Channel: Hack Music Theory

Category: Education

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Description: Learn a simple 4-step hack for writing dark and dissonant bass lines! ►FREE Book: HackMusicTheory.com/Books ​​►Songwriting & Producing PDF/Course: HackMusicTheory.com/Bestsellers 0:00​ Introduction 0:44 Step 1. Setup 1:08 Step 2. Rhythm 1:50 Step 3. Mode 2:40 Step 4. Melody 3:47 The Example 4:00 The Djend STEP 1. SETUP Start by setting up two bars of 4|4 on your bass track, with your grid set to 1/16 notes, and your tempo set to 80 BPM. After you’ve finished writing your bass line though, play it at a few different tempos and find the BPM that works best. STEP 2. RHYTHM Now it’s time to write a rhythm that’s gonna get those heads boppin! So, using only 1/16 notes (and lots of rests), draw in a rhythm that gets you moving. We’ll be using C as our root note, so for now, draw in all your notes on C. Once you’ve got something down, loop up your two bars and put it on repeat. Does your rhythm get you pumped? If not, then keep playing around, cos writing a great rhythm is an essential step in writing a great bass line! STEP 3. MODE Next, it’s time to choose a scale or mode that will reflect the mood you wanna convey through your bass line. We chose the Phrygian mode, as we felt like writing a heavy bass line that’s dark and dissonant. The notes in C Phrygian are: C, D♭, E♭, F, G, A♭, B♭. Be sure to use the D♭ in your bass line, as that note is what gives Phrygian its dark sound! You can choose any mode though, it all depends on what vibe you wanna create. The steps in this lesson are still applicable. And if you need help learning all the modes and their unique emotions, as well as how to use them, then check out the mode hacks in our Songwriting & Producing PDF (link above). Or if you prefer videos, you can watch the online course instead. STEP 4. MELODY Now that you’ve written your rhythm and you’ve chosen a mode, it’s finally time to get stuck into the melodic element of your bass line. So, have some fun and play around with moving the notes up/down on the MIDI grid. But, always double-check that every note you’ve moved off the root is in your chosen mode. And be sure to keep at least a few notes on C, as playing the root note is vital in anchoring your bass line into the mode - that’s the only way you’re gonna tap into its emotion! Also, try to create a contour for your bass line that spans an octave (or more), as a big range like that will help prevent your bass line from getting boring. Finally, when you’re happy with all the notes in your bass line, you can extend some of them, so they’re not all 1/16 notes anymore. And try to use a variety of note values, as that will make your bass line even more interesting! --- ABOUT Hack Music Theory is the fast, easy and fun way to make music. Taught by 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), and many more! COPYRIGHT & CREDITS © 2021 Revolution Harmony Revolution Harmony is Ray Harmony & Kate Harmony Script & all music in video by Revolution Harmony Book promo filmed & edited by Maurits Nienhuis All stock footage courtesy of Pexels