One note basslines

ufo over easy · Post by **ufo over easy** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 6:02 pm

Am I the only one getting a bit tired of this? I know dubstep is sound system music, and bass weight is important, but one note basslines are so boring! It seems to be the dark-as-fuck minimal half step style guys who've used this the most - the breakier guys like Toasty have seemed to embrace melody slightly more, which is a shame as in general I think the sound is less interesting.

I think it's a good sign though that some of the darker, minimal producers are starting to move on a bit - Skreams putting out some really catchy stuff, so are Distance and D1, and all the DMZ guys.

I just think hooks are important in music. Just an example, Loefahs monsoon remix start off with a one note bassline, which is fine - it drops HARD, but when it drops into that two note hook, it's just all over! That's the effect even one extra note can have. It's just a two note, minor third riff, but it gives the listener something to latch on to. Thoughts?

elemental · Post by **elemental** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 6:08 pm

Sometimes one note basslines just work better ... esp if you're going for minimal spacious beats .. it becomes more of a percussion element than a note.

ufo over easy · Post by **ufo over easy** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 6:10 pm

elemental wrote:Sometimes one note basslines just work better ... esp if you're going for minimal spacious beats .. it becomes more of a percussion element than a note.

Yup, in moderation it's fine... but, like anything else, for a whole set I find it a bit tiresome

dq · Post by dq » Mon Oct 31, 2005 6:38 pm

Interesting post. In general I haven't found there to be an overwhelming number of tunes with the 1-note bassline, but I can see how it could become a problem. Especially since the people making this type of tune (Loe/Skream/Kode9/Mystikz) all tend to stick pretty closely to playing each others' productions.

On the whole it's such a forward thinking bunch that I can't see anyone getting stuck on that style for very long.

secretagentgel · Post by **secretagentgel** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 6:50 pm

i hear you. i definitely listen for melodies, even simple ones, in the tracks that i love. and writing tracks i'm always trying to make it musical.

corey

dj krave · Post by **dj krave** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 7:04 pm

i can see where your coming from m8, when creating a tune i normally make a melody or riff first and then i make the bassline out of that melody. but then again it is interesting when some producers go for a variety of sounds rather than notes in 1 tune which can be as effective. but usualy my style is to make a catchy melody out of 1 or 2 sounds, but that is just me.

zefa · Post by **zefa** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 7:12 pm

I see your point but it sounds seriously good on a nice system tho...if anyone has seen Iration Steppas, the amount of bass they generate is something out of this world...but it has a strange effect on you...the bass makes you feel floaty and your whole body tingles!

Don't know if that's what they are trying to achieve, but too many notes make dark tunes sound too happy and not as minimal, i suppose its a difference between funky and dark n minimal, if that makes any sense...

dj krave · Post by **dj krave** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 7:24 pm

too manu notes doesnt necceserily sound happy it depends on the melody

skunk · Post by **skunk** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 8:23 pm

ok, one repeating bass note throughout the entire song is usually boring. 2 alternating notes....NASTY

Citrus Boy · Post by **Citrus Boy** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 8:35 pm

god dang it! I been working towards 1-2 note basslines just as it goin outta fashion

dj krave · Post by **dj krave** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 8:48 pm

Borg wrote:god dang it! I been working towards 1-2 note basslines just as it goin outta fashion

do what you think sounds good mate

random trio · Post by **random trio** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 9:00 pm

random trio · Post by **random trio** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 9:05 pm

borg do what sounds good 2 u mate. 2 many differernt notes make it grime in my opinion. toasty ect are big boy producers but there not dub step producers.

alot of people get this mixed up. proper dub step is down 2 a minimal amount of producers ie.digital mystikz,loefah,kode 9.skreamz,benga,d1,horse power and of course myself

. not 4getting scuba.

dj krave · Post by **dj krave** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 9:13 pm

RANDOM TRIO wrote:borg do what sounds good 2 u mate. 2 many differernt notes make it grime in my opinion. toasty ect are big boy producers but there not dub step producers.

alot of people get this mixed up. proper dub step is down 2 a minimal amount of producers ie.digital mystikz,loefah,kode 9.skreamz,benga,d1,horse power and of course myself . not 4getting scuba.

i hear dat, den again skream uses several notes

r33lc4sh · Post by **r33lc4sh** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 9:20 pm

RANDOM TRIO wrote:borg do what sounds good 2 u mate. 2 many differernt notes make it grime in my opinion.

i'd rather say they make it music

yea... i'm using only one bass note i'm real dubsteper

and a small advice m8 - open your mind

dj krave · Post by **dj krave** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 9:49 pm

r33lc4sh wrote:
RANDOM TRIO wrote:borg do what sounds good 2 u mate. 2 many differernt notes make it grime in my opinion.
i'd rather say they make it music

yea... i'm using only one bass note i'm real dubsteper

and a small advice m8 - open your mind

good advice m8

phoze'l · Post by **phoze'l** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 9:54 pm

I use 1 note basslines.

Citrus Boy · Post by **Citrus Boy** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 10:00 pm

thanks random trio/krave.

yeah I deffo agree with the more bass notes makes for a grimier track but in skreamz music its melodic and musical, especially that middle8 bit in request line where he takes the synth up and down the chromatical scale (fukin genius btw ollie)

grime music I always thought was built for and by dj's + mc's in crew based acts where minimalist drums and a god damn twist yer face up bassline are perfect to accompany mc's spittin lyrics like machine guns.

that's kinda where I get my sweet and sour theory from..
dubstep = sweet melodical music with a heavy bottom end..
grime = twistin bustin lyrics and basslines to give your ears an aural prolapse.

as for the others with no pidgeonhole..our sound/breakstep whatever ya wanna call it...its drum and bass:the next generation I tell ya!!!

Imo lots more people will hop onto it within next couple of years and big record company fat cats will suck the very soul out of the music and regurgitate it for the pop charts.and on that day I shall fuking shoot myself.they did it to drum and bass.."totally addicted to bass","sound of the underground"..my trigger finger is itchy just thinking about it.

r33lc4sh · Post by **r33lc4sh** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 10:01 pm

Phoze'l wrote:I use 1 note basslines.

so u are a real dubstepper

i use 3 notes, i'm fake

r33lc4sh · Post by **r33lc4sh** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 10:03 pm

Borg wrote: Imo lots more people will hop onto it within next couple of years and big record company fat cats will suck the very soul out of the music and regurgitate it for the pop charts.and on that day I shall fuking shoot myself.they did it to drum and bass.."totally addicted to bass","sound of the underground"..my trigger finger is itchy just thinking about it.

that's the way it goes

someone will invent sth for u

One note basslines

One note basslines

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