Smart bassist app?

Sabicas

I'm a multi-instrumentalist and own a bass, but am not a bassist. I'd like an app that analyzes my track and creates a bass line that I can then learn from. In the end, I want to actually record my own bass lines, but want to learn how those lines are typically created.

Is there an app that does the above and, as a bonus, displays the notes it's playing to save me the step of transcribing?

MobileMusic

GarageBand or Music Memos (free)

Wrlds2ndBstGeoshredr

If you want to learn how to construct bass lines, learning the bass parts from songs you like by ear will get you there the fastest. Learning by ear is what supercharges your development.

PhilW

You might have a look at iBassist which contains loads of patterns that could learn from, learning from favourite songs by ear is great training, and I’m sure there must be loads of resources on YouTube too.

Fingolfinzz

A good place to start with bass is following the chords of a song with the root note and playing along like that. Start working in some scales with it and walk the line to the next chord root using the passing tones and eventually you’ll hear how a lot of bass lines are constructed. Playing octaves is good too especially for some funky stuff

ChancedMusic

Bass basics: Root notes of the melody and the rhythm of the percussion

Kranick

1. GarageBand
2. iBassist
3. iRealPro

RajahP

It’s time for it to go Auv3..

Sabicas

@Fingolfinzz said:
A good place to start with bass is following the chords of a song with the root note and playing along like that. Start working in some scales with it and walk the line to the next chord root using the passing tones and eventually you’ll hear how a lot of bass lines are constructed. Playing octaves is good too especially for some funky stuff

What you describe is pretty much where I'm at. My music theory is solid and I know the fretboard well (being a guitarist who memorized the fretboard 20 years ago). I hear a lot of walking between the root and the 5th but have become bored with it and started using passing tones to get to the next chord. When I try to get really creative it starts to be too much so it seems to be an exercise in restraint.

Frankly, it just feels too easy and I know there's a lot of skill in playing bass so I feel like I'm missing something.

MobileMusic

Hack music theory -

https://www.youtube.com/c/RevolutionHarmony/search?query=bass

espiegel123

@Sabicas said:

@Fingolfinzz said:
A good place to start with bass is following the chords of a song with the root note and playing along like that. Start working in some scales with it and walk the line to the next chord root using the passing tones and eventually you’ll hear how a lot of bass lines are constructed. Playing octaves is good too especially for some funky stuff

What you describe is pretty much where I'm at. My music theory is solid and I know the fretboard well (being a guitarist who memorized the fretboard 20 years ago). I hear a lot of walking between the root and the 5th but have become bored with it and started using passing tones to get to the next chord. When I try to get really creative it starts to be too much so it seems to be an exercise in restraint.

Frankly, it just feels too easy and I know there's a lot of skill in playing bass so I feel like I'm missing something.

Nothing beats spending some time learning the bass lines of bass players you like. As with drums, restraint and feel together are a HUGE part of what makes a good bass player or bass line. What the other players are doing makes a difference. A super simple bassline with good feel will win over a busier bassline without great feel every time. Some virtuosic bass players will play just roots with a very occasional walk or arpeggio as their default.

Wrlds2ndBstGeoshredr

@Sabicas said:

>

Frankly, it just feels too easy and I know there's a lot of skill in playing bass so I feel like I'm missing something.

It’s not complex. The artistry comes in staying in the pocket with perfect intonation on every note and never screwing up.