Need help righting some basic rock/pop bassline

[bassmasta05]

Im having a hard time comming up with a line for my sisters sort of basic rock guitar riff. She just plays G D Am Am G D C C chords in that order. Most of all of the punk, rock, pop music i listen to just has the bassist playing the root of the chord(blink 182) or maybe putting A FEW variations in, but mainly just 8th notes on the root, Id like to do something different, but i cant come up a bassline without sort of taking away the feel of the song... its sort of hard to explain.

So if you could suggest any newer punk, rock/pop, bands that have a bassist actually playing stuff other than the root of the chord, or even some tips for righting a line that will actually fit in with the music my sister is playing.

I can sort of make my bassline FIT with her guitar riff for the G and D chords, but once the 2 Am chords come up, all of the lines Ive thought up just seem to be of a different genre.

[SteveC]

You'd be surprised how many great bass lines are built on and around the root, 5th, 7th and octave.

[yamaha]

Play around with octaves and fifth's. It's the easyest if you're just starting. An octave is usualy 2 strings and 2 frets higher than the root. A fifth is either one string and 2 frets higher, or same fret but one string lower. Also, check out major and minor scales, as well as chromatic progressions.

-G-G-E---G-A-C-/-D-D-A---E-G-G#-/-A- etc....

[hmjuice]

You got that "RIGHT"

[tZer]

1. Start simple and find the song's "attitude" and "feel" - If all you have to go on is her guitar part, listen to her rhythm pattern and try to envision (or en-hear-sion) the intent. Being, "Punk" - the "attitude" is most likely to be aggressive, in your face.

2. Using the roots - provide a strong compliment to the "attitude" - try to either lock down strong beats, rhythmically.

3. Then look for opportunities to "answer" parts - she hits a strong "G" on the down beat, you do too - then outline the "G" Chord (the arpeggio) between the downbeat "G" and the upcoming "D"

4. Another fun thing is to do and octaves part but instead of using the octave that is 2 strings over and 2 frets up, slide up to the octave either on the same string or one string over. This makes the octave note much "beefier" and more punk to me.

5. Record everything! Get her to record herself playing and singing (if she also sings) and you should drive around listening to what she did and play bass parts in your head.

Start simple - find the song's "identity/attitude" - listen, listen, listen, go for it!

And always remember - less is more much more than more is more.

[bassmasta05]

thanks a lot guys. I know what notes work when writing, i know penatonic and regular scales... I guess I just have to make my line a little bit simpler.

Ive only just started working with her on this so maybe ill come up with something later today.

thanks

[RiddimKing]

Here's a couple of suggestions on bands to listen to for interesting basslines for harmonically (relatively) simple tunes. These aren't really "punk"--but they should apply.

The Killers: the song "Jenny"

Kings of Leon: check out the song "California Waiting"--it's got some nice walkups and alternates from a root to its octave between parts--and some higher register flourishes.

[bassmasta05]

ok thanks, i have the killers song, but i havent heard of king of leon, ill check them out.