How To Play Bass

Learn songs not scales

  • Home
  • Books & Courses
    • 80-20 Bass – What Is 80-20 Bass?
    • WB101 – Why I Had To Learn To “Walk” On The Bass….
    • Cracking The Detroit Code – The 30 Day Challenge
    • HTPB50 – The Only 6 Things A Bass Beginners Should Practice
    • The Duck Dunn Challenge
    • Cracking The Rock Bass Code – 30 Day Challenge
    • Cracking The Blues Rock Code – 30 Day Challenge
    • Funk Soul Disco 30 Day Challenge
    • Walking Basslines 101 30 Day Challenge
  • Blog
  • Members Tutorials
    • Index Of Member Only Content
    • Vanishing Tutorial
    • Pre Training Day 1
    • Pre Training Day 2
    • Pre Training Day 3
    • Pre Training Day 4
    • Pre Training Day 5
    • Day 1 – Getting Started With Root Notes
    • Day 2 – Adding The 5th
    • Day 3 – The Major Triad
    • Day 4 – The Minor Triad
    • Day 5 – Connecting Devices
    • Day 6 – Deliberate Composition
    • Day 7 – Deliberate Composition 2
    • Day 8 – Deliberate Composition 3
    • Day 9 – Deliberate Composition 4
    • Day 10 – Connecting Chords With Approach Notes
    • Day 11 – Quarter Note to 8th Note
    • Day 12 – New Device/Modifying Device
    • Day 13 – New Device/2nd Modifying Device
    • Day 14 – The R-3-5-6 Device (with variations)
  • 80-20 Grooves
    • Index of 80-20 Grooves
  • Sight Reading Etudes
    • Index Of Sight Reading Etudes
  • About
  • Contact Paul
post

Playing Bass With A Harmonic Metronome

February 5, 2020 by Paul Wolfe

Before we get started I just want to let those of you who like to know these things into the origin of these exercises. Back in the day at a gig I was talking with our regular drummer Roger and we were talking about rhythm and teaching and he had some teaching stuff with him and pulled out a book called It’s About Time by a guy called Fred Dinkins. The exercises we’re going to cover in this series are based on exercises in that book. It’s not necessary for you to get that book…but there are those of you who like to work on your domain knowledge and it’s interesting to read to see how a drummer – and a drumming teacher at that – ap-proaches time.So let’s get to it.

Exercise 1

The first exercise we’re going to use is going to feature two of the sections in the style of Dance The Night Away by The Mavericks .The reason for using these two sections is that I want you to play some actual lines in the way we’re going to play them – and I want those lines to be both relatively easy and have a continuous quarter note pulse in the line.

We’re also going to slow the tempo for this first exercise down to 120 BPM. Again that’s because I want the line to be super easy for you – so you can focus on the time element.So the first exercise we’re going to work on is the introduction part – which is an 8 bar section. Here’s what we’re going to play for this exercise:

 

Now you might be looking at this musical example and thinking: what’s the big deal? I can already play this? And in fact I’m counting on that being your reaction. Because what we’re going to do in this lesson is play the  section above and then a 16 bar section further below in the lesson with a harmonic metronome.

You probably just said: what’s a harmonic metronome?

So let me explain a harmonic metronome.

This is a style I created in Band In A Box.

Now a normal metronome has clicks at pre-ordained beats. (Usually with a metronome, clicks are on beats 1,2,3, and 4 in 4:4 time…though it doesn’t have to be). But what I wanted to do was work on time and have clicks only on Beats 2 and 4.

And that’s easy enough to program in Band In A Box…but I wanted a harmonic element too (a chord).The solution came from listening to reggae and Motown….in both of those styles of music they often have a guitar ‘skank’ (a staccato chord) played on Beats 2 and 4. And I thought: why don’t I just use a guitar skank….that way that gives me a rhythmic element on Beats 2 and 4 – but it also gives me a harmonic element too.

So I tried it out.

And was absolutely bowled over with the results – it worked even better than I anticipated.

So I get both rhythm and harmony – and both of the elements are tightly controlled and only sound for a short duration on beats 2 and 4.  Here’s the above example played with that harmonic metronome:

 

To view the entire Playing With A Harmonic Metronome article you need to be logged in to the Free Members area. If you’re not a member click the button below to join:

Get Free Access

Filed Under: Popular Song Tutorials

Comments

  1. john-diane@nowmail.co.nz says

    February 5, 2020 at 10:20 pm

    Hi Paul, seems to be something wrong with the WeTransfer link as it doesn’t redirect you anywhere.

    • Paul Wolfe says

      February 6, 2020 at 3:22 pm

      john

      it’s fixed now!

  2. vniklaus@mac.com says

    February 6, 2020 at 3:16 pm

    Hi John,
    You’re kinda right. The link in itself isn’t active when you click on it.
    But…
    If you select it and copy it into your browser, it brings you to the WeTransfer page where you can download the files. I just did it. It works !

    Cheers,
    Vincent N.

    • Paul Wolfe says

      February 6, 2020 at 3:22 pm

      thanks vincent – i fixed it though!

5 Day Blues Rock Challenge!

Free Members Area

If you’re not registered for the free members area featuring song tutorials, sight reading etudes and more…here’s where to do it: https://how-to-play-bass.com/register/free-bass-lessons1

The Only 6 Things Bass Beginners Should Practice…

If you’re a bass beginner….check out the only 6 things you should be practicing: https://how-to-play-bass.com/htpb50-6-things-practice

Why I Had To Learn To Walk On The Bass….

….in just 10 Days.

More here: https://how-to-play-bass.com/wb101-had-to-learn

Copyright © 2021 · Website by StressLessWeb · Log in

Login
  • Home
  • Books & Courses
    ╋
    • 80-20 Bass – What Is 80-20 Bass?
    • WB101 – Why I Had To Learn To “Walk” On The Bass….
    • Cracking The Detroit Code – The 30 Day Challenge
    • HTPB50 – The Only 6 Things A Bass Beginners Should Practice
    • The Duck Dunn Challenge
    • Cracking The Rock Bass Code – 30 Day Challenge
    • Cracking The Blues Rock Code – 30 Day Challenge
    • Funk Soul Disco 30 Day Challenge
    • Walking Basslines 101 30 Day Challenge
  • Blog
  • Members Tutorials
    ╋
    • Index Of Member Only Content
    • Vanishing Tutorial
    • Pre Training Day 1
    • Pre Training Day 2
    • Pre Training Day 3
    • Pre Training Day 4
    • Pre Training Day 5
    • Day 1 – Getting Started With Root Notes
    • Day 2 – Adding The 5th
    • Day 3 – The Major Triad
    • Day 4 – The Minor Triad
    • Day 5 – Connecting Devices
    • Day 6 – Deliberate Composition
    • Day 7 – Deliberate Composition 2
    • Day 8 – Deliberate Composition 3
    • Day 9 – Deliberate Composition 4
    • Day 10 – Connecting Chords With Approach Notes
    • Day 11 – Quarter Note to 8th Note
    • Day 12 – New Device/Modifying Device
    • Day 13 – New Device/2nd Modifying Device
    • Day 14 – The R-3-5-6 Device (with variations)
  • 80-20 Grooves
    ╋
    • Index of 80-20 Grooves
  • Sight Reading Etudes
    ╋
    • Index Of Sight Reading Etudes
  • About
  • Contact Paul