How do I create music that flows better?

[Poor Tom]

Basically, I am sort of ok at creating small little bass licks/lines, but I want to create longer stuff. I have tried linking a bunch of small parts I create, but that ends up sounds stupid.

Are there any pointers or guidelines that can help me to create musical pieces that are longer, and flow well?

I know some basic music theory, such as major and minor scales, modes, and arpeggios, but not squat about how to use them effectively.

Any suggestions or if anyone can point me to some good resources, would be greatly greatly appreciated.

Thanks TB!

[bongomania]

Use human speech and singing as a guide. Find recordings of people speaking eloquently, and mimic them on your bass. Do the same with vocalists who are solo or where their vocal part is clear and up front and the rest of the band is merely supporting. Listen to people singing/speaking in languages other than your native language, so you don't get caught up in the words, and also so you can hear different cultural interpretations of language flow.

[DocBop]

Like the previous post say start by singing lines like you want to play. Then transcribe what you sing. That will not only help you create more musical line, but its great ear training. Also focus less on notes and more on space. Use restrictions to increase creativity so try working on only using one or two notes so you have to be creative with the rhythm. Take a long line that you line and start working playing variations on it. Pick a player you like and try to create a line that sound like something they would create for same changes and feel. Again sing first and play second.

[Poor Tom]

thanks for the tips. I will try what was suggested! As far as singing then transcribing, I guess it is going to be a trial and error thing at the beginning, which I will get better at over time, thusly making me a better overall bass player?

thanks again.

[ryco]

Originally Posted by Poor Tom

As far as singing then transcribing, I guess it is going to be a trial and error thing at the beginning, which I will get better at over time, thusly making me a better overall bass player

Probably. Anything you towards progressing forward in music will bleed over into other musical areas.

Practice writing a lot. Do it everyday and jot down lines and ideas. Or record them if you have the means.

A fun thing to do is collaborate with someone else who writes. You can learn a lot bouncing ideas back and forth, plus take ideas to places the other wouldn't have thought of going.

Like everything - playing, reading, soloing, transcribing -- the more you do it, the more comfortable it gets!

[mambo4]

Originally Posted by Poor Tom

I know some basic music theory, such as major and minor scales, modes, and arpeggios, but not squat about how to use them effectively.

You know some scales and arpeggios, but do you know any harmonic/chord theory? Like what's a ii-V-I or a I-vi-VI-V etc? To me this is where the "squat about how to use them" comes into play. See the link in my sig or the sticky thread in this forum.

another thing to try is to learn some baselines by your heroes which you really admire for their "flowieness". Get hold of a chord chart for the song, and use your theory knowledge to 'reverse engineer' the bass line : study how your favorite players navigate through those chord changes so smoothly. Can be a very enlightening exercise.

[BassChuck]

Never forget that the most important element of music is rhythm. Knowing scales and theory is very important and you can't be without that. But.... having a good feel for rhythm will make all your theory knowledge come alive.

Also.... simplicity is usually the best choice in rhythm and notes. Its fun to dazzle a little bit, but the flow comes from simplicty and logic.

Being totally new and unexpected with every musical thought can be really irritating. Being predictable can be painfully boring. Good music is somewhere inbetween.

[DudeistMonk]

You know some scales and arpeggios, but do you know any harmonic/chord theory? Like what's a ii-V-I or a I-vi-VI-V etc? To me this is where the "squat about how to use them" comes into play. See the link in my sig or the sticky thread in this forum.

I was gonna suggest the same thing...

Start adding movement by forcing it. I learned how to play some real neat groovy funk stuff, all one chord type stuff, and I always wanted to just loop all my lines.

Eventually I figured out that if I wanted it to go anywhere I had to chart a course...

Start with simple progressions and work your way up, steal some from classic rock songs or whatever...

try I-IV-I-IV (C-F-C-F), I-II-I-II (C-D-C-D) ext... then ad a third chord I-IV-I-V (C-F-C-G) ext. Also try the good ol' 12 bar blues, and Jazz walking lines (just started working with them) seem to be doing wonders for helping me make my way around the fret board.

[bongomania]

Originally Posted by mambo4

See the link in my sig

Link is dead.

[Jazz Ad]

The way I do it, melody comes first. Maybe not lyrics, I suck at writing them but melody is the most important.
From melody comes harmony, then rhythm and at this point, I start having ideas for a good bass line.

[jollygiantchris]

Originally Posted by DudeistMonk

I was gonna suggest the same thing...

Start adding movement by forcing it. I learned how to play some real neat groovy funk stuff, all one chord type stuff, and I always wanted to just loop all my lines.

Eventually I figured out that if I wanted it to go anywhere I had to chart a course...

Start with simple progressions and work your way up, steal some from classic rock songs or whatever...

try I-IV-I-IV (C-F-C-F), I-II-I-II (C-D-C-D) ext... then ad a third chord I-IV-I-V (C-F-C-G) ext. Also try the good ol' 12 bar blues, and Jazz walking lines (just started working with them) seem to be doing wonders for helping me make my way around the fret board.

^^^^
Do this and than read about (I think I am using the wrong theory word here) leading tones (or is it called voice leading). I am going to say this badly but use notes that lead into the chord that is about to occur or use chords that share notes in succession (passing tones I think?). Chromatics/Whole steps/thirds/fifths are great for this.

I would practice this with walking basslines over chord changes.