Working out iconic bass riffs
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Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can recreate iconic bass riffs by ear.
Key learning points
- Bass guitarists in pop and rock styles often work out iconic bass riffs to help develop their skills.
- The bass riff in Under Pressure is very famous and creates a pedal by repeating the same pitches as the chords change.
- The bass riff in Feel Good Inc. is more complex as it is syncopated and has more varied pitches.
- To work out a bass riff, the key is to hear it on its own, break it into small chunks and work out notes one-by-one.
Keywords
Riff - a short, repeated musical idea that forms the basis of a pop song; it is often in an accompanying part
Pedal - a continuous (usually bass) note which stays the same whilst the chords change
Interval - the distance in pitch between two notes (e.g. a 3rd)
Common misconception
Bass parts are normally simple and just play the lowest notes from the chords.
In some cases this is true, but in many cases bass lines are interesting patterns and can often be defining features of songs. This is true for both Under Pressure and Feel Good Inc.
Teacher tip
Encourage pupils to vocalise pitches, tapping the rhythms to themselves and singing the pitches to help them internalise the riffs. You could extend learning by challenging pupils to research other iconic bass riffs and to work them out using the same techniques.
Equipment
DAW, MIDI keyboards
Licence
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