![]() ![]() In the second case I mixed chord and scale notes, creating voluntarily harmonic confusion (for example, in Dmin7 the IIImin-IV-V-VIImin can also be a Fmaj I-II-III-V). In order to show you the difference between a clear and a blurred bassline, in the first example I used only the triads related to the given chord (except a VIImin in Dminor), and the movement of the bass clearly defines the II-V-I progression in Cmajor. Everyone in the ensemble (and everyone listening as well) refers to the bass player to know the tonic, and if you put excessive emphasis on other scale degrees, the new note will be perceived as the tonic of a new chord, creating therefore a clash with the other musicians. That’s why, as bass players, we are required to play triads, being especially assertive on the tonic note. Since the bass is at the low end of the frequency spectrum, it defines the harmony. In a regular 4 voices SATB ensemble (short for Soprano-Alto-Tenor-Bass), the 2 voices at the extremes are the ones mainly responsible for the melody and harmony. Have you ever wondered why? I’ll use some classical theory of harmony to explain it.
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