Theory
In week 1 you learned the right-hand two fingers and string crossing. This week the left hand finally takes the lead. Today you learn to fret notes comfortably down low by giving one finger to each fret. Every time you press one more fret, the pitch rises by a half step — know just this rule and you can find your way anywhere on the fretboard.
Today's real goal is to find the root with your eyes closed. The root is the most important note, the one that names the measure, and it's the bass's bread and butter. Start by memorizing the thickest string, the E (4th). Open is E, 1st fret is F, 3rd fret is G. Set your fingertip straight, right behind the fret, and use the index for fret 1 and the ring finger for fret 3 — one finger for each fret. Fix a spot for each finger like this and your hand finds the note on its own, without even looking at the fretboard.
Next is the A string (3rd). Open is A, 2nd fret is B, 3rd fret is C. Just like the E string, the pitch rises with the fret number. Memorize the note name and hand position as one thing, and you'll be able to grab the root right away in any song you meet later. Today, just these few notes — clean and clear, with no buzz. Learn just the E and A strings and you'll meet the roots of most songs right here, down low on these two strings.
The E and A are the same strings (4th and 3rd) on a 4- or 5-string, so the hand shape is exactly identical. The 5-string just has one more low B below them, and since you won't use it today, cover it lightly with your right thumb to keep it asleep. Whichever bass you're holding, what your hand memorizes today is "the low roots on the E and A strings."
See it
Today you fret the low roots on the E and A strings one at a time. The example below is a course that climbs and descends open → fretted → open, carving the note names into your hand. Each example is laid out in both a 4-string and a 5-string version.
Example 1 — root names on E (E·F·G). Open E, 1st-fret F, 3rd-fret G, one per beat. Fret 1 with the index, fret 3 with the ring finger.
▶ BPM 60, 4-string. Open E → F (fret 1) → G (fret 3) → open E. Fret the green F and G with your fingertip and match their volume to the blue open E.
▶ BPM 60, 5-string. The fingering is identical to the 4-string. Cover the unused low B with your thumb to keep it quiet.
Example 2 — root names on A (A·B·C). Open A, 2nd-fret B, 3rd-fret C. Feel with your hand that the pitch rises with the fret number on the A string too.
▶ BPM 60, 4-string. Open A → B (fret 2) → C (fret 3) → open A. As you fret the green B and C, cover the unplayed E string with your thumb to keep it quiet.
▶ BPM 60, 5-string. The A-string fingering is the same as the 4-string. Keep the low B covered with your thumb, asleep — the one homework unique to the 5-string that the 4-string doesn't have.
Today's practice
0–7 min · Warm-up Loosen up again with the open E and A two-finger work from yesterday at BPM 60. Revive the right-hand feel, then add the left hand.
7–17 min · Today's skill Fret Example 1 (E string E·F·G) very slowly. Focus only on pressing straight, right behind the fret, and refine the spot and angle until the buzz disappears.
17–27 min · Applying it Repeat Example 1 (E string) four times at BPM 60 → once comfortable, move to Example 2 (A string) for four more. If buzz creeps in, nudge your fingertip toward the fret.
27–30 min · Check Write down the BPM you reached, and if you like, record 30 seconds to hear whether all three notes — E, F, G — are clear.
Done when: you can fret the low roots E·F·G on the E string with one finger per fret, at 60–70, clean and clear with no buzz.
- Pressing the middle of the fret space. Press dead center between two frets and the note dies or buzzes. Set your fingertip right behind the fret.
- Fretting everything with one finger. Sliding just the index around gets slow and inaccurate. Split the work — index on fret 1, middle on fret 2, ring on fret 3.
- Skipping the note names. Memorize only the hand position and you'll forget it fast. Say "E, F, G" out loud each time you fret.
- Putting the low B to sleep (5-string). If the unused B rings along, the sound gets messy. Start the habit of covering it with your thumb today.