The 3-Fret Rule is something I cover on day 19 of my 21-Day Beginner Bass Challenge, so if you want to check out the *_rest_* of the challenge, the link is right here: becomeabassist.com/products/beginner-bass-challenge/ EDIT - Quick correction! At the 6:57 mark, the top graphic should say that you should approach major chords from BELOW, not above. Thanks to @swagner89 for pointing it out.
Within the first three minutes, you described the only bass chops I have! 😁 Chromatic runs from one root note to another is about all I got! I'm usually playing hard rock, so pumping the root is what the rest of the band want, the runs at the chord changes are what make me sound like I know what I'm doing.
Same. “Alberta, Alberta” taught me that in slow… then “Mustang Sally” a bit faster, and then an Albert Collins track I forgot the name of, in pretty quick. After that, I joined a band and joined the legion of bassists who pumped root notes 😂
Target chord, approach notes, something I never saw until I started studying jazz bass. It was a huge revelation that a note might be tied to what is coming and not what was.
@@carltaylor4942 I'm 67 and have played guitar since 1970 and just bought my first bass. I have played a bit in a pinch but now I have one I'm gonna do some research and this is the first video I am studying. Whooo Hooo. Wish me luck.
I’m 62, and didn’t start playing bass until a senior in high school. I just naturally led into the tonic (root) of the new chord when playing jazz. I discovered it on my own, with the idea that it would help the rest of the band “know” which chord was coming up (never mind that they had the music in front of them, too!). But it just seemed natural to me. Now I come across this video, and it had never occurred to me to think of it in “physical” or “visual” terms (your “three-fret rule”). Very helpful!
@@titichartay7216 I studied with some of the best in the world and toured for more than 20 years. There’s nothing sexist about telling the truth. Look it up, Carol Kay claimed credit for things played by Wilton Felder and even James Jamerson. I doubt you know anything about playing an instrument.
@@AmericanHero-c7j yep being classically trained probably doesn't count in the little anonymous world you are hiding in. Also as someone who has worked as a session musician can tell you don't understand the thankless process.
i think the walking up to the minor chord in "i wish" works because the song is in dorian mode...it uses the natural sixth rather than the flatted sixth, so the bassline going 6-b7-7-8 works well in that context. great video!
If you think about it, approaching the target note from 3 notes above, instantly gives it a dorian vibe since the first note of it all is that natural sixth (and of course the interval you do root to 6th). Which might not make it the best choice of bassline if you are in a darker mode of minor (phrygian, aeolian) that has a lot of minor 6ths around to clash. But still useful for those extra fills.
This technique is the whole of the Sanford and Son theme song and Barney Miller as well. The beauty of this idea is that you can translate the coming idea/chord to anyone with good ears and they can hear where the song is going next. Pay attention guitar players, this is how the smart old guys expect you to pick these things up. Don’t follow your band. Drive with them. These musical moves are your roadmap. If you shut up and listen, a great band is telling you musically where to go. Then how you arrive is up to you. Not blind luck. Excellent explanation of a sophisticated method to keep everyone on track! Greetings from New Mexico!
100 %, knowing how and when to drive and develop the song is the difference between a good bass player and a great bass player, that’s usually the deciding factor in who gets hired after an audition
Somehow the RUclips algorithm bumped me into your channel and I am ever so grateful. I have played bass for 50 years as a second instrument to my guitar playing, and have always tried to separate the personalities that are required to avoid cliches in my recordings. So now I’m watching all your videos as a refresher course on everything back to the basics! Wow! A perfect balance of theory, both musical and artistic, is excellent! And then you have simple ways for beginners to understand and play quickly. Amazing! Thanks so much for sharing your talent and teaching!
I learned this rule from the start of Smoke On The Water. It only does it that once to introduce the bass but it's so badass. It's the best part of the song.
My favorite part of the SOTW bass line is that Roger just holds it down with 8th notes on the root (G) throughout the first three bars of the famous riff, until he finally follows the riff on the C-Bb resolution back to G. So simple, but so cool.
You’re absolutely right chromatic playing will take your baselines to a whole new level especially for more free form “gig” music. also, when you start using the chromatic runs for actual licks in between the pentatonic tones in a lick, you’ll start getting into the world of re-harmonization: immediately following a root note of a chord or instead of playing the root note of the chord first for example, doing a chromatic walk up to the three and then a chromatic walk to the five or even six or seven.
Damn and here I was just using the base to add sentiment. Meaning the guitar plays the power chords. Use the bass drum time to hit the root on the bass and spend the rest of the chord sequence playing the 3rd or the mode note. So for a song in D mixolydian when the bass drum plays I’ll hit a root D. For the remainder I’ll either hit F# or C to emphasise that it’s in mixolydian it that it’s a major chord.
Good explanation of something that comes instinctively to bass players that frequently play in front of live audiences. When I played, a long time ago, we used to refer to this simply as using "passing tones" and made no big deal about it, no analysis, just played to please the audience and it worked out great.
I like that you are recording your bass sound with a very high fidelity in this video, kind of raw. I can hear the subtle changes in how the strings are plucked or picked.
Enclosures are cool too: you just play a fret about and a fret below and then the note.. so if your playing a c7 groove and you want to play an e, you can approach it like f d# e. I like to hammer on from the d#
It might be interesting to put the chords in a progression context rather than a chromatic up the neck move. Like Beginner level being I - IV - V - I. Add a 6th to tonic and a seventh to V. Then intermediate level would be close to the same thing but at a iv chord and perhaps a ii7 sub for IV. And the advanced level use I - viio - iii - vi - ii - V7 - I (add a little 'amen' at the end to include all the diatonic chords). There are hundreds of variation to these chord and finger exercises, but I personally feel that having a tonal center to the basic exercise and then moving that around the circle of fifths doesn't make the exercise more difficult, and it does teach the neck in a more musical context. Also, repeatedly moving around he circle of 5th (or 4ths, however you like to look at that) is a great foundation for further music theory training.
Did you mean to put this comment on this particular video @charleskleesatel6477? All the examples of this device I mention in this video are placed in the contexts of chord progressions - they’re all real songs after all.
Yikes! I'm 1,000 years old and played bass for around 900 years. I have made a living not having a clue what I'm playing. Only the root and the 1. You have just taught an Old Dog (and Old is Gold) a new trick! The Force is with you & I tip my hat 😮.
@@jsamc Now that is a more challenging thing if you are a good bassist, it took me a long time to get that down as I got more interesting on bass I found I struggled more with singing. I had to sit and practice hearing through both till I could get it on autopilot.
@@MemphisMike901 it is a weird thing because the base has such a big responsibility to keep things moving where other instruments can kind of dance around your singing. The base you have to power through and fully carry on two functions at once. It is probably the instrument you see the fest, people, singing, and playing.
Ok....it's not just me. I just figured I was bad a rubbing my belly and patting my head at the same time. My hands tend to stop moving if I try to sing.
Luke - This video just popped up on my RUclips feed. I've been a guitar player for 35 years, and getting into bass now at 57 years old. Being a student of anything musical and also in the video production business, your style of teaching is really different and refreshing! Your production value with this video with your great lighting/audio/visuals and your use of graphics is really great and also refreshing from other videos I've watched! So, well done to you and your team [I have to imagine you have a small team for these posts?]!
3:50 Holy cow I had and loved using an SRX500 in the same burst finish, I played it enough to wear out the bridge saddles. I would occasionally take them off and gently bend them back to being able to get enough string height from it. I sold it ~10 years ago before moving to a new home. I loved that thing and seeing Carol with a neck thru one makes me happy.
1:45 the key thing for me to keep in mind, to me that's it. definitely gonna incorporate this. been trying to expand, but still stay in that zone where it doesn't stick out too much, and the rule of thumb for above or below, wonderful to keep in mind. Thank you!
I have been playing bass for 40 years and this is a great video the language and examples really help explain the idea, great teacher subbing because you can never know it all, The minor fall the major lift , no longer a baffled king lol
I used what was basically the "Hey Joe" baseline in an original song with my band in the chorus, and the guitarist stopped playing. He said, what are you playing right there? I played it for him, and he said that's "Hey Joe"! I said, yeah. He said, that's awesome! Every time we played the song live you could see the whole band suddenly break into excitement at the passage. Even the drummer would start bopping his head! I'm 70 years old, the rest of the band was around 50. So I grew up hearing those chromatic walks in EVERYTHING from Zeppelin, to Hendrix, to The Who, to the Beatles. It works! It really does take what might be a boring passage, to an exciting passage with a LOT of movement! Great video! I'm subscribing now. Never too old to learn something :)
Try doing that fast version of HEY JOE some 60s band that had a big hit with it, The Seeds, I think, I could be wrong. That version kicked ass. Different from Hendrix's, but very interesting.
My bass teacher introduced me to this concept withing my first year. He used the title "leading tones" cuz you're leading into the next part. Fifths are also great for this.
I taught myself to play bass in the 70’s, before the internet, but I gave it up due to life getting complicated. I played using this same technique due to learning to play the blues. It similar to any blues progression.
Hey, thanks for the tip. I've been playing bass since November 2022, and looking for new ways to play. I wanted to do more than just play root 5th, and this works!
I clicked on this thinking it was going to be something I've never heard of but I found it's something I do without even thinking about it. Super neat to realize that about my playing, enjoyed this video.
I am stunned at how fantastic this video is. Simple, actionable tips that makes sense as a first step AND give lots of room for growth. So well explained too. Not only am I going to definitely try this, but I’m literally chomping at the bit to check out what other gems are to be found in your 21-day challenge! I’m a singer with mediocre guitar skills who always thought becoming halfway decent at bass would be a great idea for me. This video is exactly what I need! Well done sir! (No one paid me to endorse this video!!! I’m legitimately that excited about it 😂)
I'm not a bassist, but I like to dabble. An example I like from 2 frets below up to a minor is Let The Sunshine In, where occasionally the bass comes off that D triad at the end of the pattern and then does a quick A A# B to get 'back' to the B minor.
🎉 learned something new today for the first time since univ music school. Thanks. 🙏 I been searching quick guitar/bass teaching tricks to help my pops out - he just picked up guitar hobby lately and looking for bite size easily digestible tricks to help him out
One of the possible reasons that I Wish takes exception to the "Major scoop from below, Minor fall from above" rule of thumb may be that FUNK requires you to funk things up a bit and get sticky where middle of the road would go clean and predictable. That's a thing funk and metal sometimes have in common, a crossroads, if ya will.
you know, the cool thing about a lot of these I-IV lines is that the first note of the approach from the IV->I is diatonic, so the chromatic walkup serves two important functions of the bass- you get to outline the chord, and you get to drive the song to the next chord. great video, was skeptical bc of the title, but having played for 20 years this is like a second instinct when i wanna add a little spice to my lines and seeing it all laid out like this i was nodding along the whole time. loved the examples of hanging on the root instead of using the walkup too- it must have taken great discipline to play that version of I Wish!
Regarding the rule of thumb idea - I think it is consistent through out the video: (1) if you're on a major chord and are going up a 5th, then ascend chromatically from the 3rd of the major chord to the root of the succeeding chord, and (2) on either a minor chord or a 7♯9 chord, descend chromatically from the minor 3rd (♭3 or ♯9) back to the root. Was that two-part rule ever violated here? I think if the rule is stated this way, then it isn't violated in your examples. Am I correct? I'm a guitarist, not a bassist, but I would say that there is another 3-fret rule for going up a 4th from any chord type: go to the 2nd and ascend chromatically. So from A to D, you'd play B, C, C♯, D. It makes it very easy to play over a circle of 4ths.
Cool, Luke! I'm actually a guitar player so my approach to bass is more kind of intuitive and I don't tend to think much about what I play. But I really enjoyed your video!
Weezer's 'say it aint so' bass line does this. Verse: vi III IV I (if you think of it in a major key). Between the (borrowed) III and IV, it walks up through the III's 7, maj7, root, to the IV chord's root (which is one more semitone up, or 11 frets down). So it's actually 4 in a row.
I just came across this and I've saved it to look up when I get back to my apartment. Out of interests where did Eb come from? I have very little musical knowledge the same lesson in E was a semitone (fret) higher? So it will be interesting and informative to know why Eb. Diolch 🏴 thanks
At 6:58 you have the rule of thumb for Majors on the top-right of screen and it reads "approach from 3 frets above", whereas 8 seconds before that you said to scoop from 3 frets below to Majors.
Yeah - I made a mistake in the edit @Suff2Say - it should say that you generally approach major chords from below and generally approach minor chords from above.
Absolutely @kristofwynants - that's exactly what's happening in the Nate Watts example. This is very much a video for beginners though, so I didn't want to get too into the weeds of all the exceptions to the rule of thumb.
It's a super common piece of language @DzeryB - I'm sure you're not alone in using it without thinking about it. It's like using verbs; you don't really think about whether or not you're using them - they just come out when you talk.
at 6:50 the words on the screen don't match what was stated right before. Both major and minor chords - the words in the upper right state to come from above, where just before that the demos show major approach is from below, minor is from above the root of the target chord.
Luke, great video, thks. I think you need to correct the graphic at 6:58. On screen, it says for Major, approach from 3 frets above - I think you meant Below (for Major)
I think the ascending 3 frets works well for I Wish because the 6-7b-7-root run in a minor key adds "the funk" -- but I know you were trying to stay out of the weeds of theory :) great video, great trick to have in toolbox
I play bass only because I don't have a bass player but I have strived for this when ever I could. Especially when using the lower octave. Mainly because playing in the lower octave through the whole song would be too muddy. thanks....
This is great. I’m guessing the rule of doing from below for major is because the major chords have a natural 6th (but not a minor third which would be from above). And the rule of from above for minor is because you hit the minor third (which the major chords don’t have). The exception you showed with a minor chord from below is likely because that was the ii chord in the key which is minor but has a major sixth.
Exactly @leblille4146! There are a few nuances to do with modal harmony (when something isn't firmly in a 'regular' key), but if you follow the rule of thumb from the video, you'll be golden 99% of the time.
I like this technique. I disagree about the original sounding “monochrome” though. It all depends on the song. Maybe a simpler bass line would suit, or maybe the chromaticisms would help it pop.
This is a great video. You took something powerful creative and useful and made it simple so a hack like me can use and understand it. I'm not joking this is really good stuff! If I was a bass teacher This is the sort of thing (Gold) I would like to pass on.
Basic trick: the ear will hear a series consecutive half steps as "right" even if one of them would be wrong played on its own. Simply because the brain interprets it as a logical progression. Which means that you can always use a series of halfsteps to go from one note to another (up or down), as long as you play them as a progression, and it will sound good... Which is of course very handy if you are looking for a bassline and at the moment have no inspiration or you are not sure which the chords are, etc.
The bass line for Deep Purple's Smoke on the Water uses the same principle in the iconic intro of the song. It's in G and the approach notes are E F F#
Classic use of the 3-fret rule @Boonoodoo - so many people _just_ think of the guitar when they think of that song, but Roger Glover brings SO much to that track.
The 3-Fret Rule is something I cover on day 19 of my 21-Day Beginner Bass Challenge, so if you want to check out the *_rest_* of the challenge, the link is right here: becomeabassist.com/products/beginner-bass-challenge/
EDIT - Quick correction! At the 6:57 mark, the top graphic should say that you should approach major chords from BELOW, not above. Thanks to @swagner89 for pointing it out.
Thanks Luke. Really valuable.
Funky Funky Yo-Yo
Any jazz-trained musician throws in these diachronic or chromatic approaches at will. Very basic.
Within the first three minutes, you described the only bass chops I have! 😁 Chromatic runs from one root note to another is about all I got! I'm usually playing hard rock, so pumping the root is what the rest of the band want, the runs at the chord changes are what make me sound like I know what I'm doing.
I was surprised by him not saying the word “chromatic”.
Play what works & your buds will love you.
Same. “Alberta, Alberta” taught me that in slow… then “Mustang Sally” a bit faster, and then an Albert Collins track I forgot the name of, in pretty quick. After that, I joined a band and joined the legion of bassists who pumped root notes 😂
@@tomcoryellyeah, me too.
Yeah. I kind of liked the pedalling on the roots better.
Target chord, approach notes, something I never saw until I started studying jazz bass. It was a huge revelation that a note might be tied to what is coming and not what was.
I'm 68 and just learning walking bass theory. Really is opening my eyes to a lot of new concepts I wish I'd known a long time ago.
@@carltaylor4942 I'm 67 and have played guitar since 1970 and just bought my first bass. I have played a bit in a pinch but now I have one I'm gonna do some research and this is the first video I am studying. Whooo Hooo. Wish me luck.
This kinda wrinkled my brain
I’m 62, and didn’t start playing bass until a senior in high school. I just naturally led into the tonic (root) of the new chord when playing jazz. I discovered it on my own, with the idea that it would help the rest of the band “know” which chord was coming up (never mind that they had the music in front of them, too!). But it just seemed natural to me.
Now I come across this video, and it had never occurred to me to think of it in “physical” or “visual” terms (your “three-fret rule”). Very helpful!
what can be unburdened by what has been
This is a brilliant way of introducing people to walking bass lines. I particularly liked the Carol Kaye example.
funky funk yo-yo!
Carole Kay lies about playing on big hits that she was never in session on. Credit for a lot of other peoples work.
@@AmericanHero-c7janonymous sexist hate & misinformation from someone who can't play a musical instrument.
@@titichartay7216 I studied with some of the best in the world and toured for more than 20 years. There’s nothing sexist about telling the truth. Look it up, Carol Kay claimed credit for things played by Wilton Felder and even James Jamerson. I doubt you know anything about playing an instrument.
@@AmericanHero-c7j yep being classically trained probably doesn't count in the little anonymous world you are hiding in. Also as someone who has worked as a session musician can tell you don't understand the thankless process.
Chuck Rainey on Quincy Jones' "Streetbeater (Sanford & Son Theme)" goes crazy with this trick.
One of the funkiest tunes ever. I especially love the harmonica squalls.
Great stuff. Love using approach notes to outline chord changes. Noticeably drives the rhythm of the song. Really a mood changer.
i think the walking up to the minor chord in "i wish" works because the song is in dorian mode...it uses the natural sixth rather than the flatted sixth, so the bassline going 6-b7-7-8 works well in that context. great video!
Exactly @PaulSchwarz! The Dorian minor is one of the exceptions to the rule of thumb - good pick up!
One of the best baselines ever!
Good call! Now I don't have to wait til I get home and get my bass in my hands to figure out why it works.
If you think about it, approaching the target note from 3 notes above, instantly gives it a dorian vibe since the first note of it all is that natural sixth (and of course the interval you do root to 6th). Which might not make it the best choice of bassline if you are in a darker mode of minor (phrygian, aeolian) that has a lot of minor 6ths around to clash. But still useful for those extra fills.
And then there's the John Entwistle 3 frets down, 12 frets up, 6 frets down, 8 frets up, etc with harmonics rule.
Thanks, excellent stuff!
Yeah well he's dead now!
Isn't that just playing music?
I think John Entwistle transcended the concept of "rules".
This technique is the whole of the Sanford and Son theme song and Barney Miller as well. The beauty of this idea is that you can translate the coming idea/chord to anyone with good ears and they can hear where the song is going next. Pay attention guitar players, this is how the smart old guys expect you to pick these things up. Don’t follow your band. Drive with them. These musical moves are your roadmap. If you shut up and listen, a great band is telling you musically where to go. Then how you arrive is up to you. Not blind luck. Excellent explanation of a sophisticated method to keep everyone on track! Greetings from New Mexico!
100 %, knowing how and when to drive and develop the song is the difference between a good bass player and a great bass player, that’s usually the deciding factor in who gets hired after an audition
Somehow the RUclips algorithm bumped me into your channel and I am ever so grateful. I have played bass for 50 years as a second instrument to my guitar playing, and have always tried to separate the personalities that are required to avoid cliches in my recordings.
So now I’m watching all your videos as a refresher course on everything back to the basics!
Wow! A perfect balance of theory, both musical and artistic, is excellent! And then you have simple ways for beginners to understand and play quickly.
Amazing! Thanks so much for sharing your talent and teaching!
Thanks so much @scottybaby8246 - that's really kind of you to say! I'm so glad the RUclips algorithm served me up to you :D
I learned this rule from the start of Smoke On The Water. It only does it that once to introduce the bass but it's so badass. It's the best part of the song.
Great example @stitchgrimly6167!
What Roger Glover does during the solo is pretty nifty too !
end of measure 4, 3 fret walk up
@grantkoeller8911
end of measure 4, 3 fret walk up
My favorite part of the SOTW bass line is that Roger just holds it down with 8th notes on the root (G) throughout the first three bars of the famous riff, until he finally follows the riff on the C-Bb resolution back to G. So simple, but so cool.
You’re absolutely right chromatic playing will take your baselines to a whole new level especially for more free form “gig” music. also, when you start using the chromatic runs for actual licks in between the pentatonic tones in a lick, you’ll start getting into the world of re-harmonization: immediately following a root note of a chord or instead of playing the root note of the chord first for example, doing a chromatic walk up to the three and then a chromatic walk to the five or even six or seven.
Damn and here I was just using the base to add sentiment. Meaning the guitar plays the power chords. Use the bass drum time to hit the root on the bass and spend the rest of the chord sequence playing the 3rd or the mode note. So for a song in D mixolydian when the bass drum plays I’ll hit a root D. For the remainder I’ll either hit F# or C to emphasise that it’s in mixolydian it that it’s a major chord.
For sure - that'd work great too @troystaunton254.
I guess McCartney's "Silly Love Songs" bass riff is the most vivid example of 3-fret rule in his repertoire. This whole song is built on that groove.
Good explanation of something that comes instinctively to bass players that frequently play in front of live audiences. When I played, a long time ago, we used to refer to this simply as using "passing tones" and made no big deal about it, no analysis, just played to please the audience and it worked out great.
I like that you are recording your bass sound with a very high fidelity in this video, kind of raw. I can hear the subtle changes in how the strings are plucked or picked.
Enclosures are cool too: you just play a fret about and a fret below and then the note.. so if your playing a c7 groove and you want to play an e, you can approach it like f d# e. I like to hammer on from the d#
Been doing that since forever but didn't know it was "a rule" !
Great rundown of the idea.
It might be interesting to put the chords in a progression context rather than a chromatic up the neck move. Like Beginner level being I - IV - V - I. Add a 6th to tonic and a seventh to V.
Then intermediate level would be close to the same thing but at a iv chord and perhaps a ii7 sub for IV.
And the advanced level use I - viio - iii - vi - ii - V7 - I (add a little 'amen' at the end to include all the diatonic chords).
There are hundreds of variation to these chord and finger exercises, but I personally feel that having a tonal center to the basic exercise and then moving that around the circle of fifths doesn't make the exercise more difficult, and it does teach the neck in a more musical context. Also, repeatedly moving around he circle of 5th (or 4ths, however you like to look at that) is a great foundation for further music theory training.
Did you mean to put this comment on this particular video @charleskleesatel6477? All the examples of this device I mention in this video are placed in the contexts of chord progressions - they’re all real songs after all.
Yikes! I'm 1,000 years old and played bass for around 900 years. I have made a living not having a clue what I'm playing. Only the root and the 1. You have just taught an Old Dog (and Old is Gold) a new trick! The Force is with you & I tip my hat 😮.
Hi Sir Keith Richards!
@@lundsweden 😄
The root and 1 are the same thing. I think you mean the 1 and the 5.
@@blindsquirrel7802I guess he's means exactly this as he says he's no clue 😂
He’s trolling you 1,000 year old style haha
Amazing content as always. This is really helpful for me. Thanks!
Anyone who can sing and play bass at the same time gets my vote EVERYTIME !
Yes! AND sing 3-part harmonies with two other guys while playing intricate bass lines. Astounding!
@@jsamc Now that is a more challenging thing if you are a good bassist, it took me a long time to get that down as I got more interesting on bass I found I struggled more with singing. I had to sit and practice hearing through both till I could get it on autopilot.
I play keys and easily sing while doing it. When I play Bass, I cant even sing Brown Eyed Girl while doing it 😂
@@MemphisMike901 it is a weird thing because the base has such a big responsibility to keep things moving where other instruments can kind of dance around your singing. The base you have to power through and fully carry on two functions at once. It is probably the instrument you see the fest, people, singing, and playing.
Ok....it's not just me. I just figured I was bad a rubbing my belly and patting my head at the same time. My hands tend to stop moving if I try to sing.
Thanks!
Very cool lesson! Thanks, Luke 😎
Luke - This video just popped up on my RUclips feed. I've been a guitar player for 35 years, and getting into bass now at 57 years old. Being a student of anything musical and also in the video production business, your style of teaching is really different and refreshing! Your production value with this video with your great lighting/audio/visuals and your use of graphics is really great and also refreshing from other videos I've watched! So, well done to you and your team [I have to imagine you have a small team for these posts?]!
It gives your lines that forward motion feel and is so simple to do and thank god for that!
3:50 Holy cow I had and loved using an SRX500 in the same burst finish, I played it enough to wear out the bridge saddles. I would occasionally take them off and gently bend them back to being able to get enough string height from it. I sold it ~10 years ago before moving to a new home. I loved that thing and seeing Carol with a neck thru one makes me happy.
1:45 the key thing for me to keep in mind, to me that's it. definitely gonna incorporate this. been trying to expand, but still stay in that zone where it doesn't stick out too much, and the rule of thumb for above or below, wonderful to keep in mind. Thank you!
I have been playing bass for 40 years and this is a great video the language and examples really help explain the idea, great teacher subbing because you can never know it all, The minor fall the major lift , no longer a baffled king lol
I used what was basically the "Hey Joe" baseline in an original song with my band in the chorus, and the guitarist stopped playing. He said, what are you playing right there? I played it for him, and he said that's "Hey Joe"! I said, yeah. He said, that's awesome! Every time we played the song live you could see the whole band suddenly break into excitement at the passage. Even the drummer would start bopping his head! I'm 70 years old, the rest of the band was around 50. So I grew up hearing those chromatic walks in EVERYTHING from Zeppelin, to Hendrix, to The Who, to the Beatles. It works! It really does take what might be a boring passage, to an exciting passage with a LOT of movement! Great video! I'm subscribing now. Never too old to learn something :)
Try doing that fast version of HEY JOE some 60s band that had a big hit with it, The Seeds, I think, I could be wrong. That version kicked ass. Different from Hendrix's, but very interesting.
My bass teacher introduced me to this concept withing my first year. He used the title "leading tones" cuz you're leading into the next part. Fifths are also great for this.
I taught myself to play bass in the 70’s, before the internet, but I gave it up due to life getting complicated. I played using this same technique due to learning to play the blues. It similar to any blues progression.
Excellent, Luke. This is a clever way of explaining (teaching) the beginnings of "walking the bass".
Is there a pill I can take for premature articulation?
There is, but you need a prescription from Dr. Funkenstein.
the red pill
That's a great T-Shirt😂 Bass Clef: No I don't suffer from...
Glad to see you back!
Hey, thanks for the tip. I've been playing bass since November 2022, and looking for new ways to play. I wanted to do more than just play root 5th, and this works!
We used to sneak stuff like this into our school fight song - on trombones. Very subtle additions that made it a lot more fun to play.
I clicked on this thinking it was going to be something I've never heard of but I found it's something I do without even thinking about it. Super neat to realize that about my playing, enjoyed this video.
Mark King is my favourite bass player, his both his finger-style playing and slapping are insane!! 😀👍
You made this so easy to understand! GLORIOUS!!!
I am stunned at how fantastic this video is. Simple, actionable tips that makes sense as a first step AND give lots of room for growth. So well explained too.
Not only am I going to definitely try this, but I’m literally chomping at the bit to check out what other gems are to be found in your 21-day challenge!
I’m a singer with mediocre guitar skills who always thought becoming halfway decent at bass would be a great idea for me. This video is exactly what I need!
Well done sir! (No one paid me to endorse this video!!! I’m legitimately that excited about it 😂)
Glad you enjoyed it @paulvillarreal1588! And learning bass will absolutely help your guitar playing, and possibly singing as well!
Nice and so simple. Using Three fret chromatics to get to the target chord. Thanks.
Thanks for sharing this Luke, very helpful as I use it in most improvisations and for playing song cover versions ♥
Thanks Luke! I'm excited to start using this trick, I love the sound!
I'm not a bassist, but I like to dabble. An example I like from 2 frets below up to a minor is Let The Sunshine In, where occasionally the bass comes off that D triad at the end of the pattern and then does a quick A A# B to get 'back' to the B minor.
Such a cool thing to learn. Many thanks from Quebec Canada
Hey Joe by Hendrix is the greatest lesson on chord changes and 3 step runs.
Yeah and Heroes by Bowie too, nothing else than a chromatism starting on the major third since the chord progression is following the circle of fifths
Thank you Luke, this was really useful ❤❤❤❤
🎉 learned something new today for the first time since univ music school. Thanks. 🙏 I been searching quick guitar/bass teaching tricks to help my pops out - he just picked up guitar hobby lately and looking for bite size easily digestible tricks to help him out
One of the possible reasons that I Wish takes exception to the "Major scoop from below, Minor fall from above" rule of thumb may be that FUNK requires you to funk things up a bit and get sticky where middle of the road would go clean and predictable. That's a thing funk and metal sometimes have in common, a crossroads, if ya will.
you know, the cool thing about a lot of these I-IV lines is that the first note of the approach from the IV->I is diatonic, so the chromatic walkup serves two important functions of the bass- you get to outline the chord, and you get to drive the song to the next chord.
great video, was skeptical bc of the title, but having played for 20 years this is like a second instinct when i wanna add a little spice to my lines and seeing it all laid out like this i was nodding along the whole time. loved the examples of hanging on the root instead of using the walkup too- it must have taken great discipline to play that version of I Wish!
Incredible; thanks Luke from Become A Bassist.
engaging content and not slapping the camera every time or wasting time I love it
Regarding the rule of thumb idea - I think it is consistent through out the video: (1) if you're on a major chord and are going up a 5th, then ascend chromatically from the 3rd of the major chord to the root of the succeeding chord, and (2) on either a minor chord or a 7♯9 chord, descend chromatically from the minor 3rd (♭3 or ♯9) back to the root. Was that two-part rule ever violated here? I think if the rule is stated this way, then it isn't violated in your examples. Am I correct?
I'm a guitarist, not a bassist, but I would say that there is another 3-fret rule for going up a 4th from any chord type: go to the 2nd and ascend chromatically. So from A to D, you'd play B, C, C♯, D. It makes it very easy to play over a circle of 4ths.
Love your approach to arrows and call-outs!! Lo-tech but very effective.
thanks so much stuff like this is really good for my notes
Cool, Luke! I'm actually a guitar player so my approach to bass is more kind of intuitive and I don't tend to think much about what I play. But I really enjoyed your video!
Thanks mate! Never thought of going 3 above the target.
Aside from the extremely helpful content, it was "premature articulation" for me. Well done, sir. And I hate when I do that.
What I've noticed with all my favorite basslines. Which also includes the basslines you shared is there is a ton of chromatic runs.
Weezer's 'say it aint so' bass line does this. Verse: vi III IV I (if you think of it in a major key). Between the (borrowed) III and IV, it walks up through the III's 7, maj7, root, to the IV chord's root (which is one more semitone up, or 11 frets down). So it's actually 4 in a row.
your spector is so special!
I use vst bass in my music and this is going to transform my bass lines. Thank you
I just came across this and I've saved it to look up when I get back to my apartment.
Out of interests where did Eb come from? I have very little musical knowledge the same lesson in E was a semitone (fret) higher?
So it will be interesting and informative to know why Eb.
Diolch 🏴 thanks
great lesson, so easy but adds so much spice, thank you!
Great lesson man 👍
At 6:58 you have the rule of thumb for Majors on the top-right of screen and it reads "approach from 3 frets above", whereas 8 seconds before that you said to scoop from 3 frets below to Majors.
Yeah - I made a mistake in the edit @Suff2Say - it should say that you generally approach major chords from below and generally approach minor chords from above.
@@BecomeABassist Still a great video 👍
Wow Luke is great. Thanks so much!
With a Dorian minor chord you could actually approche the root from below as well as above using the 3-fret rule.
Absolutely @kristofwynants - that's exactly what's happening in the Nate Watts example. This is very much a video for beginners though, so I didn't want to get too into the weeds of all the exceptions to the rule of thumb.
This is a GREAT video.
Very nice vid… subscribed w/ notifications! keep doing vids like this.
Hello, well explained, great job. 🎼🎶🎹🎵🎸.
Interesting stuff. Thanks!
Really great video, Luke! Thank you!
Interesting. I am using it, but never really thought about it.
It's a super common piece of language @DzeryB - I'm sure you're not alone in using it without thinking about it. It's like using verbs; you don't really think about whether or not you're using them - they just come out when you talk.
OMG! Thanks Fantastic!
I'm a lead guitar player that plays bass for recording. This is a great tip for sounding more like a pro level bassist.
Awesome video, thanks for making it!
Thank *you* for checking it out @tomsabatino!
I always used a ton of chromatics when I played. I would get bored with arpeggios. I guess it helps that PM was my favorite bass player.
at 6:50 the words on the screen don't match what was stated right before. Both major and minor chords - the words in the upper right state to come from above, where just before that the demos show major approach is from below, minor is from above the root of the target chord.
Luke, great video, thks. I think you need to correct the graphic at 6:58. On screen, it says for Major, approach from 3 frets above - I think you meant Below (for Major)
You're right! That totally got past me during the edit...my bad!
@@BecomeABassistI noticed this too. Wanted to scan the comments to see if someone else had mentioned it
I think the ascending 3 frets works well for I Wish because the 6-7b-7-root run in a minor key adds "the funk" -- but I know you were trying to stay out of the weeds of theory :) great video, great trick to have in toolbox
Interesting. My recommendation is to highlight the core that you're playing against and the frets.
This was an awesome video.
I'm happy to hear you liked it @jj-eg5up!
Thanks for posting! A great way to avoid constantly playing the root note.
great ideas ❤
I play bass only because I don't have a bass player but I have strived for this when ever I could. Especially when using
the lower octave. Mainly because playing in the lower octave through the whole song would be too muddy. thanks....
that's very useful. thank you.
This is great. I’m guessing the rule of doing from below for major is because the major chords have a natural 6th (but not a minor third which would be from above). And the rule of from above for minor is because you hit the minor third (which the major chords don’t have). The exception you showed with a minor chord from below is likely because that was the ii chord in the key which is minor but has a major sixth.
Exactly @leblille4146! There are a few nuances to do with modal harmony (when something isn't firmly in a 'regular' key), but if you follow the rule of thumb from the video, you'll be golden 99% of the time.
I like this technique. I disagree about the original sounding “monochrome” though. It all depends on the song. Maybe a simpler bass line would suit, or maybe the chromaticisms would help it pop.
Good one, thanks for sharing
This is a great video. You took something powerful creative and useful and made it simple so a hack like me can use and understand it.
I'm not joking this is really good stuff!
If I was a bass teacher This is the sort of thing (Gold) I would like to pass on.
Basic trick: the ear will hear a series consecutive half steps as "right" even if one of them would be wrong played on its own. Simply because the brain interprets it as a logical progression. Which means that you can always use a series of halfsteps to go from one note to another (up or down), as long as you play them as a progression, and it will sound good... Which is of course very handy if you are looking for a bassline and at the moment have no inspiration or you are not sure which the chords are, etc.
Great video!
Endorsed. This is a total motown move and you should steal it.
This was invented by Wayne King "The Waltz King" from his saxophone hit called The Waltz You Saved For Me.
Interesting. This is the kind of playing I've done all along, but never knew it was a "rule" or some sort of secret tip. I just feel it this way.
Looks like I've got a new exercise for my left hand. (I love the "practical" B-roll.)
Thanks so much @CMS_Piano! Glad your left hand has a new exercise and thanks for noticing the B-roll style I tried out!
The bass line for Deep Purple's Smoke on the Water uses the same principle in the iconic intro of the song. It's in G and the approach notes are E F F#
Classic use of the 3-fret rule @Boonoodoo - so many people _just_ think of the guitar when they think of that song, but Roger Glover brings SO much to that track.
Many blues tunes use this. One example is Grand Funk's version of "Some Kind of Wonderful"