Overview

Status: Available | Released: Sep 25th, 2012

How many of your favorite songs can you name just from hearing the bass line? It's probably quite a few. That's because the bass, when played and programmed by the pros, stands alone at bottom of the production where it serves as the foundation of the track! A great bass line can really make a good song even better! A powerful base line can act both as the foundation of the track and as another melodic hook within the track!

With his carefully crafted musical examples, Gregg gives you a great sense of how a bass line can evolve as your song builds. He uses musical notation so you can see and hear the bass and how it complements the song. Gregg explains how the bass serves to reinforce the chordal structure of a tune by "landing" on the different notes of the chords. He also explains the powerful relationship between the bass and kick. After all, the bass IS a member of the rhythm section!

What takes this bass line theory to even higher ground are Gregg's thoughtful examples and play-along grooves that allow you see and hear how great bass lines are constructed.

After watching this, you can study Melody, Harmony, Rhythm and Song Form in our ever-expanding collection of Music Theory course below:

Outline

Section 1: Section 1: History and Overview of the Bassline

Section 2: Section 2: The Root, 5th, and Octave

Section 3: Section 3: Production Considerations

11

Finding the Tone

5m 4s

Section 4: Section 4: Syncopation and Funk Basslines

Section 5: Section 5: The Bass/Kick Relationship

14

Bass & Kick Relationship

6m 46s

Section 6: Section 6: Playing for the Arrangement

15

Developing the Bassline

5m 28s

Section 7: Section 7: Articulations and Tone

Section 8: Section 8:Using the Major, Minor, and Mixolydian Scales

Section 9: Section 9: Developing the Bassline

Section 10: Section 10: Walking Basslines

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Reviews

Dada Drew wrote on July 2, 2022

Greg Fine’s courses are excellent
(2)
Neil Gilmartin wrote on January 18, 2022

This isn't a course I planned on doing. Not a bass guitar player and not interested in becoming one, and yet I absolutely loved it. First, I've avoided learning how to read the bass clef for far too long. This course allows you to learn it gradually and in a fun way. There's also great practice on a variety of 16th-note syncopated rhythms and how to read them on the staff. Great insights into funk, blues and jazz too, insights which go beyond the bass. Greg brings fun to theory. It's really impressive how he manages to do it. Lots of colorful pictures definitely helps!
(83)
CHARLES wrote on March 26, 2020

A brilliant course well taught and the musical pieces are extremely captivating and enjoyable.
(2)
Vitalie Buhna wrote on March 23, 2020

Amazing course, thak you!
(4)
Gerald B. wrote on January 25, 2018

Very good course. This has given me a very good understanding of the role the bass plays in music
(69)
unitymusic wrote on October 18, 2017

This course unravels the mystery of how a bass play can approach bass lines. Thanks for all this information. It has really helped develop my understanding of how to approach writing for bass.
(13)
basslines wrote on February 23, 2016

This one was really helpful. It gave me way better understanding of how to create a good bassline and what a bassline is all about. Together with the chord progression the best of the series for me.
(24)
OG Kyle Dawson wrote on September 8, 2015

Greg Fine is one hell of instructor. His tutorials are extremely wealthy in content and easy to follow. I don't care what he teaches, ill always be eager to learn from him.
(2)
Eric schirmacher wrote on August 12, 2015

VERY GOOD! Clear, simple, VERY help full for a beginner like me.
(2)
Brock wrote on February 18, 2015

This is possibly the most in-depth 100 level music theory course available by the instructor Gregg. The emphasis is placed on identification, creating bass lines, and understanding these concepts through more advanced musical systems such as Jazz and Blues. I feel like I understand everything I need to know when creating bass compositions for my music.
(59)