| Beginning Bass 6: The Foot-tap system and 8th note rhythms By Roy Vogt Bass Instructor, Belmont University |
Print This Lesson |
Before we continue our studies of bass lines and patterns, we need to get comfortable with the various syncopated rhythms that bassists encounter in Jazz, Rock, Funk and other music styles. My experience is that most bass students are intimidated by rhythms when they stray from the steady 8th notes that we've been using in our last few columns.
I use a system that I learned from my bass teacher and mentor Carol Kaye. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Carol, she recorded the lion's share of recording sessions and movie work coming out of the LA music scene in the 60s and early 70s, including Phil Spector's Wall of Sound, the Beach Boys, Sonny and Cher and scores of movies. She also enjoys a reputation of being able to read virtually anything.
Carol's system uses foot taps instead of 1-and-2-and. It's a simple system to use. Tap your foot in steady quarter notes. By the way, at this point, you may wish to buy that metronome you've been putting off purchasing.
Notice that your foot tap has two components - a down beat and an up beat. Any and all 8th note rhythms can be counted by this system. I've also noticed that 2 beat groupings have only 3 component quarter and 8th rhythms and only two dotted quarter eighth combinations. If you memorize these, they become rhythm "cells" that you see over and over again in Pop Music of all sorts. You can even use memory devices for them.
Quarter note + two eighths sounds like a gallop (think "Iron Maiden" here, or The Bonanza theme)
Two eighths + quarter sounds like "Jingle Bells"
One eighth + quarter + one eighth sounds like "My Girl" (the bass line-not the guitar riff)
I've written out these "cells" as well as a bass line that uses them. Practice these until they're second nature to you, and you can recognize and play them without the foot taps.
Rhythm 1 (MP3, 600K)
Next lesson we'll take these techniques and use them on 16th notes.
Peace and Low Notes,
Roy C. Vogt
Nashville Bassist
Bass Instructor, Belmont University, Nashville, TN
Print This Lesson | Return to Lesson Index
Roy's Bio | An Interview with Roy | Visit Belmont U. | Visit Roy's Website