Creating fills and solos.

[xxfaux_punkxx]

Okay so I want to add a bass intro to a song that my band is working on as well as few fills here and there but I'm clueless as to where to begin.

The band is a radio-friendly metal band (think slipknot or mudvayne) if that helps.

I'm working the bass lines off the chord structure of the guitarist which works pretty well and makes the song flow evenly but it's kind of dull and repetive. Basicly strings of 8's at the fret markers alternating betweent he E,and D string.

D/ ------------------------------55555555/
A/ 33333333-----------77777777----------/ repeat
E/ ----------55555555--------------------/

to give a basic idea of what's going on. Anyway how would I start adding fills to this? and how would I go about creating a solo that can either lead or come from a pattern like this?

[MalcolmAmos]

Originally Posted by xxfaux_punkxx

Anyway how would I start adding fills to this? and how would I go about creating a solo that can either lead or come from a pattern like this?

Instead of all roots start playing chord tone intervals. The R, 3, 5, and 7 tones of the chord are the obvious choices.

How many of them you use in your bass line is left up to what you think will work best. R-R-8-8 is perhaps the easiest venture from roots. R-5-8-5 next.

Working toward chord tones.
C = R-3-5-3
C7 = R-3-5-b7
Cmaj7 = R-3-5-7
Cm = R-b3-5-b3
Cm7 = R-b3-5-b7

Course the groove is the important thing. The individual notes used in the groove are left up to you. Use the ones that you think work best. Use the search button above and ask for "bass lines". This may help. http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showth...67#post9372867

As far as a solo -- The melody line and the chord line should share some of the same notes. The two lines harmonize when this happens. One of the easiest way to do this is to gather your melody notes from the chord's pentatonic scale. http://www.cyberfretbass.com/scales/basic/page2.php Why? The chord's pentatonic scale will give you three chord tones and two safe passing notes - more than enough to build a melodic phrase that will harmonize with that chord. As the chords change - change the pentatonic, i.e. Over Am play the A minor pentatonic scale, over the D7 chord play the D major pentatonic and then over the G chord play the G major pentatonic. Remember its melody, a string of notes is noise, let the melody breath, leave pauses for this to happen. Two notes close together then a leap of at least a 3rd. The interesting part comes with what you do after the leap. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0iZ1j00wSU Copy the text that comes on the screen.

Those scale patterns - just in case - The red dot is the root. Place the root and that scales' notes await you. Notice the numbers. 1 = your index finger, 2 = your middle finger, etc. The pattern takes place over four frets and you have four fingers. Yes get used to using all four fingers to fret the notes in your scale pattern.

Have fun.

[J-B'ass]

Try this:

D|-------------------------------------------------------5-5-5-5-7-5------|
A|---3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-------------------7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-------------7-5---|
E|---------------------5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5------------------------------------|

A simple pentatonic run that leads back to the root note. Riffs of that nature can be slipped in here and there, and can also be used as a concise intro. My pentatonic scale of choice for this song: C maj; in this kind of position:

G|------5---7---3------------------
D|------5---7---------------------
A|--3---5---7----------------------
E|--3---5-------------------------


Hopefully that's of some use, didn't want to repeat too much from the post above, which I'll add a +1 to while I'm here.

[Beginner Bass]

I'd look at the CMaj pentatonic. Also note that these are all cord tones of A-7 You could try a descending run of the A-7 arpeggio from the 7th (G) to the 1st (A), then up to the C. In other words:

G|------------------|
D|5-5-5-5-5-2-----|
A|--------------3---|3
E|-----------------5|

Just make sure it revolves to the C.