Choose and Learn to Play Left Hand Patterns

Boogie Style Bass Made Easy

First of all I show you the most basic form, very exact and easy but a bit pedestrian as the excitement really only happons when you start to use different octaves.

That is C E G A Bb A G E which covers two bars.Then after two bars of it you would move on to the F version which would be F A C D Eb D C A and eventually to the G version G B D E F E D B  before finishing on the one you started with. Or similar.

Then we just put the thumb in between all those notes, like an Alberti bass, so there is a little more movement and twice as fast inside the same tempo. Then there are two more versions first with the thumb moving up to E and then to A

The original version would have had each note doubled in the octave above after, but can be a little insecure. Interesting though that you can play triplets on every or any note without making it more awkward.

The Basic Demo for This is in the Video Below

A change of chord inside the bar

To maintain the shape of at least one bar you usually just have the same chord for the one or two bars.

However it seems like the Beatles managed to change this in at least this one song. The chord outline changes halfway through the bar from A to D in a one bar pattern repeated three times. The notes are A high A C# high C# D high D F#GG#A repeating. The last four notes are twice as fast as the other notes of the riff but are nicely contained inside the hand stretch. If you stretch the fourth finger to F# to start the run you can then use a full stretch at the end to reach the bottom A to repeat the sequence.

On the other hand those four fast notes could also lead on very smoothly and easily to one of the other chords.

This chord changing boogie riff is explained in the Video Below

Lively Triplet Boogie Patterns

You can also play three notes on each beat without much extra bother though the order you use your fingers will automatically change a little.

That would have LowHighLow on each beat.. And where comfortable this might be LowHighLow alternating with HighLowHigh while each pattern is successively rising.

Or it can be on any beats where you feel like it, it is your interpretation remember!

See the warm up and playing of a Triplet Boogie Bass in the Video Below