Melodic Bass Lines - Anchor, Pivot and Lead-In

by Jon Burr

The role of the bass in most ensembles in most musical styles most of the time is foundational. Most bass players play the roots and fifths on the underlying harmony most of the time, with the primary focus on groove, "feel" and rhythmic concept.

The more accomplished bass players manage to find ways to enhance their role through the incorporation of melodic elements and rhythmic development in between foundational anchor points. As overall musical development in the composition, song or piece progresses, development can offer more opportunity to the bassist to introduce melodic and rhythmic elements other than roots and fifths on the first and third beats, or whatever the pattern of the syle environment may be.

It can actually be musically destructive for the bassist to hang onto strict foundation as development occurs in the rest of the ensemble. It is essential that the bassist learn ways to introduce non-foundational elements into their bass lines.

It can also be musically destructive for the bass player to abandon the foundational or to otherwise disregard the obligations of his role in the ensemble. Good taste and a sense of duty are good qualifications for a bass player; the bass is a dominant voice in any band, and some compassion, gentleness, and courage are also needed. Although foundational bass is a supporting role, it is also one of leadership; the bass has more influence over the harmonic and rhythmic development of the musical moment than any other voice in the band. When the bass player is taking care of business, the band can soar. When he's not, the band as a whole will suck, no matter who else is in it. The bass player is like the catcher on a baseball team, or the mother in a family - not the boss or the star, but quietly setting the direction and pace from behind the limelight.

The bass can also be a solo voice, but we'll talk about that in some other piece.

In this presentation, we will look at foundational parts, walking bass, and ostinato (repeating phrase) or pattern bass parts.

A. Basic 2-beat

B. Roots and fifths in other rhythms

1. Bossa/basic rock

2. Mambo

3. Tango

4. Basic funk

The rhythmic configuration of the foundational bass part is the cornerstone of any rhythmic style; the point of this presentation is not to catalog these styles, so we'll leave it there for now and go on.

The "pickup" note - the note played before the root - has the power to set the feel for the whole band. Its placement hints at the rhythmic substrate.

A. Quarter note

The quarter-note pickup adds emphasis and reaffirms the basic feel

B. Eighth Note

The eighth note pickup adds emphasis, although less than the quarter, and affirms whether the substrate is straight-eighth or swung. The degree to which it is accented is another variable

C. Sixteenth Note

The sixteenth note pickup can indicate an underlying even-sixteenth substrate, as in funk, or underlying double-time, either straight or swung

D. Anticipated pickups

1. Dotted Quarter

2. Dotted Eighth

3. Dotted Sixteenth

3. Triplet quarter

4. Triplet Eighth

5. Triplet Sixteenth

We should add here that pickups can be confusing - especially the last few examples - to the rest of the band. An effort to subtly imply a triple-time swing feel, for example, through the use of a single pickup can be easily misinterpreted as an incorrect entrance by the other players; a sense of appropriateness is useful in playing these. The point is, there is power in the pickup note.

We begin to explore melodic development here in looking at additional pickup notes. There are also other pickup notes available beside the fifth of the chord; any of the rhythmic examples above can utilize a single pickup note other than the fifth. Other notes can be:

A. Chord Tones

1. From the current chord

2. From the next chord

B. Neighbor Tones

C. Passing Tones

1. Scalar

2. Chromatic

D. Escape tones and Appoggiaturas

1.Escape tones are derived by step and resolved by leap to a chord tone

2.Appoggiaturas are derived by leap from a chord tone and resolved by step to a chord tone

E. Changing Tones

Changing tones are notes above and below the target, played in either order before the target

F. Anticipations

The root appears before the bar line, before the chord changes.

IV. Accent Patterns, Dynamics and Phrasing

The bass player has tremendous power to add life to the feel and shape to the phrases - to add lift to the entire performance - through the use and choice of accent patterns and dynamics. There can be several different levels of accents applied, and their proper distribution can add shape to a phrase.

A. Phrasing a 2-beat bass part

B. Hemiolas

C. Delay

The appearance of the root in a low register has the effect of creating an accent. It is possible to vary the accent pattern by delaying the appearance of the root, through the use of rests, by using pickups on strong beats, or by the insertion of other notes.

Walking bass lines can be derived from a number of sources.

Before a recording session once many years ago, the great alto saxophonist Phil Woods looked at me, pointed to himself and said "Thirds and sevenths" and then pointed at me and said "Roots and Fifths!"

For greater depth on this subject, please see the accompanying presentation "Another Look at Melodic Construction."

1. Neighbor Tones

Tones a step or half-step away added between a particular chord tone

2. Passing Tones

Tones a step or half-step away added between 2 different chord tones

3. Appoggiaturas

Non-chord tones derived by leap and resolved by step

4. Escape Tones

Non-chord tones derived by step and resolved by leap

5. Changing Tones

Two or more non-chord tones, beginning a step or half-step either above or below a chord tone, which the