So, pretty much, I seem to always write some awesome melodies and put it to a great lead synth or a lush pluck and its sounds great after a good deal of time fine tuning it exactly to my liking, with now flaws to my ear. THEN COMES TIME TO ADD SOME BASS and I go fucking blank. I'm struggling a lot to create a bassline that grooves well, and blends well with my melodies. My question is, what do you folks do in this situation, and, do you usually produce a bassline before a melody, or melody before a bassline. I'm starting to think I should create a bassline first, and build a track off of that. I'm talkin low end to low mid bassline, not a sub, that wont be a problem once I create the main line.

I do this sometimes.

I make the best lead sound I possibly can, then save it as a preset for later. Then on a different day I make the most awesome bass sound I can then save that. You can kinda see where it goes from there.

It's effective sometimes, you just loose versatility. But most importantly it's relatively easy compared to doing it the hard way and forcing it out.

Good luck!

___________________
Tranceport is the best album ever....

There is nothing wrong with being musically diverse.

My Soundcloud

If you're really having that much trouble, just do what Arty does: make your bassline play the same rhythm as your melody:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rjj2imb0LqI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8ofhMszwFc

In general, a busy melody will work well with a sparse bassline. A sparse melody will work well with a busy bassline.

I'd recommend trying to recreate a couple of your favourite songs in the same style you're trying to create. That'll teach you a lot about how bass & melody fit together.

i like it when melody=baseline

quote:

Originally posted by derail In general, a busy melody will work well with a sparse bassline. A sparse melody will work well with a busy bassline. I'd recommend trying to recreate a couple of your favourite songs in the same style you're trying to create. That'll teach you a lot about how bass & melody fit together.

Yeah, I have a very busy melody, so I'll try to create a bit of a "sparse" bassline to add that depth and groove. good insight, thank you.

quote:

Originally posted by jayxthekoolest If you're really having that much trouble, just do what Arty does: make your bassline play the same rhythm as your melody: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rjj2imb0LqI http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8ofhMszwFc

I've made a few tracks where my bassline was the same as my melody, or very very similar to it. I like it sometimes, but its getting old.

Seems to me that you need to realise that, what your talking about here is one of the hardest things to do in music!

Think about it - anyone can assemble an awesome and faultless collection of samples/midi - you either use samples or presets from synths, but the real art is making those different sounds work together and combine to create something that sounds awesome and perhaps more importantly - CREATES SOME KIND OF EMOTIONAL RESPONSE FROM THE LISTENER!

The ultimate example of this in dance music is often the way in which the lead and the bass interact.

There are countless examples of great dance tracks that have, either a very simple lead-line, or a very simple bassline, or sometimes both!

But it's the way all the sounds and elements of the track work together that makes it a great track!

This isn't supposed to be easy - it's one of the most important and vital skills in making great music!

So sounds to me like this 'issue' you are having will only be resolved through shit-loads of practice and learning.

That's the way forward for this one buddy!

I at least like to have some percussion and a kick when I do melodies. It's always a good idea to listen to sounds with other potential elements in your tracks. If I make a melody by itself, it tends to only sound good by itself. What you need to do is have all the elements in mind because all elements are symbiotic and feed off of each other.

quote:

Originally posted by -FSP- I at least like to have some percussion and a kick when I do melodies. It's always a good idea to listen to sounds with other potential elements in your tracks. If I make a melody by itself, it tends to only sound good by itself. What you need to do is have all the elements in mind because all elements are symbiotic and feed off of each other.

Indeed, im pretty conscious about that through out the entire length of my sessions. First I thought the synth was taking up to much room in the track, so now I got it right where I want it; sitting nice and bright, leaving room for many other sounds. Its just the fucking bassline I'm stumped with xD. You made a great point though, "if you make a melody by itself, it tends to only sound good by itself" I cant say how many times in the earlier days I did just that and rage quit shortly after I couldn't add anything in.

And FSP, I have a question for you: When you produce, where do you start? do you start with a beat and go in a linear method or do you start with a melody or what?

Last edited by sicc on Apr-27-2011 at 19:56

quote:

Originally posted by -FSP- I at least like to have some percussion and a kick when I do melodies. It's always a good idea to listen to sounds with other potential elements in your tracks. If I make a melody by itself, it tends to only sound good by itself. What you need to do is have all the elements in mind because all elements are symbiotic and feed off of each other.

I think this is a good advice. You should stop perfecting the melody before you even got a bassline, there's no need to perfect the sound as you surely will need to correct it to interact well with the bass.

So my advice, make a melody that got potential, then do the same with the bassline and THEN u can start perfecting things

quote:

Originally posted by fuxzz I think this is a good advice. You should stop perfecting the melody before you even got a bassline, there's no need to perfect the sound as you surely will need to correct it to interact well with the bass. So my advice, make a melody that got potential, then do the same with the bassline and THEN u can start perfecting things

I think I'm going to do this later today. Great tip I hope!

___________________
Tranceport is the best album ever....

There is nothing wrong with being musically diverse.

My Soundcloud