Chords/scale mode of a line

[carlosjrf]

Maybe a bit weird to ask since it came from my head.

I've always had trouble identifying chords from basslines. This was an idea that i thought of and im working on. Just can't figure out what chords im playing and maybe the scale mode. I think i'm playing in d major, but other than the d major, not sure of the other(s) Also, i think im playing in mixolydian mode since im playing the flattened 7th (C) of what should be the d major scale. You may be thinking, "who cares just play", fair, but i want to understand it and learn from it.



Excuse me for my bad technique, again, still learning.

Appreciate the assistance.

 

[dreamadream99]

You cannot definitively identify the chord of a melody line. Even if you are playing in one single key, you cannot be certain which chords should go with each segment of the melody. The reason is that every chord has at least three different notes in it—therefore, every note you play could belong in three different chords. Which chord should you use? That is entirely up to the writer. You can make assumptions. You can make choices.

for example, if you are in the key of D, and you play the note A, it could be the root of an A major chord, the third of an F# minor chord, or the fifth of a D Major chord.

just as you compose a melody, you also have to compose a chord progression. It could be predictable and standard, or it may challenge the musical sensibility of the listener, or anywhere in between.

 

[carlosjrf]

You cannot definitively identify the chord of a melody line. Even if you are playing in one single key, you cannot be certain which chords should go with each segment of the melody. The reason is that every chord has at least three different notes in it—therefore, every note you play could belong in three different chords. Which chord should you use? That is entirely up to the writer. You can make assumptions. You can make choices.

for example, if you are in the key of D, and you play the note A, it could be the root of an A major chord, the third of an F# minor chord, or the fifth of a D Major chord.

just as you compose a melody, you also have to compose a chord progression. It could be predictable and standard, or it may challenge the musical sensibility of the listener, or anywhere in between.

I understand. Most of the time that i think of a bassline im not really thinking of chords, but they seem pretty obvious. Sometimes they are not and for the line i posted I'm not really sure even the key im playing in.
I gues keep trying until I find chords that work.

Btw, I've never really thought of basslines as melody. Interesting.

 

[Whousedtoplay]

I understand. Most of the time that i think of a bassline im not really thinking of chords, but they seem pretty obvious. Sometimes they are not and for the line i posted I'm not really sure even the key im playing in.
I gues keep trying until I find chords that work.

Btw, I've never really thought of basslines as melody. Interesting.

Let's listen to the following Billy Cobham's track, "Seven Eight".
Bass - Rossana Nikolosi



Here is the computer separated two tracks: Bass and Drums.
https://www.talkbass.com/attachment...7/?temp_hash=949dd342709f11dc185b5390471cb616

Try to figure out the chords based on the bass notes.
N.B. Bass-line as a second melody.

 

[Whousedtoplay]

Another simple track with the bass-line as a second melody.

 

[Malcolm35]

... I've always had trouble identifying chords from basslines. This was an idea that i thought of and I'm working on. Just can't figure out what chords I'm playing and maybe the scale mode. I think I'm playing in d major, but other than the d major, not sure of the other(s) Also, i think I'm playing in mixolydian mode since I'm playing the flattened 7th (C) of what should be the d major scale. You may be thinking, "who cares just play", fair, but i want to understand it and learn from it. Excuse me for my bad technique, again, still learning.
Appreciate the assistance.

You bring up something that has plagued hobby bassists forever.

In the world I played in, you make a decision about what you will do with a song, i.e., furnish harmony by playing rhythm guitar or melody with a lead electric. Yes, you can do both, but, for this paper let's say we have decided to furnish rhythm guitar..

In a band someone should call the key, and if not, you could ask the person standing next to you what key they were using. OR you know Loy likes the key of D and Shirley likes A and go from there. So, first things first.

The music would probably have one or two ole standby chord progression, I-IV-V7-I or ii-V-I, etc. Pick one and see if you picked correctly. Your ear will quickly tell you one way or the other. If there are two rhythm guys - God forbid - look at the other rhythm guitar's fretting hand and use what he is using. Be open to things that would help you with what chords are probably going to be playing a part in this song. Our director handed out fake chord sheet music so what chord to use was a mute part.

If your director has not given you some chord charts it's here a little theory can kick in and help. Most music "styles" (Jandura) have a progression that will be used, over and over, for hundreds of like songs. If you are not getting fisheyes from the other guys keep on keeping on with what seems to be OK.

You mentioned modes. Not going to get off into modes, let's let that dog sleep -- and let the lead electric guys take care of modes and we rhythm guys will provide a modal vamp for them to play over. Long story, Google will help. Ask about modal harmony.

Yep, there is modal and tonal and the two are different. Welcome chord charts, fake chord sheet music - anything that takes some of the guess work out of the equation. Beware of tabs - tells you nothing about why that tab worked so you have to memorize 180 song tabs... Another long story.

Have fun.

 

[SoCal80s]

I don't think anyone can give you a complete answer to this question in a forum, but I'll give you some simplified basics. So you have a bass line and you want to decide what chords to put with it, is that right? First, you need to understand that a line can be broken down into phrases - small groups of notes, usually leading tones on weak beats that lead into a "strong" note on a strong beat. Strong beats are not always 1 and 3, by the way, though they can be. So if you remove the leading tones on weak beats, and look at what strong tones each phrase leads to, you end up with a simplified version of the line that has (mostly) chord tones, and that's how you can see what chords the line is implying. Most people do this instinctively after gaining some experience, but this is a good way to break it down if you don't have that instinct yet.

Here's a simple exercise: Make up a simple 4-bar line using quarter note, two eight notes, quarter note, two eight notes, etc. In this case, the eighth notes will (likely) be passing tones. Now look at the notes that are left (the quarter notes), are they all chord tones from the same chord? If so, you can probably use that chord behind that line. But if the strong notes don't all fit in one chord, you might find that some of the notes next to each other at the beginning will fit in one chord, and then the next tones fit together in another chord, so that tells you where to change chords.

Hope this helps.

 

[mambo4]

I think I'm playing in d major, but other than the d major, not sure of the other(s) Also, i think im playing in mixolydian mode since I'm playing the flattened 7th (C) of what should be the d major scale.

Usually people ask "what bass line for these chords", not "what chords for this bass line"

I fiddled with it on guitar to get the notes, I think your guess is sensible
the notes are mostly G B C D E, with the emphasis seeming to be roots of D and C
So it seems like G major / D mixolydian
I think a chordal vamp between D and C major would fit nicely,
one or both could be a dominant 7 for the umame

 

[carlosjrf]

Let's listen to the following Billy Cobham's track, "Seven Eight".
Bass - Rossana Nikolosi



Here is the computer separated two tracks: Bass and Drums.
https://www.talkbass.com/attachment...7/?temp_hash=949dd342709f11dc185b5390471cb616

Try to figure out the chords based on the bass notes.
N.B. Bass-line as a second melody.

Cool track. Maybe I mispoke a bit. I do know you can play the bass a lead and carry the melody. It is actually another thing I struggle with because when i think of a line thats more melodic i always tend to feel it also need a bassline under it too.

 

[carlosjrf]

Usually people ask "what bass line for these chords", not "what chords for this bass line"

I fiddled with it on guitar to get the notes, I think your guess is sensible
the notes are mostly G B C D E, with the emphasis seeming to be roots of D and C
So it seems like G major / D mixolydian
I think a chordal vamp between D and C major would fit nicely,
one or both could be a dominant 7 for the umame

Like 99% of the time i think of a bassline and the chords are fairly obvious, but this one threw me on a loop. Probably because most of my ideas are pentatonic related. My time learning to play guitar got my brain stuck in pentatonics and im trying to break out of that. This is what I get for experimenting. Now Im confused.