Bass is usually a ‘monophonic’ instrument – it only plays one note at a time. This is perfect for creating bass lines, but it can actually make it trickier to write songs. With the guitar or piano, it’s common and relatively easy to put together chord progressions to make songs out of.
How do you write songs around a bass line?
How to Write a Bass Line in 5 Steps
- Know the root note. Knowing the root note of each chord is the starting point for all great bass lines.
- Choose your chords.
- Play notes in the same scale.
- Play some notes off-beat.
- Add variation.
Should I write bass first?
The bass line always comes last!” Not that there’s anything wrong with starting with the lyrics and melody, but I couldn’t believe that anyone, especially so young, would be so rigid about creativity.
Can you use a bass for melody?
Bass guitars can play melodies in music just as any other instrument. Their primary focus is always to hold down the rhythm with the drums and harmonize with the higher registered instruments, but many great bassists have used melodic techniques in their playing to enhance songs for memorability.
Can you copyright bass?
Copyrights pertain to compositions (and other intellectual property). If your bass line is integral to the composition like, “thank you for letting be myself” or ” I want you back” (classic soul and motown basslines) you need to copyright the song with you as writer/co-writer.
How many notes are in a bassline?
12 notes
When you “get it” you’ll be able to consistently create solid, musical basslines knowing how to apply each of the 12 notes. If you don’t “get it,” you will still find things which work, but it will be by accident or through trial and error.
Should you record drums or bass first?
You should record drums first with as many people playing at once (recording or not) to give as much feel to the song as possible. If that is not a plausible case scenario either, lay down drums first and then do the rhythm section with guitar and bass or keys and bass. then you can move on to overdubs and the rest.
What makes a good bassline?
An awesome sounding bassline almost always consists of two factors, an excellent sound, and a great groove. In other words, the bassline uses low notes that provide rhythm while simultaneously setting out the foundation of the chord progression.
What is a bass riff?
riff. A short repeated melodic idea. walking bass line. A bass line with one note on every beat, and extra notes that are quite close together. passing notes.
Is rhythm more important than melody?
According to many, melody is more important. Melody can express a wider variety of emotion than a rhythm can, in most cases. The performance of a melody, to some, can be more captivating than the use of rhythm.
Is bass a melody or a harmony?
Oftentimes the bass emphasizes the roots of the chords, or at least the basic chord tones, while the melody floats around chord and non-chord tones. Harmony shifts to support the melody, and often the bass helps that harmony to move from one chord to another.
Can you steal a melody?
One of the most common things I hear from songwriters is that they’re afraid they subconsciously stole their melody from another song… and therefore their melody is not really ‘theirs’. For a song to be actual plagiarism, a substantial portion of its melody has to be exactly the same as the other song’s.
Is it OK to steal chord progressions?
This is a completely legal use of another chord progression. You can’t do this with another songwriter’s melodies: they are subject to copyright, and are protected from other people “borrowing” them.
Is it illegal to use the same melody?
Music compositions*, like other forms of creative expression, are protected by copyright under the law. Under the Copyright Act of 1976, which took effect in 1978, anytime a person writes or records an original piece of music, a copyright automatically exists.
Can you play a whole song with bass guitar?
Every once in a while though, it’s nice to step forward into the limelight yourself, and one way to do that is through playing whole songs on your bass. Instead of playing just the bass line or just the melody, you can play the whole song.
Do you play chords on a bass?
Bassists don’t play chords as often as guitarists or pianists do. This is because playing several low-pitched notes at the same time can sound muddy. Playing chords on bass can sometimes fill up too much sonic space competing with the rest of the band. It can be done, but must be done with care.
What key should bass be in?
3- B Minor
And work within the good spots for the bass sections. By all means, experiment and find what works best for you, start choosing the chords you like within these keys, and start playing to get your melody right!
Why is bass so important?
Simply put, bass is important in music and necessary in a band because it bridges the gap between treble (guitar) and percussion (drums), providing a rhythmic and harmonic function at the same time. Despite the bass frequency’s hidden and subtle sound, it plays a crucial role in a piece of music.
What gets recorded first in a song?
Record the Melodies. Since most songs use a combination of instruments to form the melody… It makes sense that whichever ones are most dominant (usually lead vocals/lead guitar) be the ones you record first.
What is the best order to record a song?
The absolute best order (in my opinion) is to lay down scratch tracks first and foremost to get a feel of where the song is headed. Then record the drum tracks TO the scratch. From there, you can record your finals to the drum tracks.
Should bass follow guitar or drums?
The bass player should follow the drummer. Meanwhile, the drummer can play whatever he or she likes and vice versa. The action of following inherently adds a time delay into your playing.
Lorraine Wade is all about natural food. She loves to cook and bake, and she’s always experimenting with new recipes. Her friends and family are the lucky beneficiaries of her culinary skills! Lorraine also enjoys hiking and exploring nature. She’s a friendly person who loves to chat with others, and she’s always looking for ways to help out in her community.