Creating Dance Bass Lines

[damo2576]

Hi,

Anyone have any tips along the lines of creating bass lines for dance music? Not just simple 4/4 type stuff but the really catchy ones that drive a tune.

Are there any common progressions that are used?

Be good to hear any ideas! Or from anyone who uses their bass to create dance music.

Cheers!

Damo

[Chris A]

Not really instructional. You'll get more responses in Misc.


Chris A.

[dodgy_ian]

well you could try checking some of the stuff my band does,

http://www.keiretsu.org.uk/

and getting some of the mp3's.

tho i don't think i do a particuarly great job, so i'd have a listen to some live/funky dance stuff/downtempo. perhaps:

london electricity
roni size
cinematic orchestra
breakbeat era
red snapper (rude double playing)

this is all quite specific stuff but there are some good examples in here...

dodge

[fastplant]

I think it's important to keep the line simple and repetitive.

[dodgy_ian]

true.

and driving as well i think, really pushing forward rather than dragging, that will really kill the intensity/energy that dance strives to get.

[Matt Till]

One thing that helped me a lot: Listen to dance (funk) music.

[dodgy_ian]

Agreed - lots of those bands that I listed are quite funky....

dodge

[Matt Till]

I couldn't funk for beans, and I couldn't figure out why. Then I realized that it's because I didn't listen to funk/didn't know what it was. I still can't define it, but I have a pretty good idea.

[JimK]

Originally Posted by damo2576

Anyone have any tips along the lines of creating bass lines for dance music? Not just simple 4/4 type stuff but the really catchy ones that drive a tune.

I would say most 'catchy dance lines' are in 4/4. For whatever reason, people/dancers in the Western world can feel "4" more easily.
I would suggest some James Brown for study; his stuff can go between the simple/repetitive & with SPACE(Bernard Odum) to the highly syncopated/busy interactive(Bootsy Collins).
There is a book/cd out there; nice learning tool...almost as good as the Jamerson/Motown book/cds.

You can also pick a couple tunes & break 'em down-
Chic's "Good Times" & Queen's "Another One Bites The Dust". Very similar grooves...what makes them the same? What makes them different?

Same too for Brick's "Dazz" & King Floyd's "Groove Me".

[Bigwig]

dodge .. your band sounds awesome...I love that 'dodge vs keiretsu'

[dirtgroove]

Originally Posted by dodgy_ian

well you could try checking some of the stuff my band does,

http://www.keiretsu.org.uk/

roni size
cinematic orchestra
breakbeat era
red snapper (rude double playing)

dodge

I'd second all of these suggestions. Si Jon is immense. If you listen to all of these bassists one of the things that they all do well is playing the spaces. Big beautiful wide open spaces either between notes or cycles (I refuse to use the word riff).

Keep it simple, pushing the beat rather than playing after the beat will give it more energy- alternatively, it will make for a kick ass bridge if you suddenly start playing behind the beat-.