Maybe give it a go...

 

Hello,

Listen in your genre like always, especially some anthem of 90's.
There is an universal rule :KIS Keep It Simple (easy to remeber for people).

You must work harder with some styles like Trap, Dubstep, tec.

No brain bassline following the note:

An anthem is generaly very simple and stay very quickly in the brain.

Simply change change length and velocity and 90% of the job is done.

Keep inspired ;)

 

Some general guidelines but personally I don't use them because I don't believe much in the drums and bass as the most important components of the song and use them for not hearing complaints from the members.

 

Marcus Miller anyone ?

and i always watch this for inspiration :

& check the
George Duke + Greg Phillinganes
Behind the Scenes

here :
https://www.spectrasonics.net/video/videos.php?InstrumentID=2&VideoTypeID=all

 

Imagine it and there it is. So, what is the bassline of this song that you have no bassline for? Don't use a piano roll to try to make one up, you won't find a soul there. Hum or sing it and then play it.

 

You only forgot 1 step

4. Passing notes/tones - insert (a) passing note to connect the chords if necessary.

Thats the basic formula you need to creat a basic but from the root advanced bassline. By the way theese steps are in the "hacks for for bassline video"

...from the perspective of a giging and (former) session e & upright Bass player (main instrument). Made my living for a few years just with plucking thumping and poping the fat strings .

 

Last edited by a moderator: Jan 26, 2018

Hey there, Brother. I wrote and played(simultaneously, I guess!) the bassline for 'Gangsta's Paradise' so trust me when I tell you that there is no "secret", "trick", or "shortcut" to playing tite basslines. The ONLY way to master this is by learning how to play the great basslines played by the musicians from the genre(s) of music that you wish to master. So that means, for example, that if I wanna learn how to play tite reggae basslines, then I'm gonna HAVE to listen to and COPY reggae basslines from songs that are considered great. After listening to and learning some basslines(how many depends on how good your ear is), I'm gonna start to hear what it is that makes those great basslines so great as relative to that genre of music. After a while, I'll be able to reproduce what ever THAT is in my OWN basslines. And so will YOU, my good man!!

 

Last edited: Jan 27, 2018

Hi there,
The term hiphop nowadays is used for many different styles, I guess you are into the newer incarnations of it.
Im deep into boombap, and the kings of basslines (mpc-Style) are Pete Rock & Kev Brown. If u wanna know about their attempt, Check here: http://www.mpc-forums.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=148035

 

Last edited: Jan 27, 2018

A combination of the root note (of the chord being played) and the 5th... Peppered with some passing notes typically after every 8 or 16 bars...

Of course, this is just a rule of thumb... Sometimes the bassline takes a life of its own and turns into a complex melody of its own..

Like below...

 

RHCP's bassist is a freaking loony. In the best sense, of course.

 

He really is... but, you could do worse than to use his playing for inspiration...

Sorry... Couldn't resist...but here's one more

 

dunno if it’s any good, but in a thread about Xfer cthulu alternatives (midi tools plugin),
Some1 linked to this, a rhythmic Bassline Generator
https://mixedinkey.com/captain-plugins/captain-deep

Edit: such tools imo can only serve as a starting point, to spark your creativity, and to tune & mold to your needs, feels & make it funky & vivid.

 

I forgot to give you some Bass players/groups to study based on the genres that you like.

The Synth Bass Godfather is Bernie Worrell so you MUST check him out('Flashlight', 'Knee Deep', 'Aqua Boogie', etc.). Bootsy Collins is another Bass god that must be studied. Roger Troutman from Zapp is another must-study("More Bounce To The Ounce', 'Dance Floor', Do Wa Ditty', 'So Ruff, So Tuff', etc.). Verdine White from Earth Wind & Fire is a Soul music must-study. Larry Graham is the Godfather of the Slap Bass technique so you can skip Flea and go right to the SOURCE. Prince, of course, has some great stuff('Let's Work', 'Soft and Wet', etc.) and some of his genius can also be heard on The Time songs too('Get It Up', 'COOL', etc.). Have fun!!

 

One of my favorite bassist;

 

This is rich data you do drop in here! Thx, man, always like History lessons in music culture ,will listen 2 your suggestions to learn from some greats!! Appreciated

 

Yes, he is...however, when my friend's kid, Luca, went to school with Flea's son, he told me that Flea had opened a music school and was throwing cash to kids without the means to afford music lessons. This is the website. A freaking loony Angel, that one, LOL... http://silverlakeconservatory.org
They just a few years ago opened a new amazing building with lots of lesson rooms and an amazing recital space.

The Mission Statement:
Our mission at Silverlake Conservatory of Music, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, is to facilitate a dynamic music education and to teach beginning and accomplished musicians of all skill levels. Our primary focus is on the youth of the community, but all are welcome and encouraged to participate. The Conservatory offers private music lessons on all orchestral and band instruments, as well as a variety of ensemble classes at a reasonable cost. We grant scholarships to children who qualify, providing free lessons and instruments. The performances and recitals put on by the Conservatory are a fulfilling experience for the students and a beautiful outreach to the community. Our goal is to keep our standard of teaching at the highest level while maintaining a friendly, fun and nurturing environment. The study of music enriches not only the lives of the student and teacher, but the community and society as well.

 

Superb hint, like it!

 

Digging this, mate!