The Infinite Bass

27/08/2026

Meet The Dorian Family

The Dorian scale has always been one of my favourite scales (Humanity’s too – see my website article on the history of minor scales at theinfinitebass.com).

On the one hand, it has funk written all over it – consider “Good Times” that uses the entire scale, or “Born to Love You”, highlighting the major 6th and flat 7th against the root – a typical Dorian sound.

On the other hand, its use in classic Dorian melodies such as “Riders on the Storm”, “Mad World”, etc.
However, there are several variants of the Dorian scale itself, due to the pitch arrangements of different parent scales, such as Harmonic min, Melodic minor, Harmonic major, etc.

Here are some very user-friendly examples that are ripe for improvisation or bassline building –

Dorian

It has become a mainstay in Pop, Film and Jazz music – the list of songs that use this mode could fill a phone book, but “Good Times” stands out, as Bernard Edwards' bassline outlines the entire scale. The Graduate film used the classic folk tune "Scarborough Fair" to very good effect (arranged by Simon & Garfunkel). "So What" by Miles Davis is perhaps the most iconic use of the Dorian mode in Jazz.

Dorian #4

The Dorian #4 scale is mode iv of Harmonic Minor. Also referred to as the Ukrainian Dorian scale, or Romanian minor. With the “Harmonic cluster” made by the grouping of the 2nd, minor 3rd, sharp 4th and natural 5th that gives this scale a distinct Eastern European sound.

Dorian ♭5

Stepping outside of the modes built from minor parents, the Dorian ♭5 scale is mode ii of Harmonic Major – a rarely used scale; the Dorian ♭5 scale is just as rarely employed, which is surprising, as it sits under the fingers very well and has some interesting harmonic and melodic possibilities.

Dorian ♭2

Dorian ♭2 is a musical scale built on the second degree of the melodic minor scale.
A highly expressive and jazzy scale, combining the dark flavour of the Phrygian mode with the brighter lift of the Dorian mode.

Enjoy!
For the PDF, email https://www.theinfinitebass.com/
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26/08/2026

Neapolitan Minor (see The Infinite Bass Website for the complete history of minor scales!)

Perhaps best described as the Harmonic minor with a flattened 2nd — or, alternatively, as the Double Harmonic Major with a flattened 3rd. It is not a commonly used scale, although it was used by Italian Baroque composers such as Scarlatti and Pergolesi, having grown out of the use of the Neapolitan ♭II chord (itself somewhat mis-named, as the chord developed organically, and much earlier, in the broad context of European art music). This scale also fits the opening chords of “A Night in Tunisia” surprisingly well.

The Neapolitan minor is still very much worth exploring for the sheer variety of phrases and patterns within the scale and its modes — some of which are very user-friendly and ripe for writing your own bass lines, or improvising. I am surprised it has not found more use in the music world, as it possesses a dark and rich beauty that is open to a multitude of possibilities.

20/08/2026

The Complete Pentatonic Scale
The five-note scale that fits over almost anything — its five modes, how to remember them by counting semitones, four exercises, and the one note that turns it into the (minor) blues scale - Another good read on my website…..

The bass pentatonic scale explained: all five modes, the semitone-counting trick that makes them stick, four exercises, the blues scale and two free PDFs.

14/08/2026

Updated - Harmonic Minor Scale

Some lovely-sounding scales/modes within the Harmonic minor scale are very user-friendly for practising, writing your own bass lines, soloing, or improvising – Dorian #4 and the Phrygian dominant are a case in point.

Other modes not so much, e.g., the Ionian #5 and Lydian #2, but they are good to have under the fingers, which also allows exploring the scale in other positions.

The Harmonic scale came into being during the Baroque era, not so much as a scale, but derived from an altered dominant chord V that created a sharpened leading note (major 7th) leading to chord i in minor compositions – hence the scale is a natural minor scale (Aeolian) with a sharpened 7th – creating an augmented 2nd between the b6th and 7th scale degrees.

The harmonic minor’s sound comes from the mixture of a minor 3rd and a major 7th, as well as the augmented 2nd between the 7th and the b6.

Back to Black is an example of its use in melody.

Enjoy!
For the PDF, email https://www.theinfinitebass.com/

ONLINE BASS LESSONS – Skype – Zoom – FaceTime
https://www.theinfinitebass.com/bass-lessons/

09/08/2026

Groove Trainer
A drum machine built for bass practice — six classic grooves, a step grid to make them yours, and a rhythm trainer that drops the drums out for bars at a time to test your inner clock.

A free drum machine built for bass practice: six classic grooves, a 16-step grid to make them yours, swing, and a rhythm trainer that drops the drums out for bars at a time to test your inner clock.

08/08/2026

A lot more info on tetrachords on the website!

What is a tetrachord? Four stepwise notes spanning a 4th — and the key to 49 scales. Learn the four diatonic shapes, assemble every mode of the major scale, and download the free complete guide and reference sheet.

07/08/2026

ONLINE BASS LESSONS for 4, 5, and 6-string fretted/fretless bass, as well as double bass, theory and composition - backed up by over 30 years of teaching experience.
I also offer what many teachers won’t offer you – faster ways to learn and teach yourself!
https://www.theinfinitebass.com/bass-lessons/

07/08/2026

All of the Modes in 3rds -
(Simandl and 1FPF)

Following on from the recent post of breaking the major scale into 3rds, here is the same idea with all of the modes of the major scale.

By playing through these ideas with Simandl as well as 1FPF fi*****ngs, you will find different approaches to learning the individual character of these scales, including different phrase patterns that these two techniques in fi*****ng will offer you.

Of course, an idea like this is just the beginning - once the finger patterns themselves have been learned, the real mileage in improvement comes from being inventive with these patterns, through improvising, creating your own etudes, soloing and creating your own bass lines, coupled with being rhythmically inventive and taking them through all 12 keys.

Enjoy!

For the PDF, email [email protected]

ONLINE BASS LESSONS – Skype – Zoom – FaceTime
https://www.theinfinitebass.com/
https:/www.lessonface.com/instructor/pete-lindemere

07/08/2026

All the Things You Are – Melody

Analysis slides from my video on perfect 4ths

This is a lovely melody to play on bass (see my other post on chords to go with this!) and is one of my all-time favourite jazz standards.
What has surprised me whilst looking under the hood of this tune is the sheer amount of compositional craft that has gone into this melody’s construction.
When Stephen Sondheim (lyricist for West Side Story, who also studied with Oscar Hammerstein, lyricist of this tune) was interviewed about Kern’s compositional technique, he said that he would work on melody over and over again, until he had what he wanted –
Sondheim also said that Kern had the ability "to develop a single motif through tiny variations into a long and never boring line and his maximum development of the minimum of material".

Here are some interesting points about this melody -

The piece moves through 5 key centres – the chords themselves following the circle of 4ths.

The entire piece is built from just 5 one-bar melodic cells/ideas – cell 3 is developed and repeated 12 times; cell 1 is also repeated 12 times – the other 4 times (a divisor of 12).

The beginning and end of the melody are constructed from symmetrical/palindromic rhythmic patterns, call and response phrases in the bridge – unusually 36 bars (a multiple of 12).

Leaps of a 4th are common (dictated by the chords/circle of 4th progression), connected with falling semitone patterns –– much larger leaps in the bridge, also connected with semitones

Interesting use on accented (on the beat) dissonance (appoggiaturas) as well as suspensions across the bar, matching the emotions of the lyrics.

The chord progression eventually takes in all 12 notes of the circle of 4ths

Hope you enjoy this as much as I have!

Another composer used similar methods with his compositional notebooks, scrubbing out unwanted or corrected passages – his name was Beethoven
https://www.theinfinitebass.com/bass-music-theory/may-the-perfect-4th-be-with-you/

Enjoy!

For the PDF, email https://www.theinfinitebass.com/

ONLINE BASS LESSONS – Skype – Zoom – Facetime
https://www.theinfinitebass.com/bass-lessons/

07/08/2026

Developing Time and the Inner Clock -
Here is another interesting read from my website!
There does seem to be a long-standing debate over metronomes and their musically educational value, or their effectiveness in improving a player’s rhythmic awareness and timekeeping.
But what does the rest of the musical world think about metronomes, or alternative methods that are considered to be the best ways to acquire and improve timekeeping and rhythmic skills?
And why should a small clicking box create such a hostile divide in the musical world? - Read on.......
https://www.theinfinitebass.com/bass-music-theory/how-to-practice-bass-with-a-metronome/