How to play bass to songs without bassline?

[Tamerlan]

Hi,

my friends often play songs only with violine-key notes and acustic gituar accord signs.

Is it possible to translate violine-key notes into bass notes? How?

What shoud i play?

I`m new on bass and want to play with my frieds.

Thanks for help

Tamerlan

[Tamerlan]

No help avible?

[Vorago]

well, first of all, welcome at TB, best place on the net


Second, I'm not sure I fully understand your question but you want to play with you friends right? From what I gather they're a violin/guitar band.

There isn't really a point in playing along with the violin (which is perfectly possible btw). What you have to do is support the guitar and violin by playing the bass . A good way to start is building a bassline on the guitarchords.

How long have you been playing? What's your level?

edit; you should fill in your profile. It helps people answering your questions.

[wulf]

When you say violin-key notes and acoustic guitar accord signs, do you mean a melody with chords (also known as a lead sheet)? Here's a simple example I found on the web (PDF file)?

Wulf

[phxlbrmpf]

I think by "violin key" he/she probably means the treble clef, just a guess because it's called the "violin clef" in German.



Tamerlan: the easiest way to produce something that sounds good is probably to stick to the guitar chord symbols. If it says "C", your root note is C and you use the C major scale and if it says "Am" your root note is A and you use the A minor scale, and so on.

[wulf]

Could be - where in the world are you, Tamerlan? Our 'universal language' of music still has a few local dialects!

Anyway, I'd concur with the chords (and what you hear in your head as suitable basslines) as being a better guide than the melody in most cases.

Wulf

[Garry Goodman]

Originally Posted by Tamerlan

Hi,

my friends often play songs only with violine-key notes and acustic gituar accord signs.

Is it possible to translate violine-key notes into bass notes? How?

What shoud i play?

I`m new on bass and want to play with my frieds.

Thanks for help

Tamerlan

Hi-
you have your work cut out for you! Most songs are played in a certain style like a ballad,a rock ballad, a rock ballad with an eigth note feel,16th (sixteenth ) note feel etc. Country has a two beat feel,rock usually has an 8th or 16th note feel etc.
So, as a bass player,your part is to create a "groove" or rhythmic repetition of notes that support the chord changes and keep the "feel" of the song going.These patterns are used over and over again in one form or another in many songs.
This requires you, as a bass player, to be able to provide a steady "pulse" throughout the song. Bass players usually follow the chord changes written in a song. If you and your friends are playing a song,you will first need to figure out what the chords are,and when they change to the next chord.Do you have chord symbols to follow? Sheet music?
The violin has a higher range than most basses, but whatever melody is played on a violin can be played on a bass. Hope this helps.

[CrazyArcher]

1. "Violin key" = treble clef, that's 100% sure
2. I would play according to the guitar chords written in the music sheet. A small example:

   E                 Cm

G-|-----------------|----------------1-|
D-|---------------2-|--------------2---|
A-|-------------2---|-3-3-3-3-3-3------|
E-|-0-0-0-0-0-0-----|------------------|
                   x2                 x2
______________________________________

   F                 A

G-|-----------------|----------------2-|
D-|---------------3-|--------------2---|
A-|-------------3---|-0-0-0-0-0-0------|
E-|-1-1-1-1-1-1-----|------------------|
                   x2                 x2

Or you can jsut follow the root notes