Bass work
What the bass is doing underneath the song, which on these records is rarely just the root note of the chord.
Values Over Time
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All Values(10)
| # | Value | Songs | % of total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stepwise bass line Three or more consecutive chords where the bass note moves by step (semitone or whole tone). Creates smooth, Bach-style voice leading. | 94 | 44.5% |
| 2 | Chromatic bass line Three or more consecutive bass notes moving by semitone in the same direction, often using slash chords to create a smooth descending or ascending line. | 35 | 16.6% |
| 3 | Descending bass A bass line that walks downward through scale tones. | 26 | 12.3% |
| 4 | Melodic bass The bass guitar carries a distinct melodic line that functions independently of the harmony | 21 | 10.0% |
| 5 | No bass guitar No bass guitar on the recording. A bass line may still be there, played by a cello, a piano left hand or a guitar's low strings. | 18 | 8.5% |
| 6 | Bass ignores harmony The bass plays independently of the prevailing chord, creating deliberate harmonic tension | 6 | 2.8% |
| 7 | Walking bass A bass line that moves in steady quarter-notes through chord tones and passing notes. | 4 | 1.9% |
| 8 | High bass notes Paul McCartney plays unusually high register bass passages, sometimes in the guitar's territory | 3 | 1.4% |
| 9 | Ascending bass A bass line that walks upward through scale tones. | 3 | 1.4% |
| 10 | Bass intro The record opens on bass alone, before any other instrument or voice enters. | 1 | 0.5% |