Minor bassline over Major melody?

[Bruce Lindfield]

But what about the point when the bass line goes to play Bb, if I were to harmonize to that, is that F or F#?

Or am I totally getting this wrong?

I think you are getting something wrong - you can't harmonise every note of a bass line like this - we're not talking Bach Chorales here!!

As people have said - a passing note is not part of the key we are in - it's has no relation to any key and is just a "device" to make lines flow.

 

[Krisfield]

When a melody is in Major, but the bass line is in Minor, what key is it?

I want to refer to WAR's LowRider song,
http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Lot/1094/LowRider.mid
the melody uses notes:
D Eb F Bb
which I would interpret as being in Bb Major, because
D=Major 3rd
Eb=Perfect 4th
F=Perfect 5th

Then the bass line is mainly based on the following notes:
Bb Db Eb F Ab
which I would interpret as being in B minor Pentatonic, hence B Minor, because
Db = Minor 3rd
Eb = Perfect 4th
F = Perfect 5th
Ab = minor 7th

Before this, I never attempted to transcribe the melody, I just learn the bass parts, so all the while I know the song as in Bb Minor!

I understand that the Minor Pentatonic notes are also in the Blues scales notes, and that the Blues scales can be used in any tonality, does that mean that the song is blues?

I am really confused....

You're playing 7th's

Try this...

Key Center - C
Chord Progression - Cmaj7, G7, Fmaj7
Bassline - G Mixolydian (major sounding)
Melody - G Locrian (minor sounding)

Key Center - Am
Chord Prgression - Am7, Em7, Dm7
Bassline - G Mixolydian (major sounding)
Melody - G Locrian (minor sounding)

 

[cowsgomoo]

it's generally true that minor notes thrown into a major tonality work better than major ones thrown into minor

a practical test of this this is to get your guitarist/keyboard player to set you up a 1-chord lydian vamp (lydian beause it's THE most 'major' mode there is) and try soloing over it, setting all kinds of notes against it... you'll find you can hardly find a stinking note all over the fretboard because the notes that AREN'T diatonic to lydian all have a minor relationship to the mode tones... i.e. b2, b3, b#4 , b6, b7.. so they can ALL work if u resolve them upwards correctly... it's infinitely less challenging on the ear than trying to find a convincing resolution of (say) a major 3rd within a Dorian framework

 

[geshel]

You're playing 7th's

Try this...

Key Center - C
Chord Progression - Cmaj7, G7, Fmaj7
Bassline - G Mixolydian (major sounding)
Melody - G Locrian (minor sounding)

Key Center - Am
Chord Prgression - Am7, Em7, Dm7
Bassline - G Mixolydian (major sounding)
Melody - G Locrian (minor sounding)

Hmm- you're suggesting that a G Locrian melody would sound good over a Cmaj7, G7, Fmaj7 chord progression?

G Locrian = G, Ab, Bb, C, Db, Eb, F

I don't believe it. It would sound horrible over Am as well.

 

[geoffkhan]

Hmm- you're suggesting that a G Locrian melody would sound good over a Cmaj7, G7, Fmaj7 chord progression?

G Locrian = G, Ab, Bb, C, Db, Eb, F

I don't believe it. It would sound horrible over Am as well.

Yeah, woah, there's something wrong with that.

Remember, whatever scale you use you have to use a scale that outlines the chord tones. So over a Cmaj7, you have to use a scale that includes a C, E, G, and B. The other chords around it help you narrow it down. So for example, if the chords are Cmaj7, G7, and Fmaj7, I'd simply use a C Ionian scale through all of those. If you want to get imaginative, you could probably add a few alterations to the chords -- for example, maybe make the G7 a #9 chord, and thus be able to use a diminished (half-whole) scale over it.

 

[Krisfield]

Hmm- you're suggesting that a G Locrian melody would sound good over a Cmaj7, G7, Fmaj7 chord progression?

G Locrian = G, Ab, Bb, C, Db, Eb, F

I don't believe it. It would sound horrible over Am as well.

I agree, it's out there. but what I'm saying is that both G Mixolydian and G Locrain contain the same Minor 7th interval - F.

 

[geoffkhan]

I agree, it's out there. but what I'm saying is that both G Mixolydian and G Locrain contain the same Minor 7th interval - F.

That doesn't make G locrian usable over a C ionian-based chord progression. Like I said, whichever scale you use, it must contain the right chord tones.

Look, there are no "right" notes and "wrong" notes, but you have to know the rules before you can break them, you dig?

 

[Krisfield]

That doesn't make G locrian usable over a C ionian-based chord progression. Like I said, whichever scale you use, it must contain the right chord tones.

Look, there are no "right" notes and "wrong" notes, but you have to know the rules before you can break them, you dig?

chill out...

 

[geshel]

chill out...

He seems pretty chill to me.

I still don't understand how your post was supposed to help the topic-starter understand Low Rider at all. Yes, G Locrian and G Mixolydian share two notes (actually three, including the fourth). I don't understand the statement "you're playing 7ths" -- what did you mean by that?

 

[Krisfield]

He seems pretty chill to me.

I still don't understand how your post was supposed to help the topic-starter understand Low Rider at all. Yes, G Locrian and G Mixolydian share two notes (actually three, including the fourth). I don't understand the statement "you're playing 7ths" -- what did you mean by that?

G Mixolydian - G, A, B, C, D, E, F

G Locrian - G, Ab, Bb, C, Db, Eb, F
You're right they do share C, G and F

Now, look at C diatonic major: C D, E, F, G, A, B

You'll see that G Locrain and C Diatonic major scale share the same three notes C, G, and F, just like G Mixolydian.

the Minor 7th is a blues/rock note... Compare G Mixolydian and C Pentatonic Minor

That's is far as I'm going to explain. If you can't understand what I'm saying, I would leave it and move on to something else

 

[geshel]

Right. There are five modes that all have the minor 7th. But that doesn't mean you can substitue or mix-n-match them at will. Guess I don't understand still. OK, moving on.