Bassline writing?

[monkfish]

Are the majority of dubstep basslines just scale progression? Or is there a lot of chord and interval work. From what I hear in the tracks, I don't hear a lot of chords, so are they just single notes played melodically?

Can someone tell me how they write their basslines, or what the majority is like.

[Moody Strings]

You need both melodies and harmonies in a piece of music for variety. I'd generally make my synths, leads and pads as a chord progressions. Bassline is always in tune of the main synth, meaning it will have the same root note, might be chords or single melody progression. Just depends.

[Basic A]

all depends on the song is basically what guy above said, and its totally true.

Most dubstep basslines though, are really simple stuff with the focus more on how you modulate it... Like, try playing 3 instances of your root note, then the fourth instance, play the seventh of it... Repeat that for 4 bars, then transpose the whole thing up or down an octave...

Go to your synth, modulate everytihng in sight.

single note basslines are actually pretty effective in EDM too, they get downplayed but if you have 3 different synth patches dancing around each other all playing the same note and doing the occasional octave jump, it can be incredibly effective as well... Look at ruffage... Thats just a note w/ very clever textures and delay action...

Try arping through a chord across a bar...

Keep it simple though, complex shit loses the groove if you dont know what your doing... Dont try to chord subs, itll sound like shit, only play chords on upper-midrange sounds... Dont forget to automate everything you can... Dont lose track of the rhythm...

[monkfish]

all depends on the song is basically what guy above said, and its totally true.

Most dubstep basslines though, are really simple stuff with the focus more on how you modulate it... Like, try playing 3 instances of your root note, then the fourth instance, play the seventh of it... Repeat that for 4 bars, then transpose the whole thing up or down an octave...

So they're intervals most of the time? I'm still confused to how some of these sounds are achieved.

00:58
How do you think those were made? They sound like single notes, just progressing.

I'm pretty sure these are chords.
And while I'm on the topic

Any idea if the bassline is chord progression?

[Moody Strings]

Uh, it depends on your synth sound. If it's in short bursts, then short single melodies would create a progression. If it's long and modulated, like Basic A mentioned, then it can still be done as melodies.

I wouldn't use chords for your bassline though anyway. I can play all of those tracks using single notes rising, but at the same time, I can play Got 2 Know using chord progression; so, it depends on your synth. Do what fits best and sounds better. Don't overdo it with octave doubling and such.

[bassinine]

tip: intervals always sound the same. learn them and you don't need to know music theory.