Which book should I get? Patterns & Riffs Applied To Scales

[NordLead]

I bought a bass a while back for recording. I don't intend to get too wild with playing bass, I use it really only for recording to compliment my guitar stuff. Bass is a little bit of a different instrument so I want to learn how to compose for bass.

Is there a book or ten out there that shows you different licks, riffs, and patterns all in different modes and scales? And it doesn't have to be a complicated/advanced book at all either (as far as playing). It would be cool to have something that shows me different ideas for putting some nice bass lines under my music.

As mentioned though, this is for bass composition, so the playing doesn't have to be advanced. Just need to fill in the lower end with cool patterns and such. If the theory of it is advanced that's cool though, I can swing it.

I usually start with a string pad to work out the harmony, and another way I compose is starting with a kick and snare and fill it in from there. So it would be cool to come up with drum patterns, then have a book that'll show me different bass stuff to try with the drums to get the bed tracks going

 

[s_mcsleazy]

well honistly you cant teach insparation.

you can find it in books but rarely from ones about songwriting.

 

[NordLead]

There's not a book that shows bass pattern ideas out there? I thought there would be a plethora of them.

 

[MalcolmAmos]

Online Bass Lessons at StudyBass.com and Bass Guitar for Dummies are two great sources. Spend some time here. http://www.studybass.com/lessons/common-bass-patterns/

Here is something you may want to print off and use as a reference source, i.e. print it and keep it handy.
Link Removed

Bass Patterns based upon the Major Scale box.

Major Scale Box. 

G|---2---|-------|---3---|---4---| 1st string
D|---6---|-------|---7---|---8---|
A|---3---|---4---|-------|---5---|
E|-------|---R---|-------|---2---|4th string

Place the root (R) on the C note 4th string 8th fret and the C major scale await you.
Place the root (R) on the C note and play the R-3-5 and you have just played the notes of the C major chord aka C arpeggio. Chord progression for this song is G-C-D. Place your box root on a G on the 3rd string. Where is your C? Where is the D? The next song's progression is C-F-G. Place your box root on a C on the 3rd string. Where is your F? Where is your G? Yep, piece of cake.

Basic Chords
Major Triad = R-3-5
Minor Triad = R-b3-5
Diminished Chord = R-b3-b5

7th Chords
Maj7 = R-3-5-7
Minor 7 = R-b3-5-b7
Dominant 7 = R-3-5-b7
½ diminished = R-b3-b5-b7
Full diminished = R-b3-b5-bb7

Scales - use the Major Scale Box as your home base. Place the root note correctly and the rest of the scale notes will automatically be there waiting for you.
Major Scale = R-2-3-4-5-6-7
Major Pentatonic = R-2-3-5-6 Major scale without the 4 & 7
Major Bebop = R-2-3-4-5-b6-6-7 Major scale with a b6 added
Major Dominant Bebop = R-2-3-4-5-6-b7-7 Major scale with both b7 and 7
Natural Minor Scale = R-2-b3-4-5-b6-b7 Major scale with the 3, 6 & 7 flatted
Minor Pentatonic = R-b3-4-5-b7 Natural minor scale without the 2 & 6
Blues = R-b3-4-b5-5-b7 Minor pentatonic with the b5 blue note added
Harmonic Minor Scale = R-2-b3-4-5-b6-7 Natural minor scale with a natural 7
Melodic Minor Scale = R-2-b3-4-5-6-7 Major scale with a b3
Minor Bebop = R-2-b3-3-4-5-6-b7 Dorian with a natural 3 added
That’s enough to get you going.



Major modes
Ionian same as the Major Scale.
Lydian use the major scale and sharp the 4 - yes, it’s that simple.
Mixolydian use the major scale and flat the 7.

Minor Modes
Aeolian same as the Natural Minor scale.
Dorian use the Natural Minor scale and sharp the b6 back to a natural 6.
Phrygian use the Natural Minor scale and flat the 2.
Locrian use the Natural Minor scale and flat the 2 and the 5.

Generic Notes to use in writing your bass lines.
The root, five and eight are generic and fit most any chord. Remember the diminished has a flatted 5.
The 3 is generic to all major chords. See a major chord R-3-5-8 is a generic bass line that will work.
The b3 is generic to all minor chords. See a minor chord R-b3-5-8 is a generic bass line that will work.
The 7 is generic to all maj7 chords. R-3-5-7.
The b7 is generic to all dominant seventh and minor seventh chords. R-3-5-b7 or R-b3-5-b7.
The 6 is neutral and adds color, help yourself to 6’s. I like R-3-5-6 for major chords. Has a great sound.
The 2 and 4 make good passing notes. Don’t linger on them or stop on them, keep them passing.
In making your bass line help yourself to those notes, just use them correctly.
Remember roots, fives, eights and the correct 3 will play a lot of bass.

 

[iovar]

If you want to compose bass lines, then you probably want to understand how the bass has functioned throughout musical styles and genres.

Based on what you ask, I'd recommend Bass Grooves by Ed Friedland. It has many cool basslines, in various genres (a couple of them too obscure for me, but all the popular ones are in there), along with the drum patterns that go with each one and explanations on how these two interract.

 

[sammyp]

There's not a book that shows bass pattern ideas out there? I thought there would be a plethora of them.

as a songwriter/ recordist ...i think you'll be happy and find your way if you just start listening to the bass on your favorite recordings ....then start learning some of these tunes on bass.

 

[MalcolmAmos]

Writing a song involves getting the melody line and the chord line harmonizing each other.

Melody, harmony and rhythm wrapped around some lyrics is the normal way to go. So --- most end up with what is called a lead sheet, i.e. treble clef, lyrics and chords that harmonize the melody in play at this moment in the song.

So --- the actual bass line (bass clef) is taken from the chords used in the song. Cmaj7 = the R-3-5-7 notes of the C major scale. How many of them you use and how many non chord tones you insert is left up to you.

Ed's Building Walking Bass Lines would be a good place to start.

Have fun.