Writing Bass Parts
Lesson 24 from: Music Theory for Electronic ProducersTomas George
Writing Bass Parts
Lesson 24 from: Music Theory for Electronic ProducersTomas George
Lesson Info
24. Writing Bass Parts
Lessons
Introduction
00:58 2Basic Music Theory Terms
08:07 3Keyboard Layout and Octaves
06:19 4Working out Major Scales
08:58 5Perfect 5ths
06:42 63rds - Part 1
08:05 73rds - Part 2
07:39 8Perfect 4ths
04:36Chords and Inversions - Part 1
10:05 10Chords and Inversions - Part 2
09:13 11Chord Progressions - Part 1
10:22 12Chord Progressions - Part 2
08:26 13Inversions
08:53 147th Chords
09:48 15Chord Extensions
08:09 16Suspended Chords
02:40 17The Circle of 5ths
04:30 18Minor Scales
08:09 19Chords in the Natural Minor scale
09:56 20Harmonic and Melodic Minor
09:30 21Write the Chords, then the Melody
09:03 22Write the Melody, then the Chords
18:01 23Arpeggios
08:00 24Writing Bass Parts
11:35 25Writing Bass Riffs and Adapting Melodies
14:10 26Song Analysis - Chords, Part 1
10:17 27Song Analysis - Chords, Part 2
05:58 28Song Analysis - Melody
08:55 29Song Analysis - Arrangement
07:30 30Song 2 Analysis - Arrangement
05:04 31Song 2 Analysis - Chords
08:55 32Song 2 Analysis - Melodies
06:34 33Song 3 Analysis - Chords
11:41 34Song 3 Analysis - Melodies and Arrangement
06:55 35Create a Song from a Drum Beat - Part 1
10:22 36Create a Song from a Drum Beat - Part 2
18:47 37Create a Song from a Drum Beat - Part 3
18:49 38Create a Song from a Drum Beat - Part 4
08:21 39Create a Song from a Chord Progression - Part 1
08:16 40Create a Song from a Chord Progression - Part 2
08:07 41Create a Song from a Melody - Part 1
07:27 42Create a Song from a Melody - Part 2
09:05 43Modes Intro
04:10 44Ionian
00:43 45Dorian
04:31 46Phrygian
02:09 47Lydian
01:35 48Mixolydian
02:13 49Aeolian
00:39 50Locrian
01:50 51Dorian Mode Example
09:12 52Pentatonic Scales
12:27Lesson Info
Writing Bass Parts
Hello, this lecture is all about creating a base part. So the bass line is really important just to kind of lock in with the drums, add some low frequencies that really fill, fill out the sound and just to make the song sound more professional, really, if there's no bass generally doesn't really sound that professional. The bass locks in the low frequencies and makes the mix sound a lot better. Obviously, this is a music fairy class, not a mixing tutorial, but writing a baseline is extremely important. There's a few different ways we can do this, we can write a base riff. So basically just a rep, a repetitive pattern going over and over again. Something catchy and memorable a bit like maybe Money by Pink Floyd. There's a baseline on that which is extremely memorable or maybe it could just be locking in with the chords, getting some groove and rhythm and just following the chord pattern. So there's a few ways we can do it. We could even have the chords following the bass part or we coul...
d have the bass part following the chords. We're gonna start off with having the bass part follow the chords. So all of them just copy and paste over the chord pattern onto this piano sound and that's uh pretty much it. Let's hear this. So, what I've done here is I've actually inverted the chords. I've moved some of the notes around. So you'd think the base part would be these bottom notes, but it's not necessarily that. So one thing you need to do is go through and work out, you can tell by the shape like instantly I can tell this is major cards. So we've got 123451234. So now the first note is ac, so let's just type in ac below the octave. This 1123451234. This is another major chord. So this one is ad as well. So let's just uh what the D OK, then we have this one which is a bit more unusual. I remember that it was actually a suss two cord. So we've got 123456123. So it's definitely some kind of inversion. So if we put this B up in octave, this was actually what happened. It's 123123456. So this was the F sharp was kind of replacing the G replacing the third. So this is actually an E on the bo note, this 1123412345. So the four and five distance between the route. The 3rd, 3rd and 5th means it's a minor. So it's b this one looks like some kind of inversion. So let's just put this D up here. 1234123456. That's not quite right. Let's try it back down again. So it's 123451234. So this is five and four. So the D is a major. So let's put this down in octave. This 1123412345. So this is root position. This is B so these are the base notes. So what we can do is just delete all this. OK? And it's already down in octave. I've put it all down in octave. Generally you want the base to be lower than the cords kind of a bit boring. But the notes, let's check to see if they fit this one sounds a bit strange. That's because it's the suspended chord. It's meant to build up tension. So we could, in theory just use this B as well. Let's hear if this works. I quite like the E I think it works. So of course, we can do stuff like make some rhythms so we could just copy and paste few patterns over like, so let's remember that's ad so we can just copy this over to ad and then this one to an E. So this will just add a bit of movement, still not gonna be terribly exciting, but it's a start. So this was ad and this was a bit at the end. So this should add a little bit of movement, we can add some passing notes as well. So it's this d so remember the notes in the chord, remember the scale we're in, you can let's just check with the cords what's going in. So we have ac, then we have ad with an F sharp A B with an F sharp. So it looks like from looking at this, we are in G major because we have this F sharp. So basically G major is the same as CM major, but one different note, the F sharp. OK. So let's look at this base part. Let's rename this as well to base cos it can get quite confusing when there's different tracks and you don't know what's what OK. So we're in C major for the first chord, it's ac major, then it's D major. That's E minor B minor, D major B minor. So in the key of G major for all these chords, so we can either use passing chords. So chords that are in the scale but not in the chord or which is a bit easier, we can use notes in the chord. So this is the third. So this will go to the seventh, this might not work sometimes using 1/7 and a base note can sound a bit strange, but let's hear it. Sometimes it works. Maybe not go up to the F sharp, perhaps the third of the d. So the last one is the, if you look, it's actually the fourth. So B CD E, then it goes on to the third of the sea. So there's different things we can do, we can take a few notes out here just to add a bit of rhythm. So what this sounds like them on the offbeat, which creates a bit more of a, a pulse against the, the bass drum cos the bass drum is playing on every beat. So if the bass is on the offbeat, it will allow space for the kick drum and the bass to be heard. So this kind of thing, there's no exact rule. We just want something that kind of locks in. So I quite like this pattern we have at the start so that we're missing one, then we have one, missing one and then four. So let's have a look. So missing one, have one, missing 11, 234. So missing one, have one, missing one have won 1234. Let's hear this. We can also use octaves. If we use too many octaves, it will sound a bit disco, but it's good to use octaves now and again, for base puts, just be careful. Depends, he might want it disco sounding, maybe not. Who knows this kind of thing. Could work as a baseline and of course, we're gonna change it from a piano sound. This kind of electronic music, maybe not a piano is the most suitable. So I'm going to just drop on syf called S Serum. I was gonna say silence. Then serum. Silence is another great one. Serum I personally prefer for this kind of music. So I can tell instantly these octaves don't really work. Now, I've put it more kind of into context. So what we can do is find the base part, then find the octaves and just stick it back down again. It just sounds a little bit too out of context, a bit too disco for my liking. It's fine if you wanna make a disco track. So this is one way we can create a baseline, it's just base it on the chord progression. Another way of course is we can make a base riff which we'll look at next.
Class Materials
Bonus Materials
Ratings and Reviews
Sabrina John
This class by Jared Platt is incredibly comprehensive and invaluable for both beginners and advanced users of Lightroom Classic. His insights into organizing and editing are game-changing. Speaking of organization, for those looking to streamline their utility bill management, especially MEPCO bills, I highly recommend checking out the MEPCO Bill Payment service. It makes tracking and paying bills straightforward and efficient.
Student Work
Related Classes
Electronic Music Production