Root Notes Question

[yarg682]

I'm trying really hard to learn more about theory and I always thought you harmonize with guitar by using roots that are different notes as if the lowest note in their chord is E you could play a B and it would be a fifth root. However my friend was having me play all octaves to harmonize with the root, is it necessary that you use the same note?

[plangentmusic]

[bass_lord_mutha]

Originally Posted by yarg682

...my friend was having me play all octaves to harmonize with the root, is it necessary that you use the same note?

He must be a big disco fan :P

As long as you're staying within the same key, you can play whatever notes you want. Music theory is just that, 'theory'. There's so many possibilities to approaching how you lay down the bassline to a song, up to and including not even playing the root note, that there's no real rule saying that you HAVE to play things a certain way. P-Nut from 311 does that quite a bit.

[BullHorn]

Uh.

A root is the main note of the chord, usually. If a guitar player plays an Emaj chord, then your root note would be an E (Up to you to choose which octave... you can play open E string or 7th fret A string or 9th fret G string, etc). If you were to play a B, that would be the 5th of the scale and would often sound fine BUT playing the 5th or any other note that is NOT the root WITHOUT emphasizing on the root at least once in a while will sound like you're soloing or doing something weird, rather than supporting the harmony.

[bass_lord_mutha]

Originally Posted by BullHorn

Uh.

A root is the main note of the chord, usually. If a guitar player plays an Emaj chord, then your root note would be an E (Up to you to choose which octave... you can play open E string or 7th fret A string or 9th fret G string, etc). If you were to play a B, that would be the 5th of the scale and would often sound fine BUT playing the 5th or any other note that is NOT the root WITHOUT emphasizing on the root at least once in a while will sound like you're soloing or doing something weird, rather than supporting the harmony.

Sorry, I didn't mean that in a "play what you want at any time" context. I meant to use the root, but don't feel tied down to it. You should always get the root note in to resolve the full chord, but moving around the chord structure adds movement to the song. Rather than going "EEEEEEEEEE AAAAAAA EEEEEE BBBB"

Not to say you couldn't do that, either hehe.

[TripleDouble]

Awesome you're learning some theory. To start learning what bass notes will sound like with chords, it's really helpful to get a a little keyboard or simple piano app. learn to play triads (the simplest major, minor, diminished or augmented chords) with your right hand, then while holding those chords, play the same notes that make up the chord individually with your left in the bass. This will teach you both what notes you have available to make up bass lines with, and what each note sounds like as the foundation to the chord. You can make up bass lines this way based on what sounds cool to you, then find em or your bass...

[MalcolmAmos]

What your friend was speaking of is the basic rules of harmonization, which state that the melody line and the bass line should share like notes. When they share notes they harmonize, i.e. the melody line and the bass line sound good together.

Big picture; If you have the chords listed you can assume someone has already harmonized the melody and the chords, all you have to do for your bass line to stay in harmony is play notes found in the named chord. Those chord notes already harmonize with the melody line.

Now the question is when and how many notes do you use in your bass line. One or two shared notes within the measure will do it. One is really enough. That's why just roots work.

So ---- The other posts touched on this already. Every basic chord will have a root, a 5 and an 8 (the root in another octave) so if you build a bass line using the Root, 5 or 8 you could take that bass line combination to any chord in the song. King's X - a diminished chord will have a b5, but, how many of those do you run into?

Some generic candidates are:
R-R-R-R
8-8-8-8 this is what your friend had you doing.
R-R-5-5
R-5-R-5
R-5-8-5
R-R-8-8. etc.

The other notes are gravy. Roots, 5's and 8's are the meat.
The 6 is neutral use it anytime you like. (R-5-6-8)
The 2 and 4 make good passing notes, just do not stop on them or linger on them. (R-2-5-8)
The 3's are not generic and are specific so -- 3 with major chords and b3 with minor chords. (R-3-5-3 or R-b3-5-b3). R-3-5-3 is generic under all major chords and the R-b3-5-b3 would be generic under all minor chords.
The 7's are not generic and are specific so -- 7 with maj7 chords, b7 with dominant sevenths and minor seventh chords. (R-3-5-7 or R-b3-5-b7)
I never go beyond the 7th. I suggest you get comfortable with the above before taking on the 9's, 11's and 13's.

Here is a video that will let you see the harmonization process. It will talk about the steps necessary in harmonizing the melody of "Mary Had A Little Lamb" and which chords can/could be used, i.e. that thing you assume someone has done for you. Once you have the chords you just stay in harmony by playing notes of the chord. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrDh0OFDCAk Yes, that's why we are told to play chord tones.

Have fun.