Has anyone thought about the classification of bass lines in music?
I recently recorded a bass overlay of Games People Play by The Alan Parsons Project. I’ve enjoyed this song and its bass line for years and realized that unlike many popular songs, this one has a melodic bass line. That got me thinking on how bass lines might be classified.
I put my engineer hat on and asked myself what are the 2 most salient features of a bass line and concluded the degree to which it’s melodic and the degree to which it aligns with the kick drum; hence the attached plot.
The total number of dimensions that define any given bass line is no doubt more than 2; it may 4, 6, 8 or more. But as a 1st-order approximation does anyone have better thinking or comments on this plot?
I’m guessing that musicologists and other experts must have thought about this question.
https://soundcloud.com/user-646279677 BiaB 2026 Windows For me there’s no better place in the band than to have one leg in the harmony world and the other in the percussive. Thank you Paul Tutmarc and Leo Fender.
I'd suggest the bass line in Games People Play is very much locked in with the chords.
For example, the piano and guitars are playing:
Bm Bm Am Bm A G A6 ...
And the bass part is:
B B A B A G A ...
That said, I agree with your analysis. There are a lot of songs where I think the bass is playing some sort of root & fifth sort of thing. Then I actually listen, and... nope. Not locked into the kick drum at all, but it just works. It just blows me away what the bass player is doing, and I'd never even noticed. But that's the point, right?
That said, I agree with your analysis. There are a lot of songs where I think the bass is playing some sort of root & fifth sort of thing. Then I actually listen, and... nope. Not locked into the kick drum at all, but it just works. It just blows me away what the bass player is doing, and I'd never even noticed. But that's the point, right?
Very well spoken.
It wasn't too long ago (maybe 12 years) where I thought the bass players role was basically to support the kick drum. That may be true in some music (perhaps country is a good example) but there can be much, much more including melodies and even solo work. And as you point out, there can be much more than root and fifth; although it could be argued that root/fifth is the backbone of many popular songs. It is much more versatile an instrument than I ever gave it credit for with infinite possible permutations even within a given song.
I'm still curious on how bass lines can be categorized and how many "dimensions" might be required to characterize them.
https://soundcloud.com/user-646279677 BiaB 2026 Windows For me there’s no better place in the band than to have one leg in the harmony world and the other in the percussive. Thank you Paul Tutmarc and Leo Fender.
Categories are - to me - most useful when trying to think of what sort of approach would be best for the song.
But with pop, it's more often simple groove that works. Doctor My Eyes is very much root-centric, but it still stands out as a great bass part - driving rhythm, and then arpeggios that fit just right by Leland Sklar. Dan Peek's bass runs on Tin Man that connect the chords on the chorus - analytically simple, but memorable and perfect for the song. George Ford's bass filling the gaps in On The Border is another bit of simple playing that just works. Nick Lowe's funky bass and octave walk-ups on I Love The Sound of Breaking Glass.
Root, root n 5th, walking are, sort of, processes rather than categories and not locked into particular genres when one listens closely. Stu Cook of Creedence did a lot of root n 5th and often, like many country players, did octave of the root & 5th so that the 5th was the lower note, (also very easy to play as the 5th is a string above the higher root and in the same fret),... simple but it's what works for the song.
Nick Lowe has excellent melodic sense and is careful to not clutter his pop melodies with his brilliant basher bass parts.
I start on the root when planning a bass track, THEN I try to fit in the rest of the chord when & where I can as a walk/run/riff BUT it depends on the song, the ease of execution and the time to move about. I've been aware - and try to keep an eye/ear out - to avoid playing the 3rd when the melody (particularly a vocal), is singing the 3rd...it seems to clash.
If you get a chance to listen to Budgie's version of Baby Please Don't Go you'll hear the bass part change for section of the song but in the main riff it moves to walks, runs and fills as the song progresses across five and a half minutes. A gruelling song to sit on that main riff but Bourke keeps his focus with subtle change while retaining the drive and groove.
Last edited by rayc; 03/02/2604:06 PM.
Cheers rayc "What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac Special Offers Extended Until May 31st!
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MIDI Styles Set 92: Look Ma! More MIDI 15: Latin Jazz
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