Bass

The bass line, whether played on string bass. electric bass, jug, or any other low-pitched instrument, serves several important functions within the context of blues music. The two major functions are rhythmic and harmonic in nature. By clearly outlining chord structures, mostly through broken arpeggios and scalar walking patterns, the bass forms a harmonic foundation for the rest of a blues ensemble (see examples 1 and 2). While outlining other notes within a chord, the bass mostly...