The 3rd in basslines

[elgecko]

My all time favorite is Sting / The Police. Take a close listen to Synchronicity II "Another suburban family morning...". Bass line goes: A - A (octave) - C# - A (octave). IMO, that C# really re-defines the character of the chord.

Riis

That's more likely a chord change with the C# being the "bass" of the new chord.

 

[Zooberwerx]

That's more likely a chord change with the C# being the "bass" of the new chord.

I've seen it written both ways so good point. Here's the "official" chart: A - C#m - A/C#.

Riis

 

[pnchad]

OMG have we really dumbed down that much? hahahahahaha

Go back to early R&R - the 2nd note in all those early lines is the M3rd - funk too R 3 4 b5 5 7 Oct

Geez kids

One of the coolest sounding double stops is the 10th (3rd)

 

[bftbassman]

for me 3rd on a major run never on a minor pentatonic

 

[ii7-V7]

for me 3rd on a major run never on a minor pentatonic

Thats funny. I'm the opposite. I use the minor third in basslines more often than I will a major third.

 

[Jon Moody]

Thirds in a bassline adds a much more lyrical aspect to your playing which can help elevate a song at the right moment. I was discussing this in a workshop yesterday, and used "Let It Be" as the example. The chord for the verse is

Cmaj / G7 / Amin / Fmaj

Landing on the third on the downbeat, can give you a more lyrical, movement-based line, as seen with this one change

Cmaj / G7/B / Amin / Fmaj

Playing the third in the G7 chord provides a stronger walk-down from the Cmaj to the Amin. It adds a bit more color and depth.

 

[Smashsquatch]

I guess I look at it differently being classically trained on piano and trumpet. There is no note on my fingerboard that doesn't get used lol

 

[Don Kasper]

My all time favorite is Sting / The Police. Take a close listen to Synchronicity II "Another suburban family morning...". Bass line goes: A - A (octave) - C# - A (octave). IMO, that C# really re-defines the character of the chord.

Riis

Yes. The chord there is "Aadd2/C#" (the melody also adds the Major 7 to the overall harmony). When the 3rd of the chord, (NOT the 1), is in the bass, the harmonic instruments will very often change their voicing, i.e. choice of notes, to accommodate the fact that the 3rd is not needed in the voicing, as it is now in the bass.
A chord that calls for/is "named" as the "3rd in the bass"/First Inversion, is a very specific sound. It is usually helpful for everybody involved to agree with and accommodate that specific chord.
Thanks.

 

[BrotherMister]

The more you understand harmony the more you are liberated from just using the roots and fifths. Having said that, a lot of the time nothing cuts it like nailing it to the floor with roots and fifths.

 

[nicopiano]

I'm a keyboard player and arranger. Some genre of music uses a lot of thirds in the bass line (like gospel), some not at all. That's it, no big deal.

 

[JamPlay]

Love the sound of thirds on the bottom of a chord. Here's a popular scenario. You take a I chord in the key of D, and you move that to a D/F#, meaning the bass plays the third, in this case F# being the third of D major. The next chord is often the IV chord G, so now the F# moves up chromatically ( by half step) to the G the root of the IV chord.
Use your ear, and remember this sound, as it's easily recognizable. Use the third, also referred to as an inversion, the first inversion of the major triad.. It's a beautiful sound, and also help to voice lead into the root of the IV chord...
And don't forget to play with a groove while you are playing that 3rd!!

 

[Phil Smith]

Here's the thirds in action...

 

[Don Kasper]

Here's the thirds in action...

Ooops! I may have misunderstood the OP.
There seem to be 2 different concepts being discussed:

1. "Thirds" in the bass - the Stevie W. cut (above) does use Thirds as the lowest bass(notes)- there is always a danger of those notes competing with one another for sonic dominance when played simultaneously - (that is: is the Root or the Third the lowest note?). The chords Bbmaj, Abmaj, and Gbmaj, are outlined there, with the Third above the Root. Very "thick" sounding - even being split between 2 different keyboard sounds. As the range of the bass instruments gets lower, more Octaves and Fifths would be used to keep the Orchestration "clear", (unless the goal was to create a very "thick" texture).

2. "The Third" in the bass - that is, for example: a chord named "Aadd2/C#", where the lowest note in the bass register is C# ( the "Third").

Thanks.

 

[bftbassman]

Thats funny. I'm the opposite. I use the minor third in basslines more often than I will a major third.

my bad had a dislexic momment there..3rds on pentatonic def

 

[Whousedtoplay]

I'm just needed to say something because of some comments that could be MISINTERPRETED.

Some genre of music uses a lot of thirds in the bass line (like gospel), some not at all. That's it, no big deal.

Gospel, praise, and worship songs are usually most centered on the lyrics and the tune (melody): the function of the bass is to support it.

Gospel uses a lot of inversions, and 3rd in the bass is one of the best sounds, o

Here is my opinion about the 3rd in basslines.
If it's a minor chord then, in almost
ANY Pop (slow or fast) or
Ballad, or
Disco, or
Rock/Hard rock (slow or fast), or
SOUL, or
R&B, or
Hip-Hop, or
Funk (syncopated Slap included), or
Blues,
etc., SONGS,
my bassline would include b3rd note either in the main riff or as a fill-in/bass run note, or as a double stop note, etc...,
but I'VE NEVER PLAYED GOSPEL.

I don't want for the new bass players to get some kind of perception that only in GOSPEL music the bass player could use the 3rd.

I'd use less often the 3rd with major chords.

 

[Phil Smith]

Ooops! I may have misunderstood the OP.
There seem to be 2 different concepts being discussed:

1. "Thirds" in the bass - the Stevie W. cut (above) does use Thirds as the lowest bass(notes)- there is always a danger of those notes competing with one another for sonic dominance when played simultaneously - (that is: is the Root or the Third the lowest note?). The chords Bbmaj, Abmaj, and Gbmaj, are outlined there, with the Third above the Root. Very "thick" sounding - even being split between 2 different keyboard sounds. As the range of the bass instruments gets lower, more Octaves and Fifths would be used to keep the Orchestration "clear", (unless the goal was to create a very "thick" texture).

2. "The Third" in the bass - that is, for example: a chord named "Aadd2/C#", where the lowest note in the bass register is C# ( the "Third").

Thanks.

The lines played here impart a certain feel and are similar to Jazz walking "cliches". I think you're looking at this from a perspective that would prevent you from coming up with a hip line. The rule is pretty simple, if it sounds good, it is good.

 

[Don Kasper]

The lines played here impart a certain feel and are similar to Jazz walking "cliches". I think you're looking at this from a perspective that would prevent you from coming up with a hip line. The rule is pretty simple, if it sounds good, it is good.

Sorry,

My fault for not specifying that my comments were referring to the Intro/first 10 seconds of the SW track, where the bass instruments, (el. bass especially), are playing "Simultaneous Thirds" ( or "Doublestopped 3rds", in the case of the electric bass), which creates a very thick texture. (Similar to a "Divisi" in the Bass Section of a Symphony Orchestra- not very common).
When the vocals start, @ 00:11, the bassist abandons the Doublestops, and begins playing only 1 note at a time, a more conventional approach, which lightens up or "thins out", the lower register.

(In my defense, I did indicate " 1. "Thirds" in the bass - the Stevie W. cut (above) does use Thirds as the lowest bass(notes)- there is always a danger of those notes competing with one another for sonic dominance when played simultaneously).
Thanks for your time, interest and civility.

 

[smeet]

If you listen on headphones, in the first 10 seconds, it sounds like the the bass is playing thirds in the left channel, and the clavinet is in the right channel.

 

[Phil Smith]

In the video that I posted the bass is playing 10ths, root plus a third an octave higher. Additionally the bassist plays a R 3 5 R riff to turn things back around.

 

[Don Kasper]

In the video that I posted the bass is playing 10ths, root plus a third an octave higher. Additionally the bassist plays a R 3 5 R riff to turn things back around.

Hi Phil Smith,
Try panning full Left Channel for the first 10 seconds - it sounds like 3rds, not 10ths, (to me) in the bass.
I could be mistaken...
Thanks,
don kasper

Here's the thirds in action...