jefky&music

take your time and practice memorizing simple melodies playing above the 5th fret.

http://www.geocities.com/washtubbass/car...

by detroit bassist
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First you learn how to play roots, then roots and fifths, then roots fifths and thirds. By that time you've nearly all the tools for making melody in the bass.

Study up on walking bass lines - they're pretty fun. You can apply a lot of them, or at least the same principles, to most progressions successfully.

Study and practice your scales, not just the pentatonics but the major and minor as well. Normally you hit your chord tones on the downbeats, so in between them play notes that are in key that make the chord notes melodic.

For instance:

You know the song is in the key of C major, and the progression is C F G (for simplicity's sake). The downbeat notes might be C E F A G D. Since you know your scales, and you know your key, you can add a few notes in to turn it into a very simple melody - C D E E F G A A G F-E D (the F and E as eigth notes). There you go - a walking bassline.

Once you know your roots, thirds, and fifths for the common chords you should be able to do this no problem.


Saul
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