Bass Guitar Lessons Online

Groove Creation

 

Often bass players are required to come up with a groove - instantaneously, now!

 

Inexperienced players often have no idea where to begin and therefore stumble or freeze.

 

Here are some tips to guide you beyond that first moment of panic. The following steps will initially develop slowly. However, with practise and increased awareness of the elements, grooves will start to come quickly and intuitively. (Intuition can be defined as a quick sub-conscious decision-making process based on our relevant prior experiences and current observations.)

 

• Sing or hum a phrase of a tune or bass line you know very well - IMITATION.
• Hum only the rhythm of that phrase or line on one pitch/note - SIMPLIFICATION.
• Choose a different group of notes (try using only a few notes) and put them in some kind of order - ALTERATION.
• Play those notes in the chosen order using the rhythm of the reference phrase/line - APPLICATION.
• If this does not sound satisfactory, change a note and/or rhythm until it works - MUTATION.
• You should still be able to relate to the reference phrase/line - ASSOCIATION.
• Now play the new phrase until it grooves, i.e. has consistency - GROOVE CREATION.