Free Bass Guitar Chart
The bass fretboard notes (every natural note on the four strings), how bass clef maps to the neck, and the shapes most bass lines are built from: root and 5th, octaves, scales, arpeggios and a blues line. Free in eight sizes, in US or UK music terms.
Make it yours: see it in another style
Any US home printer (8.5 × 11 in). A binder, desk or music stand.
Download the PDFLetter, US · 92 KB
Customize this posterChange the sections, style and colors, and add your own title, in the Music Theory Poster Maker. $9 PDF.
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Make this poster yours
- Your own title, like “Mrs. Green’s Music Room”
- Only the sections you teach, or add more
- A different style: Dark, Modern or Minimal
Customize this poster →$9 PDF · try it free first
On the Letter poster (5 sections)
- Notes on the Bass Fretboard
- Root, Fifth and Octave
- Bass Scale Shapes
- Bass Clef and the Neck
- Octave Shapes
Plus a practice tip in the space left over.
The bigger the poster, the more fits: A2 and larger have all 10 sections.
All sizes and files
| Size | Dimensions | Sections | US terms | UK terms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Letter | 216 × 279 mm · 8.5 × 11 in | 5 | PDF, 92 KB | PDF, 92 KB |
| A4 | 210 × 297 mm · 8.3 × 11.7 in | 5 | PDF, 99 KB | PDF, 99 KB |
| 11 × 17 in | 279 × 432 mm · 11 × 17 in | 7 | PDF, 110 KB | PDF, 110 KB |
| A3 | 297 × 420 mm · 11.7 × 16.5 in | 7 | PDF, 116 KB | PDF, 116 KB |
| A2 | 420 × 594 mm · 16.5 × 23.4 in | 10 | PDF, 145 KB | PDF, 144 KB |
| 18 × 24 in | 18 × 24 in · 457 × 610 mm | 10 | PDF, 145 KB | PDF, 145 KB |
| A1 | 594 × 841 mm · 23.4 × 33.1 in | 10 | PDF, 160 KB | PDF, 160 KB |
| 24 × 36 in | 24 × 36 in · 610 × 914 mm | 10 | PDF, 161 KB | PDF, 161 KB |
What’s on the bass guitar chart
- Notes on the bass fretboard: every natural note on the E, A, D and G strings, from open to the 12th fret, where each string is back on its own note an octave up.
- Bass clef and the neck: the four open strings as they’re written. Bass sounds an octave lower than written, so the open E sits on the first line below the staff.
- Root, 5th and octave: the shape behind most bass lines, with the root on the E string and on the A string.
- Bass scale shapes: G major, G minor and G minor pentatonic, one finger per fret.
- Octave shapes: the same note two strings up and two frets higher, the quickest way to find any note.
- Reading bass tab and major and minor arpeggios (11 × 17 in and larger).
- A blues bass line in A, bass clef note names, and major pentatonic with approach notes (A2 and larger), with the 12-bar blues laid out bar by bar.
Every dot and tab number is worked out from standard bass tuning (E A D G) and checked: each shape holds only the notes it should, and each octave really is an octave.
How to use it
- Learn the E and A strings first: most bass lines start on one of them. Say the note names as you play up each string to the 12th fret.
- Play the root–fifth shape over a song: root, 5th, octave, 5th for each chord, moving the whole shape to the next root.
- Use octaves to find notes: if you know a note on the E string, the octave shape gives you the same note on the D string.
- Read in bass clef: start from the four open strings on the staff, then step up a line or space at a time. The bass clef notes page has the lines and spaces in detail.
Learn it step by step
The poster is a reminder; these free lessons and guides teach each part, with notes you can play and hear.
- Notes on the Bass Fretboard
- Lesson 26: Half Steps and Whole Steps
- Root, Fifth and Octave
- Intervals in Music · Lesson 30: Intervals
- Bass Scale Shapes
- Lesson 28: Build a Major Scale · Lesson 33: The Minor Scale · Major and Minor Scales
- Bass Clef and the Neck
- Bass Clef Notes · Lesson 21: Meet F — Your Bass Anchor
- Octave Shapes
- Intervals in Music
- Major and Minor Arpeggios
- Lesson 31: Major and Minor Chords · Chord Formulas
- Blues Bass Line in A
- Chords in a Key · Chord Formulas
- Bass Clef Note Names
- Bass Clef Notes · Lesson 23: Good Boys Do Fine Always · Lesson 24: All Cows Eat Grass
- Major Pentatonic and Approach Notes
- Lesson 26: Half Steps and Whole Steps · Major and Minor Scales
Questions
Is it really free? Yes. Download it, print as many copies as you like, and share the link. No email or account.
Does it work for a 5-string bass? The four strings shown are the same on a 5-string bass; the extra low B string isn’t drawn.
Which size should I print? Letter or A4 has the fretboard, the root–fifth and octave shapes, scales and bass clef. 11 × 17 in and larger add tab and arpeggios, and A2 and up have the full chart.