03_Understanding Chord Tones and Non-Chord Tones
Added 2024-06-26 14:00:11 +0000 UTCThere's 2 types of notes you can fit into your bass lines
Chord tones and non-chord tones
Root notes, octaves of those root notes, 3rds and 5ths are all chord tones
They're like the basic building blocks of what your bass lines can safely do
Whenever you try to add "more notes" you just want your music to "make sense"
Chord tones are a simple way to ensure this
All the creativity and originality of music is how you can expand out of these safe barriers
Non-chord tones are also a simple concept - and a great way to get a little more creative with bass lines
[Here's a Quick Secret: Everything You're Learning Right Now Applies to Great Melodies Too!]
Think of non-chord tones as the 2nd, 4th, 6th and 7th note
These are "extensions" - they extend our possibilities
I try to keep things simple
Since these MIDI variations use lofi hip hop and jazz-style chords - the 7th is a great starting point
But the 2nd, 4th and 6th are all really cool as well
The point of all this is: We start from a simple spot and add in more complexity slowly
As you do this, you'll notice the notes won't be as random
If you ever feel like creating music is like stumbling around in the dark - You Need This Approach!
RESOURCES BELOW
We have several bass line MIDI clips, all from the video lesson above.
Use them as a guide, alter them and make your own from scratch.
You got this!
