norvegicusbass Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 I have no problem making up basslines when playing blues perhaps because most of the books I studied were of that genre. I can make up a simple riff and transpose it through the simple structure of twelve bar blues incorporating slight variations as I go but cant do this with other types of music. I am getting more into funky basslines like those of Jamerson, Bernard Edwards etc and for the life of me I cant get those kind of basslines in my head or fingers. With blues it seems quite easy to fall into "patterns" but the chord structure of other types of music has me beat. Was it a simple matter of those type of players just looking at the underlying chords and playing "patterns" consistent with that type of music? By this I mean are there certain runs of notes that crop up as "typical" Jamerson etc? Are there any good books or websites to assist someone hoping to invent a good bass line? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coilte Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 If you already know the chords to the piece of music, play them on a guitar or piano ( or get someone else to do so), then try to apply some bass lines by singing them. When you think you have come up with a good line, then play it on the bass. Sometimes you limit yourself when trying to invent lines with the bass itself, because your mind may be thinking in patterns. Singing without the bass, frees up the mind in this respect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 +1 to this. Bear in mind that 12-bar blues tend to be repetitive and pattern-based (not a criticism, I love blues) which makes it easy to work out where any given song is going next. With other genres, it can often help if you really get to know a piece of music very well before trying to conjure up a new bassline for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blademan_98 Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 I try to make up lines to known songs (ok, I play different lines 'cause I can't remember them). I find this helps when writing my own stuff. When I write a blues track, I just do a walking bass line anyway! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prime_BASS Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 What I typically do is learn a fair amount of songs that I would associate with what ever style I want to try. I learn as many as I can until the "patterns" turn up. My basslines usually consist of the chords, then hitting other notes within the chord or scale on beats of the snare of kick drum. Usually ending chord progressions with a fill, octaves or quick runs to help accentuate the end of a line. For funk, I do what I learnt from bootsy collins a long time ago. As long as you are on the right note on the 1 you have the space in-between the ones to do as you please. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 I'd say don't be scared to stay put rather than following the guitar chords like you do with blues. Think of a great rock bass line and it can just pump the root over and over, or riff off the root say but repeat that riff for the verse and let the guitars do all the chord changes rather than trying to play that riff off the root of each chord change, If everyone is in key it will work. Does that make any sense? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michaelg Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 i try and lock the bass in with the other instruments. sometimes i follow the drums, sometimes i lead them. sometimes i embellish a song with melodic or intricate (RE: fiddly bits) parts, other times i make sure what i play is dynamically subtle and restrained. Knowing the chordal structure to a song is a good and bad thing. sometimes it helps me come up with good bass parts, other times it hinders me a bit because i'm too tempted to stick to an obvious note in the chord. it sometimes helps if i actively make sure i don't know the chords because then i can play by ear and force myself to come up with inventive lines yawn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OliverBlackman Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 learn your appeggios and scales if you dont already know them. Also learn lots of rhytmic patterns, you can do this just by listening to lots of different genres. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xgsjx Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 If you're writing the bassline after the lyrics then listen to the lyrics & playing things either on the vocal accents or between them. Also playing a harmony, unison or bits of both can work very well. If you're starting with the bassline & are struggling, leave the bass & come up with something in your head (this might not happen when you want it tho ). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norvegicusbass Posted August 11, 2011 Author Share Posted August 11, 2011 Some excellent answers there so thanks for that. As far as I'm concerned there are two types of bassline. A riff which I think most of us would agree are pretty easy to conjure up and the kind of intricate playing of someone like Jamerson which blows my mind with its creativity. That's not to say I dont think riffs are good I grew up on punk and that's full of repeated bar long riffs. I like the idea of completely writing your own bassline to existing songs that someone mentioned. Also does anyone know of a website or software that would play chords that I chose on a sort of loop which I could maybe work around? Even better if it had a drum effect then I could get some practice in Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OliverBlackman Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 [quote name='norvegicusbass' post='1336124' date='Aug 11 2011, 08:46 AM']Some excellent answers there so thanks for that. As far as I'm concerned there are two types of bassline. A riff which I think most of us would agree are pretty easy to conjure up and the kind of intricate playing of someone like Jamerson which blows my mind with its creativity. That's not to say I dont think riffs are good I grew up on punk and that's full of repeated bar long riffs. I like the idea of completely writing your own bassline to existing songs that someone mentioned. Also does anyone know of a website or software that would play chords that I chose on a sort of loop which I could maybe work around? Even better if it had a drum effect then I could get some practice in [/quote] band in a box, bloody expensive though. Itd be better to get garageband/logic, a keyboard and learn piano which is what im going to do when iv got the time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bassman7755 Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 [quote name='stingrayPete1977' post='1335833' date='Aug 10 2011, 10:36 PM']I'd say don't be scared to stay put rather than following the guitar chords like you do with blues. Think of a great rock bass line and it can just pump the root over and over, or riff off the root say but repeat that riff for the verse and let the guitars do all the chord changes rather than trying to play that riff off the root of each chord change, If everyone is in key it will work. Does that make any sense? [/quote] As used to very good effect for the the intro of queens "under pressure" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 [quote name='bassman7755' post='1336767' date='Aug 11 2011, 05:39 PM']As used to very good effect for the the intro of queens "under pressure"[/quote] It did make sense then! Great example too, all that melody going on behind a repetitive and effective bass line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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