Laying Bsslines Question?

M

MarkySoliloquy

New member
I was wondering when laying basslines if it had to be in the same scale or key as the melody? I know this is a basic question but I have no clue about any of this and usually just mess about. I'm actually trying to learn now.
 
Yes the bass should most definataly be in the same key as the rest of the song! All the instruments need to be in the same key and move from chord to chord cohesively. One place to start for bass would be to use the root note for each chord in the progression.
For instance, say your chord progression is Am - F - C - G
The main bass notes you would play are A F C G and you can spice it up a little on the transitions to each of those notes.

Another tip I would give is if you are new to theory and writing music, start out writing all of your songs in the key of C. The key of C is good because all the notes in the key of C are the white keys on the piano. So you don't have to worry about the black ones.
 
Kevin Peterson Beats said:
Yes the bass should most definataly be in the same key as the rest of the song! All the instruments need to be in the same key and move from chord to chord cohesively. One place to start for bass would be to use the root note for each chord in the progression.
For instance, say your chord progression is Am - F - C - G
The main bass notes you would play are A F C G and you can spice it up a little on the transitions to each of those notes.

Another tip I would give is if you are new to theory and writing music, start out writing all of your songs in the key of C. The key of C is good because all the notes in the key of C are the white keys on the piano. So you don't have to worry about the black ones.
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Thanks a lot so when playing the bass though I don't have to start with an A though? Correct? Only if A is the root note of the chord in the melody?

Edit:
I have one more question, again I'm a noob so bare with me lol.

When laying down a melody and using a particular scale do you have to start with the first key in that scale if your just playing notes or does it not matter?
 
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You are correct. You only have to play an A bass note if the chord playing at the time is an A. If there was a C chord then you would want to have a C bass note.

As far as the melody goes, you do not have to start with the root note. You can start with any note you like! As long as it is in the scale and sounds good.

Here's my advice.
1. Start with a chord progression. This will give you a good foundation for the song.
2. After you do the chord progression put in the bass. (just use the root notes of the chords you used for the bass)
3. After those two things then add the melody. Once you already have the chord progression, it will be much easier to tell if the melody sounds good and will be catchy.
 
Kevin Peterson Beats said:
You are correct. You only have to play an A bass note if the chord playing at the time is an A. If there was a C chord then you would want to have a C bass note. As far as the melody goes, you do not have to start with the root note. You can start with any note you like! As long as it is in the scale and sounds good. Here's my advice. 1. Start with a chord progression. This will give you a good foundation for the song. 2. After you do the chord progression put in the bass. (just use the root notes of the chords you used for the bass) 3. After those two things then add the melody. Once you already have the chord progression, it will be much easier to tell if the melody sounds good and will be catchy.
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Thanks again, for your advice and sharing with me how it works but isn't the chord progression and melody the same thing. Don't you mean harmony? Harmony also must be in the same scale as well right? but doesn't have to be the same notes?

Also this one might be a little bit more advanced but when is it okay to deviate from the root note? I don't think all producers stick to the bass note for the whole bass line. Aren't their times when they stray away from it a little but still stick in scale.
 
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You have to think like a bass player at a basic level: Root and fifths, root and fifths, root and fifths, root and fifths, root and fifths, root and fifths.

For example, A ii-V7-I chord progression in the KEY of Bb major:
Cm7-F9-Bbmaj7

The Bb major scale is: Bb C D Eb F G A

For Cm7: play the notes C and G in the lower octave [C Eb G Bb]
For F9: play the notes F and C in the lower octave [F A C Eb G]
For Bbmaj7: play the notes Bb and F in the lower octave [Bb D F A]
 
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In general it should follow the key however in the type of music I do, Neo Soul, the bass is often not the root of a chord but an inverted 9th or 11th to give that deep soulful sound.
 
If you're using three note chords (triads) you can use any note from the three for the bass (the root of the chord is the most common)- but once you progress to four or five note chords it's uncommon to put the extra notes in the bass.

You should think of a song as a sequence of chords in a particular key, not just the scale of that particular key.
 
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