3.5 - Moving Bass Lines

PROJECT 3.5 OVERVIEW

For this project, you are going to:

create a drumbeat (can be one you used before)
Create a bass line following your own chord progression and add the following:
- - - at least one octave jump
    - at least one leading tone

Moving Bass Lines

(or, How I Learned To Love Octave Jumps and Leading Tones)

You may have noticed that your bass lines from project 3.4 are functional, but rather, well, bland. We're going to spice up your bass lines with two new ideas: Octave Jumps and Leading Tones.

Octave Jumps

Octave jumps are when you play the root of the chord (like we have been doing) but move into a different octave. For our purposes, an octave is 7 notes away on the white keys, and has the exact same name as the root note you are already using. You can move either direction to get a new octave:

Leading Tones

A leading tone* is the note either above or below the root note of the chord in the scale. Every note has two that you can choose from.

*Note: in classical theory, a leading tone functions specifically as a half-step resolution. We're appropriating the term here for our use, but be aware that the meaning is very different in music theory classes, and you can't say I didn't warn you...

IMPORTANT: Leading tones are relevant to the note that follows them, not the note that comes before.

Octave Numbers - they matter now!

Up until now, we've been putting in octave numbers with little concern for why we are putting them in. Now that we're moving our bass lines around, the octave numbers will help you to keep track of where you are on the keyboard.

Numbers always change when you hit the next C when going up. So, the bottom octave of our piano would be labeled as such:

C1 - D1 - E1 - F1 - G1 - A1 - B1 - C2

Why do we use C as the change point? I don't know, honestly, and my basic research on this just raises more questions. As long as we accept that C is the change point, we'll all be on the same page.

WHAT NOTE IS C1?

Technically speaking, C1 is the same key on your piano that you use to play the kick drum on the drum set.

However, Logic Pro makes things a bit more confusing. If you're using a synthesized bass for your project, then there are no issues.

If you are using a bass guitar or acoustic bass (aka upright bass or double bass), the computer will automatically transpose the pitch one octave lower than you are playing on the keyboard. This has to do with the way that we notate music for the "real" versions of these instruments. So, if you press C1 on your piano, Logic Pro will sound the pitch C0. If you are using the Fingerstyle Bass instrument, that C will sound muddy and a little weird, so you'll most likely play C2 to get the instrument to sound C1.

Confused? It's ok. It's a lot to wrap your head around.

Bearing all that in mind, you have two options:

Write in the actual octave numbers as you're playing them on the piano. This may mean you're writing a lot of 2s and 3s in your bass line.
Consider C1 to be the lowest C you play in your project, and adjust from there. You'll still be able to see how the bass line "flows" when you see it on your organizer.

Project 3.5 - Creating a bass line with octave jumps and leading tones.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE CHORD PROGRESSION ORGANIZER

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE PROJECT 3.5 ORGANIZER

Part 1 - Create a chord progression using our organizer.

Part 2 - Write a drum groove.

Part 3 - Write your bass lines. Your project must contain at least one octave jump and one leading tone. Here's how I went about this project:

For my chord progression, I have decided to use:

ii - V - I - vi

which translates to

Dmin - Gmaj - Cmaj - Amin.

Next, I compose my drum groove:

Then, I create a bass line using the same rhythm as my kick. Note the octave jump on Beat 3, which I can easily see because of the octave numbering:

I'm going to use the same rhythm for each of my following measures. The only exception I am allowing you make is for the leading tone. Take note of my leading tone at the end of measure 2:

That B1 is going to lead really nicely to the C2 in the next measure. In measure 3, I'm inverting the octave jumps because I think it sounds cool (and make sense with the leading tone):

And measure 4 is back to the original form of the bassline, with the octave jump on beat 3:

Record Project 3.5

Now that you've composed your drum groove, chord progression, and full bass lines, record them into Logic Pro. Don't forget to quantize!

Upload the finished file to Schoology.

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