Basslines - does the typical hip hop hit song use them?

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newpassword

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Are they necessary?
Should EVERY song have them. Does nearly every "official" song have them?
Does doubling up your main melody at a lower octave count as a bassline?
 
newpassword said:
Are they necessary?
Should EVERY song have them.
Click to expand...
No, depends on the direction of the song.

newpassword said:
Does nearly every "official" song have them?
Click to expand...
You have ears, use them.

newpassword said:
Does doubling up your main melody at a lower octave count as a bassline?
Click to expand...
Really depends on the instrument. If your using strings, some can get quite muddy when you go down a few octaves.

Lots of songs have a low end, it might not be a bassline but is a low bassy sound, like an 808. If your doing Hip Hop some kind of low end is pretty important, especially if your doing club type tracks.

If you cant come up with a bassline use a big kick.
 
echoing what noble said.

use your ears. there are many songs that don't have basslines.

Have you heard of the story of Prince's making of "when doves cry"? He tried out many bass sounds and lines and couldn't find one to fit. So he left it out and didn't consider it to be a strong single.

Yet, "when doves cry" was a monster song. A dance/club tune that had no bassline.

it's all art. lean more heavily on that inner artist than on the formula.

with that said, some songs need a bassline. songs like eightball and MJG's "Space Age Pimpin", the bassline drives the song.
 
A lot of hip hop songs have bass lines or either a real powerful low end kick that masks the frequencies of a bassline, making a bassline unnecssecary! You can use a bassline in many ways......you can use a bassline to drive the song meaning make it powerful and felt or you can use a bassline as an instrument for a simple melody! All in all, there are endless possibilties with music!
 
i find that my basslines arent always on par with the rest of my beats, so i tend to just drop them,,,then when i try to sell the beat most rappers cant f with the beat cuz of no bassline

mostly every hit hip hop songs gotta bassline,, i would consider the 808 kicks a bassline for the south
 
Recently alot more 808's than basslines are being used. But a good bassline is stronger in my oppinion

another thing poeople do is just hold the note for the whole 4-8 pattern not realy play a melody. Like Dj khaled, Rick Ross , Jeezy, T.I. they all have basslines but not really melodic ones. they just hold the note (well they're producer not them)

Jay-z has alot of songs with no bassline because the kick is so hard the bassline would just kind of mask it. listen to Oh My GOd of Kingdom Come ...it's not a single but is is a good song with no bassline or 808 just knocking drums
 
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