production through performance
music technology curriculum
3.5 lesson plan // Moving Bass lines
objective
Students will be able to write and play a bass line that follows an original chord progression and includes leaps and leading tones.
Resources
Diatonic Chord Progressions →
Bass Line Rhythm →
Bass Line Note Choice →
Practice strategies →
Assessment
3.5 Project Rubric →
Preparation
Read the bass note choice PDF.
Play a bass line for the class using only roots and add one octave jump, have the class raise their hands when they hear the jump.
Do the same thing for leading tones.
Listen to teacher/student selected music and identify when the bass plays an octave jump or leading tone.
Process
Write a drum groove with either eighth or sixteenth note subdivision.
Compose a four chord progression following the rules on the chord progression organizer.
Create a rhythm for the bass that uses one of the three bass and kick relationships.
Use the letter name of the root of each chord as the attack symbol for each measure.
Add at least one octave jump and leading tone.
Show the duration of the note using duration notation .
Use the same rhythm for the other three measures and change the letter to fit the next chord.
Students sets desired project tempo.
Record, quantize, and trim the drum pattern in Soundtrap.
Add a guitar and bass track and record the bass line.
Quantize and trim the bass line.
Remediation
Limit the subdivision level to eighth note.
Have the student use bass/kick relationship #1.
Supply the first chord for the student.
Enrichment
Play drum beat with one hand.
Have students quantize the track in front of the teacher.
Change the subdivision level to either 16th or 32nd note for teacher viewed quantize.