Hey Y'all,

I need some advice or affirmation of a song that I just wrote. I would just like to know what you think of how I am playing bass on it and any suggestion or advice you think I could use to make it better.

Here is what I think is the key and the progression, I am not sure if the key is correct so anyway, here goes.

Key = Em
Verse = Em(4 measures)-Am(2 measures)-G(2 beats)-F#(2 beats)-F(1 measure)-repeat...
Chorus= Dm(2 meas)-Am(2 meas)-Dm(2 meas)-Am(2 meas)-Fmaj7(1 meas)-E7(1 meas)-Am(1 meas)-back to verse.

So, as of now I am playing chord tones/arpeggios for each chord as quarter notes. I am trying to also learn it as scale tones then I will try to combine them both.

Would I be correct in playing the E Phrygian mode over the Em chords and then the Am Dorian mode over the Am chords? Would you suggest something different?

I really don't know, yet, what to play over the Dm, Fmaj7 & E7 chords, so any suggestions or hints would be helpful.

This is the first song I have ever tried to write so I don't even know if it's "theoretically" correct but it sounds good so I suppose that's what really matters.

Thanks for any hints, tips or advice you can throw my way.

Scott

You can play any note against any chord in any key. Don't worry, nothing will break.

If it sounds bad to you, then change it. If it still sounds bad, change it again. (repeat until it sounds good)

Somehow make a record of what you do, like writing it down on paper of making a recording so: 1.) you don't have to go through all that again... if still sounds good later. 2.) you can keep track of your ideas and learn from how you are growing as a musician. 3.) you have something to use to teach other people your song.

Of course this only applies if you are trying to compose music that is yours and expressive of what you want to show other people. If you want to compose music that sounds like something someone else wrote, then you'll have to do some study first. And good luck, few people ever really succeed at sounding like other composers... and thank goodness for that.

Write what you feel like, there is only one you. If you let other people tell you what is good, we'll never get to know you.