I stopped using arranger automatic functions in live work many years ago, but I do use my Ketron for speck work and initial conceptuals on film scores.

It works GREAT! I choose a workable tempo and, instead of using the stock intro's and endings, I use the drum track, the break function and embellish the intros, exits, etc. with a left-handed bass intro or ending. I always keep a keyboard on top with a really good finger bass setting. Sometimes, on live gigs, I use the arranger with the Hammond on top, with at least the auto bass off. That lets me embellish passing chords, sweeten endings and retard things like walks between cord changes.

I think this would work for a traditional arranger player. Just put a 2nd keyboard on top, stop the drums at an appropriate time and finish with a bass finish and right hand embellishes.

Practice is easy. Find a nice groove, turn off arranger functions, hold sustained right hand chords and concentrate on the bass line and embellishes. After you get comfortable, add additional right hand embellishments.

Maybe while we are all waiting out the virus, this would be a time passer and it could improve your over-all performance.

Play on!

R.

Russ, your method of working with keyboards/piano has always been unique, nice. If you recorded some of what you do, it would be nice if you posted them.

I have put twice the amount of time playing guitar than playing keyboard. My left hand is always is always on, I use it the same way I used my guitar --- it leads the rest of the band. It is more like a mind-set,

When I play Dm7 G7 C, I visualize the fretboard of the guitar, and where my fingers placed on the fretboard. My guitar knowledge is in my left hand when I play a keyboard.

John C.

A foot controller for changing those fills and variations is always a great tool for when you want to swing the left hand bass approach, Russ.

I’ve played key bass for several bands, and nothing beats a bassline that actually GOES somewhere! That’s always the first dead giveaway of an arranger... the bassline never goes towards the next chord (poor little thing never knows what the next chord is until you actually play it, by which time it’s too late!).

I’ve also had fun playing the chords for the arranger with the left hand, but then putting the bass sound on the right side, allowing you some fancy fingerwork that might be an issue for a less well trained left hand. This works rather well for reggae, which usually has a very melodic and syncopated bassline!

But Russ is right... nothing beats that hand played bass! 🎹😎

Diki, left hand chords and bass on the right. It's been years since I did that. My brain must be slowing down.
Thanks, John C.

So many ways to skin a cat! 🐯🦁🐱

To those that play LH bass (or pedals) with an arranger KB. Do you still use any auto-accompaniment besides the drums, or do you just mute everything except the drums?

So where do I go to learn how to play bass on keyboard? I know most of my chords and can play root and fifths no problem, but what notes do you use when moving from chord to chord? As someone said in another post the arranger has no way of knowing what the next chord will be. So are there certain rules to use when going from one chord to another?

There are piano books teaching how to play lines. Look at sheet music that has right and left hands. Sometimes the left hand has a good bass line.

John C.

That, and listen to what bass players are doing. They are, in effect, playing 'tunes' that fit with everything else. Start off with country basslines that are pretty basic to start with, then work your way up from there. After that it's the old practice, practice, practice.

One good way to get started is look at walking bass lines. To get from C to F, for instance, walk from C to E to F. O, C, G, F#, F.

Listen to traditional groove organ player...Jimmy Smith, Richard "Groove" Holmes, Joey D and lots of others.

Diki hit the nail on the head. A real bass player (either on keyboards or other bass note generating device) can retard the tempo between chord changes, effect breaks between changes...lots of thinks the auto bass function is not programmed to do until the current chord, from which the computer operates, is fingered.

I have often turned everything off except the drum breaks, which I operate with the Ketron pedal board. Mostly, I stop the drum track, which turns off the auto bass, and finish with left handed bsss endings. Same thing for intros.

Sure breaks up the monotony of the two endings and intros programmed into the machine.

When I get bored, I go to the instrument storage area, and pick a keyboard (sometimes a drum machine) and a guitar I haven't used for a while.

Right now, when I go out, I am partial to using an ?SD-5 for drums and a Hammond SKS (I think) on top for Hammond draw bar sound, left handed bass...it even has a great Rhodes sound.

A few weeks ago, I put a melodica on the right, over a Roland synth and used a tube with mouthpiece into an old high impedance Shure 585. Finding a cord, which screws into the bsse of the microphone and has a 1/4" on the other end is a bear.

For performers, using a left-handed bass line, even sparingly, does a lot to make for more engaging performances.

Even after all these years, MUSIC IS FABULOUS!

Play on, friends,

Russ

We all are very fortunate to have the wisdom of Russ and Diki here........Years of experience and willing to share freely just for the asking !! It feels nice to be surrounded by talented Musicians....

Everybody stay safe and wear the freakin' mask.

Listen to some of your favorite music, and see if you can figure out what the bass player is playing.


If you read music, there's tons of books on bassline construction and transcriptions of bass lines in all sorts of styles.

Maybe you'd like these:

For C&W bass:

https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Art-Country-...rt+of+coun%2Cap

For blues bass:

https://www.amazon.com/Mel-Complete-Blue...1914&sr=8-6

For walking bass:

https://www.amazon.com/Playing-Keyboard-...mp;sr=8-1-fkmr3


Study bass lines from your favorite recording, the books, YouTube tutorials, and analyze the progression using the "number" system. Transpose to all keys and apply to a bunch of tunes. Sure, it's a lot of work, but that's the great thing about music- there's always something fun and interesting to learn!

Excellent recommendations. Thanks guys.

What are your thoughts on the following musicians in the video clip below?

* Drummer:-
* Bass (which we are discussing here):-
* Guitar Player (this guy in particular WOW)!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gobxzSTz...ztCCiYOUu0Si2cc

I was most impressed with the singer!

The bassline is as important as the melody...

If you think about it, what do you tend to hear the easiest in a busy mix? You hear the melody on top, and the bassline at the bottom. Everything in the middle has stuff competing with it, but those two elements at the top and bottom have no competition!

We usually tend to concentrate on the melody at the top, but it’s amazing how strongly the bassline can influence the song. Substitute a different one, suddenly the song no longer sounds the same! Maybe for the better, maybe not...

Every great band had a great bassist. Try to listen to your music (record yourself constantly!) and ask yourself if the arranger’s bassline works for the song or works against it. If it’s fighting the song, perhaps that’s the time to play a bassline yourself, or maybe try a different style with a different bassline. Or if it’s a signature bassline, perhaps an SMF with the correct line is more effective (and don’t forget to put Markers into the SMF so you can still restructure the song at will!).

Back in Bach’s day, there was a way of writing music called ‘Figured Bass’ that was very like a modern fakebook! Except that nowadays we write the melody and add chord symbols. In Bach’s day, they would write the bassline and the chords and the melody. That’s how important the bass part was back then! Perhaps they were onto something! 🎹😎

If the "pocket" doesn't exist, you've got real problems.I want the two kick-ass players in my group to be the bass payer and the drummer.

This guy played the bass part well, but didn't blow me away.
It's not that kind of part.

Liked it!


R.

Diki, I never thought of that before, that the arranger bass line never goes anywhere but you are right. I don't do fingered bass but as an organ player I kick a pretty damn good bass line that does go somewhere. Thanks for bringing that to my attention.