Learn to improvise. 2003-2004. Lesson 13: bass lines in chord schemes.
In some chord schemes one can hear a short melody line in the bass.
(My Way, Blue Skies, Feelings, My Funny Valentine en My Foolish
Heart). As a rule they have a small number of measures each having one
bass note at the beginning. Usualy the melody is only in one direction,
e.g. upward.
E.g. the song My Way in C (the bass notes are after the slash):
And [C/C] now the end is [C/B] near
and so I [C/Bes] face the final [A7/A] curtain
My [Dm/D] friend I'll say it [Dm/C] clear
I'll state my [G7/B] case of [G7/G] which I'm [C] certain…
Click to hear the first measures of My Way.
A 'bass line' has not necessarely to be played in the low bass register; it
may be in middle register or even higher as well. The effect is pleasant
and easy to do.
The most common way to notate the bass in the chords is after a slash,
but many song books leave the bass out, e.g.:
And [C] now the end is [Em] near
and so I [C7] face the final [A7] curtain
My [Dm] friend I'll say it [F] clear
I'll state my [G7] case of which I'm [C] certain…
If you haven't played a song during a year and you see the text and
chords again, it is convenient to have some indication of possible bass
lines. Staff notation is not needed, after all, we are improvising. I often
use the following notation:
(bass downward c…a):
And [C] now the end is near
and so I face the final [A7] curtain
(bass downward d…g):
My [Dm] friend I'll say it clear
I'll state my [G7] case of which I'm [C] certain…
The other way round is the creation of a chord scheme by first making a
bass line, with the intention to get a scheme with (surprise, surprise) a
hidden bass line in it. The procedure is to choose a line of notes and
look for useful chords which contain these notes, e.g.:
Start in the key of C with the chromatic notes: c, c#, d, d#, e, f, f#, g.
The first chord may be C as it contains the note c. The next chord has to
contain the note c#; we can choose A7 for that. So we can go on and
end up with the scheme: C A7 Dm Cdim Em F D7 G7. The scheme has a
hidden upward bass line of 7 notes. The improviser can take advantage
of that.
In stead of an upward chromatic bass line, any melody can be
choosen, provided it has an understandable structure.
Bass lines can also be used in a quite different way: to step from one
chord to the next. This is particularly used in the 'stride' style, where
the left hand plays alternately a bass note and a chord.
Click to hear When you're smiling in stride style.
A little bass line
is welcome, not only for the variation in rhythm, but also for
conveniance. Hitting a bass note and a chord which are far apart is
harder than playing some bass notes close together.
These bass lines have more than one note per measure and remind one
of a rhythmic 'humpa'. They are easily to make à l'improviste as only the
last note is important. This one has to harmonize with current chord. In
fact, the last note of the bass line has to belong to the chord of that
moment. The other notes of the bass line are of minor importance.
Click to hear Cake Walkers from home.
HOMEWORK: Make a chord scheme and pay attention to (possible)
bass lines.
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