Does this work at all?

[Kickin'Fruit]

So to try and learn songs I have been going to the tab or guitar chords and taking the notes and writing them all down. I then go through and see if I can fit it into a major scale pattern or some other pattern, such as aeolian. This would be defining the KEY right? And from there I can look at the chord changes and write my own bassline? or see if the tab matches up for accuracy?

Lastly, if the cord is something like C maj. Would I overlay that with the R-3rd-5th to sound good until the cord changes?

[iplaybassguitar]

i think i see what your saying...and generally speaking, yes....maybe.

a lot of times a song doesnt have enough chords to do this though...for example, say a song had seven chords, and none of them were sharp or flat, you would know it is in one of the modes of C. most songs however dont have that many....say the chords are C,D,and G, those notes would fit into many many scales.

try playing the root of all of the chords, one after another, but hold the notes for a whole chord progression, one of the roots will sound better than the rest...this is the only way i can think of to help you fdind the key...unless of course you have sheet music.

you will always be able to write your own bass line if you already have the chord changes...r-3-5 will always work, just make sure your using a minor third if its a minor scale and flat 5 if its diminished and whatnot. after a while, these basslines might get boring, so try and throw in other chord tones, a 7th, 4th, add chromatic passing tones.
just dont let it get boring for yourself

[Kickin'Fruit]

Originally Posted by iplaybassguitar

you will always be able to write your own bass line if you already have the chord changes...r-3-5 will always work, just make sure your using a minor third if its a minor scale and flat 5 if its diminished and whatnot. after a while, these basslines might get boring, so try and throw in other chord tones, a 7th, 4th, add chromatic passing tones.
just dont let it get boring for yourself

This is exactly what I want to try and accomplish. I'll be jamming with a band once I get back to school. Is it annoying if I ask them what key they are in and try to go from there? I am also not that great at catching what the chord is by ear on the fly so while I might be trying to lay over a G maj with a C maj it just does't seem like it would work out. I hate having to ask the guitarist what I should play.

[steveb98]

Start working on your ear put away the tabs and try to transcribe the bass line. I only recommed tabs for ideas on fingerings if you can't come up with a good one on your own. Developing your ear is one of the most important skills for musicians and especially bass players.

Transcribe the bass line, then see how it relates to major scale. I feel tabs are only good for showing a finger pattern. Use chord charts if you get stuck trying to transcribe the tune.

[iplaybassguitar]

its not annoying at all to ask what key a song is in, i do it all the time...our band will be jamming, or at a gig or something, and if we dont have a setlist, maybe well say, lets do a little funk jam in A.

or blues in G, or something like that.

know what the chord progression is, 1-4-5, or whatever, the song will always be in the key of the 1, which is why its the 1.

then for each chord, maybe play the root and fifth, or root third fifth, do stuff like that till your comfortable with it, then try and add notes that will lead to the next chord.

for example if your playing 1-4-5 in G

for the g chord, play root, third fifth, then a flat fifth(Db), because that will bring you right into the C(the 4)

[Kickin'Fruit]

Originally Posted by iplaybassguitar

its not annoying at all to ask what key a song is in, i do it all the time...our band will be jamming, or at a gig or something, and if we dont have a setlist, maybe well say, lets do a little funk jam in A.

or blues in G, or something like that.

know what the chord progression is, 1-4-5, or whatever, the song will always be in the key of the 1, which is why its the 1.

then for each chord, maybe play the root and fifth, or root third fifth, do stuff like that till your comfortable with it, then try and add notes that will lead to the next chord.

for example if your playing 1-4-5 in G

for the g chord, play root, third fifth, then a flat fifth(Db), because that will bring you right into the C(the 4)

Awesome, thanks. I completely forgot about chord progression rules for the key. I'll also definitely try and work on my ear, I just feel like I'm in a rush to catch up.

[iplaybassguitar]

i always feel like im in a rush to catch up...kind of the downside to being a musician i think, you never really reach a level where your like, okay, im comfortable, i can stop working now. its worth it though