Basslines for non bass playing programmers

Hi Kris



I saw your Bass tutorial on Youtube and I hope you dont mind if I ask you a question on bass. I dont play bass or drums but I have to program both as I am recording an album at home using computer technology.

My question is this. When I program a bassline I usually pitch it exactly one octave below the melody. So If I write a melody with notes between C3 to C4 on the keyboard I will program the bass between C2 to C3.

I am working on a new song at the moment and while the bass sounds fine in the verse its too high in the chorus when I pitch the bass one Octave below the melody line.

Can I pitch bass lines two octaves below the melody sometimes if the melody is quite high?

I am rigidly following pitching the bass one octave below the main melody line. This could be a fundamental mistake on my part due to simple ignorance of bass playing.

I would appreciate if you could help me with this enquiry.

Unless you are a very good programmer its hard to get anywhere near the same expressiveness programming bass. I am going to get myself a bass at Christmas. I badly need one. Drawing in bass notes into a Piano roll in Reason 4 was ok at first but you get a very robotic sound which suits some of my songs but not others.



Thanks Steve

Hiya, Steve!

Yea, I think you summed this up in your last paragraph. A lot of people think the bass is only there to maintain the low, and keep time. I think the difference between good bass players and great bass players, is those that can be expressive on the instrument. It's about feel. It's very soulful.

When i'm writing a line, I never consider it as academicaly as you mention it. I don't think it's that black and white.

If the way you put these lines down (Octaves under melodies) has worked for you in the past, that's great. But if you get stuck my advice to you would be to chuck away everything you know, and just experiment. Experiment, listen, and then experiment some more. Try anything. Sometimes high bass lines work in chorus's, and sometimes they don't. It's a case of eliminating what sounds bad (to you), until you find what fits.

Sorry I can't give you a definitive answer, Steve. I really am an ear and feel player...

You'll find this a lot easier once you buy that bass.

You don't strictly have to play an octave lower - you can play any octave, as long as you're in the right key I think Dman is right - just experiment, until you find what feels good!

Would you be able to post the song, or at least a clip? That way we could listen to it, and give some advice (maybe even generate our own basslines, to give you ideas/inspiration... ) - just a thought!

Hi Kris- Thanks for the reply.

Well I have been working on the song tonight and I have made some progress. I went for it and have pitched the bass two octaves below the melody.

I have a bad habit of programming basslines like Nirvana "Smells like teen spirit" You know those throbbing basslines that are a single note repetively repeated until the next chord change. I am referring of course to the verse bassline of that song.

Anyway I have four songs posted online on my Band page on Soundclick

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default.cfm?bandid=878515

Check it out if you have a moment.

Smaz- Thanks for your reply. I would be glad to post my new song which I am currently working on. I should have it roughly finished by next weekend. Of course there will be no vocals and it wont be mixed or mastered but its just to assess the bassline.
If anyone has any ideas how to improve the bass I will be most receptive to any suggestions.