Country Bass Runs

[rydin4lifebass]

Simple question here..in a basic Root-Fifth country bass line, if I run from the 1 chord to the 5 chord using D as my 1 and A as my 5, my run would be as follows:

G|-----|---------|-----|
D|-----|---------|-----|
A|-5---|-5-5-4---|---7-|
E|---5-|-------7-|-5---|

If I want to go from this back to the 1, I would play

G|-----|---------|-----|
D|-----|---------|-----|
A|---7-|-------4-|-5---|
E|-5---|-5-5-7---|---5-|

It seems odd that I'm playing from the 1 to the 5 in the first example but to get back, I start on A but play back to the D which is the 4th of A..so in one I'm going from 1-5 and then back to 1 (which is the 4th of what I'm on)? I've heard that used as a 8-8-7-6-5 run with the 5 being the 1 of the next chord...any help explaining that?

In the first I'm going D-D-C#-B-A which makes sense because I'm going D to A (1 to 5) but in the second I'm going A-A-B-C#-D which is A back to D (A1 to D4).

Also, why would that be called a 8-8-7-6-5 run, wouldn't it be more of a 1-1-7-6-5 run?

[MalcolmAmos]

Originally Posted by rydin4lifebass

Simple question here..in a basic Root-Fifth country bass line, if I run from the 1 chord to the 5 chord using D as my 1 and A as my 5, my run would be as follows:

G|-----|---------|-----|
D|-----|---------|-----|
A|-5---|-5-5-4---|---7-|
E|---5-|-------7-|-5---|

If I want to go from this back to the 1, I would play

G|-----|---------|-----|
D|-----|---------|-----|
A|---7-|-------4-|-5---|
E|-5---|-5-5-7---|---5-|

It seems odd that I'm playing from the 1 to the 5 in the first example but to get back, I start on A but play back to the D which is the 4th of A..so in one I'm going from 1-5 and then back to 1 (which is the 4th of what I'm on)? I've heard that used as a 8-8-7-6-5 run with the 5 being the 1 of the next chord...any help explaining that?

In the first I'm going D-D-C#-B-A which makes sense because I'm going D to A (1 to 5) but in the second I'm going A-A-B-C#-D which is A back to D (A1 to D4).

Also, why would that be called a 8-8-7-6-5 run, wouldn't it be more of a 1-1-7-6-5 run?

Easy stuff first. 8-8-7-6-5 and not 1-1-7-6-5. Well, 8 and 1 are the same note just one octave apart. You walked up scale starting on 1 now coming back down 8-8-7-6-5 flows nicely.

I'll try and make this easy. Country runs; target the next root, miss it by 3 frets and walk chromatically to the new root being on it for the chord change. Leaving early and nailing the next root in time for the chord change is the secret.

You are on the D chord playing R-5 and it's time to go to the A chord. Target the A note - find where it is - then miss it by 3 frets. Then walk to it one fret at a time landing on the A for the chord change. Only hard thing about this is the leaving early and nailing the A in time for the chord change. If you are a box pattern guy this will take you an hour to figure out.

Let's take this as a simple I IV V chord progression, i.e. D-G-A7
You are playing R-5 over the D chord on the 4th string and want to get to the G chord on the 3rd string. Look down the 3rd string - E-F-F# and land on G.

Time to get from the G to the A. you are on G - back up one fret then go F#-G-G#-A. Walk three frets and be on A for the chord change.

Now you gotta get from A to the D. Easy way use the 4th string F at the 13th fret - F-E-D# and land on D for the chord change.

Or if ending the song tagging the last line, etc. You are on A @ the 3rd string 12th fret wanting to get to D. Look to the nut - skip the G# hit G and F# jump to E then land on D on the 4th string. It's not chromatic, but, makes a good ending riff. In this case you used scale notes.

Country chromatic runs - target the next root - miss it by 3 frets (up fretboard or down fretboard, which ever) - walk to it and land on the next chord's root for the chord change.

Good luck.

[rydin4lifebass]

The two examples I posted aren't doing that are they? Aren't they running through the scale?

I see this in Cocaine Blues by Johnny Cash..going from G# to C# is
G|-----|-----------|
D|-----|-----------|
A|---6-|-------3-4-|
E|-4---|-4-4-6-----|

In those examples they're not running directly from one note to the next but skipping, yes?

[brenner182]

i love these threads. Sub'd

[MalcolmAmos]

Originally Posted by rydin4lifebass

The two examples I posted aren't doing that are they? Aren't they running through the scale?

I see this in Cocaine Blues by Johnny Cash..going from G# to C# is
G|-----|-----------|
D|-----|-----------|
A|---6-|-------3-4-|
E|-4---|-4-4-6-----|

In those examples they're not running directly from one note to the next but skipping, yes?

Sorry for the confusion. This is just another way of moving. There are all kinds of ways to get to the next chord, chromatic runs like I outlined or riffs as this one shows. Find a way you like and put it to muscle memory.

[winstonthecat]

Originally Posted by rydin4lifebass

In the first I'm going D-D-C#-B-A which makes sense because I'm going D to A (1 to 5) but in the second I'm going A-A-B-C#-D which is A back to D (A1 to D4).

I'm not a theory expert, so if I get this wrong, feel free to correct.

I think you're overly complicating things. Playing in D Major, then D is your I chord, and A is your V chord, and moving from D to A is moving from I to V. Moving from A back to D (in this key) is moving from V to I. Simple as that.

Think of it this way...if you're describing the chord progression to someone using the Nashville Number system, and you say the chords go from I to V to IV, most people would think (in this key) D...A...G. They would not think D...A...D, with D being the IV of the V. The base reference doesn't change with each chord change, that would be too confusing.

Now you can get into all sorts of complex chord substitutions, but that is over my head, and doesn't seem relative to your question.

The runs you listed are standard scale runs used all the time. MalcomAmos chromatic runs are also good to have in your tool kit.

Hope that helps.

[funkybass]

This is good stuff. I've got a country gig in December, and I've never played it. This will come in handy.

[rydin4lifebass]

No need to apologize, you're a huge help man. Explain to me again why its 8-8-7-6-5. I mean, in the Cocaine Blues example, the G# is my 1 for the G#-C# (1-5), so then running to the C#, why wouldn't I say that the G#-G# to begin that run is 1-1?

[rydin4lifebass]

Originally Posted by winstonthecat

Think of it this way...if you're describing the chord progression to someone using the Nashville Number system, and you say the chords go from I to V to IV, most people would think (in this key) D...A...G. They would not think D...A...D, with D being the IV of the V. The base reference doesn't change with each chord change, that would be too confusing.

Makes sense. What would I use to run from the V to a IV? or from I to IV?

[MalcolmAmos]

Originally Posted by rydin4lifebass

No need to apologize, you're a huge help man. Explain to me again why its 8-8-7-6-5. I mean, in the Cocaine Blues example, the G# is my 1 for the G#-C# (1-5), so then running to the C#, why wouldn't I say that the G#-G# to begin that run is 1-1?

Well lets look at that G#-C# 1-5.
G# Major scale
intervals: 1,...2,...3,..4,..5,...6,...7.....8....9...10. etc........
notes:......G#,A#,B#,C#,D#,E#,F##, G#,A#,B#
chord house ::: guitar room (advanced) -- online guitar chords and scales

G#-C# is a 1-4 movement not a 1-5 but that may just be a typo. Or it may be a flaw in the way you number your scale degrees. Not yanking your chain, just trying to get to the problem and answer your question.

Back to the 8-8-7-6-5. Long story, hang with me. The 1 is in one octave and the 8 is in another octave. Our fretboard has at least 3 octaves and if you have a 24 fret bass I think - not sure - you have a full 4 octave you can play. Not sure it's a full 4 octaves.

Major Scale Box. 

G|---9---|-------|--10---|---11--| 1st string
D|---6---|-------|---7---|---8---|
A|---3---|---4---|-------|---5---|
E|-------|---R---|-------|---2---|4th string
8 starts a new octave

If you ran the scale up 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 one full octave and the first note (8) on the next octave. How you get back down could be 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. If after the first 8 you then went back an octave to 1 then jumped to the 7-6-5 it would not flow as smoothly. You've got two octaves working here. 1 and 8 are the same note however one is an octave below 8. Same notes, but, they do not sound exactly the same. C# 4th string 9th fret and C# 1st string 6th fret are the same C# but octaves apart. They do not sound the same - harmonize yes, but they are octaves apart. Sound them out.

Now C# @ the 4th string 9th fret and C# at the 3rd string 4th fret are the same note in the same octave. They sound the same. Yep those octaves are all over our fretboard.

[rydin4lifebass]

yes..sorry that was a typo on my part. I mean G# to D#. I understand what you're saying about the octaves and my instructor and I have talked about them as well. I guess where I'm getting hung up is if I play start the run to go to C#, I play G#-G#-A#-B#-C# which I do by playing the 4th fret on E for G#, 6th fret on E for A#, 3rd fret on A for B#, and hit the 4th fret on A for the C#. I haven’t gone out of my one octave range have I? I see that as 1-1-2-3-4. What am I doing here?

[bigboy_78]

Originally Posted by rydin4lifebass

I guess where I'm getting hung up is if I play start the run to go to C#, I play G#-G#-A#-B#-C# which I do by playing the 4th fret on E for G#, 6th fret on E for A#, 3rd fret on A for B#, and hit the 4th fret on A for the C#. I haven’t gone out of my one octave range have I? I see that as 1-1-2-3-4. What am I doing here?

It is 1-1-2-3-4.

If you went up the octave and then walked down you would probably say 1-8-7-6-b6-5.

[bigboy_78]

Oh and it's neither here nor there, but it is easier to talk about Ab than G#.

So your line would be Ab Ab Bb C Db.

The G# major scale has a B#(C) an E#(F) and an F## (G) in the scale. Its ugly.