Learning about Basslines?

[ohaiguy]

Topic title pretty much says all. What are some good resources for learning about how to

construct really groovy basslines? Anything to listen to or read would be much appreciated

Edited September 29, 2013 by ohaiguy

[timaeus222]

I can't say I really know of a reading like that, but I'd say practice improvising basslines to a song you're familiar with. I was in jazz choir for only a year and that really helped me to improvise basslines, and that actually helped me write chord progressions based on those basslines. I basically just get a drum beat down, write a melody, hum the bass, write that out, write the chord progression that I hear in my head, then adjust the melody as I need to.

[AngelCityOutlaw]

The best resources? Music itself.

Specifically, jazz, funk dance and often rock/metal music have kick ass basslines. Really, anything that is very riff and rhythm driven. In most rock music, the bassline is played by both the bass and the guitar; the guitars usually harmonize lots of the intervals in fifths or thirds. Be careful with that one though, as that often works best when there is no melody over-top of it. You can create the same effect as really rapid chord changes thanks to the dyads having no third!

Anyway, a good bassline is one that outlines the chords, has a great rhythm AND compliments the melody. You should be able to hear the rise and fall of the chord changes just by the bassline alone. Reading about the different kinds of non-chord tones and counterpoint are very useful for this. Keep in mind, styles of writing bassline is also genre dependent.

Here are some of my favorite basslines across various genres:

Those are the first few that come to mind. Check out that third one especially! Mixture of bassline and leads on one instrument! That last one is the same bassline throughout the song, but Oakenfold still manages to keep the song interesting thanks to Britney's sexy vocals.

EDIT: Also, read about "hocket". Just google search these terms or wikipedia them to gain a basic understanding. Basically, it just means when one melody is split/shared between two or more voices. A simple example would be a piano plays half the melody and then rests and a string section continues the melody! With a bit of practice, you can use this to switch up what instrument is filling what role on the fly. Very useful, just don't over do it.

EDIT 2: This is also useful to know.

Edited September 29, 2013 by AngelCityOutlaw

[jane]

Topic title pretty much says all. What are some good resources for learning about how to

construct really groovy basslines? Anything to listen to or read would be much appreciated

Get me to play EVERYTHING!

https://soundcloud.com/tobosaurus/erratan-groove-sheeeit

[dannthr]

Topic title pretty much says all. What are some good resources for learning about how to

construct really groovy basslines? Anything to listen to or read would be much appreciated

Writing good basslines, much like writing for any other instrument, requires understanding that instrument's role in the ensemble.

For the bass, that usually means functioning in almost the same way whether you're talking about writing for a small jazz or rock trio to writing for a huge big-band.

Primarily, the bass player has the responsibility of providing the bottom voicing in a functional harmony.

However, and this is especially true in smaller ensembles, a well written bass line will give structure and substance to the groove. Often times, this means that the bass line might have to carry the weight of the groove without the assistance of the drums.

The bass is often grouped with the drums as part of a rhythmic section of the ensemble and so it is crucial that the beginning bass student and beginning composer engage with the concept of groove in a meaningful way when writing bass lines.

The simplest approach to creating a groove is to respect the structure and measurement of the music. This means often having a really clearly defined down-beat while creating some kind of emphasis on the backbeat to give a very clear sense of pulse and tempo. An experienced player will be able to do this in a precise way while maintaining a performance flow and rhythm modulation that is musical and expressive.

I submit the following excellent bass work:

He builds a really great groove before he goes on to play melody lines, fx, and improvisations.

Pay attention to the guy in the back when he drops into a secondary bridge groove--he begins to clap with the beat because he feels it so strongly, he stops himself before being the only person in the small crowd clapping, but the feeling was there and this solo bass drove that entire experience.

Wooten is extremely precise, extremely musical, and so clearly derives joy from the experience--and in this video, presents the bass in almost every instrumental capacity you'll see it in.

Idiomatic writing is about studying the instrument, studying the players, and studying the styles.

Watch videos of players playing--don't just listen, watch. Pay attention to them when something is difficult or challenging, ask why, pay attention to them when they seem to be really having a lot of fun or are whisked away by the performance, and ask why.

Writing for a virtual player means writing for a player you imagine in your mind. How do they build their groove? What do they like? What makes them slow down, speed up, or improvise? What is hard for them? What is easy?

[AngelCityOutlaw]

I was wondering how many posts we could go before someone mentioned Victor Wooten.

[dannthr]

I was wondering how many posts we could go before someone mentioned Victor Wooten.

As long as it took me to write it. He may not be heralded as one of the most athletic bassists, but he has an amazing sense of timing/tempo, rhythm, and groove.

[ohaiguy]

Hey! Thanks for all the links/advice guys I've listened to all of posts and it definitely gives me something to practice.

As far as stuff I managed to find, this vid, though old, has a lot of good examples of different rhythmic structure with good bass-lines. I'd highly suggest a watch/listen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qwTtEKj_KY

[Orion]

I wouldn't recommend learning basslines from Victor Wooten unless one is up to the challenge. His level of skill and virtuosic playing style is not great for beginners... That being said, I'd totally do it anyway b.c Victor Wooten is awesome and b/c CAKE.

[PixelPanic]

http://scottsbasslessons.com/welcome

This guy has hours of free lessons on youtube, and he definitely has chops. He taught me the useful of focusing on modes for feeling changes, how to walk, and he has a few funky groove lessons.

As for groovy basslines in songs, a good place to start is ska. Ska bands are usually ignored for their goofiness repetitive songs, but something you can always count on is catchy bass. Here are some examples (even though Streetlight isn't really ska they're going here anyway.)

Streetlight Manifesto - Forty Days:

Suburban Legends - I Want More:

One Cool Guy - Double O Shoe:

(solo at 3:28 is good)

[Kanthos]

The best resources? Music itself.

Specifically, jazz, funk dance and often rock/metal music have kick ass basslines. Really, anything that is very riff and rhythm driven.

Yes, definitely. Another great jazz/funk/gospel player is Michael League from Snarky Puppy. Check out this live concert, especially S.D.M. (listen to Binky first if you want to hear the complete song; they do a second ending to Binky and in this concert, they change it into S.D.M. by D'Angelo), and Shofukan, especially around 4:55 when the synth bass comes in. They've also got some good stuff on youtube. For some other examples of his playing, apart from Snarky Puppy, see

and

.