Why are the Basslines so simple but so hard to make

ketamine · Post by **ketamine** » Fri Jul 10, 2009 8:39 pm

Coming into this I thought the hardest thing would be to make it grizzly or wobble, but its not. A year later the hard part is the melody.

They sound so simple but I can't for the life of me come up with one that progresses / feels right. And I'm not talking Rusko Rastafari bass guitar melodies here, I mean REAL simple ones like Coki - Spongebob, Joker - Digidesign. Desperately need tips.

Side question: How do I make the Notes slide in pitch instead of jump from one to the other in Logic / Massive?

Cheers

jolly wailer · Post by **jolly wailer** » Fri Jul 10, 2009 8:44 pm

portamento?

ketamine · Post by **ketamine** » Fri Jul 10, 2009 8:52 pm

Jolly Wailer wrote:portamento?

cheers. didn't even know what it was called. will try it tonight...

FSTZ1 · Post by **FSTZ1** » Fri Jul 10, 2009 8:56 pm

also referred to as "Glide" on some synths

jolly wailer · Post by **jolly wailer** » Fri Jul 10, 2009 9:01 pm

yes yes. that actually might be more helpful.

sifres · Post by **sifres** » Fri Jul 10, 2009 9:04 pm

Isn't this also called legato?

FSTZ1 · Post by **FSTZ1** » Fri Jul 10, 2009 9:15 pm

very similar yes

legato can be a sluring of 2 notes played together

like sluring 2 b#'s together

portamento is the same thing but with 2 different notes

from wiki:

In synthesizers legato is a variation of monophonic operation. In contrast to monophonic mode where every new note restarts the ADSR envelopes, in legato mode they are not if the previous note remains depressed when the new note is played. This causes the initial transient from the attack and decay phases to sound only once and the ADSR's to remain at sustain stage for the whole sequence of notes until the final note is released.

tripwire22 · Post by **tripwire22** » Fri Jul 10, 2009 10:13 pm

i kno how u feel i can never seem to make a bangin bass line even a bangin simple one doesnt come to mind easy for me

wheez-ie · Post by **wheez-ie** » Fri Jul 10, 2009 11:11 pm

playing bass certainly helps with making basslines...

deadly_habit · Post by **deadly_habit** » Fri Jul 10, 2009 11:41 pm

most of mine come from writing for the drums or writing drums for a bassline
matter of what freqs and notes aren't being filled
that and messing around on your keyboard
but yea i agree making bass patches is easy it's making them work that's the real meat and potatoes

ketamine · Post by **ketamine** » Sat Jul 11, 2009 7:00 pm

FSTZ wrote:also referred to as "Glide" on some synths

It worked. Instant Brrrap

POND LIFE · Post by **POND LIFE** » Sat Jul 11, 2009 8:36 pm

man, you never knew about that function til just now? have fun padawan!

yamaz · Post by **yamaz** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 6:58 am

Same here, I get hung up on when to make the bass line, sometimes I make it first, or often right after a lil drumz or even at the very end.

When do you guys prefer to create your ~Bassyness~!?

cheaper · Post by **cheaper** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 8:06 am

How do I make the Notes slide in pitch instead of jump from one to the other

you can also assign a modulation envelope or lfo on the main pitch

86. · Post by **86.** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 3:25 pm

Yamaz wrote:Same here, I get hung up on when to make the bass line, sometimes I make it first, or often right after a lil drumz or even at the very end.

When do you guys prefer to create your ~Bassyness~!?

I've been going back and forth with this one. I used to them at the end....but I find it's harder for me to make it fit into the mix. I do them first now, and I find it better to make the rest of the track fit with the bass and drums.

ketamine · Post by **ketamine** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 8:12 pm

nowaysj wrote:I do them whenevers depending on how the song is developing.

One thing that helps is treat the bass line like a beat. If you've got drums going, record the bass line off of your midi board, but just with one note, cycle that a few times to get a good take. You'll get just a beat of bass notes. Then you can go in and push some notes up and others down to introduce the melodic movement of the bline.

Good idea! This is a breakthrough moment.

deadpostcard · Post by **deadpostcard** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 11:10 pm

ain't that the fuckin' truth...

i think we tend to over think shit because we're tryin' to 1up other artist maybe... i dunno, delusions of grander.

what i hate even more, is when you have an idea, and you think it's either cheezy or too simple, and then somebody else has a similar idea and it sounds phenomenal.

Why are the Basslines so simple but so hard to make

Why are the Basslines so simple but so hard to make

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