How To Create A Bass Line For A Song

Creating a bassline might sound hard. But as you read this lesson you will learn that it is quite easy. When you make a bassline take a look at what the rhythm guitarist is playing during a song.

Say he is playing something simple like this:

E|---------------------------------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------------------------------|
G|---------------------------------------------------------------|
D|-4--6--8---4--6--8---------------------------------------------------|
A|-3--5--0---3--5--0--------------------------------------------------|
E|-2--4--7---2--4--7---------------------------------------------------|

(i understand this probably looks like a stupid riff.)

If he is playing some thing like that then you might want to play this:

G|---------------------------------------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------|
E|-2222-4444-7777--2222-4444-7777--------------------------------|
 
or even more simple:
 
G|---------------------------------------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------|
E|-2-4-7--2-4-7-------------------------------------------------------|

if you want to make it harder you can play what he plays or use a fret on the top string and use it's octave.

G|---------------------------------------------------------------|
D|-4--6--9--4-6-9------------------------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------|
E|-2--4--7--2-4-7------------------------------------------------------|

this whle thing may sound stupid but here are some popular examples:

Learn to Fly-Foo Fighters
I Hear You Calling-Gob
Pets-Porno for Pyros
Smells Like Teen Spirit-Nirvana
Break on Through (to the Other Side)-The Doors

MANY MORE...

Comments

[lekremyelsew]

Very basic, but good. I'd like to add that in most music the purpose of a bass is to outline the chords being played (not just fill in the low end or just follow the guitar as many bass-haters would like you to believe). So if your guitarist is playing a CMaj chord, try playing around with the notes C, E and G under it instead of just playing with the root note and its octave. Playing a E or a G under a CMaj chord will give the chord and inverted feel (not completely resolved) whereas playing the root note will feel very at rest, but all 3 notes will fit nicely with the chord.

Also don't be afraid to go against the melody of the song. Melodies are somewhat restricted in the fact that moving to close notes (like B or D from C) will sound resolving and large leaps (like C to G) will be cause tension and want to resolve. But bass lines don't follow those same rules. Sometimes a really fluid song will have a bass line that is just jumping all over the place. A bass line with some serious movement behind it can drive a song like nothing else can. Do you think Bootsy Collins or Les Claypool just "follow the guitar"? Of course not.

[4ttack4ttack]

What about playing with the drums ?

[Agyology]

Hey, i love the lession just dat am a novice and dont really understand that diagram with the numbering. Am a fast learner though

[slowlybilly]

Yep....that's bass at it's simplest. I need a bass player....blah.

[Lolcohol]

This is a terrible lesson. I shouldn't have even given it a 2. It explains nothing really.. At the very least you could've expanded on your explanation and spoken about root notes and chord tones, but lekmyelsew has already gone into that.

[UlleN]

could u explain the good lesson then Mr.Lolcohol ??
I'm happy to know it 'cos i really need it

thanks before

[TonyCM]

Just a note. For those of us that play lead and rythem and know absolutly little if anything about bass playing this was a good start explaination. Lolcohol. If you can do better then do so. Otherwise you've added nothing but hate.

[technoguyx]

You don't necessarily play the lower note of the chord (AKA the root, and it's not even the root in all cases), like lekremyeslew said you can mess with any chord tone.

You also forgot about using passing tones - they're the key to make an interesting bassline.

[Andy The Axman]

TonyCM wrote:

Just a note. For those of us that play lead and rythem and know absolutly little if anything about bass playing this was a good start explaination. Lolcohol. If you can do better then do so. Otherwise you've added nothing but hate.

[Andy The Axman]

+1

[Bert_the_Bear]

Lolcohol wrote:

This is a terrible lesson. I shouldn't have even given it a 2. It explains nothing really.. At the very least you could've expanded on your explanation and spoken about root notes and chord tones, but lekmyelsew has already gone into that.

I think it's safe to assume that someone who doesn't know what a root note is, isn't about to start writing their own bass line.
This is a good lesson for people who have no clue how to start writing a very basic bass line. This won't bring up anything 'Victor Wooten', but it's not supposed to either.
The contribution lekremyelsew made was definately worth to be mentioned though.

[christianonbass]

Right on!

[thewii552]

Pretty good!

[christianonbass]

Good job. This lesson helps to illustrate the basic "Foundation" of a bass riff as it relates to a simple guitar riff. "First learn walk, then learn fly Danielsahn. It's not Miyagi rule. Miyagi just follow!" If you are a registered member of this community I hope you aren't hating on the people who post these lessons, or you won't be a member for very long. This site is about learning how to play our instruments. If you want to hate and pick fights go elsewhere...like back to grade school.