South American feel scale suggestions

[gorskkr]

Hello all,

I hope I posted this in the right category...

Anywho... I'm trying to create a full length track that has a South/Latin American feel. I'm creating everything in a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation). Most everything will be done electronically besides the bass. I will record myself playing the bass along with the song I'm producing in real time.

I wondering what kind of scale or tips I should keep in mind to give it a Brazilian/South American-type feel. I was thinking a natural minor scale to give it a sad feel- this is subject to change. So i guess I'm wondering if any of you have any tips on scales or anything else that may give it that unique sound.

FYI- about this track.... I have many percussive loops that I've created featuring bongos, cow bells, shakers and other percussive elements. I have a few flute and piano MIDI clips in the key of Fminor (doesn't have to be in this key...) and some vocal samples. the track is missing some feel and I hope to achieve this through a nice bass line with some strong/emotional feel behind it.

Any other tips for making a track sound with a South American type feel would be noted and appreciated.

 

[gorskkr]

ok let me simplify things for all of you...:

Have you ever played bass in a band or created Latin/South American sounding music? Am I being to vague? ok, well, then have you ever played bass in any genre resembling Samba or Bossa Nova?

If so, what bass techniques, scales, or other stylistic elements were prominent. i.e. heavy emphasis on a flattened 7th, a lot of 5ths etc. You can go anywhere with this.

Something tells me some of you have played bass at least some point for a group doing some samba or bossa nova or something.

 

[Nateshost]

In terms of scale/mode I find Phrygian to sound very South American / Central American.

 

[Maraki]

More than anything, the rhythms in Afro-Cuban basslines gives them their distinct feel - lots of 3+3+2 type rhythms and whatnot, often using patterns that don't fit into one bar. The notes don't matter as much, but you can't go wrong with roots and fifths (although you can easily throw in other notes to taste).

Melody-wise, I find that the melodies tend to be more simple and repetitive to fit in that style (or at least specifically the African feel - Latin music has become kinda inseparable from Latin-jazz, which is much more lenient in melodic content, imo).

Other than those little tips and hints, try to make sure everything either adds to the pulse or doesn't interfere with it, the rhythmic content is very important with this kinda stuff, imho.

Scale-wise, the above mentioned Phrygian, or the 'gypsy scale' (essentially the same as Phrygian, but with a major third) are always good, but I think there's plenty of flexibility in this area.

 

[gorskkr]

The song is coming along ok and I have been experiementing with the Phrygian scale. However In my process I was trying to find the key to a song that I will be sampling in my track "Aguas de marco" by Antonio Carlos Jobim. the problem with this song is that the chords don't revolve around a traditional Intro, verse, chorus, etc. The chords just continually change as the song plays. Here's an example:



>>My problem is that last night every note I struck on my bass seemed to sound alright with this song. I'm stuck bc on most songs I can figure out what key the song is in, and this one is really stumping me. I think it's in a A (or possibly Ab) phyragian or minor but I can't tell.