# ACID BASS-LINE or Bass-lines general

**URL:** <https://uzu.lurk.org/t/acid-bass-line-or-bass-lines-general/3686>\
**Category:** TidalCycles\
**Tags:** questions\
**Created:** [5 December 2021 19:47 UTC](https://uzu.lurk.org/t/acid-bass-line-or-bass-lines-general/3686 "2021-12-05T19:47:09Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 10

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**Author:** ![cleary](https://uzu.lurk.org/user_avatar/uzu.lurk.org/cleary/32/177_2.png) [@cleary](https://uzu.lurk.org/u/cleary)\
**Post date:** [19 January 2022 22:29 UTC](https://uzu.lurk.org/t/acid-bass-line-or-bass-lines-general/3686/10 "2022-01-19T22:29:46Z")

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I made a set called `flbass` [New sample set: fretless electric bass (flbass)](https://club.tidalcycles.org/t/new-sample-set-fretless-electric-bass-flbass/2689)

I like them a lot (not that that matters), but I've seen them used quite a bit by others, so you may find that useful. `flbass` is just using notes tuned to c - it's not single notes like that double bass pack (thanks for sharing by the way) 🙂

@Soldug I've been intending to answer this for a while, but I think jwaldmann has done a pretty good job. Maybe some extra breakdown and a sound example could help -

The way I'm building bass lines at the moment is:

- separate notes from rhythm
- build the foundation harmonic part
- add harmonic variation
- add rhythmic variation
- add timbre variation

example:

```haskell
-- first pass, struct defines rhythm, foundational harmonic line defined by note
struct "t*16" $ note "[7 0 0 0 5 0 3 5 0 7 0 0 0 1 0 3 5]" 
# s "bass1:0" # cut 1

```

```haskell
-- add harmonic variation
sometimes (off 0.125 (|+ up "[7|12]")) $ 
struct "t*16" $ note "[7 0 0 0 5 0 3 5 0 7 0 0 0 1 0 3 5]" 
# s "bass1:0" # cut 1

```

```haskell
-- add rhythmic variation
sometimes (off 0.125 (|+ up "[7|12]")) $ 
someCyclesBy 0.2 (mask (binary 200)) $ 
struct "t*16" $ note "[7 0 0 0 5 0 3 5 0 7 0 0 0 1 0 3 5]" 
# s "bass1:0" # cut 1

```

```haskell
-- add timbre variation
sometimes (off 0.125 (|+ up "[7|12]")) $ 
someCyclesBy 0.2 (mask (binary 200)) $ 
struct "t*16" $ note "[7 0 0 0 5 0 3 5 0 7 0 0 0 1 0 3 5]" 
# s "<bass1:2!4 bass1:0!4>" # cut 1 
# coarse 5

```

```haskell
-- more rhythmic mods/final line
swingBy 0.2 16 $
whenmod 18 17 (#silence) $ 
someCyclesBy 0.1 (linger "s") $
sometimes (off 0.125 (|+ up "[7|12]")) $ 
slow 2 $ 
someCyclesBy 0.2 (mask (binary 200)) $ 
struct "t*16" $ note "[7 0 0 0 5 0 3 5 0 7 0 0 0 1 0 3 5]" 
# s "<bass1:2!4 bass1:0!4>" # cut 1 
# coarse 5

```

where you can modify any of those parameters live and switch up the line significantly

how it sounds:

[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/dF1EmLMlToc/hqdefault.jpg "bassline demo estuary") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dF1EmLMlToc)

side note, I'm doing this in estuary which I need to use for a workshop performance - one of the things that has been left out here is "attack variation" - there are heaps of options with `legato` (which I'd usually use, but is not available in estuary), `begin`, `end`, alternating `gain` patterns, `speed` etc

TBH though, all of this will still not necessarily make a good sounding line - understanding the line your trying to create at a harmonic level (eg I'm leaning on the phrygian mode heavily, and making some safe `off |+ up` notes with the 5th and octave), as well as at a rhythmic level (using `swing`, 8th/16th note rhythms) will help a lot ... having a sound in your head you want to get out helps as well - maybe you can kickstart some ideas from here though.

PS one of my favourite basslines I've written is in the [second half of my solstice set](https://youtu.be/vdNX_qqWR14?t=638) ...

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