Bass Lines by Jaime Vazquez: Locked With The Drums-Part I

Hello Bass Players! Welcome to the new series of BASS LINES-Locked With The Drums! When we’re talking about the rhythm section, the bass and the drums are the main characters. Why? Because they are the unification of the whole band and the core of the rhythm section. Throughout this series of articles, I’m going to share with you some ideas and options for to play, interact and to get locked with the drums. Below, I have some examples of how to play with different approaches for to establish a groove.Fig.1a – The famous feel of pumping the eights. This is a bass pattern that is very used for pop and rock music for years. The kick drum is punching almost every eight note and giving more power to the groove for a punchy and tight sound.

Fig.1b – The same bass pattern but with a staccato feel. This technique gives you a more mechanical sound, is like cutting the sound of each note. Notice that the bass is matching with the hi-hat pattern.

Fig.1 – Drums

Fig.2a – An example of a 12/8 feel. The bass drum and the snare are played in the downbeat of the triplets, while the bass is punching the downbeats with dotted quarter notes.

Fig.2b – The same progression but playing the root on every triplet. This will give you a more driving  feel to the groove. Don’t forget the accented notes in every downbeat.

Fig.2 – Drums

Fig.3a – Here’s a very simple groove where the bass is punching the kick drum on beats 1 & 3. Note that beats 2 and 4 are in silent and giving a sense of space to the groove.

Fig.3b – The same rhythmic idea but using a half note on the first beat and a tied note to the second eight note of the 3rd beat to create a sustain and full sound to the groove.