So...what's the deal with BASS melodies? | Q+A

Answering your questions about bass and music theory, supported by my patrons!

Sungazer September tour w/ Ghost-Note!

(⌐■_■)

⦿ Adam Neely T-shirts! ⦿

⦿ SUPPORT ME ON PATREON ⦿

⦿ FOLLOW ME ON THE INTERNETS ⦿

⦿ Check out some of my music ⦿

Peace,
Adam

[marshallgrey]

People keep "asking" chords, and every time Adam just goes "nice".

[saoirsecameron]

As someone who plays Irish music, I’ve found that people who come to it with a “classical foundation” have a lot of unlearning to do.

[rhodridavies]

When you're a tuba player, you treasure the melodies/counter melodies we are given. My personal favourite is the beginning of the third movement of Mahler's First Symphony.

[richysgallery]

Ichika has an older album titled "He Never Fades" which is played entirely on bass afaik, and the melodies he's written for it are absolutely surreal

[PilgrimageYears]

Adam you keep me playing the bass (among other instruments) even though I miss my index and middle finger on my right hand. You're incredibly motivational with all the theory and knowledge you keep throwing at me.

[GarryNet]

"Good artist borrow, great artist steal but don't be a dick about it" - Adam Neely, 2021

[pedroscoponi]

honestly that lower register bass melody was nice too, the two just felt very _different_

[garyermann]

In high school, "Autumn Leaves" was the one song that we had our bass guitarist open with the melody in my jazz combo. Couldn't help but smile that you chose the same song to demonstrate a bass melody.

[metaljay]

I love how you totally make bass face, but when you played the higher melody in your bossa nova groove, you still made guitar face. Props.

[janemcelroy]

Am I the only one who thinks the "absurd" bass melody section at 3:04 actually sounds really cool?

[TheRealGuywithoutaMustache]

13:13 "A genius is a man, or a person, most like themself"

Wise words, Adam.

[motomike]

While playing musicals, I noticed an orchestration technique that I liked: doubling the melody in bass with a high register instrument, like glockenspiel. It fills in so many overtones that these two instruments alone can sound very rich and defined.

[dclarkmusic]

A Perfect Circle did an incredible minor key cover of Imagine. It’s sick as hell

[bbbrandon]

I liked the lower bass melody more than when it was higher. I personally, in music I enjoy and make, love to have a large amount of diversity or distance in the highs and lows. In orchestra music I love when the super lows and super highs play at the same time, it creates an amazing effect and sound.

[RocketshipmusicXX]

I find reggae bass lines to be quite melodic, while still holding down the low-end. Very hum-able!

[likesunshineafterrain]

You played the low bass melody beautifully, even with the sour face! What would a Bach fugue be without bass melody? What would "Roundabout" be without Chris Squire's melodic bass? What would "Flashlight" be without that Moog bass. Bass players should stand out, just like violists! I always listen to the bass first. To heck with Fourier transforms, full speed ahead.

[DarrenNoFun]

As a shit bassist, I was always like "Ah, when can i get my ripping bass soloi" when i was in my highschool rockband. I learned fast that it just doesn't work, we tried to do a cover of a song and the guitarist didnt know the solo, and I did, so i was like "I'll play it, " it didn't sound good. There's people that are like "Well Royal Blood and Death From Above do it!" but the secret is, they treat their bass like a guitar, they use distortions with a lot of higher frequencies, they pitch the bass up. It's something that was done out of necessity that became their sound. I learned a bunch of this when I wanted to start recording music, I like that octave effect and I love the bass, and it's just nothing but learning from mistakes

[federicoalvarez]

Being from the global south, the way you highlight the political aspects of music education really helps me conceptualize the gap between mainstream music discourse and my own musical experience, and I couldn't be more grateful for that. You're an inspiration Adam. Thank you.

[PandoraJane]

gonna play a little bit of devil's advocate here: I have the feeling that you didn't put the same amount of effort and "groove" when you played the more low bass melody, it felt just like lonely notes played by a bored musician, while on high bass melody you seemed to include a lot of dynamics, vibratos and such.

[wellurban]

I wonder whether one reason that melodies are rarely played in the bass register is that higher frequency melodies are free to linger on non-chord tones, where they can fit into the mix like chord extensions over the rest of the arrangement. Put those down an octave or two and there’s much more muddyness.