The Only 4 TYPES Of Bass Lines You'll Ever Need To Create

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There are a million different ways to write your own bass lines. Every bass player does it slightly differently, but what if I told you that the overwhelming majority of bass lines could fit into 4 broad categories?

Just 4!

And each of the 4 categories does something slightly different to the music.

Do you want your song to feel big and powerful? There's a 'Type' for that.

Want to hypnotize your audience with your bass line? There's a 'Type' for that too!

Feel like just locking it down and making the music feel as good as possible? There's another 'Type' for that as well.

What about injecting your own personality into the music you're playing? Of course there's a 'Type' for that!

Now there is a bit of crossover between all the types. Very few bass lines are exclusively one type. They do exist, but most are a combination of 2 or more types.

Approaching writing your own bass lines in this way is great because you simply ask what the music wants, pick the corresponding type and go from there.

Now you have a framework - a structure - that you KNOW is going to work.

If you want all the tabs and notation for all the songs we went through in this lesson, you can get them for free here:

Just sign up underneath that page and I'll send you a PDF with all the bass lines, links to the actual recordings, plus my analysis of the bass lines and why they work so well.

Good luck with the lesson, and happy bass line writing!

Cheers,

Luke

[hyperzucar]

Hey Luke. I have just discovered your channel and I wanted to say that your work is amazing and has been like that for the past 3 years. Always going straight to the point, but taking the time to explain things that are not that obvious to everybody. Your videos tend to be long, yet they are not "stretched" like some other YouTube channels do.

Thank you for this amazing content. You deserve more people to know you than the ones that do now.

[johnmoses]

As a life long bass player you reminded me how important it is to keep it simple. We need to remember the bass and drums are the engine that keeps the song moving forward. Many thanks from Tucson!!

[Swukelz]

Stage 1: the bassist is friends with the rhythm guitarist

Stage 2: the bassist is friends with the drummer

Stage 3: the bassist is friends with the lead guitarist or the keyboardist

Stage 4: the bassist has no friends

[douglasnewman]

Just starting out playing bass at almost 75 years old. This video is super helpful for me. Thanks so much for this *great* video, Luke! Subscribed!

[hankunck]

I happened to come across this video unintentionally, today, and what a refreshing one it is. As a bass and guitar player for several decades, this isn’t new to me and, for that reason, I usually don’t watch more than a minute or so of these “basic techniques and knowledge” videos, because they usually present something with which I’m already very familiar. However, this one is so well presented that I had to watch it to the end, even though what was presented is not new to me. The thing that impressesed me most is that you keep stating the words “it serves the song well.” That is the #1 purpose of a bass, and all instruments - everything is in support of the vocal, or lead instrument in the case of an instrumental. In the case of the bass, it is to create foundation, reinforcement, and forward movement through dynamics - intensity and space. I see and hear way too many amateur bassists trying to fill all available spaces, and while many of them do have amazing facility on the instrument, which is commendable, they have no sense of space, which is not commendable, because it makes an otherwise great song less so, and doesn’t lift a mediocre song onto a higher plane. You mentioned James Jamerson; he is a wonderful example of knowing how to use space - he rarely used a flurry of notes on recordings, although he was more than capable of it. Just as with graphic arts, where negative (empty) visual space makes the piece more effective, and more pleasing to peoples’ eyes, so it is with the bass to listeners’ ears. A measured amount goes a long ways. When I learn or create a baseline to a new song, I have a tendency to overplay. Thus, I record it along with the song, then listen back to it critically. During playback I hear where the song needs more breathing room, and I simplify my bass line to accommodate that. Sometimes one sustaining note, instead of the three I used originally, creates a more effective and dynamic aural experience. Like life itself, keep a song breathing instead of choking the life out of it with overplaying the bass. The bass is there to enhance a song, not dominate it, unless it was specifically written for that purpose, such as being the lead instrument and, of course, during bass solos, but even with solos, pacing and “empty space” help to create an exciting listening experience by injection unexpected surprises to the listener, rather than just a flurry of notes for several minutes, which gets boring the longer it goes on.

[MilesTippett]

I would break it down differently.... I would combine your Types 1 and 2

Type 1 - Root Notes (Nirvana, ACDC, Smashing Pumpkins)
Type 2 - I-V-I-V (country bass)
Type 3 - Riffs (TOOL, Rage Against the Machine, Metallica)
Type 4 - Walking/Melodic lines (Paul McCartney, Motown)

[aarondavis]

I've been a bass player for 20 years, I still learn something new every time I watch this channel, I've actually learned more on this channel than I have PAYING for Fender Play, keep it up Luke!

[lutarius_official]

It is plain to see that you know your shit, my dude. You dissected the key points and presented them perfectly. It was enlightening to hear your thoughts along with the demonstrations!! THIS VID HELPED SO MUCH! Great teaching! Cheers

[brynyowannatkinson]

One word...awesome.
A lot of beginning bassist out there will benefit enormously from your lessons. Even grizzled old bass players like myself can benefit.
Keep Groovin’

[RyanWright]

monorythmic root note bass lines are the bread and butter... You can honestly throw that type of bassline on pretty much ANY song and it will work. Its not gonna grab anybody's attention, it's not gonna stand out from the crowd, but it will work with pretty much anything.

[berniarmstrong]

This was brilliant. As someone picking the bass up in my retirement, I needed someone to come along and teach me these fundamentals.

[theranova]

Great rubric! I can always remember these 4 types: mono, drum lock, doubling, independent.

[JazzyJonas]

I'm a drummer, but this is fascinating. I sent this video to my bassist and he loved it. It also gave me some insight into my own playing.

[rihariteare]

The man! I'm just getting back into my music and was wondering why everything was sounding complicated and hard to listen to. Gotta keep it simple but effective. Thanks for the tips man. Love from New Zealand.

[HCkev]

Running with the devil by Van Halen is probably a great example of the 1st type. So simple, but gives the song so much power.

[theholographicempire]

Type 5: Whatever the hell Les Claypool is doing

[purpleeyeseverywhere]

i literally knew all of this but hearing you put them in to types was somehow satisfying to the ears

[donaldmack]

That “Give it away” lick seems inspired by the Beatles “Come together”... Imo. No idea if it actually was but it just seems like maybe it was?

Awesome lesson. My uncle just got a bass a week ago. He is 59 years old and wants to play with me and has never played an instrument. Im gonna send him this vid. Cheers!

[murielpalmer-rhea]

As a songwriter wanting to lay down a rhythm track on my TASCAM 12, this session with you couldn’t happen at a better time! Thanks Luke🎸👍

[craigbirchfield]

Very nice video. I have been playing bass and composing most of my life but you really nailed down a coherent explanation and formula of what most good bass players do intuitively. Kudos. Also, thanks for so many examples that older players can relate to.