How to play a bass line through a chord progression

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This video is the second online bass lesson in the series on bass line construction. The previous lesson focused on doubling the bass drum and this lesson introduces the use of chord tones to create some interest in the line.
Many players often wonder about how to break away from those root note based lines and how to create more melodic bass lines that weave through a progression. Chord tones (or arpeggios) are the first step on the road to great bass lines.
This free online bass lesson teaches you the three most common chord types (maj7, m7, 7) and shows a few ways to incorporate the chord tones into your basic root note, drumbeat based groove.
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PDF of lesson material will be available shortly.

[@f1948s]

Mark is the most generous and best teacher on the internet. He is an awesome educator and presents the information in a way that the student can actually understand and learn from his lessons.When I need any bass learning programs I will definitely buy from his store.

[@conormeleady1796]

Video tutorials like this are always underrated and overlooked.. Thanks for the lessons man

[@julia22202]

My cat loves this video! This is the first time she's been interested in a video that isn't birds or squirrels.

[@polygondwanaland8390]

Cedarstorm Sounds like you have a...cool cat.

[@LearnerChess]

Hands down the best teacher on KZbin -- with Steve Stine as a decent runner up.

[@elason777]

Thanks a lot! A great video. You made it feel easy at last.

[@YourMomsSideDude]

These are the best lessons. I don't know why I haven't found them until recently. Thanks 8 years later!

[@lanielcrutchfield5384]

I'm probably too old to be trying to learn how to play the bass I'm 61 years old but I've been learning for about 3 months now. I just want to say that I've been watching you since I started learning and this video has really helped me to understand how to apply this stuff to songs. Thanks Mark, you're awesome.

[@reedysbarbershop]

you are never to old to play bass.

[@sallychappus7438]

@@reedysbarbershop Thank you, I'm 71 and I'm just starting. Although I've been a drummer all my life this has been a dream of mine for a very long time. Loving the learning process.

[@nickdrey1200]

​@@sallychappus7438 well, bass is basically the drums of the string instrument world lmao. You can incorporate a lot of your rhythm foundations into bass playing. Like syncopation and percussive ghost notes. Those drum foundations you have will allow you to become an awesome percussive, drummer friendly bass player. You can do it, brotha, never stop practicing

[@RockerProf]

If you start learning the bass now, in 5 years you could know how to play the bass. But if you don't start learning the bass now, in 5 years you'll be five years older, and you won't know how to play the bass. Are you seriously gonna spend the next 30 years of your life learning nothing new? That would be sad.

[@rashydoxx7356]

You are an excellent teacher! Keep up the good work.

[@pedrofelix5854]

You are trully a great teacher, I learn A LOT with every video of yours, I can't thank you enough!!

[@edmonquiocho7492]

I now found a good teacher! This lesson is so enjoyable.

[@JSDJerry]

I am learning to play play guitar and found this Bass lesson the best lesson I ever had for practicing my arpeggios and creating lines. Thank you

[@odogstraz]

You are a truly amazing teacher. I’ve watched many videos and you explain everything in a way that makes sense. Thank you!

[@nancydoane7864]

Hi Mark! Thank you sooooooo much for this lesson! One of THE most useful and practical lessons so far in my learning journey! My husband is a drummer and once I get this lesson solid I finally feel like I'l finallyl be able to jam with him! Blessings! Nancy

[@AntoninoNuciforo]

Thank you Mark for this lesson , you have shown and explained it in such a clear manner that I now understand what I just couldn't grasp before .I am very grateful .

[@fuadumarsalim618]

Best teacher on youtube

[@XrizShowdaddy]

You are the best bass guitar teacher in the world. You made bass playing simple as ABC 👍

[@wortelish]

Simple & Very usefull You're very talented teacher.

[@99nate]

Felt like I maxed out what I could learn and process on bass by the end of high school. A couple years later getting back into it and it feels better than ever. Thanks for such a clear video!

[@Kliamframe]

I"m learning so much today! :)

[@bak1386]

I really like your lessons, they always start basic and work up to something that's worth it's weight, often something critical to developing real bass skills. Just overall good structure to the lessons

[@streetpreacher3935]

Enjoy your lessons and learn a lot. Thanks!

[@AllusernamesgoneFUCK]

Awesome lesson, it makes much more sense visually then having to read the lessons on talkbass. I also believe that chord tones should be taught early on while you're learning to play. This is one of the most important lessons to get into, thank you for showing us all

[@shotgunincblaste1806]

you are the Mutz Nutz my friend, thank you for your generosity with these lessons, long may it continue

[@nathanshaw77]

You're Making Bass Great Again! Great video!

[@reubenphil87]

You just motivated me all over again like you always do..Thanks Mark..

[@robertw1871]

Thanks, you have the best thing going on KZbin, I appreciate the tabs and very clear explanations, shows you really know what you’re doing...

[@Fretliner]

Always a pleasure to watch your videos, thanks..

[@vuyosenyane8009]

Bro. Thank you! You've answered my questions through this lesson!!

[@jotempleterna4040]

It's actually amazing, I have played the bass guitar for all my recordings but well with hearing and trying to do my thing until now.. I am grateful...

[@simplybass70]

One of the best bass teachers on KZbin so much value in evey lesson .

[@pomptang]

Excellently taught, thanks!!

[@karlbeck9869]

THANK YOU!!! I ACTUALLY GET IT! Thank you for opening doors - God bless.

[@howtoeataham]

Thank you! Such a helpful and clear tutorial

[@michaelshterengarts5843]

Awesome Lesson!!! Thanks!!!

[@zefonbass77]

Awesome Lesson!!!

[@HomeImprovementDude]

Thanks for sharing your expertise. Its very kind of you. I appreciate it!. I will study your lessons!

[@TBSSPILOTviews]

Really enjoyed the progressions break down...😎🤙🏽

[@dhaniOliver]

thanks for sharing with us. bless you and you work.

[@yanniskalt4062]

thanx mark for all your work!

[@johnathanmckenzie8360]

Honestly ur the best soooo far... I'm learning from you everyday

[@PunitSoni00]

Awesome lesson..!

[@andrewwright6893]

Absolutely superb lesson thanks very much

[@deancooper7870]

Well presented explained nice and simple

[@bentownsend4017]

It's so simple and so satisfying

[@LacedBacon]

very good lesson, keep it up

[@maliqazka8161]

You're a really good teacher mark..

[@luis2864]

Thanks a lot Mark

[@hamkaab3634]

Excellent lesson, excellent delivery. I watched this months ago, and now i'm rewatching and couldn't say how much i even more and more aprreciate this particular lesson. It's like i was lost (by other videos) but this points me back to the right direction. Many2 thanks Mark.

[@omg_wtf]

Simple is best dude. Too many vids on YT are about ego and forget the role of the bass

[@jbmdlalose4171]

Great lesson videos ...

[@josephtobias245]

woaaaa ! it helps a lot for me as a beginner bass player :) thank you so much :)

[@factstellstories5559]

Thanks a lot Mark!

[@edertwins]

You're a Great Teacher. :)

[@demonartkh3668]

This is great!!!

[@machinacinque]

Very useful! Thanx!

[@dndtruce]

This vid was very helpful

[@pgerard2188]

Thank you Mark for teaching me how to play the bass. For me you are the best teacher in the internet, keep up the good work. Ps. You should have a pay subscription site.

[@RajivKumar-nt9id]

Super class.thank you sir

[@joelvillafuerte1207]

Wow I salute you are a legend teacher God bless you

[@chaosir3677]

Where is our pdf bro ? Thanks for all the the great lessons. You make theory fun and easy.

[@alejandrovaco1]

sweet!! bass is so cool....

[@NickyCairo]

Thank you man

[@KingsleyMusicLessons]

Thank you so much.

[@stighansen4919]

I like that and I learned a lot Thanks Stig from Danmark

[@maynardventura6742]

That is amazing

[@sucrecorporan9585]

thank you mark

[@garamabasse]

very clear and "utile" to understand

[@sbdreamin]

absolutely perfect instruction. thanks... i moved far today. I'm going to throw money at you soon ;)

[@mattthompson19]

Keep repeating 5:24-5:25 and its the 'Stranger Things' theme song.

[@SammyJCuthbert]

The original song is by the police

[@11kerol]

You are awesome God bless you for sharing your experience I just want to ask like in guitar scales and patterns can you share something about patterns or shapes we can use for maj, Min,and 7th chords. Thank you Kerol

Masterprice!

[@ABArtandInfo]

Wow amazzinggg thanksssssss

[@DUKECO54]

you are solid

[@bigal2643]

Anyone else used to reading chord diagrams oriented the other way? It seemed to me like the chords on the chart were upside down, and it was really confusing for a hot minute.

[@ismaelnin8960]

Gracias, capo

[@andrewmuelleranantababaji8073]

Thank

[@harrisonpicot1236]

Really good lesson, a lot of stuff I need to work on. For those of us still learning to read sheet music it would be nice to write out some of the timing. I can play the pattern along with you, but then I forget it. I am not really sure that I would be able to re-create it from seeing the score, but it is my hope that some day, some way, I will figure it out (even if I have to practice). Thanks again, a lot of good stuff, a lot better than lessons I was taking, and I will donate on your web site. Thanks.

[@alxiroi]

Great lesson. Where can we see the lesson that fallows... passing tones and etc ?

[@sunshineIniodu]

You can equally code the notes specially when using minor pentatonic combined with solo.. Good Smiles 2 5 7 1 3 5. Cminor7 Dominant

[@clist9406]

I learned most of licks from Brushy One String

[@CDQPK]

1:49 reminds me of the Mumbo Jumbo remix Nerdbox that Pixlriffs made

[@RHill79]

great lesson thank you one question, how are you incorporating the bass drum locks into the last line you play in the video? I can't seem to figure it completely out.

[@EvilSean62]

thank you for this i show it to my students and it really helps ///... stranger things theme arpegio is in therte ... did you know ?

[@crockerrange7149]

GOOD one Mark. Are you using Ibanez's ?

[@victormanuelgonzalezlopez8770]

Podrías explicarlo paso a paso con tabss lesson por favor seria de gran ayuda

[@erwincorioflores1017]

This is enlightening! Sorry about the newbie question, but why is the 7th always diminished? Or how do I know if the 7th needs to be diminished or natural?

[@rtroiani]

That bass is gorgeous. What make and model is it?

[@bentownsend4017]

I need to learn the fretboard

[@77Yael63]

hellow (-: i really feel it was sufull for me can i ask what kind of base guitar is in the film? thanks!

[@shaolin1derpalm]

Wasn't expecting 3 2 clave

[@14chstr]

This is the only thing i'd like to learn with bass. But seems complex for me still...

[@lucianylucien3321]

hi i m from montreal canada my english is very poor so i very like yours videos ,,i just start to play bass but i would like to know if you know the haitian music .......kompa

[@jeem7332]

what do you use to make your backing tracks? :)

[@khickmann1]

The diagram for G7 just doesn't look right to me. What's up with that? Tablature for it anyone? Should be G B D F G right?

[@davidmfass]

I can play all the basic stuff you played, but I don't know how to progress to playing that last bass line you played. There's a gaping chasm between the basic stuff and that "pro baseline", and I don't know how to get there.

[@jdb123ize]

Probably should have added for beginners to the title

[@erkameksen7481]

Great Lesson... just a correction offer i want to give.... the diagrams you show us is not the notes you play on guitar..... e.g. c major 7 chord notes.... you play starting from 3rd fret but the diagram shows us starting from 8th fret.... can't find any other fault... i wish my comment has not been arrogant... thanks again....

[@alexbartrom2714]

the shirt every time :' )

[@Violatorclown]

why when you went to the A was it a minor 7th man? (and so on)

[@Violatorclown]

based on a guitar line? I went through the modes and got confused and aroused. Just confused I kid just a little aroused.

[@captainshiner42]

It was an Amin7, not an AMaj7.

[@talkingbasslessons]

Chords in a major key are as follows: 1 - Major 7, 2 - minor 7, 3 - minor 7, 4 - Major 7, 5 - Dominant 7, 6 - minor 7, 7 - minor 7 b5. So in the key of C major we have Cmaj7, Dm7, Em7, Fmaj7, G7, Am7, Bm7b5. I have a lesson devoted to the chords within a major key.

[@sanglunn]

is this a bass guitar exercise?

[@bustabass9025]

Sanglunn Guite What do you think? Can't you see the tuba he's playing???

[@andrewmuelleranantababaji8073]

What bass company

[@BigJoe2286]

Enfield