by There are a million different ways to write your own bass lines. Every bass player does it slightly differently, but what if I told you that the overwhelming majority of bass lines could fit into 4 broad categories?
Just 4!
And each of the 4 categories does something slightly different to the music.
Do you want your song to feel big and powerful? There’s a bass line ‘Type’ for that.
Want to hypnotize your audience with your bass line? There’s a ‘Type’ for that too!
Feel like just locking it down and making the music feel as good as possible? There’s another ‘Type’ for that as well.
What about injecting your own personality into the music you’re playing? Of course there’s a ‘Type’ for that!
You’ll learn all about the 4 Types in this lesson, as well as how and when to use each type. They each do specific things for the music, so check out the video here:
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FREE - Download The Tabs For All The Songs In This Lesson
Download the tabs and notation to all of the songs from this lesson and start playing them today!
You’ll notice there is a bit of crossover between all the categories. Very few bass lines are exclusively one type. They do exist, but most are a combination of 2 or more types.
Approaching writing your own bass lines in this way is great because you simply ask what the music wants, pick the corresponding type and go from there.
Be sure to download the tabs for all the bass lines that we go through in the lesson. The types will make a lot more sense if you play with them for yourself.
I’ve included links to all the recordings as well so you can see how the bass lines fit in with everything else in the songs.
Good luck with the lesson, and happy bass line writing!
Cheers,
Luke
I thought it made sense when you put it all together. Thanks.
That’s great to hear Butch. Thanks for watching.
Hi Luke.
I’m 60 and just started bass. I’ve always loved the deep chords of funk music and jazz funk .Marcus Miller is one my inspirations .I liked the tab you did with Herbie Hancock ‘chameleon ‘but cant find it on your lessons. I love your enthusiasm for bass ,I wished I had started years ago. Watching you professionals, the way your left hand and fingers glide up and down the feet board effortlessly, I wonder if I will ever get there .keep up the good work .I’ve learned a lot from you already .cheers.
Hi Paul, funny! I just started playing bass at the age of 60, too. That was last year. I am taking teacher lessons but I like to watch Luke´s videos a lot as they give me inspiration. We need to practice. It´s important to have fun.
Thank you. This is helpful
Yes I have subscribed to your utube channel
Awesome Alaric – thanks so much!
Thanks
You’re welcome Karl. Hope it helps!
I like these ideas a lot- Thank you. Writing your own bass lines will certainly produce something that is unique and just could be better than the original! In fact I believe this is how Donald ‘Duck’ Dunn started.
Glad you like the ideas John! Thanks so much.
Thank you. Just purchased a 4 string bass two weeks ago.
You’re welcome Caroley – and welcome to the bass world!
Luke!
I too just purchased a bass guitar! A lovely Taylor MiniE acoustic. (It’s my first non-Martin ever!)
I am having a blast and learning a lot, thanks to your instruction.
I am a little confused about getting pdfs, e. g. , bass chords and their inversions.
Thanks for everything,
Stewart
I love your simple approach & your teaching style…Thanks for all you do for us. & a big thanks for the gift lessons!!!
No worries Timothy. Glad you’re liking the bonus lessons too. They’re always fun to make!
Rekindled my interest.
Cheers Will.
That’s great to hear Will! Hopefully it stays rekindled for you!
Thank you a ton. The way you present makes this easy to absorb. I’ve been trying to figure out what make each bass different and this cleared it up quickly.
You’re welcome Wendell! Happy to hear it cleared things up for you.
That’s a great way of looking at differentiating between different bass lines Luke. Makes a lot of sense. Good stuff, thanks mate.
Great lesson, video, and PDF Luke! Extremely well done, very valuable, and helpful! I like the way you’ve broken these down and explained them.
Great work Luke cheers
Thank u so much…………:-)
Great stuff Luke, clear and to the point-many thanks.
Thanks for the great lesson Luke, Im sure this is going to be a great help to me in my music journey.
No worries Bob. I’m glad you found it helpful!
Hello.. Great lesson Luke…. Makes me understand more about the bass.. greetings from Indonesia
Great lesson Luke, the easier the better, thanks.
Thank you! I have seen the video and I have found it pleasant and useful! So now I am waiting for the tabs to reach my e-mail address 😉 Thank you a lot and have a nice day!
Great to hear Hermes. If you’re still waiting on the confirmation email, just check your ‘Spam’ or ‘Junk’ folders. Sometimes it gets routed there even though you specifically asked for it. If you have any troubles, just let me know!
Thank you, Luke. Your video and instruction help me understand the variety of ways that I can approach a song.
Thank you for clarifying the 4 ways to play bass in songs. I sometimes wonder if I’m functioning as I should, so this helps tremendously.
I thought of other iconic, unforgettable melodic bass lines: “Good Times” [“Rapper’s Delight”] or “Another One Bites the Dust.”
Your lessons are super helpful. Thank you for sharing them for free! I am learning a lot from your videos.
Also, I think your instructional strategies work well. As a teacher, you understand the importance of prior knowledge, providing visuals and handouts, modeling and practicing new skills, and reviewing lessons.
Bass makes so much more sense now. Excellent lesson!
Thank a lot Luke, your instruction , video and pdf chart help me to improve my bass skill..
Hi Luke,
I recently discovered your site and it’s fantastic!
The lessons are packed with great tips and I’m really enjoying getting stuck in.
Hi Luke, your on line lessons are really great; I started to play bass at 45 and your lessons really have an impact on me and contribute to make me a better bass player.
Thanks a lot,
Didier
Thank you so much for these tips and quick lessons. very helpful. great to be back with you, as always great info,tips and lessons.
Thanks for ol you great work