Digital Music Production
Part Three: Bass
Establish the foundation of your original piece of music with a bassline that connects with the drums and sets up the harmonic space for your new tracks.
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Your First Assignment
- After watching the video, reflect on the idea of bass within the digital music production process.
- How is the bassline the anchor of the music?
- How do the bass and drums interact?
- What are the qualities of a strong bassline?
- What are some of the different bass instruments from which you could choose when you add a bassline to your original piece?
- Review this list of key music production terminology that Charles introduced in the video.
- frequency: the number of occurrences of a repeating event per unit of time; in music, each pitch has a specific frequency (higher sounding notes have larger frequencies and lower sounding notes have smaller frequencies)
- hertz: a measurement of frequency equal to one occurrence of a repeating event per second
- oscillator: a device for generating electronic currents and sounds at a certain frequency
- kick drum: another name for a bass drum that is played with a pedal
Your Second Assignment
- Login to SoundTrap and open up one of your drum loops from the previous lesson.
- Add an original bassline to that loop. Experiment with different scales and instruments to get the sound you want. Remember to keep in mind the “dance” between the bass and the drums.
- If you feel inspired, you can try adding basslines to all three loops—but start simple and focus on making a good bassline using the tips outlined in the video.
Explore Other Parts of Digital Music Production
Digital Music Production | Part One: Loops
Explore the origins of modern digital music production and learn how to create loops that will form the basis of your original music.
Digital Music Production | Part Two: Drums
Groove along with Charles as he breaks down the parts of the drum set and uses a digital sequencer to create new drumbeats.
Digital Music Production | Part Four: Melody and Harmony
Find the perfect hook as you try out different approaches to creating melodies for your new song.
Digital Music Production| Part Five: Arrangement
Put all of your new digital loops together into a structure that tells a compelling story and provides surprises for your listeners.