Creating the Groove
Chapter 6: Creating the Groove
3. Practice moving the groove smoothly from one chord to the next
You have to make these moves without any hesitation. Figure 6-11c shows the movement of the chords on your fingerboard.
The groove you hear on Track 33 can be moved anywhere without your having to change the fingering. You do, of course, have to shift your hand into position for each new chord, however. Follow the chart in Figure 6-11.
Using chord tones
Another way to move a groove between chords with different tonalities is to use chord tones. Chord tones are the notes in any chord (root, 3, 5, and 7) that identify the chord type.
When you play a song that includes several tonalities, such as major, minor, and dominant, you need to make slight adjustments in your groove to play the different chord tones. Your fingering changes as you move from one kind of chord to another. Keep the groove simple, because you have your hands full (pun intended) just changing the groove from chord to chord.
The following steps and Figure 6-12 help you create a mobile groove that uses chord tones:
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Chapter 6: Creating the Groove
1. Create a groove.
Make your groove simple enough to handle. My choice is a groove that includes the root, 3, and 5 of a chord. You can see the different patterns for major, minor, and dominant in Figure 6-12a. (For the sake of com- parison, all the patterns start on D.) Practice the groove, starting on the same note to get comfortable with it. This groove covers two strings:
the string you play the root on, and the one above it. You can start the groove on the E, A, or D string.
Figure 6-11:
Mobile groove using constant structure.
c)
? c .. œ .œ œ œœœ Œ
C Maj7 E m7œ .œ œ œ œœ Œ
F Maj7œ .œ œ œœœ Œ
G7œ .œ œ œœœ Œ
?
A m7œ .œ œ œ œœ Œ
D m7œ .œ œ œ œ œ Œ œ .œ œ œ œœ Œ ..
F Maj7
œ .œ œ œ œœ Œ
G7
1
3 3
a)
1 = index finger 2 = middle finger 3 = ring finger 4 = pinkie
Fingering
? c œ .œ œ œ œ œ Œ
7 7 7
5 5 5
b)
F
E
G C
A D
TRACK 33, 0:00
TRACK 33, 0:09
136 Part III: Making the Moves, Creating the Grooves
Figure 6-12:
Mobile groove using chord tones.
2
4 4
1
2
4 4
1 1
3 4
3
b)
c) a)
1 = index finger 2 = middle finger 3 = ring finger 4 = pinkie
Fingering
? c œ .œ œ œ# œ œ œ
4 7 4
5 5 7 5
Major
? œ .œ œ œ œ œ œ
5 5 7 8 7 8 5
Minor
? œ .œ œ œ# œ œ œ
4 7 4
5 5 7 5
Dominant
C Maj7 E m7 F Maj7 G7
A m7 D m7 F Maj7 G7
? c .. œ .œ œœ œ œ œ œ .œ œ#œ œ œ œ œ .œ œœ œ œ œ œ .œ œœ œ œ œ
? œ ..
..
œ .œ œœ œ œ œ œ .œ œœ œ œ œ œ .œ œœ œ œ œ œ .œ œœ œ œ
G C
A D
E F
Major
(Maj) Minor
(m) Dominant
(7) TRACK 34, 0:00
TRACK 34, 0:33
TRACK 34, 0:11
TRACK 34, 0:21
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Chapter 6: Creating the Groove
2. Find the roots of the chords.
Using the chord chart (refer to Figure 6-10), find the roots of the chords on your fingerboard. Your roots can start on the E, A, or D string. Figure 6-12b shows you the locations of the roots for this particular chord chart.
3. Practice moving the groove smoothly from one chord to the next.
You have to change your fingering from chord to chord. Perform these fingering changes without hesitation. Figure 6-12c shows the configura- tion of the groove for different chords.
The groove on Track 34 changes shape with each new chord tonality, which means you need to adjust your fingering with each chord (in addition to shift- ing your hand into position). Keep an eye on Figure 6-12 to get a handle on this concept.
Finding the perfect fit:
The designer groove
Every now and then you hear a bass groove that simply knocks your socks off — a groove that seems to fit the song like a glove. I call these grooves designer grooves; you literally design them to fit perfectly with everything that’s going on harmonically and rhythmically in a particular tune. In addi- tion to having the groove skeleton (see “Rattling the groove skeleton,” earlier in the chapter, for details), designer grooves also have a groove apex, which I discuss in the following sections.
The groove apex
An apex refers to the highlight of something, and in this case, the groove apex is the note that’s the highlight of a groove. Every groove has an apex. The groove apex is usually either the highest or the lowest note of the groove.
Either way, it’s often the note furthest from the root of your groove.
Determining which note is the groove apex is open to interpretation. If you hear one note in a bass groove that really sticks out for you, that note is the groove apex.
Accenting the groove apex makes your groove fit better with the music. For example, you can accent a hit by your drummer or a special rhythm by your singer — whatever you think deserves more attention.
The upper groove apex
An upper groove apex is the highest note of a groove. Figure 6-13 shows a groove with a clear upper groove apex. Notice how the groove skeleton sets up the groove.
138 Part III: Making the Moves, Creating the Grooves
Figure 6-13:
Groove with upper groove apex.
2 1
4 2 1
1 = index finger 2 = middle finger 3 = ring finger 4 = pinkie
Fingering
? c œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
upper groove apex
TRACK 35, 0:00
To practice playing an upper groove apex, check out the exercise in Figure 6-14. This exercise focuses on the upper groove apex only and can greatly improve your ability to execute the groove apex on any note.
Figure 6-14:
Upper groove apex exercise.
? c œ œ œ ≈ Œ Ó œ œ ≈ œ Œ Ó œ œ ‰ R œ ≈ ‰ Ó
? œ œ ‰ ≈ Rœ ‰ Ó œ œ ‰ ‰ R œ ≈ Ó œ œ ‰ ‰ ≈ R œ Ó
? œ œ ‰ Œ Rœ ≈ ‰ Œ œ œ ‰ Œ ≈ Rœ ‰ Œ œ œ ‰ Œ ‰ Rœ ≈ Œ
? œ œ ‰ Œ ‰ ≈ Rœ Œ œ œ ‰ Œ Œ Rœ ≈ ‰ œ œ ‰ Œ Œ ≈ Rœ ‰
? œ œ ‰ Œ Œ ‰ Rœ ≈ œ œ ‰ Œ Œ ‰ ≈ Rœ
TRACK 35, 0:21
Track 35 includes an example of a groove with an upper groove apex, followed by an exercise to practice playing it accurately, as in Figures 6-13 and 6-14.
The lower groove apex
The lower groove apex is the lowest note of a groove. Figure 6-15 shows a groove with a lower groove apex. Notice how the groove skeleton establishes the groove.
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Chapter 6: Creating the Groove
Figure 6-15:
Groove with lower groove apex.
2 1
4 4 1 = index finger 2 = middle finger 3 = ring finger 4 = pinkie
Fingering
lower groove apex
? c œ œ œ œ# œ œ œ œ œ œ
TRACK 36, 0:00
To get comfortable playing the lower groove apex, check out the exercise in Figure 6-16. This exercise shows you how to play the lower groove apex on any note.
Figure 6-16:
Lower groove apex exercise.
? c œ œ œ ≈ Œ Ó œ œ ≈ œ Œ Ó œ œ ‰ rœ≈ ‰ Ó
? œ œ ‰ ≈ rœ‰ Ó œ œ ‰ ‰ rœ≈ Ó œ œ ‰ ‰ ≈ rœÓ
? œ œ ‰ Œ rœ≈ ‰ Œ œ œ ‰ Œ ≈ rœ‰ Œ œ œ ‰ Œ ‰ rœ≈ Œ
? œ œ ‰ Œ ‰ ≈ rœŒ œ œ ‰ Œ Œ rœ≈ ‰ œ œ ‰ Œ Œ ≈ rœ‰
? œ œ ‰ Œ Œ ‰ rœ≈ œ œ ‰ Œ Œ ‰ ≈ rœ
TRACK 36, 0:18
On Track 36 you find an example for a lower groove apex. You can see it in Figures 6-15 and 6-16.
In both the upper groove apex exercise and the lower groove apex exercise (wow, that’s a mouthful), the groove apex follows right behind the groove skeleton (the first two notes). These exercises are a great way to get comfort- able playing not only grooves but rhythms as well.
140 Part III: Making the Moves, Creating the Grooves
After you’re comfortable playing along with the CD, try playing these exercises without the CD. For even more of a challenge, try setting your metronome at varying speeds (refer to Chapter 3 for more on setting a metronome).
Grooving with a Drummer
No instrument is more important to your well-being as a bass player than the drums. (By the way, the bass is just as important to the well-being of a drum- mer.) Bassists and drummers work hand in hand to create grooves. If you want to build great grooves (and great relationships) with drummers, you need to know what all the different drums on a drum set sound like and what they’re generally used for. This section gives you a quick overview of the dif- ferent types of drums. If you want to read more, you can always check out Drums For Dummies, 2nd Edition, by Jeff Strong (Wiley).
The bass drum
The bass drum is the lowest-sounding drum on the drum set. This drum is very closely aligned with your part as a bass player. Generally speaking, drummers play the bass drum on the first beat of a measure to start the groove and then play it at least once more within that measure. If you play notes that match the rhythm of the bass drum, you’ll fit right in. Figure 6-17 shows you how to match the rhythm of the bass drum.
You can listen to Track 37 on the CD for a demonstration of how the bass drum sounds.
Figure 6-17:
Grooving with the bass drum.
2
4 4 1 = index finger 2 = middle finger 3 = ring finger 4 = pinkie
Fingering
? c œ ‰ Jœ œ Œ œ ‰ Jœ œ œ œ
5 5 5 5 5 5 3
5
TRACK 37, 0:05
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Chapter 6: Creating the Groove
The snare drum
The snare drum is the loudest drum on the drum set. This drum is usually played on the backbeat (beats 2 and 4) of each measure. You can match up one of your notes with the snare drum, or you can create some sonic space (which simply means that you don’t play at that moment) for the snare drum as it sounds out alone. Hmmm, now there’s an interesting concept: Instead of looking confused when you’re lost, just give the band leader your most seri- ous look and say that you’re experimenting with sonic space.
Listen to Track 37 on the CD for the sound of the snare drum (playing along- side the bass drum), and then take a look at Figure 6-18 to find out how to play with the snare and bass drums.
Figure 6-18:
Grooving with the snare drum and the bass drum.
1 1
4 1 = index finger 2 = middle finger 3 = ring finger 4 = pinkie
Fingering
? c .œ œ œ
œ œ œ œ œ ‰ Jœ œ Œ
7 7
5 5 5 5 8 5 5 5
3 3
TRACK 37, 0:22
The hi-hat
No, the hi-hat isn’t a tall cap you wear on your head. The hi-hat (the two inter- connected circular brass plates that snap together when played) is your real- life metronome. The drummer uses the hi-hat to mark the subdivisions of the beat (usually eighth notes or sixteenth notes) and keeps the hi-hat snapping right through a groove.
Sometimes, instead of using the hi-hat, the drummer uses one of the cymbals (the big, circular brass plates on the drum set) to keep the rhythm. You may have trouble hearing the hi-hat at first, but after you get used to listening for its constant sound, you’ll be able to play your notes easily, because the rhythm of most of the notes you play on the bass also are played (rhythmi- cally) on the hi-hat.
142 Part III: Making the Moves, Creating the Grooves
Listen to Track 37 on the CD for the sound of the hi-hat playing alongside the snare and bass drums, and check out Figure 6-19 for a groove you can play with the three instruments.
Figure 6-19:
Grooving with the hi-hat, the snare drum, and the bass drum.
1 = index finger 2 = middle finger 3 = ring finger 4 = pinkie
Fingering
1 1
4
3 3
? c .œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ
7 7
5 5 5 5 8
5 8
.œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ
7 7
5 5 5 5
5 8
4
TRACK 37, 0:42
Jammin’ With Other Musicians
Jammin’ is the all-important yet elusive activity that musicians do to get to know each other and create some memorable music in the process. Sometimes the jam participants agree on a chord or even on a set of chords (see Chapter 5 for more information) ahead of time, but in its purest form a jam starts by someone play- ing and the rest of the band joining in. As you can imagine, jam sessions can get pretty chaotic — sort of like a bunch of people riding their bicycles crisscross in a deserted parking lot at full tilt at night in total darkness. Yeah, it can be painful.
So how do you join in a jam session if you don’t know what anybody else is playing? Well, of course, you always can be the one who starts playing and let the other jammers figure out what to do, but I have a feeling that works only occasionally. Instead, you’ll more than likely have to use your ears and figure out what sounds best in the session at hand.
You’re jamming! You aren’t playing a composition or somebody else’s idea of a song. You’re part of a creative collaboration for making music.
Jamming lets you shed any fears of making mistakes. In its truest form, there are no mistakes — only choices that sound better than others. So take this as your chance to experiment. Just remember that jamming is a truly democratic process. Everybody’s input is of equal importance, so go forth and create!
In the following sections, you get a clear, step-by-step guide on what to do in a jam session.
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Chapter 6: Creating the Groove
Listening for the note
In a jam session, somebody (it may not even be the person who begins the jam) comes up with a musical phrase, a sequence of notes that’s repeated several times. Be alert for this phrase and treat it as a melody. Here’s what you do to get in on the action and contribute mightily to a jam session. The first part is the “ear” part, where you have to listen.