Writing your own bass lines
With
Andrew LevyAndrew improvises bass lines over some tracks. You can have a go with the attached tracks.
What's in the course
14 lessons (1h 7m) · 1 free
Lesson transcript
Writing a Song: Finding the Groove
When I'm writing a song, I love to have drums playing, whether it's a real drummer or something online. I listen, and sometimes the hip (or rhythm) just comes into my head, and then I start trying to work out how it goes.
Playing the Drums
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Feel the Tempo:
- Pay attention to what's happening on the hi-hat; this will give you the meter or how much energy you need to put into the bass line.
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Listen to the Kick Drum:
- The kick drum often has a note that can give you insight into the key of the song.
Experimenting with Ideas
I can hear something like, "I want to try another idea." Now it's a slightly different beat, a bit faster and a bit busier.
So, let's see what I come up with!
- Funky and Busy:
- We've got the tempo. This is a kind of funkier, busier thing. Just fiddle around, and you'll find something.
The Importance of Spontaneity
I think not planning the bass line before is really good because you can pick up so much from the beat just by listening to it.
14 lessons
1h 7m of structured video lessons
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Meet your guru
Meet your guru
Andrew Levy is a founder member and bass player in the acid jazz group The Brand New Heavies. He also co-writes the band's original music with Simon Bartholomew.
A self-taught musician, Andrew grew up listening to reggae, British pop radio, classical music, jazz funk, 'Lovers' Rock', jazz fusion, house, American folk, hip hop and acid house - an eclectic mix from growing up in London with parents from Jamaica!
His biggest musical influences are James Brown, Vicki Anderson, Earth Wind and Fire, Level 42, Shalamar, Chic, Herbie Hancock, George Duke, George Benson, Marvin Gaye, Thin Lizzy, Miles Davis and Phyllis Hyman.
In his course, Andrew shares what really makes funk bass move: how to lock in with the drums, sit deep in the pocket, and hold down the groove as part of a tight rhythm section - the feel, the discipline and the choices behind the sound that made The Brand New Heavies famous.
Andrew lives in South West London with his wife Melissa and their two sons.
About The Brand New Heavies
The Brand New Heavies, founded by Andrew Levy and Simon Bartholomew, pioneered the acid jazz music scene of the 1990s.
The pair met at school in Ealing in 1985 before going on to release top 10 albums in the UK, US and Japan, and in 2020 they signed a seven-figure deal with international label Edel Records to produce five new albums, with the first out in spring 2022.
The band prides itself on playing real instruments - not computer-synthesised or programmed music. As a result, they have many renowned fans within the music industry, including super producer Mark Ronson, who cites their eponymous album as one of his top 10 records of all-time and credits the band with turning him onto funk from rock music back in the early 1990s. Ronson produced the band's 2019 cover of Kendrick Lamar's "These Walls", which gained a cult following on Radio 2.
