I dont understand chord progression

[GiantsGiants]

I understand how to write one but when I try to make a bassline for it I always struggle, when im by myself. Im fine playing with a guitarist. Could this be because im not a guitar player myself when i paly the parts its just not interesting so it sounds bad?

Also I can write a decent bassline for a two chord progression but when I get into the 3s and above I cant seem to make it interesting, I just end up playing root note. I know scales and stuff but cant make anything except bassline that just loop over again after 2 bars.

I know this is fine and has a use but how do I write longer bassline that still work in the context of a song?

 

[bholder]

practice more, don't always play the same riff. Keep in mind that you don't have to hit the roots of each chord in the progression, any chord tone (really any key tone) is ok as long as it fits in with where you're headed.

 

[ddnidd1]

You say you know scales.

Do you know how chords are constructed and the notes of the chords?

 

[GiantsGiants]

practice more, don't always play the same riff. Keep in mind that you don't have to hit the roots of each chord in the progression, any chord tone (really any key tone) is ok as long as it fits in with where you're headed.

I use a lot of chord tones, but it all sounds boring to me. I dont understand how to get a bassline to kind of flow together and move around. like hit me with your rhythm stick. It all just ends you being a similar feel to a verse or chorus all the way through. I know how to move around the neck a little but if im by myself all that comes out is boring basslines. If i play with other people improving I get some okay stuff I can work on. It annoys me how I cant write by myself for some reason

 

[elgecko]

How many existing songs/bass lines do you know? If the answer is none or a few, then learn some. It's difficult to write basslines if you don't know what elements make up a good one.

 

[GiantsGiants]

one thing I cannot get my head around is how to get thje bassline to move into the next chord

 

[bholder]

one thing I cannot get my head around is how to get thje bassline to move into the next chord

choose which note from the next chord you want to play, consider where you "are" now, and then choose some scale tones to get from "here" to there.

 

[GiantsGiants]

How many existing songs/bass lines do you know? If the answer is none or a few, then learn some. It's difficult to write basslines if you don't know what elements make up a good one.

i know quite a few basslines, things like rush,parliment,weather report, peter tosh, primus, jamiroquai and more. I just cant write a good bassline when im alone to save my life. I get headaches trying to write something even decent

 

[elgecko]

i know quite a few basslines, things like rush,parliment,weather report, peter tosh, primus, jamiroquai and more. I just cant write a good bassline when im alone to save my life. I get headaches trying to write something even decent

You may be able to play them but I would argue that maybe you don't really "know" them. Do you know what chords go along with those basslines and how the actual notes fit into them? That'd be a big help.

 

[Frank Tuesday]

Many times, transitions from one chord to the next means playing a passing tone that isn't in the chord. I frequently use 2nds and 6ths in this manner. It doesn't even have to be in the notes of the scale. There are 12 notes, and only three or four (2 if you play punk) are in the chord. Don't be afraid of the other 8 notes. Use them sparingly, but use them if called for.

 

[GiantsGiants]

Thank you for the replies, ill try to analyze songs more to see how they work. I know I can write some decent stuff I think I'm just in a creative rut at the moment and I'm getting a bit aggravated. I've done a lot of writing lately. I got a rough draft of like 3 songs in 2 weeks so I might have just exhausted myself for now

 

[jthisdell]

You might try working on walking. Try some old swing jazz type stuff Ellington, Armstrong, etc., especially some things where the bass line is not very dominant and the chord changes are not to quick. Hard to transition much if the chord changes every other beat. Try Satin Girl, Take the A Train, All of Me. I've been working on a lot of old jazz standards that have interesting changes. (I'll See You In My Dreams starts Bbmaj, Bbmin, F, E7, F, D7, G7, Gmin7, C7)

The other exercise I do a lot is when I practice I spend some of my time going through a key, say Gmaj, and then do all the scales for all the chords in that key (Gmaj, Amin, Bmin, Cmaj, Dmaj, Emin, F#min) upwards and back down. Vary it to make the 6th and 7th flattened (D#maj, Fmaj). Do the whole scale and then just work on parts back and forth. Do this in different maj and min keys up and down the fretboard (but usually at any session I will just really practice on one or two keys and really work it.) This helps you really understand how chords work together and how to get from one to another. Also good for your hands and your ears. When I was young I would just do the same scale up and down the fretboard (Gmj, G#maj, Amaj, A#maj, Bmaj, etc) but a few years ago I stumbled on working through all the scales in a key and it has made a world of difference for me.

I'd write a book about how to do this and make a ton of money except that it would literally be half a page long.

And as bholder says, you don't have to play the root on the first beat of each chord. I've been working on walking starting on the third, fifth or sixth of each chord, changes the harmony. Guitar players do this all the time, such as playing a solo in the minor sixth instead of the actual key (say Emin instead of Gmaj).

 

[Mushroo]

Pick a chord progression, record a backing track, and try to create different bass lines to that progression, in the style of your favorite players. For example, get a groove going in C-G-Amin-F. What would Lemmy play on that progression? What about John McVie? Mike Dirnt? Adam Clayton? Tina Weymouth? Family Man Barrett? Flea? Kim Deal? Paul McCartney?

 

[bholder]

Pick a chord progression, record a backing track, and try to create different bass lines to that progression, in the style of your favorite players. For example, get a groove going in C-G-Amin-F. What would Lemmy play on that progression? What about John McVie? Mike Dirnt? Adam Clayton? Tina Weymouth? Family Man Barrett? Flea? Kim Deal? Paul McCartney?

+1 Some of the free online jam along sites let you enter your own chord progression, I've found that quite useful. It's much easier to come up with a nice line when actually playing along with chords you can hear, not just imagining them in your head.

 

[slobake]

I like to play with the rhythm section on my Zoom B3, that helps me make things up.

 

[bholder]

I like to play with the rhythm section on my Zoom B3, that helps me make things up.

Thanks, I forgot it even had one, I'll have to dig mine out.

 

[Nev375]

The rule of thumb is to do whatever you want (mostly) within the applicable scale tones but end up at the root on the 1.

Make sure to do it WITH the drummer and don't do it too often. Pick spots where other instruments or the main melody is NOT also doing something fancy to transition. The rest of the time it's ok to be kinda boring. There's an ebb and flow to great music.

Whatever you do, don't start thinking that it's a hard thing to do. A lot of people fall into a psychological trap of thinking this stuff is hard. Just play. Playing is the opposite of hard work.

 

[ZenG]

For starters look up the Circle of Fifths and the Circle of Fourths.

Try going around the clock from one chord to the next.

Chord progressions can be any number of chords in a row you like. But that doesn't mean they'll "flow" and be sonically pleasing.

Most common song chord progressions are designed so that they sound "good" when played.

But that's the progression. What you do with the notes per chord in the total bass line depends on a number of factors.

Beats per measure, number of chords in the song per measure etc.etc.etc., type of song etc etc.

A simple blues progression would be C,F,G.

The same blues song played C, F-sharp, B just would not sound right.

 

[Clef_de_fa]

 

[Sparkdog]

Try ditching the scales, and instead, play the arpeggio of the chords in the song. Scales always sound mechanical, but the chord tones are much more musical and add some color to the music. If you don't know arpeggios, learn them. if you learn JUST the 7 chords for instance (major, minor, dominant, diminished) you can do so much with that and it will open new doors.