Building Bass Lines

[Scruffles]

Any opinions/critiques would be appreciated.

One of the most important aspects of playing bass is to be able to write effective bass lines. First, we can start with the basics (or bass-ics, if you're a fan of crappy puns--such as yours truly):

One way to start a bass line is to play the root of the chords in a progression. For example over a progression such as

|| Bm7 | E7 | C#m7 | F#7 ||

Your bass line could simply be:

G---------|---------|---------|---------||
D---------|-2-2-2-2-|---------|---------||
A-2-2-2-2-|---------|-4-4-4-4-|---------||
E---------|---------|---------|-2-2-2-2-||

Another method is to alternate between the root and the fifth, which would give you a bass line like this:

G---------|---------|---------|---------||
D---------|-2---2---|---------|---------||
A-2---2---|---2---2-|-4---4---|---4---4-||
E---2---2-|---------|---4---4-|-2---2---||

Notice that to get to the fifth, you can just play the note on the adjacent higher string two frets up, or on the adjacent lower string on the same fret.

Also, in the major scale on the seventh degree and in the minor scale on the second degree, going down a fifth will bring you to a note that's not in the scale, so watch out for that.

Another way to play a bass line is to arpeggiate the chord you're playing over, which would give you a bass line like this:

G-------2-|-----4-7-|-------4-|---------||
D-----4---|-2-6-----|-----6---|-4-----2-||
A-2-5-----|---------|-4-7-----|---1-4---||
E---------|---------|---------|---------||

Note: to do this, you need to know a bit of music theory, namely being able to spell the notes in a seventh chord of any tonality based off any root.

Now, that's still pretty vanilla, so you could add some non-harmonic (notes not in the chord you're playing over) tones:

G---------|---1-4---|-----1-0-|---------||
D-----4-3-|-2-----0-|---2-----|-4-------||
A-2-5-----|---------|-4-------|-----0-1-||
E---------|---------|---------|---4-----||

Notice that I left out the seventh degree in some of the chords in order to add a passing tone. It's fine to leave out the seventh, because the guitar will definitely have it covered. Also notice that I changed the last chord. That was to make a chromatic lead up to the root, which is pretty hip.

This is just the beginning of what you can do with bass lines. There are many types of non-harmonic tones that you can choose to employ, such as:



Passing tones - a note that is approached by a step and leaves by a step in the same direction. They can either be on the beat or between beats.
Neighboring tones - a note that leaves and returns to the same chord tone by a step.
Suspensions - a note that is held over from the last chord that resolves down a step in the next chord. The two types are 9/8 suspensions and 4/3 suspensions. In a 9/8 suspension, the note that is held over functions as the ninth (same as second) in the chord, and resolves down a step to the root of a chord. In a 4/3 suspension, the note that is held over functions as the fourth in the chord, and resolves down a step to the third of a chord.
Anticipations - a note in the next chord that arrives before the next chord itself does.
Pedal tones - a single note that is played over an entire progression.
Appoggiaturas - a note that is approached by leap and resolves to a chord tone by step.
Escape tones - a note that is approached by step and resolved to a chord tone by leap. Basically, the opposite of an appoggiatura.



These can be either diatonic (within the key) or chromatic (outside of the key).

P.S. If you don't already know theory, try to learn some! It will help you immensely.

[The_Deception]

Thanks mate, Ive been having trouble in my jazz band performing improvised, I tend to just use the notes in the scale of the key. I have been playing bass for 4 years now and have done theory grade 5, but for some reason I have never been able to apply it onto the bass, this has given me a real start. Thanks!

[lespaul_rentals]

Scruffles that was brilliant!

That gave me a lot of great ideas to use when I'm making basslines. Great job!

One thing I'll use sometimes...

Let's say the song is in the key of G, and the chord progression is G C D.

I'd take the two lowest strings and play parts of the major scale, like:


G-----------------------------------------|
D-----------------------------------------|
A---------2-----3-3--5-2----5-5--3-2h3---|
E--3-3--5---------------------------------|
^ G chord plays
^ C chord plays
^ D chord plays


Something like that. That's what I would do for most of the songs I wrote, or played along with. But this lesson should give me some great ideas to go off. Thanks alot!

[philsoill06]

good stuff man

i techinique i use in some songs, that can be appied to many, is hammer ons and pull off, the bass can use them effectively all over the place

at the end of a progressive, or beginning they sound great

also with them you can do "rake" type playing where you simply move up the strings like 2 4, 2 4, 2 4, or something like that

it usually works

[u29rm4]

I already knew about writing basslines but this lesson has helped me theory wise, good job and was glad to see some of those terms described as i didnt actually know what they meant.