Bass Around the World #11: Breakbeat Grooves
According to Wikipedia, breakbeat is a broad type of electronic music that tends to utilize drum breaks sampled from early recordings of funk, jazz, and R&B. Breakbeats have been used in styles such as hip hop, jungle, drum and bass, big beat, breakbeat hardcore, and UK garage styles (including 2-step, breakstep, and dubstep). And today, you're going to learn how to play it!
Lesson time
Our breakbeat groove for today is written almost entirely in the Am aeolian scale, consisting of the notes A, B, C, D, E, F, and G.
The first phrase of the bass line is an ascending line on notes A, B, and C with the use of their respective octaves and seventh intervals.
In the second part of the phrase we’re adding melodic movement with slides from B to A and from C to B on two different strings (D and G string respectively). It is followed by an Em arpeggio played from the fifth to the root note (B, G, and E) with a conclusion on the D and C notes with octaves.
As a variation in the bassline we’ve added a cheeky blues lick which is alternated on every second repetition of the phrase— using a slide from blue note Eb to D and then followed by a C, A, G "classic" melodic lick in Am minor pentatonic.
The tricky bit is to master the busy movements in the left and right hand while focusing on slides.
It's not an easy groove, but it will make your breakbeat bass adventures more exciting.
Have fun & see you next time!
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