Following the song vs. playing lowest freq notes

[Triangle]

I didn't really know what this is called so searching for it was a bit tricky. If a thread like this exists already, we can shut this one down.

When playing in a band setting, do you guys follow the chord progression of the song or play the same notes but lower on the neck?
Since I'm still not sure if thats making sense, I'll give an example. If you're playing on a 4 string, and the chord progression goes C-D-E, with the guitarist and other band members following the rising pitch of the progression, would you play 3rd fret on A string, 5th fret on A string, 7th fret on A string, or would you play the open low E string?
Playing the E on the A string would help contribute to the rising feel of the progression, but if you play the open low E, you help fill out the bass frequencies more.

Just wondering everyone's opinions on the matter.

 

[RFord04]

Whatever sounds best with the song. If it's a cover, do what the song calls for. If it's an original, do whatever you want.

 

[tjh]

... what he said ... you could even play a double stop on the E with an open E and 7th fret on A (or 2nd fret on D for that matter) ... experiment and see what suits your piece best ... you could even do the progression all up on the E string mid neck to give all the notes a little more 'body' ... all 3 of the variations I listed will each create a little different effect

 

[MalcolmAmos]

I didn't really know what this is called so searching for it was a bit tricky. If a thread like this exists already, we can shut this one down.

When playing in a band setting, do you guys follow the chord progression of the song or play the same notes but lower on the neck?
Since I'm still not sure if thats making sense, I'll give an example. If you're playing on a 4 string, and the chord progression goes C-D-E, with the guitarist and other band members following the rising pitch of the progression, would you play 3rd fret on A string, 5th fret on A string, 7th fret on A string, or would you play the open low E string?
Playing the E on the A string would help contribute to the rising feel of the progression, but if you play the open low E, you help fill out the bass frequencies more.

Just wondering everyone's opinions on the matter.

I checked your profile. As you joined in January and from the tone of your question, I'm going to assume you are just starting out. OK that out of the way. If I missed that, sorry.

Well you can do that, I would take another approach...

Major Scale Box with scale degrees. 

G|---2---|-------|---3---|---4---| 1st string
D|---6---|-------|---7---|---8---|
A|---3---|---4---|-------|---5---|
E|-------|---R---|-------|---2---|4th string

Major Scale Box with note names. 
Box placed at the 4th string 8th fret. 

G|---D---|-------|---E---|---F---| 1st string
D|---A---|-------|---B---|---C---|
A|---E---|---F---|-------|---G---|
E|-------|---C---|-------|---D---|4th string

I'd use the major scale box and while the C chord is active I may play some of the C chord's other chord tones beside just the C note, i.e R-3-5-3 perhaps. Or if you are just interested in the C, D and/or E notes I'd grab them from within my "box". My box contains all those notes.

If we are interested in the chord and not just the individual D note - when the D chord comes up, well there is a D on the 4th string 10th fret. I can place my R (root) there, so I'd move the box to the D note on the 4th string and help myself to some of the D's chord tones. Question now is D a minor or major chord, lets assume it's a minor chord so I could think about using a R-b3-5-8 bass line for the D chord.

Now the E chord, yep there is an E on the A string, move my box to it and help myself to as many of E's chord tones as I think the song needs. Course here too I need to decide is E major or minor. You listed them as all major, however, those three chords together like that - one of them if not two of them are going to be minor.

C scale taken out to four note chords = Cmaj7, Dm7, Em7, Fmaj7, G7, Am7, Bm7b5. Three major, three minor and one diminished chord.

As I use the major scale box and think in scale degrees -- that's what I'd do.

And to the question about playing in a band situation - follow the chords when providing accompaniment is always a safe bet. If the fake chord sheet music had those chords listed as C, D & E I'd take them at their word and play all three as major chords. Why? Well if everyone else in the band was playing them as major I'd clash if I played them as minor.

 

[TigerInATrance]

You could also play harmonically and make the whole thing more interesting.

 

[lunarpollen]

I always try to play what sounds best to my ears, I don't follow any set formula. Try a bunch of different things and you'll find that some elements will sound more engaging than others. On many, if not most of, the original songs my band does, the bass lines are not set in stone, even after a few years of playing them. Sometimes, for a song, you find something that you are comfortable with so you stick with it for a while, but then one day you decide to try something else, or you make mistake that actually sounds good, and so discover a way to improve on the bassline. In other words, don't stick to a formula, and don't be afraid to experiment.

 

[bassbully]

Well you can do that, I would take another approach...

Major Scale Box with scale degrees. 

G|---2---|-------|---3---|---4---| 1st string
D|---6---|-------|---7---|---8---|
A|---3---|---4---|-------|---5---|
E|-------|---R---|-------|---2---|4th string

Major Scale Box with note names. 
Box placed at the 4th string 8th fret. 

G|---D---|-------|---E---|---F---| 1st string
D|---A---|-------|---B---|---C---|
A|---E---|---F---|-------|---G---|
E|-------|---C---|-------|---D---|4th string

I'd use the major scale box and while the C chord is active I may play some of the C chord's other chord tones beside just the C note, i.e R-3-5-3 perhaps. Or if you are just interested in the C, D and/or E notes I'd grab them from within my "box". My box contains all those notes.

If we are interested in the chord and not just the individual D note - when the D chord comes up, well there is a D on the 4th string 10th fret. I can place my R (root) there, so I'd move the box to the D note on the 4th string and help myself to some of the D's chord tones. Question now is D a minor or major chord, lets assume it's a minor chord so I could think about using a R-b3-5-8 bass line for the D chord.

Now the E chord, yep there is an E on the A string, move my box to it and help myself to as many of E's chord tones as I think the song needs. Course here too I need to decide is E major or minor. You listed them as all major, however, those three chords together like that - one of them if not two of them are going to be minor.

C scale taken out to four note chords = Cmaj7, Dm7, Em7, Fmaj7, G7, Am7, Bm7b5. Three major, three minor and one diminished chord.

As I use the major scale box and think in scale degrees -- that's what I'd do.

And to the question about playing in a band situation - follow the chords when providing accompaniment is always a safe bet.

Here you go and explained very well. Use this on any song and your good to go as long as you know if its a major or minor chord.

 

[SeaBassTheFish]

I see what you're saying.
The bass guitar has such a fantastic range! And it's really easy to move around on. Why anyone would limit themselves to only playing the lowest note possible is beyond me.
Save that low register! It will be so compelling if you wait until the most intense part of the song before plunging down to the bottom 5th. Then you can rock out like it's 2011 when you get there. That's so much more interesting to listen to than a flat-lining perpetual E (or B) string player. Why even have a 4-stringer then?

 

[MonkeyBass]

Do whatever floats your boat my friend.

 

[Clef_de_fa]

G|-12---7-----------|--12---------------------|---------------------16-|
D|----------10---7--|-------12----------------|---------------------18-|
A|--------------------|-----------10---8---7---|---------11-------------|
E|--------------------|---------------------------|--7--0------0----------|

Personnaly I would do something like that, it goes nicely under those chords and you won't be bored.

 

[Snarf]

I didn't really know what this is called so searching for it was a bit tricky. If a thread like this exists already, we can shut this one down.

When playing in a band setting, do you guys follow the chord progression of the song or play the same notes but lower on the neck?
Since I'm still not sure if thats making sense, I'll give an example. If you're playing on a 4 string, and the chord progression goes C-D-E, with the guitarist and other band members following the rising pitch of the progression, would you play 3rd fret on A string, 5th fret on A string, 7th fret on A string, or would you play the open low E string?
Playing the E on the A string would help contribute to the rising feel of the progression, but if you play the open low E, you help fill out the bass frequencies more.

Just wondering everyone's opinions on the matter.

It depends completely on the context of those chords in the song. Is it the verse? Chorus? Bridge? Buildup? Is the singer singing loud or soft? Guitars loud or soft? Style of music? It all depends, and intuition for it can be developed through learning repertoire in whatever style you're playing.

 

[DBCrocky]

When playing roots lines, I usually put in a little thought so that my bassline moves against the (perceived) up down motion of the guitar chords instead of exactly parallel to them.

 

[FretlessMainly]

Playing the E on the A string would help contribute to the rising feel of the progression, but if you play the open low E, you help fill out the bass frequencies more.

As folks have said, whatever works for you and the song. But to make a point, you discuss contributing to the rising feel of the progression. In certain cases, that may work best, but I typically first think of counter-movement. If the guitar part moves up, I'll tend to move down and vice versa. Keep in mind that a guitar voicing of C D E may not actually move "up."

 

[Triangle]

As folks have said, whatever works for you and the song. But to make a point, you discuss contributing to the rising feel of the progression. In certain cases, that may work best, but I typically first think of counter-movement. If the guitar part moves up, I'll tend to move down and vice versa. Keep in mind that a guitar voicing of C D E may not actually move "up."

I guess I meant if you knew the guitar was playing with roots all on the A string.
I wasn't really trying to get as technical as some of you were going for.

 

[FretlessMainly]

Honestly, no one got very technical at all in these responses. But, if the the guitar player were playing with roots all on the A string, If I did double that, I would only do it up until the point where I could do something else to denote a section change in a piece of music. And "filling out the bass frequencies more" is rarely the sole basis for my note selection.

My basis for note selection is based on counter-movement a vast majority of the time and I give little or no consideration to which notes are lower or higher (in terms of which will be "more bassy"). Most of the time, I only give consideration to which notes will create more counter-movement in a particular passage (or at least which lines will counter the guitar lines at a point where the piece is changing sections).

Then again, I don't play covers, I play original music.

 

[LayDownABoogie]

Well you can do that, I would take another approach...
Major Scale Box with scale degrees.

G|---2---|-------|---3---|---4---| 1st string
D|---6---|-------|---7---|---8---|
A|---3---|---4---|-------|---5---|
E|-------|---R---|-------|---2---|4th string

Major Scale Box with note names.
Box placed at the 4th string 8th fret.

G|---D---|-------|---E---|---F---| 1st string
D|---A---|-------|---B---|---C---|
A|---E---|---F---|-------|---G---|
E|-------|---C---|-------|---D---|4th string

I'd use the major scale box and while the C chord is active I may play some of the C chord's other chord tones beside just the C note, i.e R-3-5-3 perhaps. Or if you are just interested in the C, D and/or E notes I'd grab them from within my "box". My box contains all those notes.

If we are interested in the chord and not just the individual D note - when the D chord comes up, well there is a D on the 4th string 10th fret. I can place my R (root) there, so I'd move the box to the D note on the 4th string and help myself to some of the D's chord tones. Question now is D a minor or major chord, lets assume it's a minor chord so I could think about using a R-b3-5-8 bass line for the D chord.

Now the E chord, yep there is an E on the A string, move my box to it and help myself to as many of E's chord tones as I think the song needs. Course here too I need to decide is E major or minor. You listed them as all major, however, those three chords together like that - one of them if not two of them are going to be minor.
.

Or you could outline the three chords all in the first C "major scale box". Maybe even add some scalar runs landing on appropriate chord tones.

 

[Febs]

G|-12---7-----------|--12---------------------|---------------------16-|
D|----------10---7--|-------12----------------|---------------------18-|
A|--------------------|-----------10---8---7---|---------11-------------|
E|--------------------|---------------------------|--7--0------0----------|

Personnaly I would do something like that, it goes nicely under those chords and you won't be bored.

Your second measure is G D G F E. Those notes aren't the best choice over the D chord. The G and the F in particular are going to clash with the F# in the chord.

 

[MalcolmAmos]

My ole rule of thumb ---

• Chords as in harmonic accompaniment - use the box and root on 1. If you need more help yourself to a 5, need more grab the 8, need more the correct 3 or 7. That should be enough.
  
• Notes as in melodic solos or melodic accompaniment - use the pentatonic, major or minor scale, depending on the chord you are playing over/under. Best to not run the notes in order mix them up. Think -- dare I say, licks, like Clef_de_fa did by starting his lick with the 5th. Work up several generic licks and use them where you need them.

Pentatonic will give you three chord tones for harmony and two safe passing notes for color. Pentatonic can be a really good friend.

You can use your major scale box for both.
Major pentatonic - R-2-3-5-6
Minor pentatonic - R-b3-4-5-b7

Kind of a generic no brainier, but you have to start somewhere.

 

[bassbully]

I guess I meant if you knew the guitar was playing with roots all on the A string.
I wasn't really trying to get as technical as some of you were going for.

Like many have said you don't have to play up to the last chord (E) on just staying on the A string. Play notes open or in another posistion to make the bassline interesting. I play off the Box (scales) like another TB posted and add things like sliding up to a note, double stops on the chords etc to add a new tone to the chord.

 

[bassbully]

My ole rule of thumb ---

• Chords as in harmonic accompaniment - use the box and root on 1. If you need more help yourself to a 5, need more grab the 8, need more the correct 3 or 7. That should be enough.
  
• Notes as in melodic solos or melodic accompaniment - use the pentatonic, major or minor scale, depending on the chord. Best to not run the notes in order mix them up. Think -- dare I say, licks, like Clef_de_fa did by starting his lick with the 5th. Work up several generic licks and use them where you need them.

Pentatonic will give you three chord tones for harmony and two safe passing notes for color. Pentatonic can be a really good friend.

You can use your major scale box for both.
Major pentatonic - R-2-3-5-6
Minor pentatonic - R-b3-4-5-b7

Kind of a generic no brainier, but you have to start somewhere.

Should of waited for MA to come in here again. I come from his school of bass playing. Follow this and you will be fine.