Is your "original" bassline/song already part of an existing song?

[30hrz]

I've listened to so much music over the years, all floating in and around my brain, that sometimes I wonder if the basslines I create are original or merely something I herd once. Drives me nuts as I come up with a bassline, start composing the rest of the song then think, this sounds so good I wonder if it's actually already been done?

Anyone been in this situation? I hate to have put together a whole song, about to record, then someone say "Hey, isn't that that song Scarlet Fields by The Horrors?"

D'oh!

[Unrepresented]

Originally Posted by 30hrz

I've listened to so much music over the years, all floating in and around my brain, that sometimes I wonder if the basslines I create are original or merely something I herd once. Drives me nuts as I come up with a bassline, start composing the rest of the song then think, this sounds so good I wonder if it's actually already been done?

Anyone been in this situation? I hate to have put together a whole song, about to record, then someone say "Hey, isn't that that song Scarlet Fields by The Horrors?"

D'oh!

It's all been done before. At this point, everything is just subtle tweaks to existing templates. Try to tweak hard enough you don't raise eyebrows.

[AcidFripp]

Just make music so avant-garde, so completely maddening that it can't possibly have been done before.

[WalterBush]

Happens all the time with me, sometimes on purpose. On one album I recorded with some friends, I tried to put the Limelight riff in every song I could; in one song, it actually stayed on the recording.

Don't break your brain over it. I won't say it's all been done, but it's hard not to create a bassline in rock music that doesn't at least vaguely resemble something else IME.

If it helps at all, guitarists and drummers have it even worse from what I've seen.

[bassbully]

I agree its all been done one way or another ther are only so many notes you know and they have to fit in the proper chord progressions and scales to make it sound musical. Unless its free form noise or improv its going to sound like something else at sometime. I always try to do something a little diffrent then anything I heard when I can " Go against the grain" so to speak.

[OPBASSMAN1994]

Don't sweat it too much man, we all tend to write in the style of our favorite songs. I've probably been ripping off Rush and Yes just a little bit in every bassline I play! However, don't let anyone tell you it's ALL been done before. If that was true, we'd all be out of a job, now wouldn't we? What makes something "original", is when it is creative and interesting, not necessarily brand spankin' new. Emerson, Lake and Palmer did an entire live album dedicated to a rock version of the classical piece "Pictures at an Exhibition" (which was obviously previously written), and what people heard was NOT the original composer, but ELP. And if you listen to the blues, there is hardly ever a "new" bassline to be heard. The bass just plays the scale with some accidentals in it. However, some play MORE than others, and some dance around the chord structure a little bit more. The thing is, if you put your own spin on something, it'll turn out fine. Just don't copy something note for note, but don't be afraid to let your influences show. And hey, if you have to, alter the key, change the rhythmic approach (instead of straight eighth notes, dotted quarters and eighths), or add to it. The way to ensure that it's original is to make sure that YOU have your own style and mix of influences on bass. I'd suggest learning scales and chordal stuff, because in that there are a million combinations left to be tried out. Good luck and God bless.

[kcreal01]

i was at band practice one time, very excited about a bass line i had written. i gather the band mates together after a break at practice and proceed to tell them about this cool bass line i had come up with.. as i am playing it they all start smiling and tell me that it is NIB the primus and Ozzy song.. i had never heard it before and was sad because that is a cool lick.. so don't fret too much it happens to us all.

[dtsamples]

One time back in high school my drummer friend and I jammed on the intro riff to "Through the Never" by Metallica for half an hour thinking we had something cool. Then we remembered where we'd heard it before. Oh well, whaddya gonna do.

[bThumper38]

"A great composer doesn't borrow, He steals". (Stravinsky)

[bolophonic]

If it sounds good, it is good. There is nothing wrong with paying homage to a song you love by having part of it show up in another form somewhere else. Just as long as you don't wreck it or try to copy a whole song.

[Tituscrow]

After years of listening to Clutch, I can't help but let Dan Maines-isms creep into our jams. But that's no bad thing...

[Soul Power]

The way I approach patterns involving Root-fifth-octave patterns are almost always Jamersims....

[Tituscrow]

Originally Posted by Soul Power

The way I approach patterns involving Root-fifth-octave patterns are almost always Jamersims....

Again, no bad thing!

[Tituscrow]

Originally Posted by Soul Power

The way I approach patterns involving Root-fifth-octave patterns are almost always Jamersims....

Again, no bad thing!

[Winemule]

I try my best to rip off Steve Earle, Joe Ely, and early Seger. So far, none of them has anything to worry about.

[audiomitch]

There are no new notes. Don't sweat it.

[jmattbassplaya]

I remember coming into my friends house one day to jam and he told me he had the most killer bassline ever that he wrote. He ended up playing the main riff to "Come as You Are." When I told him what it was you could see the hope in his eyes slowly turn into sadness. I just laughed

The way I try to be creative and original is by using somewhat unconventional rhythms and note placement in my playing. I also utilize a lot more rests than most other players. As they say, sometimes the most important note you play is one you don't play at all!