Bass Tip

A Simple Bass Funkification Tip:

by Michael Shapinko

A good bass line in a song is unfortunately an underrated thing. A lot of people don’t realize that the bass can contribute a large part of a song’s dynamic; many people assume that the bass is present as a way to emphasize the root notes in any given progression. While this may be true, it does not in any way mean that the bass has to restrict itself to playing just the root notes. One very simple way to avoid doing that is to utilize the octave notes as well as the 5^th. Without going into the theory behind it, based on your starting note, it is very easy to find the octave and the 5^th. The octave note is two strings down and two frets further up from your root note. The 5^th note is one string down and two frets further up from your root. If, for example our root note is the 4^th fret of the low E string, our octave note will be the 6^th fret of the D string, and the 5^th will be the 6^th fret of the A string. These octave and 5^th notes are prominently used in many forms of music but are especially important in funk and reggae styles of bass. Without even getting into patterns based on different scales, these are two very simple notes which you can use to enhance any simple bass line. Good luck!

Elite music Academy offers private guitar and bass lessons for students of all ages and various skill levels. Located in Toronto , Elite Music is open seven days a week. For a free consultation, please contact the main desk at 416 406 5355 ext 1.