BASS
CREATING A BASS LINE | Gary Lunn
I am often asked the question, “How do
you write a bass line?” In actuality, we are
“producing” the bass line from start to finish.
That’s a fact! From the upper left corner (of the
chart) to the lower right corner, that is exactly
what we are doing. It’s not always something
that you can just “feel” your way through. It’s
something that you actually have to put some
thought into. However... in Nashville we often
play the song on the first read-through like we
have played it for years (there is something
in the water here, for sure). How does that
even happen? Most of the time, we cannot
explain it. Alas, I digress. Still I will attempt to
discuss “both sides of the coin” regarding this
phenomenon, from simple to brainiac.
THE BRAINIAC VERSION
First of all, let me say that playing a bass line
is not just about dazzling the listener from the
beginning. It’s completely about “playing the
song.” Of course, there are many types and
styles of songs, but my approach to playing a
mid-tempo ballad is one that applies to several
different styles of song. It happens sort of like
this:
THE INTRO: A mid-tempo song’s intro can be
played at a few different dynamic levels. It can
be very powerful or gentle; busy or sparse. If
the intro begins at a low dynamic level, you will
probably want to “lay out” until somewhere later
in the song. You might enter at either the prechorus
(if the song has one) or the first chorus.
At that point, you might want to consider
playing in the mid or high octave, playing
the root note for the duration of each chord.
Another approach would be to sensitively play
a subtle, melodic line that doesn’t interfere with
the vocal melody. Remember, less is always
more when playing fills around the melody of
the song. The key is to listen.
THE TURN-AROUND (A.K.A. THE RE-INTRO): This is
the section between the first chorus and the
second verse. Typically, the bass line is played
very similarly to the intro, just slightly bigger.
Pay attention to the intensity and attitude of the
song. This will help you determine whether or
not the re-intro should be played aggressively,
moderately, or lightly. The key is to listen.
THE SECOND VERSE: The dynamic level in this
verse will be considerably louder. A kick drum
pattern should be established between the
bass and the drums by now. Play closely with
it. The kick drum pattern for the song is usually
derived from the rhythm of the lead (vocal)
melody. A lighter option for the second verse
is to play longer bass notes sustaining over the
kick pattern, only playing a new note when the
chord’s root note changes (we call this “playing
the changes”). This works very well when the
song doesn’t need to be too big dynamically,
but the need for a backbeat from the drummer
is required. The key is to listen.
THE SECOND CHORUS: The dynamic level is
usually at a moderate level, a full groove is
going between everyone, and a snare hit (or
alternate snare) is on all 2’s and 4’s. The object
108 July 2020
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