• TITLE THIS BLOG POST: Bass Research, Analysis, and Recording Project
• PLACE A CREATIVE COMMONS IMAGE RELATED TO THE PROJECT FROM wordpress.org/openverse AT THE TOP OF THE POST
  • WATCH MR. LE DUC IMAGE PLACEMENT TUTORIAL
• FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS IN THIS BLOG POST TEMPLATE
• DELETE ALL OF MR. LE DUC’s INSTRUCTIONS AFTER COMPLETING THEM

SUMMARY

Write your daily summary last, at the end of the day here… Only one to two sentences. DELETE ALL OF MR. LE DUC’s INSTRUCTIONS DETAILED ABOVE AFTER COMPLETING THEM

CLASSROOM

Watch How Bass Works (47 minutes)

Write notes of topics you want to remember. DELETE ALL OF MR. LE DUC’s INSTRUCTIONS DETAILED ABOVE AFTER COMPLETING THEM

LAB

Step 1: Watch How to write Chromatic Notes in Hookpad (some bass lines are based on chromatic scale)

Step 2: Watch 3 ways to use Hookpad’s MIDI drag-drop feature (you can create basslines and more and export to Soundtrap and other DAW – digital audio workstations)

Step 3: Try making a bassline to a chord progression or melody line.

How was this activity? Write a reflection on what you did and learned. DELETE ALL OF MR. LE DUC’s INSTRUCTIONS DETAILED ABOVE AFTER COMPLETING THEM

PRACTICE ROOM

Step 1: Watch How To Add Bass Notes Guitar Strumming Lessons by Tomas Michaud

Step 2: Download the guitar TABS for his exercise (PDF)

Step 3: Practice one of the exercises

Bonus Resource!

• Explore Mr. Le Duc’s YouTube Bass Playlists

Write a brief reflection on how Tomas Michaud’s exercise worked for you. DELETE ALL OF MR. LE DUC’s INSTRUCTIONS DETAILED ABOVE AFTER COMPLETING THEM

Profile in Excellence

• Check out these two videos about amazing bass player Carol Kaye
  • Interview with CAROL KAYE 
  • Carol Kaye: Rock’s Most Prolific Session Musician

Profile in Excellence

• Check out these videos about the best bass player, ever, James Jamerson
  • What really made James Jamerson so great?
  • Visual of James Jamerson’s bass line for the Stevie Wonder song –For Once In My LifeScreenshot from Vulf at YouTube

OUTSIDE / JOURNAL / IDEAS

Choice 1: Explore Carol Kaye and James Jamerson’s Profiles in Excellent.  These are two bass players are credited with creating some of the best bass lines!  Then go for a walk and think of the funky work they created.

Choice 2: Flip through the Quizlet on Bass Composition Techniques flashcards a couple times.

After playing with Quizlet, go for a walk and think about bass lines.  Think of songs that have great basslines.  When you are back from your walk, you might want to research more about the notes that make those basslines stand out?

Write a brief reflection on your mental meanderings. DELETE ALL OF MR. LE DUC’s INSTRUCTIONS DETAILED ABOVE AFTER COMPLETING THEM

STUDIO

Play around with playing the low E string (6th string on the top of the neck) on your guitar. Create a simple three note-ish bassline. Get funky with it.  Try different plucking tempos to great the groove. You can even try playing Smoke on the Water

What did you compose? Write a reflection on what you did. DELETE ALL OF MR. LE DUC’s INSTRUCTIONS DETAILED ABOVE AFTER COMPLETING THEM

CONTROL ROOM

Record the bass line you developed in the studio.

How did the recording go? Write a short reflection. DELETE ALL OF MR. LE DUC’s INSTRUCTIONS DETAILED ABOVE AFTER COMPLETING THEM

WHAT I LEARNED and PROBLEMS I SOLVED

Tell your daily story here!  Highlight what you learned and enjoyed most and at least one problem you solved. Problem-solving is one of the most important skills you need in life. Employers want to know HOW you get stuff done as much as WHAT you got done. DELETE ALL OF MR. LE DUC’s INSTRUCTIONS DETAILED ABOVE AFTER COMPLETING THEM

DAILY ACTIVITY EVALUATION

• Give feedback on the class Content and Process
  • Participation will be part of your leadership project due at the end of the course
• Fill in the Daily Activity Evaluation

Summary

Throughout this research, analysis, and recording project, I experimented with drum arrangements to create rhythms. The project goal was to become attuned to the purpose and creation of a quality rhythm so that I could layer one of my own into a song I’d been developing.

My First HookTheory Rhythm (Beat)

• Watch these HookTheory Drumming Tutorials
  • Part 1 – Drum Arrangements Made Simple
  • Part 2 – Arranging Drums in Hookpad
  • Part 3 – Advanced Drum Arrangements in Hookpad

Notes from Howard Goodall’s Rhythm Video

Watch How Rhythm Works (47 minutes)

Cue

Notes

Cue

Subdividing/accenting beats was popularized by Phillip Glass but has been heavily prevalent in African culture/history. Accenting beats and repeating the sequence creates a groove. These accents attract attention to certain areas of a song or can change its entire theme Brains superimpose hierarchy on beats even if not present, often creating virtual accents Syncopation is a term that’s used to describe the common occurrence in jazz and music before where the rhythm would stray from its melodies and harmonies in a “playful” way/”playing catch up”, being delayed, etc–this has become very common in folk and pop— was popular in gypsy culture and ragtime music Syncopation later evolved into Swing Cross rhythm — rap—rap lines can work as percussion in rap–simple drums beneath a complex rap line are cross-rhythmic examples “Song” music from Cuba like Congo, and salsa, etc., fused Europeans style harmonies with African-style drums and local instruments to develop the genre In Cuban song music main beats are anticipated-not delayed—melody and bassline jump ahead in Cuban music—vocals pushed in front of the beat—“killing me softly” —-ex Swing has the main beat delayed Musicians play with where listeners intuit beats to be and occasionally work around this

Summary

I learned about different rhythmic styles that have developed globally and how we’ve exchanged them. I also learned a bit about beats and how they’re used to influence the energy of a song.

Rhythm Composition Terms and Definitions

• Rhythm comes from natural things
• rhythm is even in music when you can’t hear it
• most beats are divided by 2,3, or 4
• accent, pulse, sub-division
• accents can put emphasis on one or two notes to make it sound very different
• syncopation is a musical slight of hand that makes it sound more mischievous and playful
• the elastication of syncopation became jazz
• cross-rhythm is music’s party trick. its the overlay of one pattern over another
• in Cuban music, the melody and bass line are ahead
• the Latin push has become very common nowadays

One of My Favorite Rhythms (Beats)

Play with Funklet

• funklet.com

Export a MIDI File from Funklet

Explore Expanded DAW Drumming Options

• Soundtrap Tutorial 1 (2020) – Make a basic drum beat
• GarageBand – How To Use Drummer
  • If you are ready to really learn more about Garageband, watch these GarageBand 10 Tutorials

My Second HookTheory Rhythm (Beats)

My second drum arrangement is very similar to my first. The only notable difference is the additional cymbals I added to strengthen the sound. I raised tension in the drums and with the cymbals alongside the increase in my melody. The resolution in my rhythm came in the last measure when the rhythm became more spaced and quiet.

What I Learned & Problems I Solved

The most interesting thing I learned during the time I spent researching rhythm was that “Brains superimpose hierarchy on beats even if not present, often creating virtual accents.” To have evidence that our brains respond, digest, and predict music on subconscious levels is something I find fascinating and comforting. I’ve been learning about this recently and enjoyed hearing other perspectives on this information.

Creating a rhythm for my pre-existing harmony and melody was not particularly difficult. There weren’t many issues to solve because I found that the resources provided worked well enough to accompany my composition. The only thing I had to adjust to was getting used to the process of applying fill-ins to my work in hook theory. And though hook theory has predetermined drum sets I chose to keep them because I continuously struggle to produce beats that sound natural while being interesting. The balance of not overwhelming a piece while still contributing something meaningful is difficult for me to achieve with rhythm.

Grammar and Spelling

Grammarly

Summary

The harmony research, analysis and recording project is intended to teach students harmony structure and how to create harmonies for their musical ideas, or existing melodies.

Hookpad Beginner Tutorial – Part 3: Chords

Notes from Howard Goodall’s Harmony Video

• Music Works with Howard Goodall – Harmony

Cue

Notes

How do we know that we’ve found all of the harmonics to a note? How do we measure the difference?

“harmony is the intentional coming together of two or more sounds for a pleasant affect.” Western Harmony- drone follows the melody chord progressions are the life blood of western harmonies which move Whenever a note in the melody collides with drone notes, a chord progression is formed each chord is made of three notes, but within notes and chords there is a spectrum of other notes with deciding harmonics the basic chord we make up from harmonics is a triad tonic-dominant-subdominant are referred to as the primary triads discord/dissonancne is when notes intentionally put together arent supposed to fit together and belong to the wrong triads classifying dissonance has become more difficult with the passage of time churches called discord “the devil in music in the 17th cent.” only used to some dissonance-but still not all of it… passing/suspending notes can be forms of dissonance harmony makes music sound warmer and fuller several voices together rebel 2

Summary: I learned what defines a harmony, and about the different kinds of harmony used during progressions of western music.

Harmony Composition Terms and Definitions

• Harmony was not originally part of music until the middle ages and the renaissance
• Harmony sounds like it comes from some other plane of existence (to exaggerate a bit)
• Harmony in its simplest and oldest form in two notes playing at the same time
• A drone is a single note that you can sing any melody above. Bagpipes are an instrument that plays a drone.
• A drone is usually the tonic
• When people started to move the drone around, it was like the melody and the harmony were parallel lines. As the melody moved up, the drone moved up
• Triad – 3 notes that come together and create a chord
• Chord progressions are the backbone of western harmony
• People discovered the “hierarchy” of chords and created rules to go with these
• In one note, there are other hidden notes called harmonics
• Humans can only really pick out three or four harmonics
• Using the harmonics humans were able to make chords by finding the notes hidden in the harmonics
• In minor chords, the middle note is a half-step lower than in a major chord
• Polyphony is when you have a bunch of chords under the melody
• Polyphony – many “voices”
• Progression – a certain series of chords or notes that “work together” and sound good
• Tonic – the first note of a scale “home”
• Dominant – the fifth note of a scale that raises tension
• Passimezzo Antico – A chord progression that’s a variation of a double tonic. It was popular during the Italian Renaissance
• Passimezzo Moderno – “Modern half step” A chord progression that’s a variation of Passimezzo Antico. It divides the section in two and often uses a contrasting progression or section known as ripresi
• Dischord – a deliberate collision of notes that are meant not to sound “pretty”
• Dissonance – lack of harmony between notes “a clash”
• Passing Notes – notes that don’t sound “pretty” but are used a small number of times like they are just “passing through”
• Suspended Notes – dissonant notes being held for as long as possible and then finally moving at the last second
• 7th Chords – A regular triad chord plus the note seven steps above the first note
• Diminished Chords – A regular triad chord with the bottom note being moved up a step
• Augmented Chords – A regular triad chord with the last note being moved up a step
• Tonic (1 and 8 chords)
  • Root note creates a feeling of resolution and stability 
• Supertonic, Mediant, Submediant (2, 3, 6 chords)
  • Moderate tension, useful for transitions 
• Dominant, Subdominant, Leading Tone (4, 5, 7 chords)
  • Create lots of tension to get to the tonic 

Mr. Le Duc’s Key of C Major Notes and Chords Chart (PDF)

One of My Favorite (Chord Progressions) Harmonies

My Second HookTheory Chord Progression (Harmonies)

I like the chord progression I’ve written, because it follows the melody with little discord, allowing it to sound full in the short amount of measures available. I attempted raising tension at the fourth and seventh measures to follow the original melody, I released tension by gradually using lower-toned chords in the last two measures.

What I Learned & Problems I Solved

Before beginning this unit, I struggled ridiculously to understand the distinction between melodies and harmonies. I have a better idea of how to do that now, but I still think I need more time to put this simple task of recognizing distinctions into practice. From my updated understanding, melodies are made of a sequence of individual notes, while harmonies are made of chord sequences. Though the guiding principle I used for this project was a quote from Howard Goodall’s video which said that “-harmony is the intentional coming together of two or more sounds for a pleasant effect.”

Grammar and Spelling

Grammarly

Editor

Resources

• Assessment a Feedback
  • General Music Composition Rubric (Google Doc)
• Hook Theory Tools and Tutorials
  • hooktheory.com/theorytab/index (Analyzing Songs)
  • hookpad.hooktheory.com (Creating Songs)
  • Hookpad Beginner Tutorial – Part 1: User Interface (YouTube)
  • Hookpad Beginner Tutorial – Part 2: Melodies (YouTube)
  • All HookTheory video tutorials
• Music Theory
  • Mr. Le Duc’s Key of C Major Notes and Chords Chart (PDF)
  • Music Works with Howard Goodall – Harmony
• Free MIDI files midiworld.com/files/
  • MIDI file of Beethoven’s Ode to Joy from his 9th symphony
  • Coldplay Talk sample midi file
    • The musical notation interactive sheet music for Talk by Coldplay
• MIDI and Music Notation Editors
  • onlinesequencer.net – online
  • flat.io – online
  • noteflight.com – online
  • MuseScore downloadable program
• GarageBand
  • How to View and Print Sheet Music: Garageband X Tutorial
  • GarageBand Basics Screencast Video Tutorial

CUE

NOTES

What is a Ghost dance? Why did the government decide to stop repressing Buffy’s music? What other musicians were repressed for the same reasons?

link ray- banned instrumental-half native ghostdance? wounded knee massacre The blues is linked to Native Ghost dances——“pre-blues” African and Indigenous peoples have cultures and ancestry intertwined in ways which have impacted music 85% of African Americans in America before the civil war share Native ancestry Enslaved African people who had escaped had occassionaly sought safety on Native Reservations where they would often be accepted Charley Patton- native- white- creole////most impactful to blues- influenced US pioneers of rock CIA/Fbi files on Buffy saint marie?? a Native musician and activist whose music was banned throughout the US for its messages

Summary

This documentary was enjoyable for me. It educated me on some of the musical origins of numerous genres and rekindled my interest in my ancestry.

I was particularly intrigued by Buffy Saint-Marie and her story. In part, because I often speak to whoever will entertain me about government caused suppression, and how its enacted through media manipulation. This documentary I was particularly intrigued by Buffy Saint-Marie and her story. In part because I often speak to whoever will entertain me about government suppression and how it’s enabled by media manipulation. This documentary discussing that (even in short) was meaningful to me. Enough so that after the “Rumble” viewing, I looked deeper into Buffy’s music, and I now have a greater appreciation for folk music and consider myself a bit of a fan of her work.