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Bass Lines: The Phrygian Mode Application

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Jaime David Vazquez

Bass Lines With Jaime Vazquez: Bass Lines – The Phrygian Mode Application

I’m celebrating this year, especially this month, because it’s been ten years as a contributor to the Bass Musician Magazine.

I want to thank Raul Amador, Valery Amador and all the BMM staff for all your help and support during all the years. It has been a real pleasure and a great honor for me to be able to share knowledge with the whole world and I will continue with this mission. Keep Grooving!” – Jaime David Vazquez(JDV)

Hope you enjoy and learn a lot about bass playing!

This time we’ll work on bass lines using one of my favorite modes the Phrygian mode.

This one is the third mode of the major scale. Like the Dorian and the Aeolian mode, the Phrygian mode is minor. Also is the second minor scale created from the major scale. This mode is characteristic for his Spanish flamenco sound and very popular in metal music for his dark and exotic sound.

For this lesson, all the examples are based in A Phrygian mode (A-Bb-C-D-E-F-G-A) so it will be easier to compare and understand the concept. In FIGURE 1, compare the difference between the Phrygian mode and the Natural minor scale. If you see, the Phrygian mode is like the Natural minor scale, but with a minor 2nd (Bb) instead a major 2nd (B).

FIGURE 1 – The A Phrygian Mode The A Natural Minor Scale

A-Bb-C-D-E-F-G-A A-B-C-D-E-F-G-A

While in FIGURE 2, the difference between the Phrygian and the Dorian mode is a minor 2nd (Bb) and a minor 6th (F).

FIGURE 2 – The A Phrygian Mode The A Dorian Mode

A-Bb-C-D-E-F-G-A A-B-C-D-E-F#-G-A

FIGURE 3 – Is a flamenco bass line. Hey! Here you can hear the Spanish sound in all his magnitude.

FIGURE 4 – Is a Latin bass tumbao. As you can see, it can be played in 2:3 or 3:2 son or rumba clave. A lot of the Caribbean music is based in Phrygian mode.

FIGURE 5 is a metal riff for the metal heads. Listen to metal music and you will hear how much the metal players used the Phrygian mode. They like to create an evil sound and this minor mode is their best choice.

As you can see, the minor 2nd (Bb) is the interval that creates the interesting Spanish sound. Now that we know the secret let’s work with it and create bass lines with the Phrygian mode. Remember to emphasize the minor 2nd to get that exotic sound. Don’t be scared to experiment with the Phrygian mode. Apply it to all styles and you will hear the difference. Any question or suggestions feel free to write me.

Stay tuned for more great stuff in the next issue and keep in touch with #bassmusicianmag, #basslines, #bmmbasslines, #groovewars, #fullbassattack, #jdv, #boricuabass, #groovingtheworld, #bassgrooves, and #groovemaniac.

Keep GROOVING!

Bass Edu

Premiere! Bass Playthrough With Foetal Juice’s Bassist Lewis Bridges – From the Album, Grotesque

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Premiere! Bass Playthrough With Foetal Juice's Bassist Lewis Bridges - From the Album, Grotesque

Premiere! Bass Playthrough With Foetal Juice’s Bassist Lewis Bridges – From the Album, Grotesque

Bassist Lewis Bridges Shares…

“Gruesome’s sparse intro marks a stark contrast from the intensity of the rest of the album.  The original intention was to keep the bass simple but colourful, however as I worked on it, the lines grew more expressive and the more striking flourishes began to emerge.  The intensity builds into a harmonic minor passage that takes us into the drop — a signature death grind cacophony.  This is where Foetal Juice thrives.  You’re getting a full-on right-hand barrage to in the face to take you into a groove-laden mulch-fest.

I owe my throbbing bass tone to the Darkglass Alpha Omega pedal borrowed from our sound engineer, Chris Fielding (ex-Conan), mixed with the clarity of the tried and true Ampeg SVT CL.

As mentioned earlier, colourful basslines are important, especially in a one-guitar band. Chucking some funny intervals and odd flourishes here and there brings life into the brutality. There’s no point sounding brutal if it’s not gonna be fucking evil too!

Recording this playthrough was hard work. This was not the fault of James Goodwin (Necronautical), who was kindly filming and is ace to work with, but because in true Foetal fashion, we had stinking hangovers — and that jam room was hot!”

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Bass Edu

Bass Lines: The Circle

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jaime Vazquez

Bass Lines: The Circle…

Hello bass players and fans of bass! This month we’re going to study “The Circle.”

The Circle of Fourths can also be called “The Circle of Fifths or just The Circle.

Practicing the scales, chords, and ideas in general via the circle has been a common practice routine for jazz musicians and highly recommended.

It is a disciplined way of working through all twelve keys.

Plus, many bass root movements to jazz and pop songs move through sections of the circle.

Fig. 1 – “The Circle”

See you next month for more full bass attack!

#bassmusicianmag, #basslines, #bmmbasslines, #groovemaniac, #thecircle, #thecircleoffourths, #thecircleoffifths,#scales & #chords.

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Bass Edu

Approach Notes – Part 5

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James Rosocha

Continuing our lesson of Approach Notes, Part 5…

In continuing with the concept of approach notes being applied to chord tones, this lesson approaches the root, third, fifth, and seventh degree of each arpeggio inversion by incorporating a double chromatic approach from above, and a single chromatic approach from below. 

The first examples approach the root of a G major 7th arpeggio as a double chromatic from above and a single chromatic approach from below -before continuing to the third, fifth, seventh, double chromatic from above/ single from below to the root, continue to the third, fifth, and come back down.

The next example approaches the first inversion of G major 7th arpeggio.

A double chromatic from above/ single from below approaches the third, continue to the fifth, seventh, root, double chromatic from above/ single below to the third, continue up to the fifth and seventh, and back down.

The third example approaches a second inversion of a G major arpeggio.

A double chromatic from above/ single from below approaches the fifth, continue to the 7th, root, 3rd, double chromatic from above/ single from below to the 5th, continue to the 7th, root, and back down. 

This final example approaches a third inversion of a G major 7th arpeggio.

A double chromatic from above and below approaches the 7th, continue to the root, 3rd, 5th, double chromatic from above and below to the 7th, continue to the root, 3rd, and back down.

Be sure to pace yourself with these lessons to avoid burning out.

Being overly ambitious with your practice schedule can lead to unrealistic expectations. Try learning one approach note concept and one chord type a week. Change your practice routine as necessary and tailor it to your needs as a musician. Good luck!

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Bass Edu

BASS LINES – The Blue Notes (Minor Blues Scale)

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jaime Vazquez

Hello bass players and bass fans! Happy New Year 2024!

In this issue, we are going to study the blue notes.

In blues, jazz, and rock, a blue note is a note that (for expressive purposes) is sung or played at a slightly different pitch from standard. Typically the alteration is between a quartertone and a semitone, but this varies depending on the musical context.

The blue notes are usually said to be the lowered third(b3), lowered fifth(b5) and lowered seventh(b7) scale degrees. The lowered fifth(b5) is also known as the raised fourth(#4). Though the blues scale has “an inherent minor tonality, it is commonly ‘forced’ over major-key chord changes, resulting in a distinctively dissonant conflict of tonalities”.

Blue notes are used in many blues songs, in jazz, rock and in conventional popular songs with a “blue” feeling.

Formula:

The A Minor Blues Scale

1 – b3 – 4 – (#4/b5) – 5 – b7

A – C – D – (D#/Eb) – E – Bb

The grades(blue notes):

b3, (#4/b5), b7

C, (D#/Eb), Bb

See you next month for more full bass attack!

#bassmusicianmag, #basslines, #bmmbasslines, #groovemaniac, #thebluenotes, #minorbluesscale & #bluesscale

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Bass Edu

BASS LINES: Staccato for Bass

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jaime David

Staccato for Bass…

Hello bass players and bass fans! In this issue, we are going to study the technique known as staccato.

When we talk about the staccato technique, we are referring to a form of musical articulation.

In modern notation, it signifies a note of shortened duration, separated from the note that may follow by silence.

* In 20th-century music, a dot placed above or below a note indicates that it should be played staccato.

* The opposite musical articulation of staccato is legato, signifying long and continuous notes.

Fig. 1 – An example of a normal notation.

Fig. 2 – Is the same example but now with the staccato articulation

Fig. 3 – A basic groove played and written in a normal notation.

Fig. 4 – The same basic groove using the staccato technique.

So, at the end of the day, you as a bassist will decide what type of technique you will use depending on the effect you want in your performance.

See you next year for more full bass attack!!! Happy Holidays & New Year 2024!!! Groove On!!!

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