This article is written by Toru Hoshino, a jazz bassist and instructor based in Japan who teaches online lessons to students worldwide. In this article, he answers a common question: should you practice scale fingerings in all 12 keys?
I get this question a lot: “Should I be practicing scale fingerings in all 12 keys?”
It genuinely matters a lot. But trying to cover all 12 keys is endless, so my usual advice is:
Focus intensively on the scales actually used in whatever tune you’re currently working on.
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Should You Practice Scale Fingerings in All 12 Keys?
Take the C major scale, for example:
C D E F G A B C C D E F G A B C…
You’d play C major starting from the C at the 3rd fret of the 3rd string, all the way up to the C at the 17th fret of the 1st string, then back down. Then move on to D♭ major:
D♭ E♭ F G♭ A♭ B♭ C D♭ D♭ E♭ F G♭ A♭ B♭ C D♭…
D E F♯ G A B C♯ D D E F♯ G A B C♯ D…
And so on, repeating the same process all the way through B major — the question is whether you actually need to grind through all 12 keys like that.
It’d be great if you could, sure, but it’s genuinely endless. So my advice is:
Focus intensively on the scales that actually show up in the tune you’re working on right now.
Why Focusing on the Scales a Tune Actually Uses Makes More Sense
It’s Not Just Major Scales
Scales aren’t limited to major scale patterns — there are minor scale patterns too. And within minor, there are several different types: half-diminished, diminished, melodic minor, harmonic minor, Dorian, Phrygian… the list goes on endlessly.
You’d Also Need to Cover Every Possible Tempo
There are countless tempos to consider. And if you start factoring in playing on the beat versus behind it, triplet feels, and other subtle timing choices, that multiplies out infinitely too.
There Are Endless Possible Fingering Routes Too
Even just a low-position C major scale has countless possible ways to finger your way up the neck, like these:
It really is endless. Practicing every combination of tempo and key would require an enormous amount of time you don’t have.
So again: focus intensively on the scales that actually show up in the tune you’re working on.
Focus on the Scales the Actual Tune Uses
Scale practice is dry and easy to get bored of, but it’s still genuinely important. That’s exactly why I tell students:
“Start by practicing the fingering for the scale your current tune actually calls for.”
Take “Autumn Leaves,” for example — it’s in the key of G minor. Using the diatonic scale, you’ll mostly be working with the notes G, A, B♭, C, D, E♭, and F.
Even within just that one progression, there’s a wide range of possible movement:
Knowing a range of fingering variations and progression styles like this pays off both when soloing and when building walking bass lines.
My Own Failed Attempt at 12-Key Practice
When I was in the US, I had some free time, so I tried practicing major 7th and natural minor scales in all 12 keys every day, from tempo 60 up to 240, working out different fingering routes along the way. I gave up almost immediately.
Like I keep saying — it’s genuinely endless. And on top of that, scale practice isn’t the only thing you need to work on.
Jazz theory, rhythm training, solo analysis, and applying everything to real tunes — each of these deserves serious, focused practice time in its own right.
There’s a lot to work on, but you’ve also got a life, a job, family, and friends. Rather than cramming everything in, I think it’s more important to keep asking: “given the time I actually have — 10 minutes, an hour, whatever it is — what can I realistically get done?”
Working out which scales actually matter for your current repertoire, and getting honest feedback on your fingering choices, is exactly the kind of thing a teacher helps cut through.
Want Personalized Feedback on Your Playing?
This is exactly the kind of thing that’s hard to fix alone — and where having a teacher makes all the difference.
At Line on Bass, I offer an online lesson service where you send me a video of your playing, and I give you specific, detailed feedback — every single day if you want.
Students from around the world are using this to fix exactly these kinds of issues and steadily improve their jazz bass skills.