Bass

10 ideas based around ‘Everlasting God’

All material taken from the Musicademy Advanced Bass DVD

video lessons

Verse 1

• Kick Drum

• Clap the kick drum with track then in isolation with drums – which beats are the bass grove on?

• 1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a 1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a

play with kick drum

• long and short notes, use left and right hand damping

• use finger 2 to play root – gives better access to full scale

• use 1 finger per fret

• use walking fingers - not just index!

ghost notes

• used for inflections

• sense of pushed sound

• too pushed can be too funky (use your love is amazing to demo)

Pre Chorus

• Mark notes

• Chords = 3 4 3 4 5 6 5

• often just marking the chords is the best way

• add 8th notes to build momentum but not before

• don’t use 5/7 at the end – doesn’t sound as right in the pocket

Chorus 1

• 8ths notes

• can use fingers like plectrum for U2 ish sound

• use lowest strings for main body (E and A) or fullest sound

• extra notes use chord tones NOT primarily scale

Building riffs Using chord tones

• Think chords first! Chorus chords are:

Chorus chart

|Bb |Bb |Eb |Eb |

|Gm |Gm |Eb |Eb |

Bb scale for understanding notes to use

Scale 1 2 3 4 5 6 7Notes Bb C D Eb F G AChord maj min min maj maj min dim7th maj min min min dom min dim (bb7)

basic chord (triad) makeup 1 Bb Cm Dm Eb F Gm Adim3 D Eb F G A Bb C5 F G A Bb C D Eb

7th A Bb C D Eb F Gname maj7 min7 min7 maj7 dom7 min7 dim7(bb7)

Note choice

• recommended riff notes

- 1st 3rd 5th 7th 8th (octave)

• note choice order =

5th below, 5th above, octave, 7th 2nd p3rd in that order

Chorus 1 riff notes used

|Bb |Bb 7th|Eb |Eb |

|G7th 8th |Gm 7th|Eb |Eb 5 1 2 |

|B 7th 8th|Bb 7th|Eb |Eb 7th|(minor 7th!)

|Gm |Gm 7 8 7th|Eb |Eb |

Ending – slide – use in moderation!

Chorus 2

|Bb |Bb 7th |Eb |Eb 7th (m) |

|Gm 7 8 |Gm 7th |Eb 8 5 1 1 5 |Eb85851 |5612 (1)

|Bb5 78 |Bb 5low 7 |Eb |Eb 51515 |7 1 3

|Gm |Gm 7123 7|Eb |Eb 8 |