Boring myself with my own bassline

Technique
1

I recently got through the B2B course, so maybe I’m a certified noob now? For fun I am playing along to CCR - Feelin’ Blue as a blues backing track. I am playing around with what I think is a walking style bassline and I have fun with it, but end up boring myself and running out of things to do creatively. I’ll end up with a terrible ear worm of the bassline (MY bassline) that I don’t even like! So I don’t really know what I’m asking, I’ve messed around with a:
C slide to D, then go back and forth with F
D-A-G-F-D-F-G-A-D-A-G-F-D
or similar pattern
D-D2-C-A-G-A-C-D2-G-A-C-D2-D
or
D-D G-Ab-A D-D-D G A
or
D A-Ab-G, D A-Ab-G, D A-Ab-G, A D

The practice feels good, like I’m starting to anticipate the note I want to hear and play it as if I’m thinking of a word and saying it. I’m learning I don’t like leaving the end of a bar on the 5th (for some reason), and to force my way back to D on the one if it’s been a while, almost like I’m scrambling to freestyle a rhyme.

And all this is fun… and I guess it’s just a creative block. I feel like I’m very simply following the drums and I can’t seem to break away from them, if that makes any sense. Or when Fogarty starts singing "feelin’ blue blue blue blue… " I instinctively get stuck on the beat of the words, start coming down the scale and then either run out of notes or get too low.

Any hints for different things to try?

2 Likes
2

Ok, I’ll reply to my own thread because this is too funny. I was bored of playing (see above), so I sat down to watch Bassbuzz on YouTube and found the 7 Easy Blues Bass Line Formulas video and the first example bass line starts on D. I’m staring at the same notes I’ve been stuck on… and now I humbly have a bunch more ideas.

I also think I was trying to fill a full song with creative ideas when really I should be searching for one that sounds good and then repeating it.

6 Likes
3

The basslines shouldn’t be flash and doesn’t need to have to contain lots of notes, and is best to be kept simple so that it supports the music. This is top priority - remember that as a bassist you need to be making the music sound good, not you. Just listen to songs such as Dreams by Fleetwood Mac where the bassline is more or less 2 notes, but it works well because it serves the music.

If you think it sounds boring, try adding an occasional fill(like a brief detour. But always make sure at the end of that bar that you’re back with playing the bassline on the first beat of the following bar) occasionally at the end of a bar or add an embellishments such as ghost note or pull off. Use sparingly.

4 Likes