Note Choice

[Mykesbass]

In the deep recesses of my mind I do have some music theory knowledge, but hearing the track below made me realise I could really do with a refresher, as my note choice as a bass player has probably been a bit lacking. Anyone got any pointers as to improving note choice, with this lovely track as an example of what I would love to achieve? Thanks.

 

[TKenrick]

There are a few areas to visit on the journey to better note choices; this is all with the caveat that note choice is also a somewhat personal choice and some things that are theoretically 'correct' might not sound good to you (the opposite might also be true...)

 

I'd approach things in this order:

 

1. Get familiar with basic intervals up to an octave (you need to know these in three ways: how they sound, how they look on the fretboard, and how they're spelled). If you have a good understanding of the sound you're after then you're more than halfway there

 

2. Understand how the most common triads (major, minor, diminished, augmented and suspended) and 7th chords (major 7, minor 7, dominant 7 and half-diminished) are constructed. This instantly gives you access to a whole host of note choices that aren't the root. Scales are ok, but focusing on chord tones will allow you to outline the harmony much more accurately.

 

3. Steal as much as possible from your favourite players. Whenever you hear something you like, try to work out what chord is being played by other instruments - this gives you an understanding of the context(s) that you can use the thing you've stolen.

 

This won't happen overnight, and will require a lot of persistent effort (at least, it does for me and everyone I teach!). If it were easy then everyone would be Pino.

 

FWIW I would say that ears trump theory knowledge almost every time, but ears take much longer to train and theory provides useful labels for sounds that make communicating with other musicians much easier.

[nekomatic]

@TKenrick has great advice, but listening to the track it sounds like the bass is just playing the root of the chord almost the whole time, and approaching it from a passing note on the last upbeat of the previous bar which is either a tone above or a semitone below. Sometimes great note choice is that simple 🙂

[Mykesbass]

28 minutes ago, nekomatic said:

@TKenrick has great advice, but listening to the track it sounds like the bass is just playing the root of the chord almost the whole time, and approaching it from a passing note on the last upbeat of the previous bar which is either a tone above or a semitone below. Sometimes great note choice is that simple 🙂

I'll have a closer listen ( heard in the car this morning), but sure there were a couple of nice 'not the usual' passing notes. Will come back with some specific changes, but thanks both for the replies.

[Crawford13]

On 17/11/2021 at 14:56, TKenrick said:

FWIW I would say that ears trump theory knowledge almost every time, but ears take much longer to train and theory provides useful labels for sounds that make communicating with other musicians much easier.

This hits the nail on the head for me. Theory only lets us describe why something sounds good. Our ears actually tell us when something sounds good.

 

Like the theory of the spoken language, the aim is to learn it so well that you forget you know it.

[WishICouldWalk]

Hey man, I don't want to put a downer on things but I think the notion of a refresher on note choices is a bit misguided. Good note choices are a lifetime's work. You get there by consistently pushing your ear and technique in small increments by employing a well thought out methodology of study. There are no shortcuts, you simply have to do the work.