you can’t read your music.
crease your speed back down to the snail’s pace. For another, you can’t look at the audience.
For another, you’ll never notice the cute groupie
Posture Matters over in the corner winking at you.
So peek to figure out what you’re doing, and
While you are doing this, pay particular atten- then do the exercise by touch! After all, this style
tion during the slow movements to your whole is called Touch-Style!
body. Your posture should be erect and balanced, For those of you who are impatient by nature,
your arms in correct playing position, and your this will build your character in a hurry, because it
muscles should not be especially tight. will make you go slower in the beginning. How-
It may be helpful to imagine that the movement ever, learn it correctly, and you can fly later.
to play the note is actually coming from your arm
Play On the Fret the next step when you can play this one chord up
and down in a steady rhythm — without looking,
Your left-hand fingertips should be striking the without missing notes, and with good posture.
string gently, and not in the space between the Attaining this level of proficiency might be
frets but actually ON the fret. Most of your finger- slow, or it might just take a few minutes. It de-
tip will be behind the fret, but you should be able pends upon your skills and old experience.
to feel the fret beneath your fingertip. When you can do that, let’s try the right hand on
Striking on the fret gives you the best tone, and the melody strings ...
also avoids sharpening the note by accident. If
you allow yourself to strike the string between the
frets, your striking finger can actually stretch the
string, which bends the pitch up.
Striking directly on the fret sounds the best, and
it’s the most precision playing, and there’s a big
plus in that you get feedback. That is, when
you’re playing on the fret, your fingertip can tell
you when you’re off-position, and you can cor-
rect.
There is no such handy information when
you’re hitting the string just any old place be-
tween the frets. So play on the fret.
To get this for yourself, just experiment with
your amp set clean, and listen carefully to the tone
and the stability of the pitch of the played note.
Got a Metronome?
When you’re first working this out, you may be

going very very slowly. And initially you’ll get
some good results playing ‘Open and Closed.’
But after some practice you will be able to play
up and down the chord notes smoothly and at a
reasonable and musical sounding tempo. As soon
as you are playing in any sort of regular rhythm,
try using a metronome and begin to concentrate
on playing exactly on the beat.
Remember — any good bass player will tell you
that it’s not how many notes you can play, but
instead it’s playing the right note, and playing it at
exactly the right time.
So don’t be in too much of a hurry to play the
pattern real fast. What is more important is that
you play it with perfect rhythm, at whatever speed
you can play correctly.
Slow and Legato
Very soon we’ll get to playing notes with syn-

copation to make things more interesting, but ini-
tially play them very boring — right on the beat
and holding the note out for the full duration.
How Long, O Lord?
This first time, you might have to spend some

time getting it right, but basically you’re ready for
Playing GM7 on Melody Strings One Hand Teaches the Other!
Does the graph below look, somehow, familiar? Oddly enough, you will discover that when one
By Golly, it’s exactly the same as the bass hand! hand has learned how to do something, the other
Wow! Is that lucky, or what? hand almost knows already! Meaning that teach-
ing your left hand to play this identical pattern on
Three Types of People the bass strings somehow magically reduces the
time required for your right hand to learn it.
In the field of Neuro-Linguistic Programming, And so your next task is to play the GM7 chord
sometimes just called ‘NLP’, the gurus say that notes with your right hand on the Melody strings.
most folks have a favorite sense, and that folks Please use the same recommendations from the
use this most-trusted sense as their model inside previous pages about keeping correct posture, re-
their minds for how they see the world and figure laxed muscles, thumb in one place on the rear of
things out. the neck, head upright, and using the fingers to
The vast majority of us use vision as the most ‘feel’ the notes rather than looking at the key-
effortless way to ’model’ things inside our head. board. (But of course, a quick peek to initially
That is, most of us find it easiest to ’view’ or ’see place your fingers is fine.)
how things look’ inside our head as a way to fig-
ure out the world. Rules of Thumb —
Even though musicians deal with auditory
things, less of us use audition as the most effort- • Use VISION to picture the chord
less model inside the head, and even fewer use the shape in your mind, but
tactile sense (touch) as the primary mental model.
Whether or not the NLP gurus are correct, it’s • Use TOUCH to feel where the notes
an observable fact that if you can picture the are and to play them, and
shape of the chord, then you can ‘see’ your fin-
gers playing it, even if your eyes are looking at • Use EARS to hear how well you’re
the back of the instrument’s neck (as they should succeeding!
be!).
Try it and you’ll ‘see’.
Bass-Bottom Megatar — GM7 on the Melody Strings
F# g
B D
G
Fret 17 Fret 22
Traktor’s Bass-Bottom Megatar — Right-Hand Fingering GM7

Finger Symbols
1 = circle
2 = bar
3 = down triangle
4=X k L
Root = Hollow f s
K
Fret 17 Fret 22
Bass-Bottom Megatar is shown as our example. A Fifths-Bottom instrument has identical melody
strings. Playing 8-String Bass? Adapt the graph to the correct position on your instrument.
Playing GM7 with Both Hands Then feel with your right hand first finger
for the lowest-pitched note (‘B’) on the next
You may have to start slow, but many of you string — as shown on the graph.
are going to be very surprised how amazingly • Now with both first fingers, tap simultane-
easy it is to play the same chord with both hands. ously on this second chord note. Both fingers
We’ve placed graphs below showing the finger- will be tapping on a ‘B’, and your ears will
ing for both bass and melody notes. We’ve used tell you that they’re playing the same note.
the Bass-Bottom Megatar as our example. Before you go on, go back to tapping both
(This means that players of Fifths-Bottom in- second fingers on the Low-G note, then re-
struments will need to adapt the graph to the cor- peat tapping both first fingers on the B-note.
rect position on their instrument.) • Now try tapping 1-2-3-4 on the Low-G
with second finger, and then tapping 1-2-3-4
Start Slow, and Play by Touch ... on the B-note with first finger. Back & forth.
• When you can do this comfortably, try go-
• After initially peeking at the fretboard to ing from the B-note to the third chord note
place the second finger of each hand on the which is a D-note, played with the third fin-
initial ‘G’ note, try tapping both second finger of each hand as shown on the graph.
gers at the same time. Both are playing the • Then try playing 1-2-3-4 on G, then 1-2-3-4
‘G’ note shown on the graphs below as the on B, then 1-2-3-4 on D, then 1-2-3-4 on B,
lowest note. and repeat, using the fingering just as shown.
(Note to players of Fifths-Bottom instru- • When you can do this, add the F# note on
ments — with your bass hand, you’ll be actu- the next string using your second fingers. Up
ally playing the highest-pitched G, but that’s & down.
fine. For our discussion we’ll refer to it as • When you can do this, add the final High-G
‘Low G’ as it’s the lowest positioned on the on the top of the graph, and now you can play
graph printed on this page. Your instrument up and down the entire chord. (Fifths-Bottom
will sound a bit unusual as you play both instrument guys, the bass G on the ‘top’ of
hands together, but that’s OK as well, be- the bass graph is actually your lowest-pitched
cause the method will still take you where G, but that’s OK.)
you need to go.) Congratulations!
• When you can tap the two Low-G notes at You are playing the GM7 chord note by note.
the same time, feel with your left hand first You are also playing simultaneously with both
finger for the lowest-pitched note on the next hands —something most bass players cannot do!
string — as per the graph. (It’s the note ‘B’.)
Bass-Bottom Megatar — Right-Hand Fingering GM7
k L
f s
K
Fret 17 Fret 22
Bass-Bottom Megatar — Left-Hand Fingering GM7 Traktor’s

Finger Symbols
1 = circle
2 = bar
3 = down triangle
d S 4=X
f s Root = Hollow
D
Fret 7 Fret 12
Let’s Try Two Chords! the note ‘C’, which just doesn’t happen to occur
on the lowest string in the area of our nine chosen
If you can play the GM7 chord up and down in notes. And therefore we’re going to have to play
a steady tempo with nearly all the notes sounding that ‘C’ where it does occur, which is on the mid-
OK, then we’ll try our first ‘Chord Progression.’ dle of the three strings which we are using.
Actually, it doesn’t seem right to call this a Does this matter?
‘Progression’ because it doesn’t have much sense Not really. When you play this pattern up and
of going someplace. It changes, but doesn’t much down from the lowest string to the highest string,
‘arrive.’ it will have a different character than the GM7,
So without going into much theory, let’s just but for our learning purposes, and for most musi-
refer to this two-chord thing as a ‘Chord Alterna- cal applications it will work fine. Later on, when
tion.’ you take up “Moving Chords” you might just
For this next step in developing the Master Ex- move the entire GM7 shape to a different three
ercise, we’re going to alternate between two strings to get the same sound. In fact, for most
chords, first the GM7 chord that you know, and musicians that ‘moving’ approach is usually more
then the C Major Seven chord. intuitive and apparent. But for now, we’re not
learning a Moving System, we’re using a Fixed
Learning the CM7 Chord System, which will pay big dividends in your
rapid learning to play with musical results.
As you can imagine, our next step is to learn the So you still play the pattern with fingering as
CM7 Chord. Therefore, we’ve shown it below. shown on the graph. You may have to feel the
We’ve again used the Bass-Bottom Megatar as individual notes and go slowly as you did when
our example. 8-String Bass players will have to learning GM7 but your goal is the same — to
place the melody notes differently on their neck. smoothly play 1-2-3-4 up and then 1-2-3-4 down.
Fifths-Bottom instruments will have to place the To be specific, your first note is second finger
bass notes differently on their neck, but the pat- on lowest-graphed string (the note is ‘G’ which is
tern will be played and fingered exactly the same. the ‘fifth’ of the CM7 chord). Your second note is
first finger on second string (playing ‘B’ which is
What? The Root’s in the Middle! the ‘seventh’ of the CM7 chord). Your third note
is second finger on same string (playing ‘C’ the
As you look at the graph, you’ll notice that the root of CM7 chord). Your next note is first finger
hollow symbol which indicates the root of the on next string (playing ‘E’ which is the ‘third’ of
chord is not located at the bottom of the graph. CM7 chord). Your highest note is third finger on
Here is our first consequence of choosing to same string (playing ‘G’ again which is the ‘fifth’
play in one place. The Root of any ‘C’ chord is of CM7 chord).
Try it, up and down.
Bass-Bottom Megatar — Right-Hand Fingering CM7
j l
f D
d
Fret 17 Fret 22
Bass-Bottom Megatar — Left-Hand Fingering CM7 Traktor’s

Finger Symbols
1 = circle
2 = bar
3 = down triangle
j l 4=X
f D Root = Hollow
d
Fret 7 Fret 12
Observe — the Shapes are Different! GM7 shape a ‘diamond’

But what would we call the CM7 shape?
The alert student will have noticed that the What would you call it?
Shape of the GM7 is different from the Shape of
the CM7. Try Alternating GM7 and CM7
This is an important and handy fact about the
Bookmark System. Once you can play the CM7 chord tones up and
You will remember that, using the Nine Notes down, try playing the two chords in alternation —
in one position, we are going to learn Seven first the GM7 (several times), and then the CM7
Chords. Right now we’ll tell you that the Seven (several times), then back to GM7 (several times),
Chords we’re going to learn are — AM7, BM7, and repeat.
CM7, DM7, EM7, FM7, and GM7. You will discover that you’ll make less errors
And your first important fact about these seven and thus produce better finger-training if you play
chords is that every one of them has a different each chord several times before changing to the
and very distinctive shape when played on our other. It allows your fingers to ‘groove in’ to the
nine notes. shape and the motion.
So you will learn, in an easy manner, these If, early on, you attempt to play the GM7 once
seven chords one at a time. And in a short time and then the CM7 once, and back and forth like
you can play any of these seven chords and its that, unless you are already very skilled, you will
shape will be obvious to you. see your errors multiply and your sense of cer-
This will not be difficult. There are only seven tainty diminish.
of them to learn! So the question is: How many times to play
Now here’s the really wonderful part … each chord before switching?
Once you know a chord’s distinctive shape, you The answer is: Find the lowest number of times
can slightly modify it to create other chords you’ll on each chord which keeps your errors low.
need. For example, from CM7 you can move one For example, you might play GM7 up and down
note to get C7. Move one more note to get C mi- four times, and then CM7 up and down four
nor 7. And move one more note to get C minor 7 times. Then when you can do this smoothly with-
flat 5. And what’s really great is that, the chord out errors, try playing GM7 up and down twice
still keeps its distinctive shape as compared to the and then CM7 up and down twice.
other chords. Eventually you’ll be able to play GM7 up and
down once, then CM7 up and down once, and re-
Can You Describe the Shapes? peat. But practice this way only when you can do
it without errors. If you start getting more errors,
As a way to help you recognize the chord by then back up to more repetitions of each chord.
shape, let’s describe the shape. We might call the
Bass-Bottom Megatar — Left-Hand Fingering GM7
d S
f s
D
Fret 7 Fret 12
Bass-Bottom Megatar — Left-Hand Fingering CM7 Traktor’s

Finger Symbols
1 = circle
2 = bar
3 = down triangle
j l 4=X
f D Root = Hollow
d
Fret 7 Fret 12
One Hand and then Two Hands that’s true, don’t be concerned as this will all be
handled more fully later on.)
You’ve probably already worked it out for your- Now by playing GM7 which is ON the key cen-
self, but in doing the GM7-CM7 alternation you ter, and then playing CM7 which we might de-
will probably try it first with your left hand on scribe as ‘floating OFF’ the key center, you get a
bass notes, and then try it right hand on melody sense of motion.
notes, and then both hands together. This particular motion doesn’t seem to much
As always, go as slow as needed so that your arrive at anywhere, and it’s not a ‘satisfying’ type
hands and fingers feel comfortable, and you have of motion, but we’ll learn more satisfying chord
a feeling of calm doing the exercise. Your fingers movements later.
and hands, not your head, will tell you how fast to For right now, this is a very simple chord alter-
go with this feeling of comfortable certainty. nation which for most folks will feel like being
Right on! And Left on, too! ON, and then floating OFF and then being ON,
and then floating OFF, and so on.
What Are these Chords?
It’s a ‘One - Four’ Alternation
The technical among you already know the an-
swer but any newcomer may be asking why we Technically, you are playing the One Major
combine these two particular chords. Seven chord (GM7), and the Four Major Seven
Here’s the scoop — Chord (CM7). The correct technical shorthand
Assuming for a moment that we are playing a notation for this is using roman numerals thus:
song ‘in the key of G’. Or we might say that we’re
playing a song ‘with a key-center of G.’ IM7 — IVM7 — IM7 — IVM7, etc
These phrases mean that we’re playing a song
(or part of a song) where the main note is G, and When we go on to play in other keys, although
we’ll play some other notes and chords which the notes will change and the chord names will
sound more jarring or somehow different and then change, when you play in any key the IM7 and
we’ll tend to come back to the G and it will sound then the IVM7 back and forth it will have this
somewhat complete and final. same ON — floating OFF — ON — floating OFF
If we are in the key of G, then we are generally feeling to the alternation.
playing in the ‘Major Scale’ of G. Which means In a similar fashion, when we go on to more
that when we play up and down the seven notes complicated ‘chord progressions’, each progres-
G, A, B, C, D, E, F#, and G that it will sound cor- sion has a certain feeling of tension and resolution
rect, and it will sound like it goes with the GM7 to your ear, even if you’re playing the same se-
chord. quence in a different key center.
In that scheme of things you’ll notice that C is And for you, you technical dude, just keep on
the fourth scale note, and therefore the chord built practicing your IM7-IVM7 alternation till you’re
upon C with a C-Root is a ‘Fourth Chord’. smooth at it.
Now it happens that if you build a chord on C,
using only the scale notes in our key-center of G,
you just so happen to come up with a C Major
Seven chord. (If you cannot immediately see why
Let’s Try Another Chord-Pair Sharping that F-note in the key of G is required to
make playing a scale up from G sound correct as a
The IM7-IVM7 progression can also be referred ‘major scale.’ (If this is news to you, it’s OK if
to as the I-IV progression for our purposes here. you don’t yet know all the rules and regulations
Since you have mastered playing the I-IV pro- for keys and sharps and flats, because all this will
gression in the key-center of G, using the GM7 become clear as you progress in your learning.)
one-chord and the CM7 four-chord, the next step But now that we’re going to go to the key of C,
is to play the same I-IV alternation in another key there will be no sharps nor flats.
center. The ‘major scale’ for the key of C therefore
We could just pick any old key center and work consists of the notes of C, D, E, F, G, A, B and C.
out what the I-chord and the IV-chord are, but Pretty simple.
let’s make it easy on ourselves by choosing our Also, it’s pretty simple to see that the fourth
next key center so that we only have to learn one note in this scale is the note F.
new chord for the next step. That means that the IV-chord will be F-chord.
We’ll have a choice of two new key-centers. Since we know that, in a major scale, the IV-
Either one will only require us to learn one new chord is a Major Seven chord, then we know that
chord. the F-chord is going to be FM7.
For example, we could choose the key of D, and
then the DM7 chord would be the I-chord, and our An Insider’s Tip
old familiar GM7 chord would be the IV-chord in
that key. And then we could play DM7—GM7 We’ll now let you in on a little secret ...
back and forth for the I-IV alternation in the key The reason we are initially presenting the I-IV
of D. alternation around the keys is that it means that
Or for example, we could choose the key of C, you only initially have to learn the Major Seven
and now the CM7 chord which we know would chords. (You don’t have to initially bother with
become the I-chord in the key of C. Then we’d ‘Dominant Seven’ or ‘Minor Seven’ or ‘Minor
learn a new FM7 chord to be the IV-chord. Seven Flat Five’ chords — isn’t that great!)
And that’s the one we’ll choose next. Now there are only seven ‘Major Seventh’
The key-center of C is easy to study because it chords, not because they’re called ‘Seventh’
has no sharps nor flats. In fact, the Nine Holy chords but because there are only seven named
Notes are technically in the key of C because notes: A, B, C, D, E, F, and G.
none of the nine notes as originally given have Now if you would be so kind, please learn the
any sharps or flats. FM7 chord with fingering shown below, and then
Back when we were playing in the key-center of learn the CM7—FM7 alternation.
G, we sharped the F note because in fact the key Once that’s done, you will only have four Major
of G does have one sharp and that one sharp is F#. Seventh chords left to learn!
Bass-Bottom Megatar — Left-Hand CM7 (IM7 in C)
j l
f D
d
Fret 7 Fret 12
Bass-Bottom Megatar — Left-Hand FM7 (IVM7 in C) Traktor’s

Finger Symbols
1 = circle
2 = bar
3 = down triangle
j K 4=X
k Root = Hollow
J l
Fret 7 Fret 12
Learn all Seven Major-7 chords The fingering is shown. The Root is shown.
As before, our example will be Bass-Bottom
We will now present all seven ’Major Seventh’ Megatar, and showing only the bass strings
chord shapes. For right now we don’t care much (because the pattern and fingering is identically
about the names of the notes. All we care about shaped on the melody strings). As before, folks
is — playing 8-String Bass or Fifths-Bottom instru-
1. The shape of the chord form, ments please play the identical note fingering
2. The fingering of the chord-form, and upon the Nine Holy Notes as they fall upon the
3. Which note is the Root. neck of your instrument.
Here they are —
Our chart makes it easy. The shape is shown.
Bass-Bottom Megatar — Left-Hand AM7
j l
k
k L
Fret 7 Fret 12
Bass-Bottom Megatar — Left-Hand BM7
k
J l
j l
Fret 7 Fret 12
Bass-Bottom Megatar — Left-Hand CM7
j l
f D
d
Fret 7 Fret 12
Bass-Bottom Megatar — Left-Hand DM7 Traktor’s

Finger Symbols
1 = circle
2 = bar
3 = down triangle
k 4=X
k L Root = Hollow
j l
Fret 7 Fret 12
Bass-Bottom Megatar — Left-Hand EM7
J l
f l
k
Fret 7 Fret 12
Bass-Bottom Megatar — Left-Hand FM7
j K
k
J l
Fret 7 Fret 12
Bass-bottom Megatar — Left-Hand GM7
d S
f s
D
Fret 7 Fret 12
Bass-Bottom Megatar — Left-Hand AM7 (again) Traktor’s

Finger Symbols
1 = circle
2 = bar
3 = down triangle
j l 4=X
k Root = Hollow
k L
Fret 7 Fret 12
What Patterns do you see? descriptive word near the graph. The descriptive
word will help you initially remember that the
Do you see how the Root moves up, as you go BM7 is the ‘hill-shaped one,’ and so on.
from AM7 to BM7 to CM7 to DM7 to EM7 to Next, going slowly and carefully and using the
FM7, to GM7, and finally up to AM7 again? fingering as given, please try fingering these dif-
Do any of the pattern-shapes suggest a descrip- ferent chord shapes, just to gain some familiarity
tion to you? For example, we think the B-shape is with them.
like a ‘Hill’, and we think the E-Shape is a ‘Cup’. Next, we’ll make some I-IV Alternations into
Please examine the chord shapes thoughtfully the first version of your Master Exercise ...
and see if any of these shapes suggest an obvious
description of the shape. If so, please pencil the
The Almost Master Exercise, part one fingers moved one fret toward the tuners! Played
in place as shown on the graph it’s BM7. Played
Below you’ll see a table which expresses in a one fret toward the tuners (or you could say with
very compact form the most common I-IV alter- all the notes flat), it’s BbM7.
nations. There are a few others, using sharps and Now please learn to play the following seven I-
flats, but this short list is just to familiarize you IV Alternations. As before, as needed learn each
and so we were able to avoid all the sharps and hand, then play both hands simultaneously, legato
flats except that you’ll have to play BbM7 on one and only as fast as avoids errors. Play them Open
of them. and Closed, and then at a moderate tempo.
So it raises a question: You have a chart for After you learn these, we’ll add the flat ones.
playing BM7 but how do you play BbM7?
And the answer is: Play BM7 with all of your
IM7 IM7 IVM7 IVM7
(key of A) AM7 AM7 DM7 DM7

(key of D) DM7 DM7 GM7 GM7
(key of G) GM7 GM7 CM7 CM7
(key of C) CM7 CM7 FM7 FM7
(key of F) FM7 FM7 BbM7 BbM7
(key of B) BM7 BM7 EM7 EM7
(key of E) EM7 EM7 AM7 AM7
The Almost Master Exercise, part two As it turns out, those six keys are about half of
all possible keys. The other keys are listed in the
Below you’ll see a table very much like the last second part of the table, and these exercises drop
one, but arranged a little differently, and it’s a whole step starting from G, down through F, Eb,
longer. Db, B, A, and back to G.
This here is the real table. There are no sharp chords in this exercise. Of
This table has the I-IV Alternations listed in a course, some sharp chords do appear in music, but
different order, and there are more of them. because of the way horns (like trumpets and saxo-
This different order is, as you will see, just a phones) work, the flat keys are a little more popu-
case of dropping one whole step on each succeed- lar. That is, you will see folks play in Bb a lot
ing exercise. As you’ll see, dropping a whole step more often than in the identical-sounding A# key.
from C gives you Bb, and dropping a whole step So for now, just count yourself lucky that you
from Bb gives you Ab, and dropping a whole step only have flat chords to deal with, and as on the
from Ab gives you Gb, and dropping a whole step previous exercise, to play a flat chord just play the
from Gb gives you E, and dropping a whole step equivalent ‘natural’ chord one fret lower
from E gives you D, and if you dropped a whole Give it a try …
step from D it would bring you back to C.
IM7 IM7 IVM7 IVM7
CM7 CM7 FM7 FM7

BbM7 BbM7 EbM7 EbM7
AbM7 AbM7 DbM7 DbM7
GbM7 GbM7 CbM7 CbM7
EM7 EM7 AM7 AM7
DM7 DM7 GM7 GM7
——– ——– ——– ——–
GM7 GM7 CM7 CM7
FM7 FM7 BbM7 BbM7
EbM7 EbM7 AbM7 AbM7
DbM7 DbM7 GbM7 GbM7
BM7 BM7 EM7 EM7
AM7 AM7 DM7 DM7
The Oddity of CbM7 … Gb is that the scale contains the notes Gb, Ab, Bb,
Cb, Db, Eb, F, and Gb. To list the notes any other
The astute student will have noticed the ‘CbM7’ way would require that two notes would have the
on the fourth line and pondered the fact that since same letter name (such as for example Bb for the
Cb would be the same note as ‘B’ then a CbM7 third note and B for the fourth note). This is for-
would have to contain the same notes as a BM7. bidden in music notation. It’s considered less con-
And you are correct. However, do not substitute fusing to have a chord called CbM7.
a BM7 in the exercise. Here’s why — Who are we to gainsay the gurus of Music The-
You are training your hands to operate auto- ory? So just play it as CbM7, meaning the CM7
matically and with precision. And what is going shape moved one fret lower toward the tuners.
to happen as you are reading music in that key of
The Secret Mystery (Shhh!) To cut the suspense short, we’ll just tell you.
What we need is a good old Dominant 7 chord,
Hidden in the preceding chart (but not very hid- which is often just called a plain ‘seventh chord.’
den) are a couple of patterns, but as a special treat So you can hear what’s missing, please play the
we’ll not spill the beans here. following sequence:
Some people like puzzles, so we’ll leave the
puzzle of the Twice-As-Long chart to those folks GM7— CM7— GM7— DM7
who like puzzles, as a kind of bonus or special
treat. It sounds kind of interesting, and kind of right,
To see the interesting puzzle, on the first half of but not quite. When you hit the DM7, doesn’t it
the chart please just read all the chord symbols in sound like you suddenly went around a corner or
turn: CM7, FM7, BbM7, EbM7, and so on. zoomed to the left somehow? Doesn’t the DM7
Then try the same thing on the second half of sound ‘sort of not right?’
the chart. We think it does. Most musicians would think it
Any similarity? sounds somehow wrong.
Any difference? But we can fix that.
Now, why? Take a look at the graph below for a ‘D7’ chord.
(If this makes no sense to you, or if you just You’ll notice that only one note is different from
don’t give a damn, that’s OK too, as this is just the ‘DM7’ chord. In the DM7 there is a C# note,
for people interested in music theory and puzzles.) and in the D7 note you find a C-natural instead.
Try playing the D7, and then try playing the fol-
Why the ‘Almost Master Exercise’? lowing sequence:
The preceding chart is not quite the Master Ex- GM7— CM7— GM7— D7
ercise, but we only need one missing part to get to
the real Master Exercise. We think you’ll agree that it sounds more
The main problem is that these ‘Alternations’ ‘right.’ Now can you think of any reason that
just don’t cut it as a ‘Chord Progression’ because might be true?
there’s only a slight sense of progression.
Bass-Bottom Megatar — Left-Hand DM7

This is a
“Major
Seventh”
Chord
k
k L
j l
Fret 7 Fret 12
Bass-Bottom Megatar — Left-Hand D7

This is a
“Seventh”
Chord
k
k L
j l
Fret 7 Fret 12
The Mystery of the D7 Chord You can See the Scale in the Chords
On the first chart below, we’ve marked the A few pages back, we mentioned that it would
notes of all three chords GM7, CM7, and D7. The be possible to study scales first and then extract
notes that are part of the GM7 chord we’ve chords from the scales, but that we thought it best
marked with a q. to study chords first because along the way you’d
The notes that form CM7 we’ve marked with a be able to see the scale without even trying.
u. And the notes that form D7 we’ve marked Perhaps you can see what we mean.
with a [. When you play a simple chord progression such
Notice how many fall on the same notes. The A as I— IV— I— V, just by observing which notes
note only occurs in the D7-chord, and the E-note have been played, you can see the shape of the
only occurs in the CM7-chord, but all the other scale that goes with the I-chord.
notes occur in at least two of the three chords. In this example, you played GM7— CM7 —
Play the notes below. GM7 — D7 and could then automatically see the
Holy cow! It’s a G Major scale! scale notes of G.
But of course! We’re not going to use this fact much at present.
The GM7 is the I-chord, the CM7 is the IV- What we’re really interested in is that we need
chord, and the D7 is the V-chord. The V chord to learn the plain ‘Seventh Chords’, also called
must be a V7 to fit the scale. ‘Dominant Seventh Chords’, so that we can play
Do you see that the C# of DM7 didn’t fit? more interesting chord progressions.
That’s why D7 sounds ‘right’ and DM7 doesn't.
q), CM7(u
Megatar — Left-Hand GM7(q u), & D7([
[) Notes
u q[ qu
qu [u q[
[ qu [
Fret 7 Fret 12
Bass-Bottom Megatar — the G Major scale Traktor’s

Finger Symbols
1 = circle
2 = bar
3 = down triangle
j d S 4=X
f k s Root = Hollow
j D l
Fret 7 Fret 12
How Chords are Built

We know this is some sort of D chord with a
We think that the easiest way to actually ‘see’ seventh. In fact, just as it happens to fall on the
scales and chords is to look at a piano keyboard. white piano keys, it would be a ‘D Minor Sev-
If you look at a keyboard, and just pay attention to enth,’ but if we just make the F into an F#, this
the white keys, you will see that they’re laid out chord would become the very D7 we’ve been
in a very simple system — talking about.
A— B— C— D— E— F— G
To make a simple chord you’d start on some The Difference between DM7 and D7
white note and play every other white note, such
as A, C, E, and G. However, because there’s no What is the difference between these two
black key between B and C, nor between E and F, chords? You can see from the chart that the DM7
it makes these various ’white note’ chords have has a C# note , and the D7 has a C-natural note.
different types of sounds, though we aren’t going You can see on the graph that the C# or the C-
to get into that just now. natural is the note just below the Root of D. This
However, we can certainly use the simple im- means that the C# or the C-natural is the ‘seventh’
age of a piano keyboard, and playing every other of the chord.
white key to explain how the chord tones are So the difference between DM7 and D7 is that
named. DM7 has a seventh which is only one half-step
Let’s pretend you were starting on the note ’D’, (one fret) lower than D. This kind of seventh is
and you call the D-note the ‘one’ of the scale. called a ‘Major Seventh’ and we can handily call
Then the E would be the second note, and the ‘F’ the DM7 chord a ‘D Major Seventh’ chord.
would be the ‘third’ note. In the D7 chord we have a seventh which is two
The G would be the fourth note, and the ‘A’ half-steps (two frets) below the D, or you can say
would be the ‘fifth’ note. it’s a whole-step below the D. This kind of sev-
The B would be the sixth note, and the ‘C’ enth is called a ‘Dominant Seventh’ or just a
would be the ‘seventh’ note. ‘Seven’, and that’s why the we call the D7 chord
All right. Now let’s just take every other note to a ‘D Seven Chord.’
spell out a chord. We’ll illustrate this from the If you had been playing in the key of D Major,
bottom up. This is the conventional way to do it then the DM7 would have been your I-chord and
because it models the way we notate notes on the the Major Seventh would fit in. But in the key of
treble and bass clefs in music. So our chord would G, the D-chord is the five-chord, and must be a
look like this — D7 in order to fit in the G Major scale.
C the ‘seventh’ of the chord We haven’t really fully explained the why of all
A the ‘fifth’ of the chord this, but you can see that it’s true.
F the ‘third’ of the chord It’s got to be D7 to fit. And when you play it
D the one (or ‘root’) of the chord that way, it sounds right.
Bass-Bottom Megatar — Left-Hand DM7
k
k L
j l
Fret 7 Fret 12

Traktor’s
Finger Symbols
1 = circle
k 2 = bar
3 = down triangle
k L 4=X
j l Root = Hollow
Fret 7 Fret 12
Making Dominant-Seventh Chords You’ll notice on the first chord, that two notes
from Major-Seventh Chords move. That’s because the seventh of the chord
appears twice in this chord shape.
Before we give you the complete set of Domi-
nant Seven chords (or just ’Seven Chords’),
please go back to the two pages where all the Ma-
jor Seventh chords are given.
Then see how easy it is to make Seven Chords
from Major-Seven Chords —
1. Find the root, and then

2. Find the next lower-pitched note
below the root, which has got to be
the seventh of the chord. Since it’s a
“Major Seven’ chord, the seventh
should be just one half-step below
the root. And then
3. Very lightly just pencil the seventh
one half-step (one fret) lower, and
after you’ve done this with all of the
Major Seven chords then
4. Compare your penciled solutions
with the Dominant Seven Chords as
we present them here …
Bass-Bottom Megatar — Left-Hand A7
j l
k
k L
Fret 7 Fret 12
Bass-Bottom Megatar — Left-Hand B7
k
J l
j l
Fret 7 Fret 12
Bass-Bottom Megatar — Left-Hand C7 Traktor’s

Finger Symbols
1 = circle
2 = bar
3 = down triangle
j l 4=X
j D Root = Hollow
d
Fret 7 Fret 12
k
k L
j l
Fret 7 Fret 12
Bass-Bottom Megatar — Left-Hand E7 Traktor’s

Finger Symbols
1 = circle
2 = bar
3 = down triangle
J l 4=X
f l Root = Hollow
k
Fret 7 Fret 12
Bass-Bottom Megatar — Left-Hand F7
j K
k
J l
Fret 7 Fret 12
Bass-bottom Megatar — Left-Hand G7
k S
f s
D
Fret 7 Fret 12
Learning the Seven Chords and then try it with both hands simultaneously.
And just like any exercise, play by touch, go slow
Now you have the seven Dominant Seventh or at first, make sure nearly all notes are correct and
Seven Chords. Familiarize your fingers with if there are lots of errors then slow down. Keep
them. A good way to do that is to play the Major good posture and feel the frets beneath your fin-
Seven and then the Seven Chord, like this — gertips, which should be playing ON the frets.
When you’ve familiarized yourself with the
GM7 — G7 — GM7 — G7 etc Seventh Chords, we’ll work them into the Master
Exercise, which is next.
As surely you can imagine by now, you try this
with your left hand, then with your right hand,
The Master Exercise, Part One cisely in the table below. This Chord Progression
we call the ‘Folk Cycle’ because you can find it
In its simplest form, the Master Exercise con- occurring in a number of Folk Songs.
sists of one Chord Progression, and the Chords Try this exercise in the usual way. First one
consist of arpeggiated notes done simultaneously hand, then the other, then both hands simultane-
with both hands. ously arpeggiating the chords up and down, and
When you can do the arpeggiation with both moving through the progression in a rhythmic
hands easily, you use rhythmic variations in your manner.
right and left hand, and thus generate many musi- Slow at first, then up to the speed where you can
cal ways to play what we call Rhythm Bass. avoid nearly all errors. Repeat each chord multi-
In addition, the Master Exercise sets the stage ple times as needed to get smooth.
for improvising solos, doing walking bass, and Smooth and rhythmic is important. Raw speed
other musically-useful techniques. is not.
The first Master Exercise sequence is given con- You smooth, man!
The Folk Cycle

Day of the I Chord IV I Chord V
Month (Root) Chord (Root) Chord
CM7 FM7 CM7 G7

BbM7 EbM7 BbM7 F7
AbM7 DbM7 AbM7 Eb7
GbM7 CbM7 GbM7 Db7
EM7 AM7 EM7 B7
DM7 GM7 DM7 A7
——– ——– ——– ——–
GM7 CM7 GM7 D7
FM7 BbM7 FM7 C7
EbM7 AbM7 EbM7 Bb7
DbM7 GbM7 DbM7 Ab7
BM7 EM7 BM7 F#7
AM7 DM7 AM7 E7
The ‘Day of the Month’ Column We’d guess you know how to play the F#7
chord. Probably you’ve already guessed that you
Once you can play this exercise, you may want just play an F7, but slide all notes one half-step
to set up a schedule for daily warm up. Since we sharp (one fret sharp), toward the bridge.
don’t know whether your speed requires two Not too complicated.
weeks per line or one day per six lines, this has
been left for you to pencil in as you wish.
Our First Sharp Chord — F#7
At last! A sharp chord!
Just Checking your Master Exercise ... the IV-chord in the key of C) several times.
Then you arpeggiate the CM7 chord again sev-
Just to make sure we’ve communicated OK, eral times.
here is the first line from the Master Exercise part Finally you arpeggiate the G7 chord (which is
one all spelled out for Bass-Bottom Megatar. the V-chord in the key of C) several times.
First you arpeggiate (play note by note from How many times each chord? If you could do
bottom to the top and then back down again), the once per chord with no errors, that would be good
CM7 chord (which is the I-chord in key of C) and practice. But the presence of errors would say try
you do this several times. them twice each. Also there the presence of errors
Next you arpeggiate the FM7 chord (which is would say try them four times each. And so on.
j l
f D
d
Fret 7 Fret 12
j K
k
J l
Fret 7 Fret 12
Bass-Bottom Megatar — Left-Hand CM7 (again)
j l
f D
d
Fret 7 Fret 12
Bass-bottom Megatar — Left-Hand G7 Traktor’s

Finger Symbols
1 = circle
2 = bar
3 = down triangle
k S 4=X
f s Root = Hollow
D
Fret 7 Fret 12
Master Exercise on 8-String Bass of 8-String Bass, and the instructions are exactly
the same as given on the previous page for arpeg-
Here is the same reality check done for players giating the chords in sequence ...
8-String Bass — Left-Hand CM7
j l
f D
d
Fret 7 Fret 12
8-String Bass — Left-Hand FM7
j K
k
J l
Fret 7 Fret 12
8-String Bass — Left-Hand CM7 (again)
j l
f D
d
Fret 7 Fret 12
8-String Bass — Left-Hand G7
Traktor’s
Finger Symbols
1 = circle
2 = bar
3 = down triangle
k S 4=X
Root = Hollow
f s
D
Fret 7 Fret 12
Master Exercise on Fifths-Bottom the IV-chord in the key of C) several times.

Instrument ... Then you arpeggiate the CM7 chord again sev-
eral times.
Here is the same reality check done for players Finally you arpeggiate the G7 chord (which is
of Fifths-Bottom Instruments. Do exercise as: the V-chord in the key of C) several times.
First you arpeggiate (play note by note from How many times each chord? If you could do
bottom to the top and then back down again), the once per chord with no errors, that would be good
CM7 chord (which is the I-chord in key of C) and practice. But the presence of errors would say try
you do this several times. them twice each. Also there the presence of errors
Next you arpeggiate the FM7 chord (which is would say try them four times each. And so on.
Fifths-Bottom Instrument — Left-Hand CM7

(7) j l
(8) f D
(9) d
Fifths-Bottom Instrument — Left-Hand FM7

(7) j K
(8) k
(9) J l
Fifths-Bottom Instrument — Left-Hand CM7 (again)

(7) j l
(8) f D
(9) d
Fifths-Bottom Instrument — Left-Hand G7 Traktor’s

(7) k S
Finger Symbols
(8) f s
(9) D 1 = circle
2 = bar
3 = down triangle
4=X
Root = Hollow
Let’s Check the Right Hand, too! The nice thing about the Master Exercise is that
it provides musically-useful training. Part One
Just to make sure we’re on the same page before trains your hands through a common chord se-
moving forward, here is the first line from the quence which we call the ‘Folk Cycle’ (although
Master Exercise part one all spelled out for Bass- it occurs in all types of music).
Bottom Megatar on the right-hand part.
As you learn the Master Exercise, you’re going
to learn each of the seven chord-shapes. If you’re
like us, you’ll try playing them left-hand, then
right-hand, then both hands together.
Bass-bottom Megatar — Right-Hand CM7
j l
f D
d
Fret 17 Fret 22
Bass-bottom Megatar — Right-Hand FM7
j K
k
J l
Fret 17 Fret 22
Bass-bottom Megatar — Right-Hand CM7 (again)
j l
f D
d
Fret 17 Fret 22
Traktor’s Bass-bottom Megatar — Right-Hand G7

Finger Symbols
1 = circle
2 = bar
3 = down triangle
4=X k S
Root = Hollow f s
D
Fret 17 Fret 22
Right Hand on 8-String Bass of 8-String Bass, and the instructions are exactly
the same as given on the previous page for arpeg-
Here is the same reality check done for players giating the chords in sequence ...
8-String Bass — Right-Hand CM7
j l
f D
d
Fret 17 Fret 22
8-String Bass — Right-Hand FM7
j K
k
J l
Fret 17 Fret 22
8-String Bass — Right-Hand CM7 (again)
j l
f D
d
Fret 17 Fret 22
Traktor’s 8-String Bass — Right-Hand G7
Finger Symbols
1 = circle
2 = bar
3 = down triangle k S
4=X f s
Root = Hollow D
Fret 17 Fret 22
Right Hand on Fifths-Bottom it provides musically-useful training. Part One

Instrument ... trains your hands through a common chord se-
quence which we call the ‘Folk Cycle’ (although
Here is the same reality check done for players it occurs in all types of music).
of Fifths-Bottom Instruments.
As you learn the Master Exercise, you’re going
to learn each of the seven chord-shapes. If you’re
like us, you’ll try playing them left-hand, then
right-hand, then both hands together.
The nice thing about the Master Exercise is that
Fifths-Bottom Instrument — Right-Hand CM7
j l
f D
d
Fret 17 Fret 22
Fifths-Bottom Instrument — Right-Hand FM7
j K
k
J l
Fret 17 Fret 22
Fifths-Bottom Instrument — Right-Hand CM7 (again)
j l
f D
d
Fret 17 Fret 22
Traktor’s Fifths-Bottom Instrument — Right-Hand G7

Finger Symbols
1 = circle
2 = bar
3 = down triangle
4=X k S
Root = Hollow f s
D
Fret 17 Fret 22
Daily Warm-Up
The Six Noble Rhythms Using the Master Exercise as your Daily Warm-
Up is easy. Initially, we recommend six rhythmic
Our recommendation is to use the Master Exer- ways to play it. These variations both groove your
cise as your Daily Warm-Up. As you will quickly fingers into the chord shape with your hands go-
see, the Master Exercise is a simple set of move- ing together, and these variations also start the
ments which accustom your fingers to being in the process of letting your two hands select out differ-
right place at the right time. ent parts so they sound as if they’re playing inde-
As you will also see, the Master Exercise leads pendently.
directly to many ways of playing what we call These six hand rhythms can be used just as they
’Rhythm Bass’ (basslines plus rhythmic chords), are to play songs, and after they are comfortable
and it leads easily to walking bass, bass hooks, to your fingers, you will find it natural to add
two-handed tumbling arpeggios, and bass or mel- rhythmic variation, which very quickly give you a
ody solos and more. wealth of ways to play.
So a daily practice session might consist of: What we call the Six Noble Rhythms are listed
• Master Exercise Warm-Up in compact fashion in this table —
• Playing Some Songs
• Other Study: (sight-reading, theory,
ear-training, composition, etc.)
The Six Noble Rhythms

LH Arp (Left-Hand Arpeggiate) RH Arp (Right-Hand Arpeggiate)
LH Arp RH Roots
LH Roots RH Roots
LH Roots RH Arp
LH Roots RH GT-Chords (Guide-Tones)
LH Arp RH GT-Chords (Guide-Tones)
What We Do Now, Kemo-Sabe? Play it on the beat, play it off the beat, play it
rhythmically wherever you like, but keep it
Here’s what you do — simple. If errors multiply, make it simpler.
• Select a line from the ’Folk Cycle’ for to- • The third rhythm is LH Roots / RH Roots,
day’s practice. This gives you four chords. and this means you play the progression by
• The first rhythm is LH Arp / RH Arp, which playing only the chords’ roots in each hand.
means you play the first chord’s chord-tones Important Note: You still play the root with
up and down one note per beat, perhaps up the finger you were using on that note when
and down on this chord several times. Then you were arpeggiating it. Play the roots in
the same on the second chord, the same on any rhythmic manner that pleases you . If er-
the third chord, same on the fourth chord, rors multiply, simplify. This rhythm may take
then repeat the four chords the same way. Go less time to get it right than other rhythms.
round several times till your hands feel com- • The fourth rhythm is LH Roots / RH Arp, so
fortable, and your ears say the rhythm is solid your right hand goes back to arpeggiating the
and the notes sound clear. This is the most chord-tones on the beat up and down, while
basic and most useful of all the exercises. your left hand plays only the roots. Left hand
• The second rhythm is LH Arp / RH Roots, should probably initially only play on the
and this means you do your same chord-tones beat.
up and down with your left hand, but with • For the fifth and sixth rhythm, we must learn
your right hand, play only the chord’s root. how to play ’Guide-Tone’ Chords, and that is
next ...
The Duality of Guide Tones Finding Guide Tones is Easy
In Jim Grantham’s excellent ‘JazzMaster Work- For each chord, you already know how to find
out’ you will find a great description of ‘Guide the root because its finger-symbol is hollow.
Tones.’ The Guide Tones in a chord are just two In these major-seventh and seventh chords you
notes. The notes are the ‘third’ and the ‘seventh’ are playing the root, third, fifth, and seventh, and
of the chord. therefore it’s easy to find the guide tones because
If you want to play harmony in the simplest pos- • The third has got to be the next
sible fashion, you play these two notes. They are chord-tone up from the root, and
easy, because they are tones your fingers are al- • The seventh has got to be the next
ready playing. They are safe, because if the chord chord-tone below the root.
has modifications such as a flat five or an added Try picking out the guide tones on the chords
ninth they will still fit and sound harmonious. below. Lightly pencil-circle them on the graph.
j l
f D
d
Fret 7 Fret 12
j K
k
J l
Fret 7 Fret 12
j l
f D
d
Fret 7 Fret 12
Bass-bottom Megatar — Left-Hand G7 Traktor’s

Finger Symbols
1 = circle
2 = bar
3 = down triangle
k S 4=X
f s
D
Fret 7 Fret 12
Guide Tones Exposed! Noble Rhythms Numbers Five and Six
We hope you did the exercise of finding the Now you can play the complete Warm-Up —
Guide Tones (the third above the root, and the • The fifth rhythm is LH Roots / RH GT
seventh below the root) on the previous page. Chords, which means your left hand just
And we hope you got them correctly. plays roots on the beat, and your right hand
Before we go on, let’s make sure. plays the third and seventh together in any
For comparison, we asked our panel of experts simple rhythmic fashion.
to circle the Guide Tones in the chords below. • The sixth rhythm is LH Arp / RH GT Chords,
You got them correct? Then you’re an expert, too! which means your left hand plays the chord
But if you got any wrong, please figure out why up and down on the beat, and your right hand
and see why these circles show the third & sev- plays the third and seventh together in any
enth before you go on. simple rhythmic fashion you desire.
Yow! You got rhythm!
j l
f D
d
Fret 7 Fret 12
j K
k
J l
Fret 7 Fret 12
j l
f D
d
Fret 7 Fret 12

Traktor’s
Finger Symbols
1 = circle
2 = bar
k S 3 = down triangle
f s 4=X
D
Fret 7 Fret 12
Guide Tones for Everybody! through the Folk Cycle chord progressions as
your Daily Warm-Up.
Below are the complete set of Seven Magic Please be sure you can do this without confu-
Chords, that is, the Major-Seven Chords from A sion before going on, because the next section is
to G, and the Guide Tones are indicated. certain to make you blue ...
Please familiarize yourself with the Guide
Tones, and try playing all Six Noble Rhythms
Bass-Bottom Megatar — Left-Hand AM7
j l
k
k L
Fret 7 Fret 12
Bass-Bottom Megatar — Left-Hand BM7
k
J l
j l
Fret 7 Fret 12
j l
f D
d
Fret 7 Fret 12
Bass-Bottom Megatar — Left-Hand DM7 Traktor’s

Finger Symbols
1 = circle
2 = bar
3 = down triangle
k 4=X
k L
j l
Fret 7 Fret 12
Bass-Bottom Megatar — Left-Hand EM7
J l
f l
k
Fret 7 Fret 12
j K
k
J l
Fret 7 Fret 12
Bass-bottom Megatar — Left-Hand GM7
d S
f s
D
Fret 7 Fret 12
Bass-Bottom Megatar — Left-Hand AM7 (again) Traktor’s

Finger Symbols
1 = circle
2 = bar
3 = down triangle
j l 4=X
k
k L
Fret 7 Fret 12
Fingering? cated — that is you just tap your first finger so it

strikes both strings.
The Major-Seventh chords are especially kind Now it would be possible to use two fingers to
in that strict fingering of the Guide Tones works fret the Guide Tones, and there would be some
out just fine. On a chord like FM7 you are using value in such a practice, because it would make
exactly the fingers on the third and seventh tones possible playing the two guide tones either simul-
as you’d use when arpeggiating the chord. taneously or at different times.
On a chord like CM7 where the guide tones are Although that would be a useful thing, for now
two notes at the same fret on adjacent strings, you just play them in the simplest manner: simultane-
can still play both with the first finger as indi- ously, using one finger to strike both strings.
Sour Seventh-Chord Guide Tones and sevenths shown on most of these chords, their
harmonics tend to clash, and this is what gives
Below are the complete set of Dominant Seven your ear the typical ’sour’ sound of the seventh
or simply Seven Chords from A to G. chord. Such notes are ‘a flat fifth’ apart.
Notice that when the third and seventh fall on Note that this ’diagonal’ comment does not ap-
adjacent strings, they always form a diagonal. ply to diagonals slanting in the other direction
When two notes fall on the same fret on adja- such as in the C7 chord the C-note and the E-note.
cent strings, then their vibrating harmonics tend to These notes are ‘a major third’ apart, and their
line up (as you can see using an oscilloscope) and harmonics tend to line up in a way that’s pleasing
they tend to sound coherent. Two such notes are to our ear (but different from the ‘fourth apart’
‘a fourth’ apart. sound).
But when two fall on a diagonal as do the thirds How might you finger these Guide Tones?
Bass-Bottom Megatar — Left-Hand A7
j l
k
k L
Fret 7 Fret 12
Bass-Bottom Megatar — Left-Hand B7
k
J l
j l
Fret 7 Fret 12
Bass-Bottom Megatar — Left-Hand C7
j l
j D
d
Fret 7 Fret 12
Bass-Bottom Megatar — Left-Hand D7 Traktor’s

Finger Symbols
1 = circle
2 = bar
3 = down triangle
k 4=X
k L
j l
Fret 7 Fret 12
Bass-Bottom Megatar — Left-Hand E7
J l
f l
k
Fret 7 Fret 12
j K
k
J l
Fret 7 Fret 12
k S
f s
D
Fret 7 Fret 12
Bass-Bottom Megatar — Left-Hand A7 (again) Traktor’s

Finger Symbols
1 = circle
2 = bar
3 = down triangle
j l 4=X
k
k L
Fret 7 Fret 12
Fingering the Seventh Chords because the first Guide Tone you encounter occu-
pies your third finger. Although you could then
Fingering is not so obvious, is it? use your ‘spare third finger,’ that is, your little
But there is a reasonable and orderly way to go finger, to play the other guide tone, we suggest
about it, and we’ll tell you right now something that in this case use your second and third fingers,
that almost works perfectly — Think of arpeggiat- and there’s only one way they’ll easily play the
ing the chord and finger the first third-or-seventh two Guide Tones. It’s obvious. It’s easy. And it
you encounter just as in the arpeggiation. It will works OK, so that’s what we’ll do.
then be obvious which finger to use for the second
Guide Tone.
However, on the B7 and E7 this big plan fails
‘Zone’ Fingering this, because the Bookmark System’s chord dia-

grams already contain this zone fingering.
When using the approach of playing three fin- Still, just to give you clarity about what’s going
gers on each of the typical three notes that occur on — and to help you solve problems with vari-
on each string, clearly we are not allocating one ous altered chord-forms down the road — here’s
finger per fret, because the nine holy notes spread the big system revealed.
out over five frets, and many of you don’t have These zones are not highly strict. For example,
that many fingers. you’ll see that zones two & three overlap because
Further, sometimes other ‘leading-tone’ notes sometimes you play that fret with finger two and
occur just above or just below the nine-note pat- sometimes with finger three, as you’ll see when
tern, which makes ‘one-finger-per-fret’ quite un- examining chord diagrams.
workable for our three-fingered approach. Also, when you wish to play a Bb7, the simplest
So what we’re doing, in general, is using each way to do it is to play a B7 shape and drop it one
of your three fingers to play in a ‘zone’ of two fret to make it Bb7. It’s just the simplest way to
frets. This tends to work out fairly well. do it. If your mind sees your three fingers in the
Below we’ve shown an F7 chord, We used F7 three ’zones,’ your mind will find as obvious the
just because it spreads out. We could have used idea of sliding a chord down to make it flat or
E7 or B7 just as easily, as they spread out also. sliding it up to make it sharp. No weird re-
We’ve indicated on three F7 chords the three fingering required!
zones which are — in general — played by each Now if anybody asks you what’s going on, you
of your fingers. If you are following the chord can just tell them — you’re in the zone.
shapes, you really don’t have to think much about
j K
k
J l
Zone One Fret 12
j K
k
J l
Fret 7 Zone Two Fret 12
Bass-Bottom Megatar — Left-Hand F7 Traktor’s

Finger Symbols
1 = circle
2 = bar
3 = down triangle
j K 4=X
k
J l
Fret 7 Zone Three Fret 12
The Four-Bar Blues lighted to see that it consists only of Dominant-

Seven chords (also called just ‘Seventh Chords),
And now we got the blues, most assuredly. and that the sequence of chords is identical to the
As most of you know, the blues are usually Folk Cycle. That is, you play the I-chord, the IV-
played in a 12-measure pattern, generally referred chord, the I-chord again, and the V-chord. Except
to as ‘Twelve bar blues’. this time there are no Major Seven chords, just
But we’re going to start with something a little plain old Seventh chords, and it has a completely
simpler — the Four Bar Blues, which you see out- different sound.
lined in the ‘Blues Cycle’. Here we have a simpli- You can learn the ‘Twelve Bar’ version later,
fied blues form you can use in your Warm-Up as but for now, select one of the chord progressions
a next step from the ‘Folk Cycle,’ or for you fast on one of the lines (usually the same key you
learners you can do the Blues Cycle in your practiced in the Folk Cycle), and run the six No-
Warm-Up in addition to doing the Folk Cycle. ble Rhythms through the Blues Cycle.
If the blues chords are new to you, you’ll be de- You’ll have the blues, and you’ll like it!
The Blues Cycle

C7 F7 C7 G7
Bb7 Eb7 Bb7 F7
Ab7 Db7 Ab7 Eb7
Gb7 Cb7 Gb7 Db7
E7 A7 E7 B7
D7 G7 D7 A7
——– ——– ——– ——–
G7 C7 G7 D7
F7 Bb7 F7 C7
Eb7 Ab7 Eb7 Bb7
Db7 Gb7 Db7 Ab7
B7 E7 B7 F#7
A7 D7 A7 E7
The ‘Day of the Month’ Column You Went to Twelve Bars?
Once you can play this exercise, you may want We’re sure you all know this, but for that one
to set up a schedule for daily warm up. Use this guy who doesn’t, the ‘Twelve Bar Blues’ goes
column for marking your schedule, to keep track. like this —
I7, I7, I7, I7 (Or can be played I7, IV7, I7, I7)
Gb or F#? IV7, IV7, I7, I7
V7, IV7, I7, V7 (and then repeat, all the while
If you wanted to, instead of playing the Gb complaining about your woman and money)
blues, you could play the F# blues. It would of
course be F#7, B7, F#7, and C#7.
The Six Noble Rhythms & Blues Folk Cycle, then

• Master Exercise Warm-up using the
Let’s say you’ve accepted our recommendation Blues Cycle
to use the Master Exercise as your Daily Warm- • Playing Some Songs
Up. We’d like to repeat that the Master Exercise • Other Study: (sight-reading, theory,
is a set of movements which accustom your fin- ear-training, composition, etc.)
gers to being in the right place at the right time, What if you’re doing well, but pretty much use
and it also leads directly to playing ‘Rhythm up your allotted practice time just going through
Bass’ (bass notes plus rhythmic chords), as well the Folk Cycle? Well, you could do some of the
as playing melodies, bass solos (what!), and more. Six Noble Rhythms in the Folk Cycle, then switch
So assuming that you’ve got the Folk Cycle to the Blues Cycle and do the others.
down pretty well, then your new daily practice The Six Noble Rhythms are listed again here,
session might consist of: for your convenience —
• Master Exercise Warm-Up using the

LH Arp RH Roots
LH Roots RH Roots
LH Roots RH Arp
Master Exercise using the 6 Rhythms you were arpeggiating it. Play the roots in
any rhythmic manner that pleases you . If er-
• Select a line from the ’Folk Cycle’ for to- rors multiply, simplify. This rhythm may take
day’s practice. This gives you four chords. less time to get it right than other rhythms.
• The first rhythm is LH Arp / RH Arp, which • The fourth rhythm is LH Roots / RH Arp, so
means you play the first chord’s chord-tones your right hand goes back to arpeggiating the
up and down one note per beat, perhaps up chord-tones on the beat up and down, while
and down on this chord several times. Then your left hand plays only the roots. Left hand
the same on the second chord, the same on should probably initially only play on the
the third chord, same on the fourth chord, beat.
then repeat the four chords the same way. Go • The fifth rhythm is LH Roots / RH Guide-
round several times till your hands feel com- Tone Chords, so your right hand plays the
fortable, and your ears say the rhythm is solid simultaneous third and seventh in rhythmic
and the notes sound clear. This is the most fashion, while your left hand plays only roots.
basic and most useful of all the exercises. Please note — you can play entire songs in
• The second rhythm is LH Arp / RH Roots, this simple fashion and be very musical, us-
and this means you do your same chord-tones ing rhythm number five.
up and down with your left hand, but with • The sixth rhythm is LH Arp / RH Guide-
your right hand, play only the chord’s root. Tone Chords, so your right hand plays the
Play it on the beat, play it off the beat, play it chord’s third and seventh (the ’Guide Tones)
rhythmically wherever you like, but keep it by striking them at the same time in a simple
simple. If errors multiply, make it simpler. rhythmic fashion, while your left hand arpeg-
• The third rhythm is LH Roots / RH Roots, giates the chord as usual.
and this means you play the progression by • All done? Now do the same six with the
playing only the chords’ roots in each hand. Blues Cycle. To enhance your learning and
Important Note: You still play the root with clarity, stay in the same key as you played
the finger you were using on that note when during the Folk Cycle.
Songs to Play
How to Play Songs
What is a minor chord?
Now we come to some songs, so the question
arises: How shall we play these songs? You will recall that we modified the Major Sev-
We suggest you give a try with nothing more enth chord to become the Dominant Seventh
than Noble Rhythm Number Five. chord just by dropping its ‘seventh’ by one half
Noble Rhythm Number Five stated in our con- step.
cise manner says ‘LH root / RH GT-chords.’ And Well, you create a ‘minor seven’ chord by drop-
this just means to play the chord’s root with your ping that Major Seventh’s seventh by one half
left hand, while your right hand plays the chord’s step and by also dropping that Major Seventh’s
third and seventh (the ‘Guide Tones’) simultane- third by one half a step.
ously in a soft and rhythmic manner. Presto! You’ve got a ‘minor seventh’ chord.
Go slow, and pay attention the basics of posture Now you are particularly fortunate in this case,
and how you’re holding your body. After initially because by great grand coincidence you have just
placing your hands (as needed), please play by learned the location of all the sevenths and thirds!
touch.
• Use your mind’s vision to picture the shapes So How do you Play a minor chord?
upon the fretboard
• Use your fingertips’ touch to play the notes Well, if you are a diligent estudiante, then you
by feeling for the frets, and will immediately grab your pencil. You will go to
• Use your ears to hear how well you are suc- the Dominant Seventh chords (because they’ve
ceeding. already got the seventh dropped), and you will
If errors multiply, then slow down, play each find the third and you’ll lower it one half step.
chord more times through before changing to the And then you will figure out how to finger it.
next, and play simpler rhythms. On the other hand, if you’re really thinking, you
Remember, speed or rapid rhythms are not im- will realize that those guide tone chords for the
portant. Being dead on the rhythm and getting Major Seventh chords already have the third and
clear tones is what’s important. Play them as slow seventh selected — so why not just slide them
as molasses if you need to. Just make them rock both one fret lower?
in the pocket at the low tempo. And in fact, this will work!
If you can rock steady, someday you’ll boogie Just play the root, and play the identical guide
all night long with the best of them. tones from the Major Seven chord — one fret
lower.
What about minor chords? Presto! Instant ‘minor seven’ chords.
Now, because we are painfully honest guys, we
We’re going to have to waffle just a little here, feel compelled to tell you that there is a third way
because we do not intend to cover minor chords to learn about the minor seven chords —
much at all in this book, and that’s because we (Peek in the Appendix.)
have some big plans for minor chords in Book
Number Two.
But since songs contain minor chords, we’ll tell
you how to get the job done by cheating!
Song Playing Tips

Song Playing Tips that instead of playing G-natural and C-
Natural you’ll play G-Sharp and C-Sharp for
This book contains either six or twelve printed those two notes. Everywhere else the G and
songs. In the free, downloadable version of the the C are G-Natural and C-Natural. Notice
book, the first six songs are not included, because that these accidentals sometimes point out
their copyrights are owned by other folks, and we places where the chord might be something
have no license to give them away for free. (We slightly unusual, so be sure to look at the
purchased rights to give the second six songs chords in that same place.
away for free so they are included.) In the printed • Rhythm of notes and tricky bits — Look over
and bound copy of this book which you bought or the rhythm patterns, and if any look strange,
obtained along with a Mobius instrument, all count them out to make the rhythm familiar.
twelve songs appear. Especially watch for areas where there are
many, many notes in a small area. Luckily in
Analyzing a Song our example song, this doesn’t happen.
• Time Signature — Using the first song ‘Fly If you’ll be playing chords —
Me to the Moon’ as an example, this song is • Read through the chords, and if it helps you,
written in 4/4, which means that you count 1- picture how you play that chord.
2-3-4 for each measure, and each of these • Simplify chords whenever necessary. In our
four beats will be represented by a quarter- example song, in the 7th measure, there is a
note. (If you have the downloaded version E7b9 chord. If you know how to play an
and ‘Fly Me’ is not included, take a look at E7b9, that’s fine, but if you don’t? Then just
‘Flammy Tammy Moo’ which has chords and play an E7 and you’ll discover it sounds just
structure similar to ‘Fly Me.’ fine. Often, unusual chords echo some note
• Key Signature — ’Fly Me’ (or ‘Flammy’) happening in the melody line, and since that
shows no sharps nor flats printed on the left note is being played by the melody, the chord
of the first line, and therefore the song will be gets along just fine without it.
in the key of C.
• Counting the Measures — In our example If you can, try playing the song in different ways:
song, you’ll see eight measures and then the • Go through the song looking at the chords,
‘First Ending’ which has another eight meas- and just play the root with both hands.
ures. The First Ending ends in a Repeat Sign, • Go through the song arpeggiating the chords
which takes you back to the top, or the head. with both hands.
Now you play the same eight measures but • Try playing just the root in the right hand
now you take the Second Ending, which con- while your left hands arpeggiates the chord.
tains twelve measures, so you know it’s go- • Now the other way, root in the left hand
ing to have a little extra thing in there. while your right hand arpeggiates.
• Visually chart the path of the song — Just • If you can play the melody, try playing it
using your eyes, flow over the main part into with your right hand while your left hand
the first ending, and then zip back to the be- plays the roots.
ginning and then follow along till you jump • And then you go on from there …
down to the second ending, to the end. Going
over the flow before you play helps you not Analyze Before Playing
be searching while you are trying to play!
Taking time to analyze what’s before you before
If you’ll be playing the melody — you leap in, makes it much easier to play the
• Accidentals — As you look over the example piece. If you get in the habit of analyzing first,
song, you see there are only two notes in the you’ll learn playing more easily and quickly.
entire song that have a sharp sign, meaning
—> This copyrighted work cannot be published in free download book. <—
Coming up in Book Two ...

What’s Next on the Bookmark? This is where the minor chords come in, and
you’ll learn to weave those into your Master Exer-
Book Two will take the Bookmark System to a cise so that they’re comfortable and familiar to
new level, and increase your ability to play your fingers.
basslines that are more than just roots. You’ll learn the ’Son of Jazz Cycle’ the famous
Now roots are great, and it is amazing how ’Popcorn Changes’ or ’Ice-Cream Changes’
many songs you can play using just roots and still which have been immortalized in Blue Moon, (I
sound perfectly supportive, perfectly rhythmic, Can’t Help) Falling in Love with You, The Seine,
and completely musical. I Like Peanut Butter, and perhaps ten thousand
In Book Two, we’ll introduce ‘leading tones’ other songs.
which just means playing a note before you play
the root. It sounds remarkably good, and it’s re- In Book Two, you will also learn another set of
markably simple. right-hand folded chords which use three notes
Further, Book Two will introduce you to play- each and produce a denser sound with smooth
ing Triads (root, third, and fifth) in several rhyth- ‘voice-leading’. A completely different sound, but
mic patterns so that you’ll have more choices for it comes straight out of the basic Bookmark sys-
playing songs. tem which you already know.
For example, you’ll learn the Habanero, and its
cousin the Matilda rhythm. With just the simplest Also in Book Two, of course, more songs.
of rhythms on the chords in your right hand you
can create compelling and rhythmic sounds. They After you’ve gained some experience with the
can sound quite busy, but they’re easy to play. Bookmark System, you will be able to play a wide
You’ll learn about the Bossa beat (and to get a variety of songs. If you are diligent, you can play
head start see the bonus section of this book to every one of them differently. That is to say, only
start learning the common and useful ‘latin’ pulse, you will know that you are playing them all using
which is in fact the Bossa Bass rhythm). the same basic system. Your listeners will just
think that you’re a very good musician.
In Book Two, you’ll learn two new ’Cycles’ or And, of course, you will be.
chord progressions. First you’ll learn the ‘Jazz
Cycle’ (also called the ’Two-Fives’). This simple
progression occurs over and over and over again
in so many songs.
Bonus Section
The ‘Latin’ Pulse right hand chord using the clave rhythm.
If you don’t know the clave rhythm, or if you
Here’s a question: What are the most basic beats have trouble with it, then start with simpler right-
for playing bass notes? hand patterns, such as —
Here are our suggested answers: 1. Strike one right-hand chord on the ONE of
1. Playing one note (the chord’s root) ON the each measure.
‘one’ beat of each measure. If you were 2. Strike one right-hand chord on each of the
counting ‘1-2-3-4’ for the measure, you’d be four beats of each measure.
playing ‘Note-2-3-4-Note-2-3-4.’ 3. Strike one right-hand chord on each of the
2. Playing one note (the chord’s root) exactly two ‘back-beats’ in each measure. Playing on
ONCE on each beat of the measure. If you the back-beat just means playing on beats ‘2’
were counting ‘1-2-3-4’ for the measure, and ‘4.’ It’s the same old back-beat that most
you’d be playing ‘Note-Note-Note-Note’ in rock songs use on the snare drum to keep
each measure. everybody together.
3. Playing the ‘Latin Pulse’, which contains
three notes (the chord’s root) in each meas- More on the Latin Pulse
ure. But we have to break the measure down
a little further, because in the Latin Pulse the In Book Two, we’ll go more deeply into the
notes are not evenly spaced. If you were Latin Pulse, and for those who don’t know the
counting ‘1-and-2-and-3-and-4-and’ for each clave rhythm, we’ll learn it in Book Two.
measure, you’d be playing ‘Note-and-2-Note- But for now, the ‘Latin Pulse’ is a general-
Note-and-4-and’ in each measure. purpose rhythm which sounds good on almost any
Just to make sure we’ve described that Latin ‘latin-type’ rhythmic song which needs a pulsing
Pulse clearly, we’ll diagram the rhythm another feel from the bass, so you might as well learn it so
way. Let’s assume you are counting ‘1-and-2-and- you can play it automatically without thought.
3-and-4-and’ for each measure. We will underline If you choose to work as a professional bass
the three places where your notes go — player, you can earn hundreds of thousands of
‘1 - and - 2 - and - 3 - and - 4 - and ’ dollars playing this one rhythm. Of course, it will
That’s pretty clear, right? take a few years!
The Latin Pulse is frequently done with the
chord’s root on the ‘One’ and the chord’s fifth on
What’s a good Right-Hand Rhythm?
the ‘and - 3’ beats. If you wish, work out how to
do this, keeping strict fingering within the Nine
There is actually a syncopated right hand pattern
Holy Notes. That is, wherever the root falls, that’s
which in latin ‘Samba’ or ‘Bossa Nova’ songs (as
where you play it with the finger you always use
done by American jazz musicians) is the part
on that note. And wherever the chord’s fifth falls,
played by the ‘clave’. If you’re not familiar, the
that’s where you play it with the finger you al-
clave is two cylinders of polished wood struck
ways use on that note!
together to produce a bright and musical clicking
So until Book Two, when we’ll expand on the
rhythm which cuts through the very busy latin
Latin Pulse plus the true Bossa Pulse and some
rhythms of the horn section and piano to keep
other Latin American things that will propel your
everybody together. The Samba and Bossa Nova
touch-style bass playing into new levels of com-
clave rhythm differ only by one note, and both of
plex sound from simple elements, get back to
them are used with a bass pattern as shown
your roots!
above..
If you know this clave rhythm, then when you
can play the left-hand bass pulse, then work in the
Bonus Section: Bonus Songs #5-#12 Notes

#5 Hello, Young Lovers #11 CircumNavigation
This song will only appear in the printed and This is an artificial song, written to contain only
bound copy of this book if you have purchased Major Seventh Chords, and going completely
the book or obtained it with a Mobius instrument. around the ‘Circle of Fifths’, so that it hits every
Major Seventh Chord along the way.
#6 We Kiss in a Shadow Because it is in effect changing keys constantly
with every measure, you will see lots of acciden-
This song will only appear in the printed and tals in the melody, which is what lots of key
bound copy of this book if you have purchased changes do for you.
the book or obtained it with a Mobius instrument. So it’s not the easiest song for a beginner to
play the melody, but it’s a great song for a begin-
#7 Flammy Tammy Moo ner to practice the chords!
This song has chords and structure similar to # 12 Sailing Away

‘Fly Me to the Moon.’
This is an artificial song, written to go around
#8 Your Awful Knees the ‘Circle of Fifths’ using repeating II-V-I chord
patterns. (If this is gibberish don’t be worried, be-
This song has chords and structure similar to cause it will make sense later.)
‘Autumn Leaves.’ Again, because you are changing keys often, in
this case every two measures, there are more than
#9 My Trusty Yurt the usual amount of accidentals in the melody
line. So, again, it’s not the easiest melody for new
This song has chords and structure similar to folk to play, but it’s great chords for new folk to
‘Only Trust Your Heart.’ play!
In this structure, you only hit half the chords. (If
#10 Mood Reaver you wanted to practice the other chords, you’d
need to shift the entire song either up or down one
This song has chords and structure similar to half step. This is not a bad exercise for practicing
‘Moon River.’ your chords.).
Want to Hear the Songs?

• Bonus Songs #7-#12 have been recorded and are available for your listening pleas-
ure online. Just start up your browser, and visit the ’Songs Archive’ found at —
http://www.megatar.com/documents/
• If you are reading this book as a PDF file on your computer, and you’re connected
to the internet, then just click on the link above and visit the “Song Archive.”

Blank Charts for Bass-Bottom Megatar or Inverted-Fifths Instrument
Fret: __ Fret: __
Fret: __ Fret: __
Fret: __ Fret: __
Fret: __ Fret: __
Fret: __ Fret: __

Blank Charts for Six, Seven, or Eight-String Bass
Fret: __ Fret: __
Fret: __ Fret: __
Fret: __ Fret: __
Appendix
Concise Bookmark System Summary The daily Warm-Up should be done with good
posture, using
The Bookmark System is a Fixed Position sys- 1. Your mind’s ‘vision’ to picture the
tem where each hand plays in place, with fairly chord-forms on your fretboard, but
strict fingering using three fingers per string. 2. Playing the notes by ‘touch’, and
The Bookmark System teaches your fingers to 3. Using your ‘ears’ to hear how well
be in the right place at the right time, and it forms you’re succeeding.
the basis for Rhythm Bass (bass notes plus rhyth- Notes should be clear and initially played le-
mic chords), and other musical ways to play mu- gato. Play ON the fret, and use your fingertips to
sic. The Bookmark System consists of a Master feel the fret beneath the string.
Exercise usually done as a Warm-Up each day. Raw speed does not matter. Playing exactly on
This Master Exercise has three parts — the rhythm with clear tone does matter.
1. Use the ‘Six Noble Rhythms’ on Practice slowly enough so that 85-95% of your
2. The Folk Cycle and the Blues Cycle practice is without errors. End each exercise on an
chord progressions, using execution that was done correctly.
3. The Chord Forms with fingering as
shown.

LH Arp RH Roots
LH Roots RH Roots
LH Roots RH Arp
The Six Noble Rhythms Chart you were using for that note when arpeggiat-
ing the chord tones. Play the two hands’ notes
1. With left hand, arpeggiate the chord-tones, together or separately in any simple rhythmic
from the bottom of the chart to the highest manner.
note and then back down, each note on the 4. With the left hand, play the chord’s root, and
beat. With right hand, do exactly the same. If with the right hand arpeggiate the chord’s
needed learn each hand separately, but then tones up and down.
practice with both hands playing each note 5. With the left hand, play only the chord’s root,
simultaneously. This is the most basic exer- and with the right hand play the Guide-Tones
cise and from this flow all other techniques. as a chord in any simple rhythmic manner.
2. With left hand, arpeggiate the chord-tones, 6. With the left hand, arpeggiate the chord’s
but with your right hand, play only the roots tones up and down, and with the right hand,
of the chord, in any simple rhythmic manner. play the Guide-Tones (chord’s third and sev-
3. With left hand, play the chord’s root, and enth) as a chord by striking the third and sev-
with the right hand, also play the chord’s enth simultaneously in any simple rhythmic
root. Use the same finger to play the root that manner.
The Folk Cycle

CM7 FM7 CM7 G7

BbM7 EbM7 BbM7 F7
AbM7 DbM7 AbM7 Eb7
GbM7 CbM7 GbM7 Db7
EM7 AM7 EM7 B7
DM7 GM7 DM7 A7
——– ——– ——– ——–
GM7 CM7 GM7 D7
FM7 BbM7 FM7 C7
EbM7 AbM7 EbM7 Bb7
DbM7 GbM7 DbM7 Ab7
BM7 EM7 BM7 F#7
AM7 DM7 AM7 E7
The Blues Cycle

C7 F7 C7 G7
Bb7 Eb7 Bb7 F7
Ab7 Db7 Ab7 Eb7
Gb7 Cb7 Gb7 Db7
E7 A7 E7 B7
D7 G7 D7 A7
——– ——– ——– ——–
G7 C7 G7 D7
F7 Bb7 F7 C7
Eb7 Ab7 Eb7 Bb7
Db7 Gb7 Db7 Ab7
B7 E7 B7 F#7
A7 D7 A7 E7
Chords for Bass-Bottom Megatar: “A” and the Seventh Chord has its third dropped to
become the Minor Seventh chord, and the Minor
These four chord forms show how the Major Seventh chord has its fifth dropped to become the
Seventh chord has its seventh dropped to become ‘Minor Seven Flat Five’ chord.
the Dominant Seventh (or just ‘Seventh Chord’),
Bass-Bottom Megatar— AM7
j l 5, M7
k M3
k L M7, 1
Melody: Fret 17 Fret 22
Bass: Fret 7 Fret 12
Bass-Bottom Megatar— A7
j l 5, b7
k M3
k L M7, 1
Bass-Bottom Megatar— Am7
j l 5, b7
k b3
k L b7, 1
Traktor’s Bass-Bottom Megatar— Am7b5

Finger Symbols
1 = circle
2 = bar
3 = down triangle
4=X j l b5, b7
Root = Hollow k b3
k L b7, 1
Chords for Bass-Bottom Megatar: “B” and the Seventh Chord has its third dropped to
Bass-Bottom Megatar— BM7
k 5
J l 1, M3
j l 5, M7
Bass-Bottom Megatar— B7
k 5
J l 1, M3
j l 5, b7
Bass-Bottom Megatar— Bm7

Traktor’s
Finger Symbols
k 5 1 = circle
2 = bar
J l 1, b3 3 = down triangle
j l 5, b7 4=X
Root = Hollow
Bass-Bottom Megatar— Bm7b5
k b5
J l 1, b3
j l b5, b7
Chords for Bass-Bottom Megatar: “C” and the Seventh Chord has its third dropped to
Bass-Bottom Megatar— CM7
j l M3, 5
f D M7, 1
d 5
Bass-Bottom Megatar— C7
j l M3, 5
j D b7, 1
d 5
Bass-Bottom Megatar— Cm7
j l b3, 5
j D b7, 1
d 5
Traktor’s Bass-Bottom Megatar— Cm7b5

Finger Symbols
1 = circle
2 = bar
3 = down triangle
4=X j l b3, b5
Root = Hollow j D b7, 1
k b5
Chords for Bass-Bottom Megatar: “D” and the Seventh Chord has its third dropped to
Bass-Bottom Megatar— DM7
k M3
k L M7, 1
j l M3, 5
Bass-Bottom Megatar— D7
k M3
k L b7, 1
j l M3, 5
Bass-Bottom Megatar— Dm7

Traktor’s
Finger Symbols
k b3 1 = circle
2 = bar
k L b7, 1 3 = down triangle
j l b3, 5 4=X
Root = Hollow
Bass-Bottom Megatar— Dm7b5
k b3
k L b7, 1
j l b3, b5
Chords for Bass-Bottom Megatar: “E” and the Seventh Chord has its third dropped to
Bass-Bottom Megatar— EM7
J l 1, M3
f l 5, M7
k M3
Bass-Bottom Megatar— E7
J l 1, M3
f l 5, b7
k M3
Bass-Bottom Megatar— Em7
J l 1, b3
f l 5, b7
k b3
Traktor’s Bass-Bottom Megatar— Em7b5

Finger Symbols
1 = circle
2 = bar
3 = down triangle
4=X J l 1, b3
Root = Hollow j l b5, b7
k b3
Chords for Bass-Bottom Megatar: “F” and the Seventh Chord has its third dropped to
Bass-Bottom Megatar— FM7
j K M7, 1
k 5
J l 1, M3
Bass-Bottom Megatar— F7
j K b7, 1
k 5
J l 1, M3
Bass-Bottom Megatar— Fm7

Traktor’s
Finger Symbols
j K b7, 1 1 = circle
2 = bar
k 5 3 = down triangle
J l 1, b3 4=X
Root = Hollow
Bass-Bottom Megatar— Fm7b5
j K b7, 1
k b5
J l 1, b3
Chords for Bass-Bottom Megatar: “G” and the Seventh Chord has its third dropped to
Bass-Bottom Megatar— GM7
d S M7, 1
f s M3, 5
D 1
Bass-Bottom Megatar— G7
k S b7, 1
f s M3, 5
D 1
Bass-Bottom Megatar— Gm7
k S b7, 1
j s b3, 5
D 1
Traktor’s Bass-Bottom Megatar— Gm7b5

Finger Symbols
1 = circle
2 = bar
3 = down triangle
4=X k S b7, 1
Root = Hollow j l b3, b5
D 1
Eleven Reasons why a Bass-Player There are navigational advantages in fret-

should learn this method at Fret 7 marking at fret two, but during your first learning,
this is a drawback and not an advantage. By start-
Reason #1 You adjust quickly to the wide neck. ing at fret seven, this potential source of confu-
The neck is very wide! The easiest way to accus- sion can be easily set aside.
tom your hand to this stretch is to work in the The fret markers at fret seven are already in the
’greatest stretch’ position. At Fret Seven position, positions familiar to you, so let’s learn there.
your hand will not confuse this neck with the neck Once playing by touch, then playing in the fret
on your Jazz Bass! two area becomes easy.
By working at this ’worst case’ location, with
less carry-over and interference from your prior Reason #6 It’s easier to fret with your Third
learning about playing conventional bass. Finger. Many bass players, commonly playing at
low positions where the hand stretches greatly,
Reason #2 The bottom string is the easiest to have developed the habit of fretting with the little
locate by touch. Best playing results when you finger (and sometimes they put the third finger on
play by touch, and this method teaches touch-play top of the little finger for increased strength).
fast. When you’re ‘feeling’ for your position, the But in this method, we fret with fingers one,
easiest string to locate in each string group is the two, and three (and the little finger is reserved for
lowest one. Fret Two position doesn’t use the bot- some special cases). If you are a bassist who is
tom string, but Fret Seven position does. Better. fretting with finger three for the first time, it may
be easier at fret seven position because there’s
Reason #3 It feels natural to play only Fretted less stretch, less strength requirement, less habit.
Notes. As a bass-player you have a tendency to
play notes on open strings. The more experience Reason #7 You don’t need to move your hand
you have, the stronger this tendency, which will as much. Because frets are closer together at fret
interfere with your learning this fixed-position, seven, your hand motion to reach notes is mini-
no-open-string system. mized. With your hand more stable, accuracy im-
However, as a bass-player, when you’re playing proves, and your speed of learning increases.
higher on the neck you have less tendency to play
an open string. Therefore, when you initially learn Reason #8 All chords fold in regular fashion at
at Fret Seven Position, you will have less interfer- Fret Seven. In this method, you’ll learn extremely
ence from your existing habits. regular ways to alter individual notes to alter
chords. At Fret Seven position, all these altera-
Reason #4 You can play without running into tions are completely regular. At Fret Two, be-
the Sound Deadener. The sound-deadener is keeps cause you run into the sound-deadener, there are a
the open strings from ringing in an unmusical couple of chords you’ll have to play differently.
fashion while playing by touch. But it presents You’ll have greater learning speed to learn ex-
two problems to your hand and fingers — ceptions only after learning the ‘regular way’.
Firstly, to play the notes at fret one requires a bit
more tapping effort to get similar volume as a Reason #9 All shapes translate exactly to your
note you tap at fret two and the rest of the fret- right hand, and to other-tuned instruments. There
board. By initially learning at Fret Seven Position, are no other tunings which run into the sound
we can defer learning this little bit of business. deadener as does ‘Bass Bottom’ tuning, and so by
Later, when you’re a capable player, learning this learning at Fret Seven, all shapes your left hand
little bit of business is trivial. Why fight it now? learns are identical to your right hand shapes, and
Nextly, when you feel the sound deadener with to your left hand shapes on differently tuned in-
your hand or your fingers, this is something new struments.
and can annoy your hand and give you distraction.
When first learning, who needs a distraction? Reason #10 Easy to learn Fret Seven then move
to Fret Two. We promise. When do you get to
Reason #5 Visual Navigation is easier near the play at Fret Two? After book two.
Familiar Fret-Marker at Seventh Fret. As a bass-
player (or a guitar player) you’re accustomed to Reason #11 It’s better to be able to play in two
seeing a fret marker at fret THREE. And here’s positions than just in one position. Many bassists
this instrument with the big marker at fret TWO. never learn to play much up on the neck. By
This can create confusion between your old learn- learning at Fret Seven position, however, you will.
ing and your new learning. Later, changing to Fret Two Position is easy.
Pedagogy — A Special Note for Teachers regarding Fingering
In the Bookmark System, the fingering method presented diverges from classical fingering in
one important aspect:
In the ’Bookmark System’ presented herein, initial fingering uses only the first three fin-
gers. The fourth finger has an important part in later books, but for reasons of taking things
one step at a time we do not begin with all four fingers.
The emphasis in the Bookmark System is to learn approximately one octave of notes be-
neath each hand. The notes below the right hand will fall identically with the notes falling
below the left hand, although on higher-pitched strings.
By training the two hands to work together, the two hands can advance quickly, because
what they are learning is muscularly similar.
After they can work together, in a following section of this book, we will begin to separate
out the movements of the left hand and the right hand, to develop hand independence, al-
though still within an identical framework of notes on the fretboard.
In this way the student will initially learn (a) an octave of notes, (b) how to arpeggiate
chords inside that octave of notes, and (c) how to then separate out different parts for each
hand: for example, how to play a rhythmic bass part with the left hand while playing rhyth-
mic chord tones with the right hand.
Seen another way, the student is learning where his notes appear on the fretboard, how to
move his fingers, and how to quickly play useful music.
A ‘Three-Fingered’ System?
In classical guitar training, it would be far more common to train the musician to approach
the fretboard on a ‘one finger per fret’ basis. Although such a system does not permit the mu-
sician to play a major-third interval on a single string without altering
the ‘one finger per fret’ approach, it is a good basic approach which
yields fluid playing, and it also tends to reduce hand movement some-
what.
In the Bookmark System, initially using only fingers one, two, and
Classical Fingering ... three, in some cases the hand will move a bit further (although the an-
choring thumb on the rear of the fretboard will not be required to
Basically is a move).
’One finger per FRET’
system. The specific virtue of initially beginning with three fingers on three
strings, and playing three notes on each of these strings is that the mu-
Bookmark System Fin- sician quickly learns to associate a specific finger with a specific note.
gering ... Further, it makes each chord initially ‘feel’ the same to the hand. That
is, the GMajor7 chord has the same basic muscular feeling as does the
Basically is a G7 chord and the Gminor7 chord. This yields rapid learning. And once
’One finger per NOTE’ again, because the two hands can be trained simultaneously, the student
system. gains skills quickly, which most humans find rewarding, and this emo-
tional reward promotes further learning.
So the Bookmark System is not basically a ‘one finger per fret’ sys-
tem; instead, the Bookmark System is basically a ‘one finger per note’
system.
Yet be advised that the Bookmark System is not really a Three-Fingered System. It starts
out that way, but in later books we will employ the fourth finger to extend the notes acces-
sible in a single fretboard playing position. The fourth finger will be rhythmically required,
and this extended approach permits playing a interval of a fourth on one string without the
need for a change of hand position nor fingering. This makes tetra-chords accessible, and
permits the next fretboard hand position to be essentially identical to the first hand position.
In addition, melody or scalar passages will yield up alternate ways to play without a change
of hand position, and a number of chordal and harmonic methods will be presented, all
within this one extended hand position.
What if you’re a teacher who just can’t stand teaching three fingers?
There is an easy way to adapt all the fingering charts which follow into a classical ‘four-
finger’ system.
In charts within this book, after introducing the notes by name, you will see ‘Traktor’s
Finger Symbols’ indicating fingering by fingers
one, two, and three.
If you feel that your student should learn ‘four-
fingered’ fingering, then just have the student use
finger four instead of finger three in all of the
Traktor’s Finger Sym- charts in this book. This will lead to the basic mus-
cular expression of the four-fingered classical ap-
bols ... proach with very little lost. The student will still
be learning an octave of notes falling identically
Finger #1 = Circle j beneath the two hands, and the hands can be
Finger #2 = Bar k trained together.
Finger #3 = Down Triangle l In later books, where we show how to make fin-
Finger #4 = X ; gering more fluid, you will need to adapt because
your student hasn’t really learned ‘one finger per
A hollow symbol identifies the note.’
root of the scale or chord. However, the classical method is a good method,
Like this: J K L or :. and if you prefer to teach that fingering then the
Bookmark System adapted so will still be highly
effective at training the student to learn simply,
and to play good music rather quickly.
Blank charts are provided in this book for your
use in notating fingering as you choose.
Note to Everybody Else: What Does ‘Pedagogy’ Mean?
Here’s the definition —

ped a go gy (pµd“…-g½”j¶)
The art or profession of teaching. The technique of presenting material to be learned. The
word derives from French pédagogie, which comes from Old French, which comes from
Greek paidag½gia, which comes from the noun paidag½gos, a slave who took children to
and from school! (So be kind to your teacher! He is slaving away in your benefit!)
About Mobius Megatar

Email —
Mobius Megatar is an instrument manufacturer. tappers@megatar.com
Our company was created for the purpose of
bringing more music and more ‘tappistry’ into the US 24-Hour Recorded Infoline —
world. (415) 435-7504
‘Tappistry’, noun, the artistry of tapping on
strings in order to make music, thus making si- US Office Telephone —
multaneous two-handed play possible on guitar- (415) 435-8803
like instruments.
Who are we? We’re engineers and we’re musi- US Fax Number —
cians. We like music, and we like the two-handed (415) 453-1485
touch-style method. And we think that lots of
other musicians would like two-handed tapping, if US Office Hours —
only it were a little easier to play, a little more 9am—5pm Monday-Friday,
affordable, and a little better known. Pacific Standard Time
So that’s given us our mission: Make a great
tapping instrument, designed to be easy to play,
designed to be affordable, and place it in musi- Traktor’s Finger Symbols
cians’ hands all around the world.
Graphs in this book were produced by superim-
Mobius Products posing an (invisible) table to contain the finger-
symbols over another (visible but empty) table
Mobius Megatar manufactures a line of spe- whose lines represent the strings and frets.
cialty tapping basses, along with special pickup For the finger-symbols themselves we created a
arrays to customize the sound, and requisite ac- true-type font called TrakBatsTM using Macrome-
cessories such as strings and cases and instruc- dia’s Fontographer program.
tional material, of which this is the first book of a Then one simply types TrakBat symbols into the
series. (invisible) table cells. The invisible table is offset
You can find detailed information about our slightly from the underlying visible table so that
products on the web at http://www.megatar.com symbols automatically center themselves upon the
‘string’ line between two ‘fret’ lines. TrakBats are
easy to use because the symbol for first finger is
How to Contact Mobius Megatar under your first finger on each hand as you type,
the symbol for second finger beneath your second
US Mailing Address — finger, etc. Using the shift-key makes the symbol
Mobius Megatar USA hollow to show a chord or scale’s root.
Post Office Box 969 Traktor’s Finger Symbols and the TrakBats font
Fairfax, CA 94978 are available free of copyright restriction for any-
one who wishes to use them. Find them at:
Website — http://www.megatar.com/trakbats/
http://www.megatar.com
Mobius Megatar Instruments and The MegStrap

Accessories
Included with any Mobius instrument is our new
Mobius manufactures several models of specialty design of guitar strap called the ‘MegStrap’. As
tapping basses, as well as a line of accessories. you can see in the illustration earlier in this book,
the MegStrap holds your instrument in an upright
The “TrueTapper” Series and comfortable position so that your hands fall
easily and naturally upon the fretboard for two-
These models bring a new standard of value to handed touch-style play.
the world of Touch-Style play. Blonde in color,
built of maple and alder, a TrueTapper typically The MegHook
has one pickup for the melody strings, and a sepa-
rate pickup for the bass strings. Various pickups The convenience of a removable belt-hook! Just
available. Separate tone controls to provide a attach the belthook to the rear of your megatar
bright and clear voice suitable for many types of instrument, and then slip the wide hook portion
music. over your belt to support your instrument from the
belt. You can use the belthook by itself if you
The “MaxTapper” Series keep your hands on the neck of the instrument, or
use it in combination with your MegStrap, to
The professional choice for warm tone! The eliminate any lateral (side to side) motion if you
MaxTapper is made of premium dark wood, and get to dancing around.
comes standard with Graph Tech custom nut and
bridge saddles of charcoal-colored ‘String Saver’ The MegBar
material. This patented exotic material extends
sustain, keeps strings in tune longer, and reduces Like to play seated? The MegBar attaches to the
string breakage during the gig. The MaxTapper rear of your megatar, and provides a ‘cross-bar’ to
has either two or four premium Bartolini pickups either side of the instrument’s body. This form-
for the quality sound of warmth & power. fitting cross-bar can rest comfortably on your
thighs while playing seated. It can be used by it-
The “ToneWeaver” self, or in combination with your MegStrap.
This bass of premium dark wood is built using Carrying and Shipping Cases
the ’fanned-fret’ system licensed from its inventor
Ralph Novak. By arranging the frets on a slant, ReUnion Blues has the reputation of building
the bass strings are made longer and the melody the best gigbags in the world. The Mobius custom
strings are made shorter. As your ear will tell you, ‘SofCase’ is specifically designed for your instru-
the natural result is deeper lows with power and ment, with handles, back-pack straps, and an up-
character, and clearer highs with definition and right ‘safety position’ carrying handle. Comes
authority. Oddly enough, these slanted frets feel with large pocket, and heavy padding.
almost the same to your hands, and the learning The TKL company, using patented processes,
curve is minimal. The ToneWeaver normally builds the Mobius custom ‘FliteLite’ hardcase for
comes with four switch-selectable Bartolini pick- maximum protection, even with the airlines. The
ups, Graph Tech nut and saddles, and great tone! shell is precision molded from custom extruded
resin compounds, with aluminum edging and steel
The Buzz Feiten Intonation System locks. Tough, high-tech protection.
Included with all Mobius instruments is the Alternate Pickup-Arrays

amazing system patented by studio whiz Buzz
Feiten. By means of a careful set of offsets to the A number of alternate pickups are available to
nut and bridge saddles — completely different personalize your instrument to your taste and to
from normal industry practice — the entire instru- the music you play. This upgrade is easiest done
ment sounds more in tune to your ear. For an in- when instrument is purchased, either direct from
strument that covers the wide range of both bass factory or ordered through your local music store.
and guitar, this is important. When you sound See our website for current selection.
more in tune, you just sound better!
Black-Nosed Buddha So that no musician will be denied this infor-

mation for lack of the purchase price, this book is
There is a story, we don’t know if it is true, that publicly available for free download on our web-
a certain Buddhist nun lived as did many others in site at www.megatar.com. (The website version is
a tent in a meadow behind the monastery. lacking only six songs whose copyrights are
Each morning and evening, she burned incense owned by other folks, and which we cannot pub-
before her small idol of the Buddha, as she prayed lish in a free download book.)
and contemplated.
One evening, she noticed that the breeze was Although this book is copyrighted and all rights
carrying the smoke from her incense off to the are reserved, we grant to any individual musician
side and was in fact causing the incense smoke to the right to download one free copy from our
flow over the Buddha of the nun in the next tent. website for your own personal use. You can’t le-
Our nun realized that her own Buddha was not gally copy this book, and you can’t legally
getting the benefit of her incense, and this dis- download it and give it to anybody, but please feel
turbed the perfect tranquility of her mind. free to send them to our website for their own free
The next day, finding a bit of metal foil dis- copy!
carded during repairs to the monastery roof, she
had a brilliant idea, and that evening before she lit Ideas themselves cannot be copyrighted. Any
her incense, she fashioned from the foil a type of touch-style teacher can therefore teach the tech-
cone which funneled the incense smoke direct to niques presented here. If you send your students
the nose of her Buddha. to the website, they can each download a free
This quickly blackened the nose of her Buddha, copy for a study text. If they want a pretty paper
and made it especially ugly. copy with a cover and songs and bonus section
included, we can provide you with inexpensive
About Copyrights and Sharing copies which you may sell.
This work is copyrighted , in order to protect the Knowledge is not a hamburger. What you have
integrity of the source work. However, any com- is not diminished by sharing. Please share this
pany interested in reprinting this book for sale is knowledge. That is to say ...
urged to contact Mobius Megatar for easy licens-
ing terms. Psst! Pass it on!
“Easy Touch-Style Bassics”
Published by Mobius Megatar
Post Office Box 969
Fairfax, CA 94978 USA
InfoLine: (415) 435-7504
Http://www.megatar.com
Email: tappers@megatar.com

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Easy Touch-Style

An original method for rapid learning of

by Henri DuPont and Traktor Topaz

*2 megatar, adjective An instrument designed for two-handed touch-style play

Mobius Megatar, Ltd.

Author Henri DuPont wishes to say ...

Author Traktor Topaz wishes to say ...

Locating the Notes

Bonus Section: ’Latin Pulse’ Rhythm

Appendix: Bookmark System Summary

Introducing the Instrument

Instruments which are especially made for two-handed touch-

Essential Points for a good Tapping Instrument

Whatever you may call your specialty tapping instrument, the

Pictured — the Mobius Megatar TrueTapper

The TrueTapper shown is a typical specialty tapping bass, with

How do you Put It On?

When you purchased your tapping in-

How do you Jack It In?

Somewhere near the volume and tone

Guitar Tab tion is most commonly seen in instructional ma-

Overview of the Books

play. Several techniques are presented to help you

The Bookmark System — Locating the Notes

Four Fretboard Regions provide Four Hand Positions

in Inverted-Fifths — If you examine the note

cess to two or more octaves of notes. That’s

Teachers: Special Note

Educators and Teachers,

8-String Bass — Left-Hand Low Notes

Bass Fret 7 Position provides these Root Notes

8-String Bass — Left-Hand Fingering

Bass Left-Hand Fingering for Root Notes

Bass-Bottom Megatar — Left-Hand Low Notes

Megatar Fret 7 Position provides these Root Notes

Bass-Bottom Megatar — Left-Hand Fingering

Megatar Left-hand Fingering

Fifths-Bottom Instrument— Left-Hand Low Notes

On Fifths-Bottom instrument, your left hand is do pushups on the lawn!

Fifths Fret 2 Position provides these Root Notes

Fifths-Bottom Instrument — Left-Hand Fingering

Fifths Left-hand Fingering

(String #) Fret 2 Fret 7

Comparing the Low Notes on all Three Instruments

Eight-String Bass Left-Hand Low Notes

Bass-Bottom Megatar Left-Hand Low Notes

Fifths-Bottom Instrument Left-Hand Low Notes

8-String Bass — Right-Hand High Notes (for Melody or Harmony)

Bass Fret 17 Position provides these Scale Notes

8-String Bass — Right-Hand Fingering

Traktor’s Bass Right-Hand Fingering (Melody Notes)

Bass-Bottom Megatar — Right-Hand High Notes (for Melody or Harmony)

Megatar Fret 17 Position provides these Scale Notes

Bass-tuned Megatar — Right-Hand Fingering for Melody Notes

Traktor’s Megatar Right-Hand Fingering (Melody Notes)

Fifths-Bottom Instrument — Right-Hand High Notes (for Melody or Harmony)

Fifths Fret 17 Position provides these Scale Notes

Fifths-Bottom Instrument — Right-Hand Fingering

Traktor’s Fifths Right-Hand Fingering (Melody Notes)

Comparing the High Melody/Harmony Notes on all Three Instruments