I use the modes of the root scale unless the chords are not faithful to the scale ( e.g. guitar playing Dominant 7 chords in all positions) so I would play an appropriate mode under that chord (a Mixolydian under the Dominant 7). Sometimes modified scales would work with some experimentation.
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Playing melodic bass lines.
- Thread starter Malcolm35
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I like when I can find a chance to substitute a chromatic line (ascending or descending, the longer the better) into the cadence.
Well I'd say to not let your "active" genres restrict your desires. Maybe you fool around in jazz to get the feel of getting melodic? Some of that will transfer into your rock/country/praise playing as you get comfortable with it. Don't stop trying new stuff just because your active genres don't necessarily invite that skill. And the more genres you are comfortable with, the more you'll be ready when opportunities knock. And just because rock and country (sorry not into the praise genre so no clue) aren't the best avenues for melodic lines, doesn't mean there is no room to slide that way a little. It's all about subtleties.
I think the trick to melody is to use something extremely obscure and outside the box: your ear. And this is coming from a guy who spends the majority of his time practicing scales and arpeggios. Melody is all about feel, in my experience. Turn that brain off!
That’s a good way to approach it. Theory is great for diagnosing if something is going wrong in a composition and fixing it. Or for tweaking purposes, or serving as a compass pointing you towards other directions to explore. But too much early focus on theory can lead to formulaic composition if you’re not careful.
As one music instructor told me: Use music theory - don’t play it.
1) know the chords and changes.
2) start with the established melodic contour of the song
3) sing counterpoint to it
4) play what you just sang
5) use theory to understand what you just did, so you can do it again.
When thinking about phrasing, it's worth thinking about words and speech. Most words average 2-4 syllables, with a lesser number having 5 or more, and there is generally a short breath between words and an accent on important syllables. It's also worth considering the ambitus (range) of the phrases within most vocal melodies, which rarely exceed a 5th or 6th, and are often only a 3rd. Of course the ambitus of the total melody may well exceed an octave or two, but we are talking about phrases. Long ascending or decending sequences are also rare in 'good' tunes. Using similar guidelines to structure the bass line can give an instant lyrical melodic quality to proceedings.
A melodic line can consist entirely of chord tones. One of my favorite lines is an old Jethro Tull tune that is mainly two major chords a whole step apart. The entire bass solo until the end of the phrase is simply inversions of the chords. So that's one way to get ideas when you're handed a tune: play all the inversions of the chords. Try doing this and making the chord tones connect stepwise from chord to chord. You can then add in stepwise motion where you think it suits the tune. Modes of pentatonic scales will give you ideas in the same way as inversions of chords.
SirMjac28
Patiently Waiting For The Next British Invasion
Listen to Sir Paul the king of melody this is where I learned how to do bass melody to the point where my bass lines become little songs themselves.
Its important for us to define “melodic bass playing” as so many people have suggested to just learn the melody.
I think the term is generally accepted to mean playing a counter melody or a supportive harmony to the primary melody.
I approach each bass line as a direct support to the vocal. And I try to write a bass line that can identify the song on its own. IOW If you can only hear the bass, you should still be able to tell what song you are listening to.
Lots of great advice here to stop concentrating so much on locking in with the drummer and focus on the song itself. This can become muddled and difficult if there are too many players or a rhythm guitar player banging 1/8 chords way too loudly.
I think the term is generally accepted to mean playing a counter melody or a supportive harmony to the primary melody.
I approach each bass line as a direct support to the vocal. And I try to write a bass line that can identify the song on its own. IOW If you can only hear the bass, you should still be able to tell what song you are listening to.
Lots of great advice here to stop concentrating so much on locking in with the drummer and focus on the song itself. This can become muddled and difficult if there are too many players or a rhythm guitar player banging 1/8 chords way too loudly.
I'll tell you how to play melodic bass lines if you tell me how to properly play along with chords, haha. Seriously, though, I have no business telling you how to do either, but I'm interested in learning from those commenting here.
McCartney invented it. Listen to most anything he plays after 1966. Penny Lane, With A Little Help From My Friends, Something, etc.
OP: it's not rocket science! it's much easier. also: there are no short cuts = learn some melodies and then play more melodically. good luck!
Duck Dunn. "Sweet home chicago" by the Blues Brothers. Some of the best melodic playing I've ever heard. And I'm old.
Well OP seemed to ask about melodic bass lines, which to me share some characteristics of melodies and standard chord-tone bases bass lines.
Certainly learning actual melodies will help you learn motifs that can be applied to melodic bass lines. But you might want to study some tunes you feel have good melodic bass lines - learn the chords, the bass line, and the melody and see how they all work together.
One thing great melodies tend to have is some contrasting ideas: long tones and short tones, scalar small interval movement mixed in with larger intervals. You only need a bit of melodic to make your bass lines melodic.
Certainly learning actual melodies will help you learn motifs that can be applied to melodic bass lines. But you might want to study some tunes you feel have good melodic bass lines - learn the chords, the bass line, and the melody and see how they all work together.
One thing great melodies tend to have is some contrasting ideas: long tones and short tones, scalar small interval movement mixed in with larger intervals. You only need a bit of melodic to make your bass lines melodic.
- Sep 4, 2010
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To me, playing melodic means playing counter melodies (counterpoint) to the main melody.
In a pop/rock context, players like Jack Bruce, Bruce Thomas (Elvis Costello), and Graham Maby (Joe Jackson) inspired me greatly.
Back in the day when I wrote bass parts to my own pop songs, I'd use the acoustic guitar chords as the harmonic basus and wove a bass line around the vocal/melody, that functioned as a commentary on the vocal. 2 aspects:
-think of forward linear motion, in small intervallic steps either upor down.
-besides the root, work towards chord 5ths, 6ths and 3rds using other passing notes in the bass line.
In a pop/rock context, players like Jack Bruce, Bruce Thomas (Elvis Costello), and Graham Maby (Joe Jackson) inspired me greatly.
Back in the day when I wrote bass parts to my own pop songs, I'd use the acoustic guitar chords as the harmonic basus and wove a bass line around the vocal/melody, that functioned as a commentary on the vocal. 2 aspects:
-think of forward linear motion, in small intervallic steps either upor down.
-besides the root, work towards chord 5ths, 6ths and 3rds using other passing notes in the bass line.
When I play a walking bass line, I use two different types of patterns. One is basically arpeggiated chord tones and the other uses non chord tones. I think of the chord tones as creating a more vertical line because you typically stack notes that are interrelated by thirds, 1,3,5,7. When I use non chord tones I think of the process as more linear because you may travel from one scale degree to the next with out skipping any notes, 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8
To play melodically you move in and out of both thought processes and also consider whether you want to create consonance or dissonance. Generally dissonance is quickly resolved to consonance, but if you don't throw some dissonance in, the melody may be a bit dull and lifeless.
Some other very importance concepts are the musical cadence and voice leading. These concepts relate to how chords resolve and how chord tones move within chords.
Ultimately I don't really thing about most of this stuff when I am playing an improvised melody. These are things you study so that you develop a musical vocabulary and foundation. With training and study, you hear a chord progression and rhythm, and different melodies just pop into your mind's ear. If you are sufficiently proficient on your instrument, you can play the melody on your instrument impromptu. When I am soloing, most of the time I short of shift in and out of playing impromptu by ear and using theoretical knowledge to keep my place.
When you study new chords structures and how they interrelate with other chords, it opens up your mind to new possibilities that you had not considered before.
So to begin, I suggest you start with the key center, the chord, and resultant modes. This should keep you busy for an fairly long time. At some point, if you stick with it, you can learn new rules, basically how and when to break the old rules you previously learned.
This is being overthought. Just have enough arrangement ability and technical skill so that you can approach each song individually, doing whatever you think is best for it. Don't live or play based on generalized rules (i.e. "I am not a melodic player" or what have you). It's like coming up with an answer before you even know what the question is.
I sing. I make an effort to not sing the melody as the original artist sang it. This gives me a sense of how to create melodies in my head, veer off into the melodic wild blue yonder, and then come back to earth. It translates directly to playing melodies on bass, at least for me.
I’ve been told my playing is pretty melodic, so I’ll toss in my 2¢. If you figure out the melody to a lot of simple, classic, get-stuck-in-your-head songs you find they really tend to be pretty close intervals in the diatonic scale of the key, i.e. they’re neighbors in the scale. So (given the genre) try playing the mode within the key for the chord changes and you may find you just naturally play something a bit more melodic. When you’re making big changes in chords/keys and other types of movements, arpeggios are your friend. If you have the time to play in an orchestra, I’d do it. Many classical works make wonderful use of the bass in rhythmic support, harmonic, and melodic/counter-melodic roles. Gives one a good sense for when it’s right to hold it down and when it’s time to sing it out.
