Remember How You Remembered Pi? (On Bass Mnemonics)

Pi mnemonics

“May I have a large container of coffee?”  This handy mnemonic never made it to my German speaking  classroom back in high school, but it would have come in handy to remember those elusive digits that make up the mysterious Pi!

Mnemonics are one of my favorite ways to learn and teach because they work and make learning more fun.

And they can be super useful for us bass players. The symmetry of the fretboard, letter names and numbers, possibilities for mnemonics abound. a few weeks back I posted a video on one of them: “Making an X, the ultimate shortcut to rhythm changes”. And there are a whole lot more applications, for example:

  • Fretboard shapes
  • Intervals (even more on that here, in my Interval Formula)
  • Chord changes
  • Ear training
  • The pentatonic shapes (listing them all in this article, a fun visual mnemonic!)

There are

  • visual mnemonics – we can visualize shapes and diagrams on the bass fret board and associate them with objects we are familiar with!
  • Auditory mnemonics can help us identify intervals! For example, you could link the sound of an interval to the beginning of a song you are familiar with.
  • And kinesthetic ones (the feeling channel!) – as we learn to make box shapes on the fret board!
  • Or emotional cliches for interval identification: ascending: major third ascending = happy; minor third ascending = sad; major sixth = romantic minor sixth = dramatic etc.

Please read all about this here in Part 1 and Part 2 of my series on mnemonics for bass and music. These articles were originally published on notreble.com

Enjoy! Oh, and I would love to know – what music related mnemonics do you know? Any “old duck going fishing…” to remember the cycle of fifths? What is “All cows eat grass” in a language you speak? Looking forward to your replies!

 

 

Sus2, Sus4, Sus7 or just plain Sus? I’m in Suspense!

sus chords

Ah, sus chords!

Sus means suspended – what we are suspending here is the third of the chord, so a sus2 or sus4 chord is essentially a chord with “something else” instead of the third, which leads to it being less stable and not defined as major or minor. This “something else” can be the second or the fourth.  Or the 7th can be added, hence sus7.

How do they sound?

In classical theory these kinds of chords have to be resolved, there are rules to be followed so that the ear is pleased. Suspended chords create a slight rub or tension and back then the ear wanted that to resolve into beautiful triads made up of thirds.

These days our ears quite like a bit of a rub and we do not worry about suspended chords not being resolved. Pop tunes use a lot of these chords because they can create a nice floating feel, for example. The Police, U2, The Beatles… unresolved suspended sound abound!

As an aside regarding tension and resolution: even the tritone as part of the dominant seventh chord, which has even more tension than a suspended chord – need not be resolved these days. We quite like the rub and can play a blues in the key of G, for example, where the seventh chord would be used on the root, sub-dominant and dominant. No problem, it just sounds bluesy!

What kinds of sus-chords are there?

Sus2, sus4, sus7. Sus4 is way more common, so sometimes we get lazy and just refer to sus4 as a suspended chord. Csus, thus, means Csus 4, in terms of notes: CFG. Chordal instruments can play notes in any order to fulfill the chord assignment. This is cool because you can play CFG by stacking fourths: G- C-F. 

Sus2 means the Second is played instead of the Third: CDG. A nice sounding voicing for this chord is to stack perfect fifths: C-G-D. Because of it’s open sound it also works well on the bass even in the medium-low range.

Sus7 is typically a shortcut for sus4 7, so a sus4 triad with a minor seventh: CFGBb. Sus4 maj7 is possible, but far less common. It would mostly be used in modern modal music (Jazz, Fusion, concert music)

Suspended chords in general are fun for chordal instruments because they can create the suspended effect by overlaying certain triads over the bass note (so, in a way, the bass is who makes it suspended! We are powerful!)

For example, if you play a triad a whole step below the root (bass!) you create some good sounding suspended chords:

Bb triad over C- written Bb/C – which creates: C D F Bb. So there you have the 2 (sus2!) the 4 (sus4!) and the flat 7. The sus still refers only to the third, it is a shortcut for sus 47

You’d get the same effect by playing a minor seven chord from the note a fifth above: Gmin7 over C – written Gm7/C – which creates: C D F G Bb.  (Which also makes sense because Gmin7 contains bb major in it… G – Bb – D – F… The Bb major triad Bb – D – F sits on top of a G!)

More options are: Dmin/C (which depending on context and voicing can be heard as not being an inversion of Dmin7)

Gmin/C (which creates a sus2 7)

D/C (which depending on context and voicing can be heard as not being an inversion of D7). This creates a #11 sound, which is typically not heard/perceived the same as sus chords with a perfect 4th. It’s heard as a Lydian sound. But it is technically still  a sus chord).  As a voicing try (on a 5 string bass or a piano) C-G D F# A  (C-G ensures that this is not a D7 inversion).

What other sus chords are possible? Sus b9, sus #4 maj7, sus 2 maj7 (G/C); sus b2 7 (or maj7 = strange). Put your experimental hat on and share your findings in the comments.

The truth is, chord symbols are always just an approximation.

It does not need to explicitly say Sus247 for chord players to add some of those extra notes. Chord players will often add the 9 (the 2 up the octave) or 11 (the 4 up the octave) to chords anyways, whether the symbol specifies 2 or 4 or not. The 2 (or 9) is often used together with the 3rd (the add9 chord)  whereas the 4th is typically not used together with the 3rd (modern modal (Jazz) music is an exception. And some tunes use it as a special sound – like Pink by Aerosmith – but arpeggiated)

The most important and sound defining factor is not whether the chord symbol specifies sus2 or sus4, but that there is no third. Sus7 adds the minor 7th to the sus sound and 7 or not, that makes a noticeable difference in chord density and color!

Sometimes the 2 or 4 may be in the melody, so the composer may point to that by specifying a sus2 or sus4.

What does all this mean for the bass player?

Since the main point of suspended is “no third”, stay away from it or use it only as a passing note. You can justify a lot of note choices by creating a good bass melody but of course it has to fit with the rest. When in suspended doubt, leave the third out. Adding the 5th is always a great way to add variety and staying in the safe zone (unless of course it says b5 or features something like this: o, ø, +, aug, dim.)

Chordal instruments may do 2 or 4 and it will always fit. As a suspended dominant, it has to be the sus4 for the expected effect (suspending the leading tone).

That said 2 and 4 will go together nicely in most suspended chords anyways, so if guitar susses 4 and you stick the 2 in there as part of a melodic bass line, all is good. We are responsible for the root and then making a cool line for the rest of the bar, so roots, fifths and also sixths are safe bets. And of course as we think about all these notes, we must always keep a juicy groove going. 

I hope this helped you suss out a bit about them suspended chords. For more info on these types of chords, check out my book. The 20 unit music theory course also practices them – by making grooves and doing reading drills, so you don’t have to worry when a sus2, 4 or 7 pops up in the chart.

The Music Theory for the Bass Player Spelling Bee…

phonetic alphabet for the bass player

It all started with marveling about the note H in the German musical alphabet and me being on the phone trying to spell something akin to Oachkatzlschwoaf (which means tale of a squirrel where I come from!). English is not my mother tongue. The way German is wired, we just don’t spell like they do here. And if we do, most certainly not in English. And the international phonetic alphabet with Alpha Bravo Charlie… is just so un-inspiring. So I decided to create the new Music Theory for the Bass Player Phonetic Alphabet and recruited Facebook for help. Here it is. If you find omissions, please continue to play in the comments! Thanks everyone for playing.

Rules

  • Music theory terms or bass terms okay.
  • No names of bass players for letters (no Jaco Pastorius, no Xander Zon…  That is the next game!)
  • No song names (also another game)

The Music Theory for the Bass Player Phonetic Alphabet

  • A (#, b, maj7, 7, 9 etc!)
    accent
    acciaccatura
    adagio
    allegro
    amp
    approach
    arco
    articulation
    augmented
    arpeggio
    aeolian
    altered
  • B
    Bass
    bridge
    backbeat
    bar
    bass solo
    bebop
    Big Box/Little Box
    Boot Shape
    buzz
  • C
    cable
    cantus firmus
    chicks
    chromatic
    comping
    compressor
    clef
    chord
    chorus
    cycle
    circle
  • D
    dedication
    delay pedal

    diatonic
    diminished
    Do
    double-stop
    duration
    dynamics
    dorian
    distortion
    downbeat
  • E
    ending
    ebony
    embellishment
    end pin
    equalizer
    ergaonimics
    Excuse me – I hit a bad note!
  • F
    funk
    fretless
    flat-9
    f clef
    Fa
    fatigue
    feel
    filter
    finger picking
    fingers
    flat
    flatwounds
    fret
    fuzz
  • G
    gain
    gargoyles (I look like gargoyle when I’m gigging)
    ghost notes
    gig bag
    gigue
    groove
    gig
  • H (the German B)
    half step
    hands
    harmonic minor
    harmonics
    harmony
    hazard exercises (Steve Bailey)
    heart
    hemiola
    Hexagon shape
    hipshot
    homophony
    horse hair
    hum bucker
    impedance
    improvisation
    improvise
    instrument
    intermezzo
    interval
    intervallic
    intonation
    ionian
    hammer-on
  • input
  • jazz
    jacks
    jam
    jazz
    joint
    juxtaposition
  • knobs
    keeperofdafunk
    key signature
    klezmer
  • La
    ledger line
    legato
    Little Box/Big Box
    lydian
    locrian
    legato
  • major
    maple
    measure
    melodic minor
    melody
    meter
    metronome,
    mezzo
    Mi
    minim
    minor
    minor,
    mixer
    modality
    modes
    modulate
    monster groove
    mordent
    mute
    mixolydian
  • noise
    neck
    nut
    natural
    ninth
    No time to practice!
  • offbeat
    oooops
    overtone series
    octave
  • pull-off
    parametric
    passive
    pedaling
    pentatonic
    phrasing
    pianissimo
    piccolo
    pick
    pickup
    pizzicato
    pluck
    pocket
    ponticello
    practice
    precision
    prelude
    pulse
    Pythagoras
    phrygian
  • quarter note
    quaver
    quintuplet
  • reggae
    rallentando
    Re
    recapitulation
    repeat
    rest
    rhondo
    rhythm
    rock
    root
    roundwounds
    riff
    run
  • sustain
    staff
    string
    swing
    syncopated
    segno
    saddle
    scale
    seventh
    sharp
    shuffle
    slap
    slide
    smorzando
    So
    staccato
    strap
    swing
  • TAB
    tabular
    thumping
    tritone
    triad
    third
    tap
    tenor clef
    tenth
    Ti
    tone
    transducer
    transpose
    tremolo
    triangle
    triplet
    tuner
    tuners
    Two-feel
  • unison
    upbeat
    Upside Down Boot
  • verse
    vintage
    volume
  • waveform
    walking
    whammy bar
  • x and bacon after the gig!
    X Brace (Double bass)
    x pattern
    x-factor
    xenochrony
    XLR
  • Yyz
    y connector
  • zone

 

Music Theory Course

The Ultimate Shortcut to Rhythm Changes

rhythm changes

What does “Rhythm Changes” mean?

We refer to “Rhythm Changes” to a chord sequence made famous by George Gershwin’s tune “I Got Rhythm”. The A section of this tune features a two bar phrase with chords changing every other beat, like this:

I chord, VI chord, II chord, V chord.

In the key of C:

|| Cmaj7 Am7 | Dmin7  G7  |etc.

This sequence typically repeats and then varies in a myriad of ways for the rest of the A section.

I like to look at these chords as a “slice out of the cycle… look at just the roots: A – D – G – C! Can you find it in the cycle?

Why is it important?

This sequence shows up in a myriad of songs in a variety of styles. From “Anthropology” to “Straighten up And Fly Right” and “You and me and a Bottle Makes Three!”, rhythm changes are a formula we need to have under our belts!

Ultimate Short Cut?

Because these songs are often on the faster side with two beats per measure, it is considered a bit of a harder exercise for bass players. I do, however, have you covered… Start with the roots, and if need be, repeat them to create a “walking” feel. You can also do roots and fifths and roots and approach tones, but start here, with my ultimate mnemonic….

Make an X!