How Do I Create Bass Lines From Scales?

[Krisfield]

He even lists what notes of the scale create what musical effect. It's worth checking out. (They had it at my local library.)

Would that be dissonant and consonant intervals?

 

[BassChuck]

Step 1: Play all the notes you want. (use rhythms that fit with the drummer)

Step 2: Stop playing the notes the sound bad.

 

[RudeMood]

I have always played by "feel" when creating bass lines. I stay within the relevant scale, but just play around until I find something I like; sometimes a week later, I stumble on to something I like better. You have to keep in touch with what the drummer is doing too.

Knowing when to play and when NOT to play is also key.

I don't read music, have never studied theory, I just jump in and play - have done this for 20 years and it's worked. You get better with practice - I'm sure my lines 20 years ago were nothing short of horrible, but now I can slip into something that grooves pretty quickly.

 

[BassMan257]

whelp...

I can read music (and im sure alot of you out there can too) but in building bass lines, it really hasnt done much... what has is knowing scale patterns...



major scales:
| | | | |
|x| |x|x|
|x|x| |x|
| |x| |x|

| | | | | |
| |x|x| | |
|x| |x| |x|
|x| |x| |x|

These can be used starting on any string... going up... or down... these should be played when you hear (or want if your playing by yourself) a brighter "happyer" sound

Domanant scales:

| | | | |
|x|x| |x|
|x|x| |x|
| |x| |x|

| | | | | |
|x| |x| | |
|x| |x| |x|
|x| |x| |x|

notice they are the same as the major scales except that the 7th not is down a half step... or a "minor seven" on a chord sheet a "domanant" or "minor" or even "flat" seven chord looks like this: G7 or F7 ... you get the picture i hope...

they sound kinda bright, but they have the flat 7... so there kinda funky... a tune that comes to mind is "tax man" by the beatles... it grooves like a monkey dancing around a pile of bananas, but is bascially a pattern in the Dominant seven pattern...

Now on to minor chords... here are a couple patterns

| | | | | |
|x|x| |x| |
| |x| |x| |
| |x| |x|x|

| | | | | |
| |x|x| |x|
|x| |x| |x|
| | |x| |x|

or even

| | | | | | |
| |x| |x| | |
| |x| |x| |x|
| |x| |x|x| |

this gives you a darker sound... it can be funky, sad, all sorts of stuff... notice its a dominant seven chord with a flatted third note... these are called Minor chords... which implies that from a major scale, they just have the flatted 3 and flatted 7

they can look like this : Gmin G- Gmi and alot of different ones..

hope you got the rundown...

once you can memorize these patterns, when you think "I want to play something funky" you may play out of the minor or the dominant seven pattern... cause you know how it sounds...

and, its just a good thing to know... oh yeah... i hope i mentioned... these can be started on any note on any string...

so say you were playing a G minor scale... play the pattern starting on G and then back down... now, to play an A minor, all you have to do is go up and start on an A....

its just that simple... and to be honest, its probably one of the best single bit of info ive ever got....



hope this all makes sense to you... feel free to ask quesions..