So many Ableton Live users are bass players or former bass players. Maybe we don’t even need to talk about this, given that there’s a huge crossover between bassists and Live.
When you’re calling all the shots, you’re not obliged to included anything you don’t want to include. In a band, if you suggested that there’s no need for bass (or whatever instrument) on a certain song, the player in question could get offended. This is a great freedom if you’re working on your own. But we shouldn’t be too dogmatic – you can break the rules at any time! A song can be all bass, or have no bass whatsoever. In addition to that, bass forms an essential part of a song’s groove, a pulse that can make music feel like it’s pushing or dragging in the right time and place.Īll of this is true in electronic music and sound design as well, with all the extra opportunities that come through using synths, filters, effects and any other modern trickery at our disposal. Traditionally, bass can provide a counterpoint to other melodic instruments, while fitting in with the beats, glueing both of these elements together (on a good day). We’re gathered here to have a little chat about why and how to add bass to our tunes – and when I say ‘bass’, I’m including bass guitar and bass synths – any source of low-end rhythmic/melodic instrument parts.
