Learn the secret 80/20 bass rule that will forever change the way you write bass lines!
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SCRIPT
Right, so here’s what a regular bass line sounds like, and this was written in the same way that most bass lines are written these days. It’s in the key of A minor, so that’s all the white notes from A to A, and the chords are: Am→Em→Cmaj→Dsus2. Now, because most songwriters and producers don’t know about the secret 80/20 bass rule, most bass lines nowadays simply copy the chord progression by playing the root note of each chord. So in the example you just heard, the bass copied the chords by playing: A→E→C→D. But, that is not a bass line, that is merely the root note of each chord. And that is not a musical approach to bass, it’s a sonic approach, because the bass is so boring that it actually blends into the background and is heard as a frequency, not an instrument!
When we approach bass from a musical perspective, we realise that it obviously wants (and deserves) its own melody. However, this is where we run into the bass paradox: To give the bass an independent melody, it needs to venture off the root note of each chord, but if it does that, then it takes away the music’s stability as it’s no longer providing a solid foundation for the other instruments. So, how can you write a bass line that’s both a solid foundation and also an independent melody? That’s where the 80/20 bass rule comes in. It’s so simple: it is the percentage of time spent on root notes versus the percentage of time spent on other notes.
Root notes in the bass build a solid foundation, but it’s the non-root notes that transform the bass into an independent melody. This is the magic bass balance. Get it right, and your bass lines are pure magic! Get it wrong, and it could literally ruin your whole song. If your bass spends too much time on root notes, it’ll be nothing more than a frequency. On the other hand, if your bass spends too much time on non-root notes, it’ll step forward into the spotlight like a diva and start stealing attention from your lead melody. Remember, the spotlight is only big enough for one!
So, what’s the perfect ratio? 80% roots, 20 % non-roots. And obviously every song is different, and every section within every song is different, but the 80/20 rule will ensure that every bass line you write starts out in the sweetspot, then you can adjust the percentage up or down, depending on what the other instruments are doing. For example, if there isn’t a lead melody in a section, then there’s space for your bass to step forward and take the spotlight, without any musical fights! However, if a section has a lead melody and a backing melody, then your bass should definitely spend a little more time on root notes, for extra stability. In our example, our bass line is 81% root notes and 19% non-root notes. And of course, you don’t actually have to calculate the exact percentage, just get it somewhere in the 80/20 sweetspot. And by the way, if you want our step-by-step guide for writing great bass lines, then download our Songwriting & Producing PDF, which also contains all our other essential music making hacks.
Finally, let’s talk about those non-root notes. There are three possibilities for these: harmonic notes, non-harmonic notes, and non-diatonic notes. Harmonic notes are notes that are in the chord. For example, over the Am chord, the harmonic notes are A, C and E. And A is obviously the root, so the options are C and E. Next, non-harmonic notes are notes that are not in the chord, but are still in the scale. So over the Am chord, the non-harmonic notes are B, D, F and G. Then lastly, non-diatonic notes are not in the chord either, but they’re not even in the scale. These notes are super spicy, so in the same way that you don’t add chili peppers to every meal, you don’t wanna add non-diatonic notes to every bass line. In our example, we do actually play a non-diatonic note (C♯) under every other Dsus2 chord. But, it’s just a 1/16 note.
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Hack Music Theory is a pioneering DAW method for making great music that stands out! Taught by multi-award-winning music lecturer Ray Harmony, and his protégé wife Kate. Ray has been teaching music theory for 25 years, and along the way he's made music with Serj Tankian (System Of A Down), Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine), Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree), Devin Townsend (Strapping Young Lad), Ihsahn (Emperor), Kool Keith (Ultramagnetic MCs), Madchild (Swollen Members) and many more!
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Revolution Harmony is Ray Harmony & Kate Harmony
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22 май 2024
