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1 7 ♭7 6 ♭6 5 ...

05-07-2013, 08:01 AM

20Tigers

Join Date: Jun 2008

1 7 ♭7 6 ♭6 5 ...

A chromatic descending line. It is one of the most simple musical concepts and yet can be the basis for some very beautiful music.

Two of the most celebrated intros in rock guitar use a chromatic descending bassline.

Stairway to Heaven

Code:


e----------5--7--------7-8--------8--2--------2-0---------0-
b-------5--------5----------5-----------3---------1-----1---
g----5--------------5----------5-----------2---------2------
d-7-----------6----------5-----------4----------3-----------
a-----------------------------------------------------------
e-----------------------------------------------------------

Hotel California

Code:


(Capo 7)
e|-----------0-------|-------2-----------|-------0-----------|-----------0-------|
B|-------0-----------|-----0---2-4-------|-----3-----3-------|-------0-----------|
G|-----0---0-----0-2-|---2---------------|---2-----2----2----|-----0---0---------|
D|---2---------------|-1-----------------|-0-----------------|---2---------------|
A|-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|-4-----------------|
E|-0-----------------|-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|

e|-----------0---------|-------3----------|-----------0------------|-----------2-|
B|-------1-------------|-----0-----0------|-------1----------------|-------0-----|
G|-----0---0---------0-|---0-----0--------|-----0---0--------------|---0-2---2---|
D|---2---------2-0h2---|------------------|---2--------------------|-------------|
A|-3-------------------|-2----------------|-0----------------------|-2-----------|
E|---------------------|---------------3--|--------------0---------|-------------|

I'm looking for any other good examples if you have them.

__________________
Si
Explaining Modes part 1
Explaining Modes part 2 (continued)

05-07-2013, 08:24 AM	#2
Nietsche XxDioxrainbowxkissesxX Join Date: May 2009	This musical device actually has a wiki article devoted to itself __________________ Composition Challenge: ABA' Moon of blue is in the sky West wind he whispers why Sacrifice living for life his perpetual vice

05-07-2013, 08:42 AM	#3
Erc UG's ultimate asshole Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: at the piano	My Funny Valentine has a C pedal tone that plays under a moving partial bass (as i like to call it since it functions melodically) with chord voicings of C maj 7, C min 7 C6 and Ab maj first inversion. __________________ Here's me improvising!

05-07-2013, 10:33 AM	#4
PanamaJack666 Registered User Join Date: Nov 2010	If Heartaches Were Nickles by Joe Bonamassa

05-07-2013, 10:50 AM	#5
mdc UG's Mr Chord Man Join Date: Feb 2008	The verses on Can't Change Me - Chris Cornell __________________ C U N T aka See You Next Tuesday

05-07-2013, 12:22 PM	#6
Cavalcade UG's Trollhorn Join Date: Jul 2011	Half of power metal bands use it at some point Kvelertak - Fossegrim (bridge) Leverage - Rider Of Storm (verse)

05-07-2013, 12:32 PM	#7
MaggaraMarine Slapping the bass. Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Finland	It's really not a bassline but yeah, it's basically the same. The chord tones form this kind of chromatic line (E-D#-D-C#-C-B-A#-A). __________________ My motto: Play what the song needs you to play! Gear: Charvel So Cal (MIJ) Digitech RP355 MXR Micro Chorus Laney VC30 Tokai TB48

05-07-2013, 01:08 PM

griffRG7321

Rustler of Jimmies

Join Date: Sep 2007

Location: Darkplace Hospital

Over-used in my opinion, hurts my ears.

__________________

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nietsche

Greater mastery of compositional craft leads to a greater ability to express oneself musically.

05-07-2013, 01:59 PM	#9
Hail obama 2016 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Dallas	dazed and confused very tasteful descending line __________________ MY FINAL FORM

05-07-2013, 02:10 PM	#10
505088K Drekkenbrein Join Date: Nov 2008	"in a sentimental mood" and "everybody wants to be a cat"!

05-07-2013, 04:21 PM

#11

TDKshorty

The Swami

Join Date: Sep 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by 20Tigers

A chromatic descending line. It is one of the most simple musical concepts and yet can be the basis for some very beautiful music.

I'm looking for any other good examples if you have them.

Something by The Beatles

Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen; has some parts during the solo

__________________

And we will weave in and out of sanity unnoticed
Swirling in blissfully restless visions of all our bleary progress
Glowing in radiant madness

Last edited by TDKshorty : 05-07-2013 at 05:16 PM.

05-08-2013, 01:47 AM

#12

20Tigers

Join Date: Jun 2008

Awesome, thanks guys. A nice range of results and some really nice examples there and just the kind of responses I was hoping to get.

Quote:

Originally Posted by griffRG7321

Over-used in my opinion, hurts my ears.

Most music is built around recycled ideas that are used again and again. Some of those ideas are very effective and can be used as a foundation upon which more elaborate musical structures are built. While I understand that poor execution of such common concepts can result in stale or cliché sounding music, it worries me that you would take offense at an effective musical device rather than the inability to make the proven idea sound fresh an interesting.

__________________
Si
Explaining Modes part 1
Explaining Modes part 2 (continued)

05-09-2013, 07:42 PM	#13
MissingSomethin Registered User Join Date: Mar 2013	Hotel California is hard. I never learned to fingerpick, but even the chords shapes are weird, and compressed so far up the neck. It would take a long time to get that sounding fluid. __________________ 1978 Les Paul Custom Sunburst 2001 USA Strat (Hot & Cool Rails) Effects: Boss GT-6 with Tech-21 Power Amp

05-09-2013, 08:35 PM

#14

Hail

obama 2016

Join Date: Jan 2010

Location: Dallas

Quote:

Originally Posted by MissingSomethin

Hotel California is hard. I never learned to fingerpick, but even the chords shapes are weird, and compressed so far up the neck. It would take a long time to get that sounding fluid.

you never learned how to play barre chords?

__________________

MY FINAL FORM

05-09-2013, 08:36 PM	#15
20Tigers 1 Join Date: Jun 2008	It doesn't take too long. I don't use a capo though, I barre the seventh. {edit} - too slow __________________ Si Explaining Modes part 1 Explaining Modes part 2 (continued)

05-09-2013, 09:23 PM	#16
TheHydra Registered User Join Date: Aug 2011	The very beginning has a 1-b3-2-b2-1 motion in the big guitar-ish synth.

05-10-2013, 07:49 PM

#17

MopMaster

Registered User

Join Date: Feb 2008

Location: Wirral, UK (home)/ Durham, UK (uni)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nietsche

This musical device actually has a wiki article devoted to itself

~~You sure that's the right article there? That looks like moving down the chords of a diatonic scale one by one to me, not going full chromatic on it.~~
Disregard that, I can't read. Sleep dep; not even once.

I guess I'll try and make a contribution as compensation for my affront, not quite what you're looking for but if you're looking for inspiration walking basslines that are found all over jazz and blues often have pedalled chromatic walks in there. For example to move from C to G you could pedal C in eigths while chromatically walking from E up to G in between them; with a bit of experimentation you can do a similar thing (moving up whole tones is fun too) to get to pretty much anywhere you want to be. Same idea applies walking down, you can also get fancier by walking your pedal along something that isn't chromatic, say the major scale; that one gives you a far tenser, creepy effect if my memory recalls- haven't checked since I can't be noisy in the library. Or doing two separate walks, one up and one down. It can be horrid to play but it makes for a really fresh plaything.

__________________
I'm just a Placeholder, hiding in my Chrysalis, cowering away from the Wars in my Twisted Dreams with Biologists and Angel Goddesses

This isn't shameless advertisement, honest.

Last edited by MopMaster : 05-10-2013 at 08:21 PM.

05-10-2013, 08:40 PM

#18

crazysam23_Atax

MWAHAHAHAHA!

Join Date: Oct 2009

Location: The Frozen North! (read: Northern Wisconsin)

Quote:

Originally Posted by MissingSomethin

Hotel California is hard. I never learned to fingerpick, but even the chords shapes are weird, and compressed so far up the neck. It would take a long time to get that sounding fluid.

What?!

It takes practice, sure. But it's not hard.

__________________

Tunes?

Bandcamp

I am on break from recording until I buy a new computer in June. Look at the bandcamp page to see the track list for upcoming EP "Discarnate".

Terry Prachett is funnier than you! Discworld

05-11-2013, 11:45 PM	#19
deHufter Registered User Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: The Netherlands	Nick Drake - Day is done Led Zeppelin - Babe I'm gonna leave you Gabriel Rios - Broad daylight Portishead - Glory box Radiohead - Exit music (for a film) __________________

05-15-2013, 06:53 AM	#20
xxdarrenxx UG Fanatic Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Amsterdam, The Netherlands	Tommy Emmanuel has a lot of interesting Bass voice leading in his playing, and a lot of chromatic nuances. __________________ The "Re-incarnation of Plato" Award 2009 (most intelligent) The "Good Samaritan" Award 2009 (most helpful) My Youtube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/xdarrenx Who's Andy Timmons??

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